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Witness: Defendant said he was ‘all about the life’
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A witness in the trial of two men accused of four murders on the East Side told a jury that one of the defendants told him he had committed murders on behalf of a drug ring.
The witness, who is presently serving a federal prison sentence for wire fraud, testified Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that Michael Austin, 22, told him details of two of the murders. Austin and co-defendant Hakeem Henderson are accused of committing them three days apart in November 2011 – Adam Christian, 23, on Nov. 13 on Woodcrest Avenue; and Raymond “Ramel” Hayes, 23, whose bullet-riddled body was found Nov. 16, 2011, at Gerwig and Knapp streets.
The witness said Austin told him of the crimes while they were both inmates at the Mahoning County jail in 2013, and Austin was seeking legal advice on his cases. The witness also said Austin told him he was committing the murders on behalf of a drug ring headed up by Dwaylyn Colvin, 32, who will go on trial later for his role in the case.
“His [Austin’s] responsibility, at least how he explained it to me, was he was the hit man,” the witness said.
Defense attorneys pounced on the fact the witness is getting a reduced sentence in his federal case to cooperate with prosecutors in the cases against Austin and Henderson.
The pair also are charged in the deaths of Ryan Keith Slade, 20, and Keara McCullough. 19, who were found shot to death in a car on Benford Lane on the East Side in September 2012.
Testimony began Tuesday after a jury was picked. Judge John M. Durkin is hearing the case.
The witness said Austin told him Hayes helped in the killing of Christian, then was killed himself three days later because it was thought Hayes was “shaky,” and might eventually talk to the police.
Austin told the witness that the murder of Hayes also was a credit to his reputation, because he was not afraid to kill his own cousin, although defense attorneys later said Hayes and Austin are not cousins.
Austin told the witness: “I’m so about this life I even had to get my own cousin; I had to plug him.”
The murders were to help Colvin take over drug dealing in their part of the East Side, the witness said. He testified that Henderson was at both homicides as well. The witness did not testify about information in the Slade and McCullough homicides.
Under cross-examination from Ed Hartwig, Austin’s attorney, the witness admitted that he is getting a reduced sentence for testifying for prosecutors.
“That’s like cash money, isn’t it? But better,” Hartwig said. “It’s freedom.”
The witness also admitted under cross-examination by Hartwig that he reached out to prosecutors by writing letters to them about Austin’s statements.