Jury convicts shooter in New Stanton murder

A McKeesport man was convicted Friday of the first-degree intentional murder of a suspected drug dealer last year in a New Stanton hotel.

A Westmoreland County jury deliberated more than four hours before finding Christopher Smarr, 19, guilty of all seven charges he faced. In addition to the first-degree murder offense, Smarr was also convicted of second-degree murder, robbery, a weapons violation and other offenses in connection with the March 14, 2015, fatal shooting of Brandon Gray, 31, of New Kensington.

Prosecutors contended Smarr purchased $950 of crack from Gray in a room at the Garden Inn hotel, then followed him down a hallway and demanded the return of the money. When Gray refused, Smarr shot him in the chest, according to prosecutors.

Assistant District Attorney Karen Patterson said that because Smarr was 17 at the time of the shooting, he faces a mandatory sentence of at least 41 years in prison. When he is sentenced next year, Smarr could receive a prison term of up to life behind bars, Patterson said.

Defense attorney Michael DeMatt said Smarr will appeal the verdict.

During the five-day trial, prosecutors said Smarr shot Gray as part of a turf war between rival drug gangs.

Smarr, according to the prosecution, was in a hotel with his older brother when they called several dealers to come and sell them cocaine and crack.

Witnesses said Gray arrived at the hotel with his girlfriend, Janay Brown, to meet with Smarr and his brother, Mark “Jason” Schofield. Brown testified Smarr followed Gray out of the room after the transaction, pulled a gun and demanded the money.

When Gray refused, Smarr fired one shot from a handgun, Brown testified.

“All the evidence shows Christopher Smarr shot and killed Brandon Gray,” Patterson argued to the jury.

Patterson said the case against Smarr hinged on Brown, the lone eyewitness to the shooting.

Prosecutors throughout the trial presented evidence that Smarr and his brother spent that night at the hotel robbing drug dealers.

Jurors heard testimony from Jeffrey Patterson, no relation to the prosecutor, who claimed he sold the brothers $200 of crack at the hotel an hour before Gray was killed. Jeffrey Patterson testified the men followed him from the room after the deal, forced him to the ground, took the money and ordered that he tell his supplier to no longer operate at that hotel.

Smarr did not testify during his trial. The defense presented just one witness who said she lived in a nearby apartment building in New Stanton when Schofield came to her home shortly after the shooting and disposed of a cellphone that later was identified as belonging to Gray.

Schofield was not charged in connection with the murder.

DeMatt argued that Schofield killed Gray and that he could have conspired with Brown to set up her boyfriend.

DeMatt said Brown has a criminal history and was indicted last summer by a federal grand jury for a drug offense, although she has agreed to cooperate with investigators.

DeMatt argued Brown's testimony against Smarr was riddled with inaccuracies and told jurors not to trust her identification of Smarr.

“It was Mark Schofield who shot Brandon Gray,” DeMatt said. “I wouldn't be surprised if Janay and Jason worked together.”

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer.