2021 Allegheny County homicide victims

Mike Palm
Thursday, April 22, 2021 11:39 a.m. | Thursday, April 22, 2021 11:39 a.m.

A look at each of the homicides that took place in Allegheny County in 2021:

Jan. 5: Gregory Anderson

Gregory Anderson, 47, of Penn Hills was shot several times in Penn Hills and died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

Jan. 5: Nahzir Chambers

Nahzir Chambers, 21, of Penn Hills was found shot in his vehicle. He was taken to Forbes Regional Hospital where he died.

Jan. 6: Marcus Gibson

Marcus Gibson, 15, of Wilkinsburg was one of three boys handling a handgun when it discharged inside a home.

Jan. 9: Blake Green

Blake Green, 41, of McKees Rocks died after being shot in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights neighborhood.

Jan. 14: Martell Maurice Bryant

Martell Maurice Bryant, 29, of Pittsburgh was shot inside a Wilkinsburg home, where he was pronounced dead.

Jan. 15: Martell D. Good

Martell D. Good, 22, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in the Crafton Heights section of Pittsburgh.

Jan. 16: Robert Agurs

Robert Agurs, 32, of Garfield was shot in the torso and extremities in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood and later died at an area hospital.

Jan. 17: Jamal Darnell Pamplin

Jamal Darnell Pamplin, 32, of Monroeville died after being shot several times in the parking lot of a Penn Hills business.

Jan. 17: Gregory Hill

Gregory Hill, 60, of Pittsburgh was assaulted in November 2020 and died months later.

Jan. 21: Kelly Mackenzie Cody

Kelly Mackenzie Cody, 28, of Pittsburgh was shot in the head while in a friend’s car in a Stowe alley. Lauren Brown, 29, has been charged with homicide.

Jan. 21: Anthony Koontz

Anthony Koontz, 55, of Clairton was fatally stabbed in the head and neck by a man with whom he lived, police said. Sabr Cree Ellis, 21 has been charged with homicide.

Jan. 23: David M. Gutierrez-Faust

David M. Gutierrez-Faust, 69, of McKeesport died days after he was beaten and strangled during a suspected home invasion. Devin Alexander Hale, 30, faces homicide and other charges in connection with the incident.

Jan. 27: Kwaeonte Carpenter

Kwaeonte Carpenter, 19, of Pittsburgh was shot in the chest in Hazelwood and taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where she died.

Jan 29: Seth Andrew McDermit

Seth Andrew McDermit, 31, of Monongahela died in a shooting in the parking lot of Club Erotica in McKees Rocks. Charles Becher, 24, was charged with homicide, according to police. He had been found guilty of third-degree murder on Oct. 22, 2021, but a judge threw out the conviction, which is being appealed.

Jan. 29: Christopher Roy Butler

Christopher Roy Butler, 22, of West Mifflin died in a shooting in the parking lot of Club Erotica in McKees Rocks. Khalil Walls, 27, of Carrick, who had faced a criminal homicide charge, was found not guilty in the shooting death.

Feb 3: Aiden Lombardi

Aiden Lombardi, 3, of Coraopolis died of blunt force injuries to the head. His mother’s boyfriend, Tyler Scott Mason of Burgettstown, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in June 2022 and was sentenced to serve 20 to 40 years in prison on Sept. 19, 2022.

Feb. 8: Katara Lashai Bray

Katara Lashai Bray, 22, of McKeesport was found shot to death in the driver’s seat of a red Ford Fiesta that was crashed into a utility pole in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Jason Brown, 24, is charged with homicide in connection with the incident. Brown, who had a child with Bray, was found guilty of third-degree murder on Aug. 29, 2022, and will be sentenced on Nov. 16, 2022.

Feb. 18: Sally Sines

Sally Sines, 47, of Stowe was fatally shot in the neck in the home of her boyfriend’s parents. Police charged Timothy Gumm, 60, with two counts of homicide in the deaths of Sines and Christopher Gumm. Gumm pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter on Aug. 16, 2022, and was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison.

Feb. 18: Christopher Gumm

Christopher Gumm, 55, of Stowe was fatally shot in the head in his parent’s home, along with his girlfriend, Sally Sines.

