Grand jury reindicts in '13 murder

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County grand jury Thursday re-indicted three people in an April 2013 murder.

Kalontae Carter, 18, of Norwood Avenue, Dejuan Thomas, 33 of Osborn Avenue, and Laquawn Hopkins, 36, of South Schenley Avenue, all face charges relating to the April 29, 2013, shooting death of 26-year-old Kristopher Stuart.

Carter and Thomas already had been indicted in May 2013 for Stuart’s death, but those charges were dismissed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in July and then re-filed Thursday.

Hopkins also was indicted previously in connection with Stuart’s death. He faces a count of tampering with evidence for hindering the investigation into Stuart’s death, according to the indictment.

Carter and Thomas were indicted on charges of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, all with firearms specifications and being convicted felons in illegal possession of a firearm.

Stuart was found dead about 10:30 p.m. on the floor of a front room at his Elm Street home with a silver revolver lying near his hand.

Carter and Thomas were wounded in the same shooting in which Stuart was killed. Police believe the three were shooting at one another.

According to county jail records, Carter is the only one of the three in custody.