Police: Killing in parking lot was ‘senseless’
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
More information trickled out Friday about the murder of a Masury man last November after two Columbus men were indicted in his death.
Lt. Doug Bobovnyik said that the killing of Joshua Beasley, 34, early Nov. 6, 2016, in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Flea Market was especially senseless because Beasley gave his wallet to the two men accused of killing him after the two pulled a gun on him.
Accused are brothers David Emera Deshaw Madumelu, 24, also known as David Kitchen; and Daniel Kitchen, 26, also known as Daniel James Madumelu.
But they still shot and killed Beasley, who had stopped his motorcycle in the parking lot to text a woman and ask her to meet him later, Bobovnyik said.
“They didn’t have to kill him,” Bobovnyik said. “It was senseless.”
The two were indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury on charges of aggravated robbery and aggravated murder for the death of Beasley and on charges of attempted murder, felonious assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm for a double shooting the day after Beasley was killed on Cohasset Drive that detectives did not know until weeks later was linked to the murder.
Madumelu and Kitchen, who are brothers, were arrested a few days later along with a woman by Columbus police. Because they were arrested with a .40-caliber handgun and had a history of committing the same kinds of crimes that had led to the death of Beasley, Bobovnyik and Detective Sgt. Ronald Rodway traveled to Columbus Nov. 30, 2016, to interview the woman about the double shooting on Cohasset Drive.
Police had recovered a .40-shell casing where Beasley was shot and .40-caliber shell casings from the double shooting on Cohasset Drive. When interviewing the woman, she told police she thought one of the victims was targeted because she witnessed Beasley’s murder.
Bobovnyik and Rodway said that revelation was a shock. Bobovnyik said other than the shell casing, police had no evidence to work with in Beasley’s death.
If he and Rodway had not made the trip to Columbus, detectives would not have received the evidence on Beasley’s murder, Bobovnyik said.
“We had no idea the cases would tie together,” Bobovnyik said.
The case is one that shows that detectives always have to be willing to follow up on any leads or tips they get, Bobovnyik said. He credited Rodway for the work he did on the case.
“This is one instance where you have to beat the pavement and talk to people,” Bobovnyik said.
Bobovnyik said Madumelu and Kitchen were in Youngstown to attend the death of a family member. He said when they were arrested in Columbus on aggravated robbery charges, they were held without bond so detectives could build their case without having to worry about them going anywhere.
Columbus police tested the gun found when the brothers were arrested and it matched the gun used in Beasley’s death and the Cohasset Drive shootings.
Bobovnyik also thanked Columbus police for their help, including the use of its crime lab at no cost.
Madumelu and Kitchen were both sentenced to 17 years in state prison Wednesday after guilty pleas to weapons and aggravated robbery charges in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.