Feb. 22: Ahmir S. Tuli

Ahmir S. Tuli, 18, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in the head outside his mother’s restaurant in the Strip District. Howard Hawkins, 46, of Pittsburgh, who also goes by the name Mark McClendon, was arrested in July 2021 in California and faces a criminal homicide charge.

March 2: Bradford McCary

Bradford McCary, 41, of Wilkinsburg crashed his SUV into a pole in the South Side after being shot, and later died from his injuries, according to authorities.

March 4: Anthony Michael Raymond

Anthony Michael Raymond, 27, of Pittsburgh was found by Trafford police suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police charged Jesse Chaz Parks, 20, of Verona with homicide.

March 6: Julian Isaiah Carter

Julian Isaiah Carter, 30, of Turtle Creek was found shot and killed in Homewood. Christopher Robert Papalia, 29, of Trafford, was charged with homicide in connection with the shooting.

March 6: Kristofer Lee Metzger

Kristofer Lee Metzger, 35, of Pittsburgh was shot to death in a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. Reports stated that he was working as an Uber driver at the time of this death. Kendall McKoy, 20, of the Hill District and Da’rohn Winmon, 23, of Penn Hills are charged with criminal homicide.

March 6: Dallas Bobnes

Dallas Bobnes, 8 months, died in the emergency room of a Pittsburgh area hospital.

March 13: Damont Adams

Damont Adams, 21, of Duquesne was fatally shot in the head and neck in Duquesne after being robbed of drugs, according to police. Tyion Simmons-McClain, 14, and Carlo Owens, 14, of Duquesne have been charged with homicide.

March 24: Cordelle Davis

Cordelle Davis, 26, of Dravosburg was shot in the trunk and pelvis in Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood and died at Allegheny General Hospital.

March 25: Michael Lyons

Michael Lyons, 30, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in the area of Frankstown and North Braddock avenues in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood.

March 26: Braya Sanders

Braya Sanders, 3, of Monroeville is believed to have been accidentally shot and killed by a 5-year-old sibling, according to Allegheny County detectives.

March 27: Nalene R. Harrell

Nalene R. Harrell, 38, of Pittsburgh was found shot in the face in Carrick. Donte Moss, 41, has been charged with homicide.

April 7: James G. Jones

James G. Jones, 44, was found fatally shot in the backyard of a home in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood.

April 8: Tyjuan Malachi

Tyjuan Malachi, 18, of Pittsburgh was shot in the head in Pittsburgh’s Northview Heights neighborhood and died at Allegheny General Hospital.

April 8: Brian Devante Jameel Clay

Brian Devante Jameel Clay was fatally stabbed in the chest in a fight after an infant’s birthday party. Clay’s cousin, Emmanual Jones, 26, of Wilkinsburg pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and was sentenced to serve seven to 14 years in prison.

April 9: Kenneth Hairston

Kenneth Hairston, 18, of Pittsburgh was shot in the head in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood and later died at Allegheny General Hospital. Jamil Malik Lee, 21, of Upper St. Clair and Jahli Woods, 20, of McKees Rocks were arrested in October, charged with with criminal homicide.

April 12: Jalen Johnson

Jalen Johnson, 20, of Pittsburgh died after being shot in the chest in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood.

April 13: Don Angelo Castapheny

Don Angelo Castapheny, 15, of Pittsburgh died in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Lincolon-Lemington neighborhood. Riyad Christian, 24, of Pittsburgh was arrested on June 19, 2023 and charged with criminal homicide. Christian’s brother, Hanif Green, was arrested on Nov. 19, 2022, in connection with the incident and also faces homicide charges.

April 15: Levar Green

Levar Green, 17, of Pittsburgh died in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood.

April 15: Douglas Jones

Douglas Jones, 25, of Wilkinsburg was found after being shot in the chest in Wilkinsburg. He was pronounced dead at UPMC Mercy hospital.

April 18: Paul Hines

Paul Hines, 19, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in the chest in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood.

April 19: Von Washington

Von Washington, 31, of Pittsburgh died after he was struck and then run over by a vehicle reportedly driven by a woman he was involved with, police said. Ausha Dakisha Brown, 25, is charged with homicide, homicide by vehicle and other charges. Brown pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Aug. 29, 2022, and will be sentenced on Nov. 28, 2022. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Elliot Howsie sentenced Brown to serve eight to 16 years.

