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Testimony begins in East Side murder, drug trial
Duo carried out killings for drug ring, prosecution alleges
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Prosecutors began identifying members of an East Side drug network for jurors Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, alleging that defendants Michael Austin and Hakeem Henderson killed for them.
“They were enforcers,” testified Youngstown police officer Robert Patton, who investigates drug crimes for the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and who investigated drug-dealing activities of the organization.
Austin, 22, and Henderson, 24, were indicted in March 2013 in the slayings of Adam Christian, 23, former leader of the Vic Boyz street gang, and Raymond “Ramel” Hayes. They were killed Nov. 13 and 16, 2011, respectively, on the East Side.
The pair also face charges in the September 2012 killings of Ryan Slade, 20, and Keara McCullough, 19, who were found shot to death in a car on Benford Lane, also on the East Side. McCullough was an innocent bystander who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, authorities have said.
Austin and Henderson also face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, attempted murder and felonious assault. Testimony began Tuesday afternoon after jurors spent the morning visiting the crime scenes. Judge John Durkin is hearing the case.
Prosecutors said the killings were done for the organization at the behest of Dwaylyn Colvin, 32, who is in prison serving an 11-year sentence for drug crimes. He also is charged in this case along with three others and will be tried at a later date.
Austin’s attorney, Ed Hartwig, said in his opening statement investigators have no evidence linking Austin to the killings. He said there is no DNA or ballistic evidence and no one will testify to seeing money given to Austin in exchange for killing someone. Hartwig said the only evidence prosecutors have is testimony from people who were involved in criminal activities and fingered his client in exchange for a better plea deal.
“You’re going to hear snitches and plea deals, rumors and street talk,” Hartwig said.
One of Henderson’s attorneys, Jennifer Beck, echoed much of what Hartwig said about lack of evidence and witness testimony. She also said jurors need to pay attention as to when witnesses offered information to police.
“Did they come forward when the crimes were committed? Or was it six months later, a year later?” Beck asked.
Under questioning from Assistant Prosecutor Martin Desmond, Patton helped map the path of about 20 people who were involved in selling drugs with Colvin and another co-defendant in the case, Vincent Moorer, 32. They were indicted on drug charges in December 2011. Austin and Henderson were not included in that indictment, but Patton said they were hitmen for the leaders of the ring. Moorer was also in charge along with Colvin, Patton said.
Patton said his investigation did not stop and was spurred by a meeting in November 2011 with then-city Police Chief Rod Foley and several other law-enforcement personnel over a series of homicides on the East Side. Investigators were comparing ideas about who might be behind the slayings and how they may able to identify them, Patton said. After the initial indictment was filed in December 2011, Patton said he was led to other people involved in the drug organization who gave him information on homicides. He said he then referred those people to be interviewed by homicide investigators and to Desmond.
Under cross-examination by Hartwig, Patton admitted that Austin was never identified in phone taps or raids conducted by investigators as being a member of the organization, and he also admitted that in the initial indictment filed in December 2011 there were no homicides or shootings included among the charges.
Also facing charges in the case are Nahdia Baker, 29, and Melvin Johnson, 31. Moorer, Baker and Johnson were added to the case in May, when they were indicted by a grand jury.
All six people also face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, which an indictment says consisted of selling drugs and committing murders and attempting to commit murders.