Testimony begins in murder case

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Attorneys on both sides of a 2014 murder case Wednesday told jurors the case will come down to whether they believe the two men who were in the car with Dajhon Neely of Liberty when he suffered fatal gunshot wounds on South Avenue.

Assistant Prosecutor Michael Yacavone admitted during opening statements in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that both men have criminal records, and both men were reluctant to talk to police shortly after Neely died.

Neely was shot in a car on South Avenue at the junction with Interstate 680 early March 29, 2014. Yacavone said Neely was shot in the back and the back of the head as he sat in the front passenger seat of a car. He said the defendant, Matthew Cochrane, 26, of West Hylda Avenue, pulled up next to the car at a red light and fired several shots at it.

Cochrane faces a charge of murder and two counts of felonious assault. A jury was seated Tuesday before Judge Maureen Sweeney.

Yacavone said the two men, Kyrie Grabe, the driver; and Vernon Johnson, initially did not cooperate. He did say they eventually did cooperate, and police were able to use their statements to get an arrest warrant for Cochrane.

“It’s not whether or not you like them,” Yacavone said. “It’s whether or not you believe them.”

Tony Meranto, Cochrane’s attorney, however, told jurors that the two did not talk to police until they were arrested on other charges, and some of their statements that were given to authorities were not videotaped.

Meranto also said the two gave shaky photo identifications and conflicting statements.

“Would you base your affairs on the words of these two guys?” Meranto asked the jury.

Johnson was the second witness called, and when he took the witness stand, he was dressed in orange jail coveralls and was shackled. Testimony was halted briefly and the jury taken out of the courtroom as Johnson was allowed to speak to a lawyer. He faces a pending felony receiving-stolen-property charge.

Yacavone said Cochrane and Neely had a running feud and ran into each other at a nearby gas station just before the shooting. Yacavone said when Cochrane was finally questioned by police, he admitted to the run-in and admitted to being on South Avenue.

Raevon Neely, Dajhon’s sister, testified that she was called to the hospital when her brother was shot, but she said he never was able to talk to her before he died.

“Walking in [the hospital] then, you could tell he was gone already,” she said through tears.