43
Murder suspect waives extradition in Pa. case
Photo
Kevin M. Cleeves, 35, of Waynesboro, Pa., waived his right to an extradition hearing Mon-day before Magistrate Timothy Welsh, of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Cleeves is charged in Franklin County, Pa., with killing his estranged wife, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s mother.
Staff report
Youngstown
Franklin County Pa., Sheriff’s deputies have until next week to retrieve murder suspect Kevin M. Cleeves from the Mahoning County jail.
Cleeves, 35, of Waynesboro, Pa., is accused of killing Brandi Nicole Killings-worth Cleeves, 25, his estranged wife and the mother of his daughter; Vincent Luke Santucci, 28; and Santucci’s mother, Rosemary Linda Holma, 55.
The slayings happened Friday evening in a car outside a home in Quincy Township in Pennsylvania.
The victims died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, according to a coroner’s report.
Autopsies were performed Monday by the Franklin County Coroner’s office.
On Monday, Cleeves waived his right to an extradition hearing before Magistrate Timothy Welsh, of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
This means he will voluntarily be handed over to police in Pennsylvania.
Deputies will have until the end of the day Aug. 8 to pick Cleeves up and take him to Franklin County, where he is charged with three counts of criminal homicide, according to court records.
Cleeves was found Saturday by Austintown police while resting in his car at the Best Western Hotel at state Route 46 and Interstate 80.
His daughter, Leia, was found with him in the car unharmed.
He was taken into custody by officers and charged in local court with improper handling of firearms and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Ken Cardinal, assistant Mahoning County prosecutor, said those charges were dropped Monday afternoon because Cleeves waived his extradition hearing.
Cleeves’ daughter is now in the custody of a family member, Cardinal said.