There were 49 homicides in Pittsburgh during 2002, 10 less than in 2001. Eleven of last year's homicides remain unsolved.
Jan. 18
Shonne Matthews, 24, died after an unknown gunman knocked on the door of his Homewood house at 11 p.m, chased Matthews down the street and shot him 10 times. Detectives said they don't have a motive.
Jan. 20
Daniel Marvin fatally stabbed his wife Elaine Marvin, 45, at their home in the 2400 block of Eccles Street in Arlington shorter after 9 a.m., police said. Daniel Marvin is awaiting trial for his wife's death.
Jan. 25
Three masked men stormed into Mr. Tommy's Sandwich Shop and Car Wash in Homewood during dinner. Two of them open fire, aiming for Thomas Mitchell III, 31, a wheelchair-bound Homestead drug dealer.
The bullets kill Mitchell. Customer Parrish Freeman, 35, of Wilkinsburg is mortally wounded, and his daughter Taylor Coles, 8, dies. Freeman's wife Terri Coles, 30, was wounded.
Eventually, two witnesses, spurred by the little girl's death, identify William “Munch” Thompson, 32, of Homewood and Andre “Little Dre” Crisswalle, 28, of Lincoln-Lemington as the shooters. Both men are awaiting trial. Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty. The search for the unknown third accomplice continues.
Feb. 9
Raymont “Richie Rich” Lee lured his friend Willie Jean “Alabama” Jones, 39, to Farmhouse Road in Highland Park early in the morning and shot him in the head, police said. Police said Lee, 25, killed Jones, who recently moved from Canonsburg, Washington County from Alabama, to prevent him from testifying in a trial connected to Lee's June 2000 drug arrest in Washington County. Police arrested Lee, of Washington County five months later.
Feb. 12
Marvin Williams, 37, a homeless drug addict, was found dead behind a business along 34th Street and Spring Way in Lawrenceville An autopsy showed he was shot in the head. Police have no suspects or motive.
Feb. 12
Ironworker Paul Corsi Jr. was securing a 150-ton steel truss to other support structures of the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown. The three-story frame fell to the ground, fatally crushing Corsi, 38, of Moon Township.
The Allegheny County Coroner's office later determined that workers used substandard nuts and bolts to secure the truss.
Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht ruled Corsi's death a homicide, and recommended that manslaughter charges be lodged against the Dick Corp. — the subcontractor in charge of steel work — for failure to implement proper safety precautions.
Prosecutors have not filed any charges.
March 8
Larry Fielder, 49, strangled his girlfriend, Norma Williamson, 42,at their home on Schwerner Court in Lincoln-Lemington. He then hung himself in the bathroom. Williamson had filed a protection-from-abuse order against him.
March 11
Armond “B-Jay” Gustave Jr., 26, a Penn Hills real estate agent and father of two, was fatally shot in the parking lot of Donzi's nightclub in the Strip District. Rashad Rowe, 22, of McKeesport was shot in the leg. Rowe is awaiting trial for the homicide. Rowe claimed they were shot during a struggle for a gun drawn by Gustave.
March 15
Orlando Greene, of Verona was beaten and shot in the back as he left Walsh's Lounge and Bar on Broad Street in East Liberty. Michael “Grim” Durrett, 21, of Larimer, and Robert “Papa” Woods, 20, of East Liberty are awaiting trial on homicide charges. Police said the killing centered around drug dealing in the Broad Street corridor.
March 16
Domenique Johnson,16, was fatally shot over a missing ball cap and clothing during a fight in the Bedford Dwellings housing project in the Hill District. Lando “Ditto” Lynch, 21, is awaiting trial on charges he shot Johnson in the abdomen and walked away.
March 22
Jared Henkel, 20, and his two football player friends Craig Elias, 22, and Jared Lischner, 20, — all from affluent families in Mt. Lebanon — accused friends Andrew P. Jones and Anthony Brownlee, 20, of stealing a safe and its contents, police said.
Jones and Brownlee are school chums from working-class West End families.
According to Brownlee, the two were bound and beaten by the three accusers for several hours. Brownlee was set free. Jones's body is recovered from the Ohio River near Steubenville, Ohio on April 12. Henkel, Elias and Lischner await trials for Jones' death.
Mar. 31
Ian Gordon, 29, of Point Breeze, stabbed David Wilder, 31, of Homewood to death during a fight on Forest Way in Homewood over a drug debt. A judge sentenced Gordon to seven to 14 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
April 22
Maurice Ford, 14, shot Joseph “Mark” Parks, 39, after he appeared to walk away without paying the youngster for five rocks of crack cocaine in the Northview Heights housing project on the North Side, police said. Parks, a West View jitney driver, died inside his car. Ford is awaiting trial.
April 29
Police say George Smith, 17, a suspected dealer from Larimer, shot Justin Perminter, 18, of Crafton with an assault-rifle for trying to move in on his drug turf. Smith is awaiting trial for the killing at Federal and Parkhurst streets on the North Side.
