Indiana County President Judge William Martin has issued rulings this week in the cases against four defendants charged in the execution-style murder of 37-year-old Tyron Howard in September of 2014 at Howard’s apartment on South Stewart Street in Blairsville. All four defendants are charged with criminal homicide, which allows for convictions for murder in the first, second, or third degree, or involuntary manslaughter, but prosecutors have focused most of the attention on 45-year-old Michael Eades Jr. of Tyrone as the ringleader. Eades is accused of ordering the execution because he was angry with Howard for retaining drug money Eades felt was his.
On Monday, Judge Martin re-scheduled defendant Kevin Lee King’s Criminal Call to August, but also scheduled him to enter a plea June 30th. King is from Altoona and last year was offered third degree homicide in exchange for his testimony against Eades.
Judge Martin ordered the same actions in the case against Stanley Boynton of Altoona, who was offered voluntary manslaughter. He also may enter a plea on June 30th.
Finally, the judge on Monday set a trial date of August 21st for DeAndre Jones of Baltimore, Maryland, and established August 14th as the last date on which Jones may enter a negotiated plea. Martin also ruled that Jones may use an expert to testify as to cell phone records. The expert’s findings must be reported to the prosecution not later than July 14th, and prosecutors were given until August 4th for their expert’s report, if there is one.
Jury selection for Eades is scheduled for June 19th.
