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City man pleads guilty to reckless homicide
Photo
Carlini
YOUNGSTOWN
A 38-year-old Brownlee Woods man has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in the Feb. 26 shooting death of a Berlin Center woman in his residence.
Gregory Carlini, of Bancroft Avenue, entered his plea Monday in the death of 33-year-old Erica Elford before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Martin P. Desmond, an assistant county prosecutor, said he is recommending a six-year prison term — the maximum allowed by law for reckless homicide with a firearm specification — when Carlini is sentenced at 10 a.m. Sept. 6.
Carlini was originally indicted on a murder charge that alleged he killed Elford while committing felonious assault against her, together with the reckless homicide charge alleging he recklessly caused her death.
Desmond explained that he dropped the murder charge because Carlini and Elford were playing with a loaded handgun, which was discharged accidentally, and the homicide was not purposeful. “He wasn’t intending to kill her. He wasn’t intending to shoot her,” Desmond said after court.
“We have a full confession from Mr. Carlini, and, after reviewing those facts thoroughly, it quite simply is not a murder,” Desmond told the judge.
“The reckless homicide is the accurate charge here,” he added.
“The physical evidence matches what he says happened,” Desmond said of Carlini after court.
Judge Krichbaum said in court that he didn’t disagree with Desmond’s assessment, but the judge said: “I think these things should be properly investigated before they’re indicted, rather than after they’re indicted.”
Desmond said after court: “I don’t know why the grand jury does what it does. I wasn’t part of the charging process.”
Grand juries, which issue indictments, meet in secret.
Police found Elford dead of a gunshot wound to the mouth, lying naked in a bed in a back bedroom.
When police arrived at Carlini’s residence just before 11 p.m., they found him shirtless and walking nervously inside the house, accompanied by two large dogs.
When police knocked, Carlini let the dogs out and invited police into his residence.
Carlini told police Elford had been playing with his gun and he ended up shooting her.
Police arrested Carlini and found the gun they think was used in the shooting and bullets on a kitchen counter.
Carlini, who has a minimal criminal history, including a theft charge years ago, was jailed under $1 million bond after his arrest in the homicide.
The judge revoked his bond Monday and ordered him jailed pending sentencing.
Police believe Carlini was Elford’s boyfriend and said there was no reported history of domestic violence between them.