43
Third suspect charged in New Castle triple slaying
Informant provides new details in case
NEW CASTLE, Pa.
Police now believe a woman jailed for helping a triple homicide suspect flee the state helped plan the robbery that led to the deaths of a 10-year-old girl and her mother, as well as another man.
City police on Friday re-arrested Jody Hammer, 41, of New Wilmington, Pa., on three counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit robbery and hindering apprehension or prosecution, according to a news release from the department.
Hammer was previously jailed on an obstruction charge for allegedly helping one of the shooting suspects, 19-year-old Anthony L. Cooper Jr., flee to Michigan the day after the shooting. She posted bond and was released.
Hammer was arraigned on the new charges soon after her arrest Friday and placed in the Lawrence County jail without bond. Her previous charges were withdrawn, according to an affidavit.
The arrest comes after a confidential informant provided new details on the Oct. 16 shooting deaths of 10-year-old Amariah Emery, her mother, 31-year-old Nichole Pumphrey, and 31-year-old Lawrence Cannon.
Police said they learned Hammer and her housemate, 19-year-old Steven P. Procopio, had planned to rob Pumphrey and Cannon at Pumphrey’s West North Street home.
“They thought there was drugs in the house and money,” said Robert Salem, New Castle police chief.
Procopio reportedly told the informant Hammer intended to take Pumphrey to another room while Procopio and Cooper robbed Cannon, according to an affidavit. But Pumphrey refused to leave the room, and an argument broke out.
Cooper shot Pumphrey and Cannon, according to the affidavit. They then heard Pumphrey’s children on the nearby staircase. Cooper handed the gun to Procopio, who shot and killed Amariah as she descended the stairs.
Police said Procopio fired the gun at another of Pumphrey’s children who was behind Amariah, but missed.
“Procopio advised that he had thought he hit the second juvenile female, which is why he did not go upstairs to look for her,” the affidavit states. “[The three] then became scared because of all the gunshots fired and left the residence without taking anything.”
The girl who survived positively identified Procopio as the man who shot Amariah.
“We believe we got the three people responsible for the homicides. We have the right motive,” Salem said. “Our detectives continued to work on this until we got the third person.”