Defendant was scared into lying to cops after uncle killed, attorney says

YOUNGSTOWN

The defendant in a 2013 murder case was put in a tough position because his co-defendant was his uncle who later was murdered himself, a defense attorney said in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Atty. Jeff Limbian said his client, Kalontae Carter, 20, didn’t trust police and was scared after he was wounded with his uncle, Dejuan Thomas, and Kristopher Stuart, 36, was killed April 29, 2013, during a drug deal at Stuart’s Elm Street home on the North Side.

Limbian told jurors in his opening statement Wednesday before Judge Lou D’Apolito that in the days after the shooting Thomas was motivated by fear, mistrust and survival, which led him to lie to police.

He said because Thomas is now dead, killed himself outside a South Side bar in February, prosecutors decided to try and get a conviction by going after his nephew, Carter.

“If [prosecutors] can’t get a murder conviction through the front door, they’ll get it through the back door,” Limbian said.

Carter faces charges of complicity to aggravated murder, murder, felonious and aggravated robbery. Jury selection began Monday after plea-bargain negotiations went nowhere. The jury was seated late Tuesday afternoon.

Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.