Man secretly indicted in murder case

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County grand jury indicted a fourth person in an April homicide.

The grand jury issued a secret indictment Thursday against a John Doe in the April 1 murder of 24-year-old Maurise Kerns at a vacant house on Idora Avenue.

The identity of the person will be revealed when an arrest is made.

Already indicted in Kerns’ death is Breandre R. Allen, 27, of Shields Road in Boardman; his brother, Bralin R. Allen, 26, of Erskine Drive in Boardman; and Antwanette Kennedy, 23, of Canfield Road.

Officers responded to the area of Idora and Utilis avenues about 3 a.m. April 1 for a gunshot-sensor activation. When they arrived, they found Kerns’ body on the porch. Nearby was a revolver and a cellphone, and police recovered five spent .380 caliber shell casings in the driveway and yard, reports said.

Investigators have said the shooting was retaliation for an earlier shooting in which Bralin Allen was wounded in the head.

Also indicted on a charge of attempted murder and felonious assault was Paul Kerr, 48, of Ashland Avenue in Louisville. Kerr also faces two counts of felonious assault and a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Kerr is accused of shooting Lenzie Morgan, 49, inside Morgan’s home in the 2000 block of Shady Run Road about 8:20 a.m. Sept. 30. Police said the shooting occurred after the pair argued about Morgan’s wife.

Kerr was staying as a guest in Morgan’s home, police said. He managed to run away before police arrived and still is not in custody.

Also indicted was 35-year-old Paul Rektor of Hollywood Avenue on three counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material; eight counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor; a second-degree felony; and 20 fourth-degree felony counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.

Police arrested Rektor at his home Tuesday after an undercover officer tracked images of child pornography to his computer.

According to police, Rektor admitted to officers he knew about the child pornography on his computers. Reports also said Rektor was a teacher at Youngstown Christian School until he was laid off in June.