April 23: William G. Lee Sr.

William G. Lee Sr., 51, was found with a gunshot wound to the head outside Tim’s Bar in the Hill District. He was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

April 24: Isaiah Freeman

Isaiah Freeman, 17, of Pittsburgh was shot in the Hill District and later died at UPMC Mercy Hospital. Deron Darby, 15, has been charged as an adult. In addition to homicide, Darby is charged with making a false report to law enforcement and firearms violations

May 2: Richard T. Brookins

Richard T. Bookins, 29, was found in Polish Hill with multiple gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at a Pittsburgh hospital.

May 3: Nathan Freeman

Nathan Freeman, 24, of Sheraden was found with a gunshot wound to the head in McKees Rocks.

May 16: Darnell Wofford

Darnell Wofford, 31, of McKees Rocks was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the trunk in Homewood, where medics pronounced him dead.

May 16: Daymeir Boyd

Daymeir Boyd, 17, of Verona was found by police who were responding to a shooting near the border of the city’s Homewood and East Hills neighborhoods. Boyd was found inside an SUV.

May 19: Robert P. Johnson

Robert P. Johnson, 29, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in an argument between two groups of men.

May 22: Shane Edwards

Shane Edwards, 22, of Pittsburgh died at Allegheny General Hospital after he was hit by gunshots fired at the vehicle in which he was riding on Route 28 near the Sharpsburg exit. Howard Milligan, 26, of Turtle Creek and Leroy Irvin Jr., 35, of Churchill face homicide charges, with police saying Milligan did the shooting. Milligan is in jail on unrelated charges.

May 22: Jasmine Guest

Jasmine Guest, 24, of Monroeville was shot to death on the Parkway East in Churchill when someone in another car shot into her car multiple times. Howard Milligan, 26, of Turtle Creek faces homicide charges, with police saying Milligan did the shooting. The trial for Milligan, who was in jail on unrelated charges, is scheduled to start on July 14, 2022.

May 22: Jered Jarod Gambrill

Jered Jarod Gambrill, 21, of Lincoln University was found shot to death inside a vehicle in McKeesport.

May 24: Darin Hobdy

Darin Hobdy, 17, of Penn Hills was fatally shot in Wilkinsburg, with police believing it to be retribution for stealing drug proceeds, according to charges filed. Deontae Naills, 21, and Daeshuan Eric Smith, 19, both of Penn Hills were charged with homicide.

May 24: Jason Hubert Jackson Jr.

Jason Hubert Jackson Jr., 17, of Pittsburgh was found fatally shot outside an abandoned home in Penn Hills.

May 28: Izeyah Clancy

Izeyah Clancy, 17, of Pittsburgh died at UPMC Mercy, a day after being shot in Allentown.

May 31: Tirae Terrance Bernard

Tirae Terrance Bernard, 25, of Pittsburgh died of multiple gunshot wounds of the trunk and extremities after a shooting in Munhall.

June 1: Eric V. Johnson

Eric V. Johnson, 26, of Homestead died at UPMC Presbyterian after a shooting in Homestead.

June 1: Robert Higginbotham

Robert Higginbotham, 24, of Wilkinsburg was working with a landscaping crew when he was shot multiple times in Penn Hills. Tracy Carpenter, 23, of Plum has been charged with criminal homicide.

June 3: Robert Thomas

Robert Thomas, 36, of Pittsburgh died of multiple gunshot wounds of the head, pelvis and extremities after a shooting in Carrick.

June 12: Parveena Begum Abdul

Parveena Begum Abdul, 55, of Clairton died of blunt force trauma after a car driven by Ronald Morgan crashed into the Biomat USA plasma center in the North Side where Abdul worked.

June 12: Laura Elaine Meneskie

Laura Elaine Meneskie, 35, of Pittsburgh died of blunt force trauma after a car crashed into the plasma center where she worked. The death of the driver, Ronald Morgan, was ruled a suicide.

June 15: Christian Redinger

Christian Redinger, 15, of Pittsburgh died at UPMC Mercy after being found shot in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood.

June 16: Jamorr A. Mathis

Jamorr A. Mathis, 42, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot during a fight outside Craig’s Bar in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood.

