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Man charged in Struthers stabbing death appears in court
By EMMALEE C. TORISK
STRUTHERS
The 40-year-old man charged with the murder of a Struthers Manor resident appeared emotional in Struthers Municipal Court on Friday morning as his felony charges of murder, auto theft and aggravated robbery were read aloud.
Judge James Lanzo set Roy Cleary’s total bond at $527,500, 10 percent cash or surety, and remained firm on that amount, even after Atty. Paul Conn, who stood in for the arraignment, asked for a reduction. Conn noted that although Cleary had “a small record” of criminal activity, those incidents were not of a violent nature.
Cleary was shaking as he stood at the lectern in front of Judge Lanzo. The judge found Cleary to be indigent, as he is unemployed, and counsel will be appointed.
He was taken into custody by U.S. marshals at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh on July 16, just one day after 56-year-old Mark Westfall’s body was found in his third-floor apartment, and was extradited from Pennsylvania to Ohio on Thursday. Westfall, who hadn’t been seen since July 13, was discovered with stab wounds to his back, abdomen, neck and arms.
Detective Jeff Lewis of the Struthers Police Department said Cleary and Westfall had known each other through the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority-owned facility. Westfall was friends with Cleary’s mother, who also lives on the third floor. He added that the two men had been arguing over Westfall’s medication being stolen and that Westfall accused Cleary of taking the pills.
“They argued on the phone,” Lewis said, “and [Cleary] went to [Westfall’s] to straighten it out.”
Authorities discovered that Westfall’s vehicle, a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer, was missing from Struthers Manor, but later recovered it at UPMC Horizon in Farrell, Pa. Cleary had used it to travel to several western Pennsylvania hospitals, where he claimed an injury and sought prescription drugs, Lewis said.
The aggravated robbery charge stems from a Feb. 28, 2005, incident. According to a report, Cleary robbed a pizza delivery man by knifepoint at a residence in the 400 block of Eighth Street. Cleary purportedly approached the man with a knife, took two pizzas he claimed he’d already paid for and put the knife up to the man’s throat.
Cleary denied any wrongdoing when questioned by police afterward. He then failed to show up for a preliminary hearing April 1, 2005, at Struthers Municipal Court.