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Survivor of Warren robbery describes her friend’s death, her injuries
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
James R. Levels was sitting in a chair in the bedroom of Lisa Prater of South Street Southeast at 11:26 p.m. April 7, 2014, when two masked, young males broke into Prater’s home demanding money and drugs, one of them with a gun, Prater told jurors Wednesday.
“James got up from the chair. He just kept panicking,” she said of Levels, 64, of Beal Street Northwest, her friend of 20 years. “James kept [saying], ‘Young man, just back up.’ James got up, the man backed up, backed up again.”
Eventually, the gunman fired at Levels, but Levels slowly continued walking toward him, she said. After the third shot, Levels fell face down, mortally wounded.
The robber without the gun ran from the room after the first shot was fired, Prater, 49, said. “It seemed like he had rockets on his shoes,” she said.
Prater, who was sitting on the bed, watched as the shooter walked out of the bedroom and onto the front porch. But he returned a short time later and fired at her chest. The shot traveled through her chest and into her left arm, causing massive damage, she said. He also shot her in the leg.
Prater can’t identify the two robbers because of the masks, but Chris Becker, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, told jurors during opening statements that the other man in the room was Tyler Meardith and that Meardith and two men waiting in the car will testify that Michael B. Settle was the shooter.
Settle, 27, of Sherman Avenue in Niles, could get life in prison without parole if he’s convicted of some of the charges he faces in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Atty. John Juhasz, who represents Settle, meanwhile, said there is very little physical evidence in this case, so jurors will have to believe the testimony of Meardith and two other men if they are going to convict Settle of the murder of Levels and wounding of Prater.
But they are all unbelievable, Juhasz said. “The evidence will be that each of these individuals has a reason to say what they are going to say,” Juhasz said.
Settle is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Meardith, 24, of Clearwater Street Northwest and Laser Road in Leavittsburg, pleaded guilty earlier in the case and will get an 18-year prison sentence after the trial is over, Becker told jurors.
The two other co-conspirators in the case who also will testify, Becker said, are James Stein, 30, of Atlantic Street Northeast, and Beau Palmer, 31, of Clermont Avenue Northeast.
Stein will serve seven years in prison, and Palmer will serve 12 years, Becker said. They were part of the robbery and were in the car outside but not in the house, Becker said.
The trial resumes today.