June 23: Rasaun Malik Taylor

Rasaun Malik Taylor, 22, of Pittsburgh died of multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood.

July 2: Darnell Trowell

Darnell Trowell, 53, of Wilkinsburg died of gunshot wounds of the trunk and upper extremities in a shooting in Wilkinsburg.

July 3: Deontae Napoleon Davis

Deontae Napoleon Davis, 27, of Pittsburgh died from multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting in East Hills, near the Penn Hills border.

July 12: Dorai N. Harris

Dorai N. Harris, 21, of Penn Hills died of multiple gunshot wounds to the trunk and extremities in a shooting in McKees Rocks.

July 19: Zaviawna Gathers

Zaviawna Gathers, 26, of Wilkinsburg died of a gunshot wound to the head inside a Wilkinsburg home after two men came to her home and demanded money before shooting her.

July 20: Anthony Colizza

Anthony Colizza, 65, of Homestead died in a local hospital after first responders found him with a single gunshot wound after a robbery in Homestead. Enrique Alonzo Johnson, 20, of Homestead has been charged with criminal homicide.

July 20: Junaid Akhlas

Junaid Akhlas, 28, of Beaver was shot in the head, with his body found in the trunk of his car in an abandoned gas station in Moon. His cousin, Anoosh Almas, 25, has been charged with homicide but is believed to have fled to Mexico.

July 22: Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson, 51, of Pittsburgh died several days after a bar fight at the Loose Moose Saloon in Baldwin. Zachary Blake, 22, of Peters is charged with homicide in connection with Thompson’s death

July 23: Darian Simpkins

Darian Simpkins, 29, of Homestead died of a gunshot wound to the torso, with the shooting taking place near a youth football practice in the South Side Slopes.

July 24: Dontae McKenith

Dontae McKenith, 18, of McKeesport died after being shot while handling the gun with another teenager, police said. Phillip Payne, 16, turned himself in after being charged with criminal homicide. Payne will serve two to four years in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter on May 12, 2022.

July 29: John Tratras

John Tratras, 66, of Mt. Lebanon was fatally shot in his home. Police said his son, George Tratras, called 911 and told authorities he had killed his parents. George Tratras was later found dead in a crashed car, with police indicating he shot himself.

July 29: Ana Tratras

Ana Tratras, 59, of Mt. Lebanon was found shot to death in her home in Mt. Lebanon.

July 29: Benjamin Dixon

Benjamin Dixon, 33, of Edgewood died of gunshot wounds to the torso in a shooting in North Braddock. Robert Lawson-Johnson, 26, of North Braddock was charged with homicide.

July 31: Jacob Jaillet

Jacob Jaillet, 21, of Pittsburgh was shot in the head during a carjacking while working at a U-Haul store in Pittsburgh. Braijon Burton, 21, of Garfield has been charged with homicide.

Aug. 2: Ebony McCary

Ebony McCary, 27, of Pittsburgh died in the hospital after being shot in the head in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood.

Aug. 2: Annette Morros

Annette Morros, 66, of Pittsburgh died from blunt force trauma to the head and trunk. Her son, Michael Hensley, 42, was charged with one count of homicide.

Aug. 3: Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas, 20, was found inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound in Homewood North.

Aug. 5: Stephen G. Price

Stephen G. Price, 73, of Pittsburgh died from complications of a gunshot wound of the trunk sustained in 1973.

Aug. 12: Terrance Lamar Coates

Terrance Lamar Coates, 30, of Pittsburgh was shot in the chest in an alley of Fort Duquesne Boulevard in Downtown Pittsburgh. Taylor Wible, 21, of Pittsburgh was charged with criminal homicide.

Aug. 15: Darren Tracey Green

Darren Tracey Green, 29, of Sheraden was found in a vehicle with a gunshot wound in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood. Raymontay Green, 20, of Arlington has been charged with homicide.

Aug. 17: Ernest Adams

Ernest Adams, 39, of Pittsburgh was found dead with gunshot wounds to the head and neck inside a home in Marshall-Shadeland.

Aug. 20: Kaliq A. Dade

Kaliq A. Dade, 20, of McKeesport was found with a gunshot wound in Pitcairn and died while being transported to a hospital. Johnathon Nathan Dawson, 18, has been charged with homicide. Finel Javon Thompson, 21, of Wall was charged on June 23, 2023, with criminal homicide. Two other suspects are still wanted by police.

