Two are sentenced in murder of man
YOUNGSTOWN
Two men convicted of a 2010 murder on the city’s South Side are headed to prison.
Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Randy L. Bell, 24, of East Philadelphia Avenue, and Mark Colpetro, 30, of Willis Avenue, on Friday.
Charges against a third man, Robert Clark, 38, of Canfield Road, were dismissed because of his assistance to prosecutors.
Bell pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of felonious assault with a firearm specification. He was facing up to 29 years in prison, but under the terms of the plea agreement will serve a total agreed-upon sentence of 13 years.
Colpetro pleaded guilty to complicity to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of complicity to felonious assault. He was facing up to 26 years on the charges, but will serve an agreed-upon 5-year sentence.
The men were convicted in the death of Mark A. Trulson, 32, of Atlantic, Pa. Trulson was found shot in the head at South and Dewey avenues about 9:30 p.m. Feb. 19, 2010. He died just before 11 p.m. that evening in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Trulson, Michelle Difrischia and Charles Gerh, both of Williamsfield, Ohio, were shot while in a pickup truck outside the South Avenue Gas Mart on South Avenue. Difrischia and Gerh survived.
The three victims and Bell are believed to have been arguing over money the night of the shooting. The victims tried to get away in the truck, but the defendants reportedly gave chase in another vehicle.
Police said Bell is believed to have fired several shots into the truck, striking the three people inside.
Emmanuel Underwood, 27, of Canton, was charged with possession of cocaine in the case. He has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and will be sentenced Wednesday. The sentencing recommendation is probation.