Man has murder charge dismissed

By Joe Gorman | March 17, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Elijah Alexander is a free man, but that might not be for long.

Prosecutors in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Monday dismissed a charge of aggravated murder against Alexander, 26, of Lansdowne Boulevard, in the Jan. 12, 2010, shooting death of Rodney Weaver, 25, of Catalina Avenue.

Alexander has been in the county jail since 2013 awaiting trial. He was set for trial Monday before Judge Shirley J. Christian.

Assistant Prosecutor Nick Brevetta said that while Alexander can be released from jail now, he could be reindicted on a complicity charge in connection with Weaver’s death.

Brevetta said the reason the charge was dismissed was because an accomplice in Weaver’s death, Thomas Wright, 28, last week took back his statements that prosecutors intended to use during the trial and instead took responsibility for Weaver’s death.

Brevetta said prosecutors are working on indictments against Wright on charges of aggravated murder and perjury, since the statements Wright took back were made under oath.

Wright was indicted in connection with Weaver’s death in 2010, but Alexander was not indicted until 2011.

Wright pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony against Alexander but because he gave false statements, prosecutors are working on getting that plea thrown out, Brevetta said.

He was given a 10-year prison sentence in December 2012 before former Judge James C. Evans.

Weaver was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Health Center just before 10 p.m. Jan. 12, 2010. He was found on the ground in front of a Lexington Avenue home on the North Side, covered in blood from a gunshot wound.

Police said at that time they believed Weaver likely was shot at another location before running to the Lexington Avenue area and collapsing.

Brevetta said it is believed Weaver was killed during a robbery.