May 11
James Barna pulled a two-shot, Derringer-style pistol as he and his friend Robert Hinish, 26, both of Homestead got into a fight shortly before 5 a.m. inside Club 25 on the South Side. A bullet from the gun killed Hinish. Barna, 18, claims the shooting was an accident. He is awaiting trial.
May 15
Police said Gilbert Lee “Mooch” Fowler shot Jason Griffin in the chest and pumped a bullet Griffin's car before casually driving away, police said. Fowler, 18, of Mt. Oliver had came to Griffin's friend's house on Adelaide Street to retrieve a borrowed compact disc and possibly exact some revenge for comments made on the basketball court earlier in the day. Witnesses told police, however, Griffin threatened Fowler. Griffin, 17, was the grandson of former District Justice Jacob H. Williams. Fowler is awaiting trial
May 17
John Butera had kept his watch-repair shop open for more than 40 years even though the Bedford Avenue corridor in the Hill District crumbled under violence, drugs and poverty. His nephew found Butera's body, which had been stabbed, in the 87-year-old man's kitchen. Police said they have suspects in the apparent drug-fueled robbery-slaying, but no arrests have been made.
May 25
A 16-year-old boy playing with a handgun shot Tilithia Johnson, 14, on the porch of his Allentown home during a birthday party, police said. Brandon Thomas Hodge told friends and police he did not mean to shoot her. He is awaiting trial.
May 25
Gary Pennington stabbed Larry Miller, 32, of Perrysville, in front of a Mt. Pleasant Road deli in Northview Heights , police said. Pennington, of Perrysville Avenue, North Side, wanted revenge because Miller had made him “look like a punk” following an argument over a beer, investigators said. Pennington is awaiting trial.
May 30
Zachary Blair, 17, of East Liberty, and William Higginbotham, 20, of Larimer, shot James “Onion” Malloy during a drug robbery. at the former high school football star's Larimer home, police said. The men are awaiting trial.
June 2
Eric D. Bryant, 19, a Virginia State University student from Penn Hills, died in a hail of gunfire on Wilner Drive between drug dealers from Homewood and East Hills. Police arrested Kevin Harper, 19, of Homewood, and also charged Pierce Dumas, 19. Harper is awaiting trial. Dumas was fatally shot in Penn Hills two weeks later, possibly in retaliation.
June 6
Darrell Wilson Jr., 21, was walking outside his home on Carnegie Street in Lawrenceville when someone drove by and opened fire. Just days before, Wilson's friend, Kevin Harper, had been charged with killing Eric D. Bryant in the East Hills. No arrests have been made. Police said they do not know if the killing was in retaliation for Bryant's slaying.
June 19
Charles Pharr, 68, fatally stabbed James Wylie, 28, inside the Perrysville Avenue home of a friend. Pharr said he was defending himself after a card game turned violent. He is awaiting trial for homicide.
June 29
Crystal Somerville, 27, of Carrick died after being shot inside a Beltzhoover bottle club. A witness identified James “Ruff Bones” White, 23, of Carnegie, as the man who strolled up to her, shot her five times and then mingled with the crowd that gathered to watch police and paramedics respond. White is awaiting trial.
July 13
Two undercover police officers working a surveillance detail along Penn Avenue in Garfield saw the two gunmen emerge from the shadows and shoot their intended target, James L. Adams, 21, of Garfield. The two officers chased down Alonzo Kemp, 27, and Robert McCray, 24, and charged them with the shooting.
July 19
Kevin Coates told Maurice Ford, 14, and James Freeman, 20, to leave Coates' central North Side neighborhood. Freeman, 20, of West Mifflin drove away with Ford, 14, but returned to Melrose Avenue minutes later and fatally shot Coates, 17, police said. Ford was shot too, but he survived, only to be charged two months later with killing a West View man during a drug deal. Coates is awaiting trial.
Aug. 3
A gunmen fatally shot Clayton James, 52, as he walked out of his home on Letsche Street on the North Side. Investigators said the shooting started as a fight over a woman. Police have charged LeBarron Fryer with killing the Air Force veteran. Fryer remains at large.
Aug. 28
Keith Jacobson told police he went to the corner of Pandora and Appian Ways in Carrick to buy drugs from Brian Marasco, 19. When Marasco pulled out a gun, though, Jacobson, 22, of Mt. Washington, shot him first, police said. Jacobson is awaiting trial.
Sept. 7
The eight-month search for Katrice Lester ended when her body was found in an abandoned house owned by her ex-boyfriend's father. Lester, 31, of the Hill District was last seen with John H. Ford Jr., 25, of Clairton, outside an Oakland nail salon. A friend of Ford's said that Ford had asked him to help bury Lester's body. Police charged Ford in Lester's death.
Sept. 7
Officer Lawrence Mercurio fatally shot Michael Hunter Jr. in Manchester during a drug investigation. They saw Hunter running across a baseball field and called for him to stop. Officers said Hunter, 24, of Brighton Heights, pulled out a .357-caliber revolver and pointed it at the police. Officials are awaiting for an open inquest to determine whether the shooting was justified.
