Detectives seeking help in Wirt Street murder case

By JOE GORMAN

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Detectives are seeking the public’s help in solving the shooting death earlier this year of a man on Wirt Street.

James Thomas, 58, died after being shot just before 10 p.m. May 9 as he was walking southbound with a friend on Wirt at Crandall Avenue on the North Side.

An off-and-on rain poured on the crime scene as investigators searched for clues, but Detective Sgt. Anthony Vitullo said clues are few and far between.

Vitullo said investigators do have some video evidence but he would not say what it was.

The man who was walking with Thomas told police he heard a shot but did not see anyone.

Police think Thomas was shot by someone in a passing car but the man did not see a car when the shot was fired, Vitullo said.

Vitullo said detectives know where Thomas was before he was shot and there were no arguments or disagreements while he was there.

Vitullo would not say if police found any shell casings but they did recover the bullet that killed Thomas.

Detectives talked to neighbors nearby that evening but no one saw or heard anything out of the ordinary.

Thomas was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the April 2011 robbery at Galaxy Seafood which led to the death of Warren V. Wright. Wright, 32, was shot and killed by an off-duty officer.

Vitullo said he is not sure yet if Thomas’ past had anything to do with his murder.

Youngstown has 13 homicides so far in 2019, with four of those cases solved and strong suspects in two others, of which one may be self defense. Thomas’ case is the one that has the least amount of evidence.

Anyone with information can call Vitullo at 330-742-8250 or the detective bureau at 330-742-8911.

“The public’s help would be fantastic with this,” Vitullo said.