Aug. 28: Man Pradhan

Man Pradhan, 34, of Pittsburgh died 10 days after allegedly being assaulted with a table leg by a neighbor, police said. His neighbor, Walter Jones, 54, faces a homicide charge.

Aug. 30: Robert Cade

Robert Cade, 18, of Mt. Washington died of gunshot wounds of the head and trunk in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Homewood South neighborhood.

Sept. 4: Raymone Wilson

Raymone Wilson, 32, of Clairton died of a gunshot wound to the chest in a late-night shooting in Beechview. Darrell Mutzig, 37, of Pittsburgh has been charged with criminal homicide.

Sept. 11: Steven Eason

Steven Eason, 15, of Wilkinsburg was fatally shot during a confrontation at a hayride attraction in North Versailles.

Sept. 12: Michael Ramarlynn Kelley

Michael Ramarlynn Kelley, 22, of East Pittsburgh was fatally shot in an early-morning shooting in East Pittsburgh. Cecil H. Foreman, 45, of Braddock was arrested in September 2022 in connection with the shooting.

Sept. 13: Karli Short

Karli Short, 26, of McKeesport died from a gunshot wound to the head in McKeesport. Short, who was pregnant, is the daughter of Brandon Short, who starred at linebacker for Penn State and in the NFL. Isaac Christopher Smith, 26, of McKeesport, the father of the unborn child, was charged in November with criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office plans to seek the death penalty.

Sept. 22: Daniel Brice

Daniel Brice, 26, of Pittsburgh died of a gunshot wound to the chest in a shooting in Beltzhoover. Khalil Singletary, 25, of Pittsburgh had been charged with homicide in the incident, but he was found dead on Oct. 1 after a standoff with police.

Sept. 23: Robert Linnen

Robert Linnen, 41, of Clairton died at Jefferson Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest in Clairton.

Oct. 3: Kia Reynolds

Kia Reynolds, 39, of Sheraden was found next to her car with a gunshot wound to the head. Unique Lane, 22, of Sheraden has been charged with criminal homicide.

Oct. 7: Brian Irby

Brian Irby, 35, of McKees Rocks died of a gunshot wound to the chest in an afternoon shooting in McKees Rocks. David Goodwine, 29, of McKees Rocks faces homicide and firearms charges.

Oct. 7: Louis Vignone

Mail carrier Louis Vignone, 58, of Moon died of gunshot wounds of the head, trunk and upper extremities in a shooting in Collier. Eric Kortz, 53, of Pittsburgh is charged with murder of an employee of the United States.

Oct. 9: Donte Broadus

Donte Broadus, 25, of Braddock Hills died in a shooting in Pitcairn. First responders found a one-car crash in which both people had been shot, including a woman who was wounded.

Oct. 12: Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith, 29, of Pittsburgh died after being shot multiple times in North Braddock.

Oct. 13: Lamarr Keith Thorne II

Lamarr Keith Thorne II, 32, of Homewood was found fatally shot in Penn Hills.

Oct. 16: Deprincess Perkins

Deprincess Perkins, 35, of Pittsburgh died after an argument at a Kennedy Township bowling alley escalated in the parking lot, where shots were fired. Malik Smith, 19, of Pittsburgh has been charged with criminal homicide in the incident. Smith pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Aug. 29, 2022, and will be sentenced on Oct. 26, 2022.

Oct. 30: Samantha Delariva

Samantha Delariva, 28, of Leechburg died from complications of abusive head trauma, according to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner, which ruled her death a homicide. Authorities said the head trauma happened when Delariva was 4 months old.

Nov. 2: Trey Dmar Paul Dixon

Trey Dmar Paul Dixon, 30, of Braddock was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds, in the street outside of the North Braddock Police Department.

Nov. 7: Viviaron E. Roberts

Viviaron E. Roberts, 23, of Pittsburgh died of a gunshot wound of the trunk in an early-morning shooting in Swissvale.

Nov. 8: Hasson Shackelford

Hasson Shackelford, 18, of McKees Rocks, a senior at Sto-Rox Junior-Senior High School was shot in the head along Camp Street in McKees Rocks and later died at Allegheny General Hospital. Tavarius Lee, 15, of McKees Rocks was charged with criminal homicide and possession of a firearm by a minor in the incident.

