Court hearing held for all 7 suspects in July shooting in New Kensington

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

Dec. 3—A Westmoreland County judge said he will consider early next year requests to transfer to juvenile court four criminal homicide prosecutions in connection with the July fatal shooting of a man in New Kensington.

All seven suspects accused in last summer's alleged murder of 39-year-old Jason Raiford appeared in court Friday afternoon for the first hearing in their pending homicide cases.

Prosecutors said the group of teens and adults ambushed Raiford on July 3 at the Royal Court Apartments as part of a dispute over drugs and money. Raiford was shot 11 times, according to police.

In addition to four teens, three adults also were charged with homicide offenses.

The teens — Amir Kennedy, 15, and Da'Montae Marquis Brooks, 16, both of New Kensington; and Avian Molter, 15, of Uniontown; and Braedon Dickinson, 14, of Herminie — contend they should be prosecuted as juveniles.

As adults, they each face potential maximum sentences of life in prison. As juveniles, they would be released from custody on their 21st birthday if convicted of murder counts.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered defense attorneys to turn over to prosecutors data used by court-appointed experts to determine whether the teens are amenable to treatment in the juvenile justice system.

Separate hearings for each teen will be conducted in early 2023.

District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli previously has said her office opposes the transfer of the teens' cases to juvenile court.

Ken Noga is defense attorney for Kennedy, who police accused of firing the fatal shots that killed Raiford. Noga said a formal request to have his client prosecuted as a juvenile will be filed in the coming days, with additional court motions challenging the evidence unlikely.

"His situation is different from the other defendants," Noga said.

Kennedy, Molter and Brooks are being held in a special unit for juveniles charged as adults at the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. Dickinson, a seventh-grader who was 14 at the time of his arrest, is being held at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield.

Three men — Jonathan E. Felder, 18, of Arnold, Elijah R. Gary, 18, of New Kensington and Raquan Carpenter, 19, of Pittsburgh — also were charged with criminal homicide.

All seven charged are being held in custody without bond.

Their trial has not been scheduled.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .