Pleading innocent

Pleading innocent

WARREN

A judge has set bond at $2 million for Melvin L. Turner, 37, charged with killing a mother and daughter in their Liberty Township home Nov. 15, 2009.

Turner, who arrived at the Trumbull County jail this weekend after being transferred from a federal prison, was arraigned in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court by Judge Peter Kontos. Turner pleaded innocent to two counts of aggravated murder and single counts of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He returns to court Wednesday morning for his first pretrial hearing before Judge W. Wyatt McKay.

He’s accused of killing Wilneice L. Green, 28, and her 13-year-old daughter, Ja-Brajasia, in their Northgate Drive home. Five other people already have pleaded guilty to their role in the homicides.

Death probed

AUSTINTOWN

Police are investigating the death of an Austintown man. Township police responded to a Nantucket Boulevard home in the 4400 block Sunday morning where Adam Wade, 28, was found dead.

Ramona Wade stated that she called family members at about 7 a.m. after she saw her grandson lying on his bed not breathing. The family arrived at the residence and placed a call to Lane Ambulance at 8:57 a.m.

A responding officer observed two plastic bags containing white powder in the victim’s closet, according to the police report. Field tests on the powder for cocaine produced negative results. A ruling on the cause of death is pending; the Mahoning County Coroner’s office took the plastic bags and contents as part of its investigation.

Gunshot wound

WARREN

A 30-year-old Niles man told police he had a minor gunshot wound in the back of the neck as a result of an argument with another man early Friday.

The victim, treated at ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital, said he didn’t want to press charges. The gunshot entered and left the victim’s neck without causing serious injury, police said.

The shooting took place while the victim was walking in the 2200 block of Colonial Avenue Southeast at 8:30 a.m. Friday, he said.

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