Court records: Suspect in Carrick homicide claims victim shot herself
Mar. 29—A man charged in connection with the weekend slaying of a woman in Carrick told police the woman shot herself in the face after an argument, according to the charges filed against him.
Donte Moss, 41, is charged with homicide in the shooting death of 38-year-old Nalene Harrell.
The shooting happened just after midnight on Linnview Avenue near Triana Street. Police arrived and found Harrell lying on the sidewalk surrounded by blood, according to a criminal complaint. A black Ford Fusion was parked haphazardly in the street, they said.
Inside the car, investigators found a black pistol and holster on the front passenger seat, and a spent shell casing was on the rear passenger floor, police wrote.
Moss told police he and Harrell had been dating for several months, and they had been at a show on Pittsburgh's North Side, according to the complaint. He said Harrell got mad at him after he made a remark about her behavior at the show.
On the drive home, he pulled over so Harrell could relieve herself, he told police, though investigators noted the place where they stopped was only about a three minute drive from Harrell's home, according to the complaint.
Moss said that while Harrell was outside of the car, "she pulled her firearm from her right hip area and the firearm fired," according to the complaint.
Police said an autopsy showed that the bullet that killed Harrell traveled at a downward angle. Investigators noted no soot, stippling or powder burns on her face. The pathologist said that in his experience, the gun was at least 3 1/2 feet away from Harrell when it was fired, according to the complaint.
In addition to homicide, Moss is charged with two firearms violations. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bail.
No attorney was listed for Moss as of Monday morning.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .
