In the wake of a motions hearing last week in the double-homicide case against 20-year-old Justin Stevenson, Indiana County Judge Thomas Bianco has issued a series of rulings.
Stevenson and 19-year-old Nathan Price are both charged with two counts of homicide, robbery serious injury, and conspiracy to robbery in the beating deaths of Timothy Gardner and Jacqueline Brink at the couple’s apartment in Cherryhill Township in October of 2016.
Judge Bianco ruled that a defense motion to suppress cell phone records is without merit because Stevenson did not have minutes on his phone and no records were obtained from it. Furthermore, Stevenson does not have standing to suppress the records of Price’s phone, and no records were obtained from the victims’ phones.
Bianco ordered the defense to submit a brief within thirty days regarding its motion to suppress a search warrant for Stevenson’s home along Peles Road in Glen Campbell, and ordered the prosecution to submit its brief fourteen days after the defense brief is filed.
At the request of the attorneys from both sides, Bianco ordered the hearing record to remain open and will set the next hearing following a coming decision on motions to suppress Stevenson’s statements after his arrest, the search of his home, and a writ of habeas corpus. The only other motion left to be ruled upon is a search warrant regarding Stevenson’s clothing and a DNA swab.
Criminal Call for Stevenson is set for September 7th.
