After a flurry of courtroom activity last week, jury selection is scheduled today in the murder trial of 45-year-old Michael Eades Jr. of Tyrone, one of four men charged in the execution-style slaying of 37-year-old Tyron Howard of Blairsville in September of 2014.
Eades, who has been characterized as the leader of the four suspects and the man who ordered and led the murder, is charged with criminal homicide, robbery, and conspiracy to the same two offenses.
On Thursday last week, President Judge William Martin said that an agreement has been made between the prosecution and defense that Troy Stehley, a prison inmate from Blair County, will not be called to testify, and that Kristi Eades, Michael Eades’ wife, will not be asked to reveal any confidential communications with her husband, therefore negating the invocation of spousal privilege. Martin also said that the two sides have resolved the defense’s request to exclude certain photographs from being introduced into evidence. Fourteen specific color photos will be permitted. They were unable to agree on two other photos, so the judge will reserve ruling on their admissibility until later.
Kristi Eades told police that her husband was home with her on the night of the murder, which took place at Howard’s apartment in Blairsville. Cell phone records show that she called his cell phone 27 times in about a two-hour span that night. Although Stehley is not named as a jailhouse informant, investigators say a fellow inmate at the Blair County Jail said Eades tried to recruit him to sell drugs in Indiana County, where Eades claimed he had a million-dollar business and where he said he “had to kill his last partner out there for cheating him on his money.”
At least two of the three co-defendants are expected to testify against Eades. Jury selection begins at 8:30 this morning.