Nov. 11: Joseph Williams

Joseph Williams, 70, of Carnegie was found lying on railroad tracks near a homeless encampment in Scott Township. He died of multiple stab wounds to the head, neck and trunk. Vendell Nasir III, 28, of Carnegie has been charged with criminal homicide and tampering with physical evidence, court documents show. Nasir was found not guilty in a nonjury trial on Dec. 16, 2022.

Nov. 13: Nasir Stewart

Nasir Stewart, 20, of Pittsburgh died at Allegheny General Hospital after being shot multiple times in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Commons East.

Nov. 16: Michael Smith

Michael Smith, 20, of Pittsburgh died after being found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, trunk, pelvis and extremities in the East Hills.

Nov. 19: Kai Brown

Kai Brown, 19, of McKeesport died after being stabbed in a McKeesport apartment complex. Damian Baverso, 15, is charged with homicide and making terroristic threats in connection with Brown’s death.

Nov. 20: Aliah Johnson

Aliah Johnson, 17, was shot in the face in the bedroom of her boyfriend, who told police it was an accident. Emeka Moye-King, 16, of Pittsburgh has been charged with homicide.

Nov. 21: David Moore

David Moore, 30, of Pittsburgh was found shot inside a vehicle in a Penn Hills parking lot.

Nov. 22: Connor Wolfe

Connor Wolfe, 5, of Penn Hills was shot and killed by a 6-year-old sibling, police said.

Nov. 25: Rodney Thornton

Rodney Thornton, 58, of Pittsburgh was fatally shot in the trunk after an argument inside a Wilkinsburg home. George Edwin Booker, 52, of Pittsburgh faces homicide and firearms charges.

Nov. 27: Sharod Lindsey

Sharod Lindsey, 20, of Homestead died after suffering gunshot wounds to the head and neck. His body was found inside a car in Stowe.

Nov. 27: Theodore Denver Parks Jr.

Theodore Denver Parks Jr., 38, of Pittsburgh died at Allegheny General Hospital after being shot in the chest in Avalon. Brennan Lamar Fife, 31, of Avalon has been charged with criminal homicide.

Dec. 6: Tyler Lewis Wade-Jackson

Tyler Lewis Wade-Jackson, 20, of Penn Hills was found shot to death at a Rankin apartment complex.

Dec. 10: Helene Nulty

Helene Nulty, 52, of West Mifflin was found dead in her backyard, with the medical examiner ruling her death caused by ligature strangulation. Her son, Jonathan Nulty, 21, is charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse.

Dec. 16: Arquwonna Wright

Arquwonna Wright, 30, of Tarentum was found shot to death with gunshot wounds to the head and back outside her apartment building. DaShawn Frederick, 26, of Wilkinsburg, who had been ordered to pay child support to Wright, has been charged with criminal homicide. Frederick pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in 2023 and will serve 25 to 50 years in prison.

Dec. 17: Sirdorian Turner

Sirdorian Turner, 54, of Wilkinsburg died of a gunshot wound to the head, 11 days after being shot. Montrez Blanks, 32, of Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood, has been charged with homicide.

Dec. 30: Brielle Olivia Swinton

Brielle Oliva Swinton, 2, died at UPMC Children’s Hospital. According to the criminal complaint, paramedics had noted a large bruise across the girl’s abdomen, and an autopsy showed her liver had been lacerated. Kyrell Morgan, 19, of Stowe, who was dating the child’s mother, has been charged with homicide. Morgan was found guilty of third-degree murder in October 2023 and will serve 21.5 to 43 years in prison.

Dec. 31: Denzel Nowlin Jr.

Dec. 31: Nandi Fitzgerald

Dec. 31: Tatiana Hill

Denzel “Buddy” Nowlin Jr., 12, his mother, 28-year-old Nandi Fitzgerald, and Tatiana ‘Tay’ Hill, 28, all of Pittsburgh, were found shot to death inside a Hamilton Avenue row house in Homewood South. Ronald Steave, 29, has been arrested in the slayings of the three people, including his ex-girlfriend and her 12-year-old son. Steave was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in November 2024 and sentenced to three consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole on Jan. 30, 2025.

Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.

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