Indiana County Judge Thomas Bianco held a status conference with the attorneys involved in the Nathan Price murder case, and afterward issued a series of pretrial rulings.
The 19-year-old Price and 20-year-old Justin Stevenson are accused of beating to death Timothy Gardner and Jacqueline Brink during a drug deal at the couple’s home outside of Clymer in October of 2016. Investigators say they plotted to rob Gardner, but instead jumped him and beat him with a metal pipe, and then one of them went upstairs and killed Brink because she was a witness. Price’s attorney says Stevenson killed Brink…Stevenson’s attorney says it was Price. Two young children who were asleep in the apartment were unharmed.
Judge Bianco on Friday met with District Attorney Pat Dougherty; Thomas Dickey, who is Price’s attorney for the guilt phase of the trial; and Thomas Hooper, who would represent Price in the penalty phase if he is convicted. Bianco scheduled an evidentiary hearing for August 1st, at which he will receive any and all remaining testimony, evidence, and supplements regarding Price’s omnibus pretrial motion for relief, and a second omnibus motion to preclude the commonwealth from seeking the death penalty. The judge intends to close the record on the motions at the conclusion of the hearing, and then set a briefing schedule. He also said that if Dougherty intends to provide any expert testimony at the hearing, he must give the defense the expert’s report on or before July 2nd. Finally, Bianco extended Price’s Criminal Call to October 5th. No trial date has yet been set.
Price and Stevenson are both charged with two counts of criminal homicide, along with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. A third suspect, Isaiah Scott, was originally charged as an adult, but his case was transferred to juvenile court.
Justin Stevenson is scheduled for a motions hearing before Bianco on June 13th.
