Jury selection in trial of alleged St. Clair Township cop killer delayed a month

Jury selection in the capital murder trial of a New Florence man charged with the murder of a St. Clair Township police officer in late 2015 will begin Feb. 5.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio set the new trial date after the case against Ray Shetler Jr. was postponed one month for scheduling issues.

Shetler, 33, is charged with first-degree murder for the Nov. 28, 2015, shooting of St. Clair Township Officer Lloyd Reed. Reed, 54, was on duty and in uniform when he was gunned down as he responded to a domestic call from Shelter's girlfriend at her Ligonier Street home.

The judge also set Jan. 29 as the day when all pretrial motions will be argued. All motions must be filed with the judge by Jan. 25, Bilik-DeFazio said.

County prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty against Shelter if they win a first-degree murder conviction.

District Attorney John Peck cited the fact that Reed was killed in the line of duty was the aggravating circumstance needed for his decision to seek the death penalty.

Defense attorney Mark Daffner in previous court hearings argued that Shetler did not know that Reed was a police officer during the deadly gun fight.

Reed went to the St. Clair home of Shetler's girlfriend after she called for help, claiming he was drunk and abusive.

Police said Shetler ignored Reed's commands to drop a .271-caliber hunting rifle and fired at the officer three times in the front yard. Reed returned fire with six shots. Reed was hit once in an area of his chest not protected by his bulletproof vest. Shetler was wounded in the shoulder.

Shetler fled the scene. He hid his rife, ammunition and a bloody sweatshirt in some brush and swam across the Conemaugh River, police said. He was arrested six hours later as he walked along a rural road.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.