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Teens await verdict in shooting death
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McCreary
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Royal
YOUNGSTOWN
A jury resumes deliberations today in a murder trial that could result in lengthy prison sentences for two Youngstown teens.
Deandre M. McCreary, 16, of West Woodland Avenue, and Rayshawn Royal, 17, of Cohasset Drive, are on trial for aggravated murder and aggravated robbery with gun specifications in the June 18, 2011, fatal shooting of Brandon Adkins.
The trial is before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Police found Adkins, 16, of East Philadelphia Avenue, a Chaney High School student, lying in the driveway of a house in the 3100 block of South Avenue, shot in the back, abdomen and right forearm and surrounded by a large crowd. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
McCreary and Royal face life imprisonment if convicted.
The case against the two teens weighs heavily on the testimony of three female teenagers who witnessed the shooting, but defense lawyers Anthony Meranto and Jeffrey Limbian, representing the defendants, and Robert J. Andrews, an assistant county prosecutor, differ on how jurors should interpret that testimony.
In summations before the jury Monday, Andrews said Adkins went to a party on the South Side the night of the shooting at the same time the three witnesses, ages 14, 14 and 17 at the time of the shooting, were hanging out on the porch of the South Avenue home. He said the three girls witnessed Adkins being gunned down shortly after the party ended.
Andrews recounted testimony from the teen witnesses that Royal and McCreary, wearing hooded sweat shirts, met Adkins in the South Avenue driveway, pulled out guns and demanded he empty his pockets. He said the two defendants gave Adkins five seconds to do so, then opened fire.
“Unfortunately, Brandon didn’t have anything in his pockets. He didn’t empty his pockets, and because of that, he lost his life because that did not satisfy these defendants,” Andrews said. “Both of these defendants were shooting at Brandon Adkins, shot Brandon Adkins and were trying to kill Brandon Adkins.”
In his summation, Meranto, representing McCreary, said the charges against the two teens are based on accusations from those in that crowd, speculation by police and collaboration by the three witnesses who were friends with Adkins.
He also said police performed a subpar investigation into the matter, even ignoring an alleged confession from another person. Police intimidated the three witnesses into naming his client, he said.
Meranto said the statements of the three witnesses also is unreliable because of their close friendship with the victim.
Limbian, representing Royal, also spoke on the credibility of the witness, emphasizing that at least one of the girls had been smoking marijuana before witnessing the shooting and two of the girls have poor eyesight. He said the witnesses and poor police investigation do not support a conviction for his client.
“The prosecution does not have facts upon which he can rely, so he has to use emotion,” Limbian said. “The only thing more tragic, besides the fact that Brandon Adkins lost his life, is the attempt to convict two teenage boys for his murder without evidence. ... This is outrageous.”
Andrews said the attorneys were using an old defense tactic — blaming the police and witnesses when they have no real defense for their clients.