Sept. 15
Kevin Snoe was shot as he returned with groceries to his mother's home on Jonathan Place in North Point Breeze. Investigators said Snoe's killer may have mistaken the recent Taylor Allderdice High School graduate for someone else. His killing remains unsolved.
Sept. 20
A drunken fight over crack cocaine on Howe Street in Shadyside apparently ended when Melinda Gilkey, 42, stabbed her boyfriend Scott Donofrio, 32, more than 170 times and cut off his testicle, police said. She is awaiting trial for his killing.
Sept. 21
Three men in dark clothes shot Aaron Demand, 16, and his friend Ronald Nicholas, 24, as they walked along Park Hill Drive in the East Hills. Demand died. Police said the shooting was part of an ongoing battle among neighborhood drug dealers. No arrests have been made.
Sept. 24
Before he died of gunshot wounds, John Harris identified Adam “Awall” Naylor, 18, of Garfield as having shot him at a Hill District apartment building. Naylor apparently had found Harris, 18, of Lawrenceville in the apartment of a woman who apparently had relationships with both men, investigators said. Naylor is awaiting trial.
Sept. 27
A hooded gunman shot Lanel Buckner as he was leaning into a limousine parked on Juniata Street in Manchester. Police arrested Vernon “D-Bo” Williams, 19, of the North Side, after he allegedly bragged about killing Buckner, 26, a convicted drug dealer. Curtis Mahaffey, 19, also of the North Side, was later arrested as an accomplice. Both are awaiting trial.
Sept. 27
A gunman shot Leonard Feigel, 62, who was delivering newspapers with is wife Dolores along South Evaline Street in their Bloomfield neighborhood. He died the next day. Despite the posting of a $17,000 reward, police have no suspect or motive.
Oct. 13
Two people died and two more were wounded during an apparent drug deal on Stadium Street in Esplen. Charles “Chuckie” Lane, 19, of Fairywood, collapsed at a convenience store. Jamell Turner, 18, of Crafton Heights, lay dead in the street. Donte Brewer, 20, of Elliott and Deon Jones, 23, of Chartiers City await trial on homicide charges.
Oct. 21
Darren Dolby Jr. allegedly ripped off drug dealers as he awaited his own upcoming trial on drug charges. Police said one of his victims fatally shot Dolby, 19, of the Sugartop section of the Hill District, in a Bedford Dwellings apartment building. Police have made no arrests.
Oct. 22
The battle for territory among drug dealers in the East Hills continued when Amir Cox, 22, a suspected dealer, was fatally shot outside an apartment building on East Hills Drive. No arrests were made.
Nov. 2
Albert Tolbert told detectives he went to the Bedford Dwellings apartment of his elderly neighbor, Beatrice Gale, to borrow money. When Gale, 72, refused, Tolbert beat the Hill District woman to death with an ashtray and stole her 20-inch television, which he sold for $20 to buy crack cocaine, police said. Tolbert, 49, later surrendered to police. He is awaiting trial. Gale's son is a city police officer.
Nov. 9
Michael Givens walked out of jail earlier in March after a jury deadlocked on whether he killed Christopher Redman in 1999 in the East Hills. Eight months later, Givens, 21, of Homewood, was gunned down just blocks from where Redman was killed. Two men charged with killing Givens are awaiting trial.
Nov. 14
Alean Hudson, 66, was fatally shot as her boyfriend, Edward Powell, 45, drove his Chrysler New Yorker along East Liberty Boulevard in Larimer. Police say Powell, a convicted thief from Lawrenceville, was the intended target in a drug dispute. Police have charged Andre Yates with the shooting. Yates remains at large.
Nov. 15
City Housing Authority officers said Bernard William Rogers, 26, fought with them during a drug investigation in the Bedford Dwellings housing complex in the Hill District. One officer said he shot Rogers in the chest during a struggle for a gun. Officials are awaiting the results of an open inquest conducted to determine if the shooting was justified.
Nov. 16
Derrick Owens, 33, had been paralyzed from the waist down since a 1998 shooting. A drug dispute likely led someone to fire several bullets into his home on Wilhelm Street in Elliott, killing Owens and his dog. Police have made no arrests.
Nov. 21
After receiving a late-night phone call, David “D.J.” Berry left his parents' Penn Hills home without saying a word. An hour later, the 22-year-old University of Pittsburgh junior was shot dead in his 1999 Chevrolet Camaro as he drove down a Greenfield street. Police said they don't know why he was killed.
Dec. 15
Derrick Russell Jones and his friends started a fight in Big Dawg's Bar in Beechview that ended with the shooting of Rashad Jackson, 21, and his cousin Dorian Franchor, 22, both of Garfield. Franchor and a bystander were injured. Jackson was killed.
Police arrested Jones, 21, of North Braddock, and are searching for at least one accomplice.
