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Sunday, April 21, 2002

By Lawrence Walsh, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

A 14-year-old Hempfield boy has been charged with first-degree murder in the bludgeoning death of his older brother.

Ian Bishop was arrested and arraignedearly yesterday morning for the killing of his brother, Adam, 18.

In addition, a boy unrelated to the Bishops, 15-year-old Robert Laskewski, also has been charged with attempted homicide in connection with the killing inside the Bishop household and is being held at the Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police said Adam Bishop was struck in the head with a hammer at least twice on Friday. He was flown to UPMC Presbyterian, where he was pronounced dead at 8:37 p.m. Friday. After an autopsy yesterday, the Allegheny County coroner's office said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Ian Bishop is being held in the Westmoreland County Detention Center without bail. He was charged as an adult with first degree murder and aggravated assault. In Pennsylvania, all juveniles accused of murder, no matter how young, are charged as adults. They may petition a judge to move their cases to juvenile court for adjudication.

Police have declined to identify the second youth charged in this case. In addition to attempted homicide, he is charged with criminal conspiracy and aggravated assault.

"Investigation revealed that the accused, along with another juvenile, assaulted the victim inside the victim's residence, which resulted in the victim's death," Trooper Dennis Bernard said in a brief news release issued by the state police.

State police said the brothers began fighting at about 4 p.m. Friday in an upstairs bedroom of their two-story home on Laurentz Lane in Bovard, a few miles north of Greensburg. It isn't known what prompted the fatal attack. Their parents weren't home at the time.

Police said Ian Bishop called a friend after the attack. The unidentified friend, accompanied by his mother, hurried to the Bishop home. The mother, whose name also wasn't disclosed, called 911.

After speaking with his friend and the friend's mother, Ian Bishop ran from the house. State troopers found him after midnight near Wendover Middle School in Hempfield. Several of Ian Bishop's friends helped search for him.

Both Ian and Adam Bishop attended Hempfield Area Senior High School.

Police said they'd intervened in a domestic dispute involving one of the boys and their father, Jeff Bishop, at their house last summer, but arrested no one then. Police declined to specify which youth was involved.

Jeff Bishop said yesterday that he was upset with at least one Pittsburgh television station for reporting his older son's death before the younger boy had been found. He said police were concerned Ian Bishop might try to harm himself if he learned his brother -- and only sibling -- had died.

Jeff Bishop declined further comment. The youths' mother, Karen Bishop, could not be reached.

A few houses down the street, adults gathered in small groups and spoke in hushed tones about the tragedy. The news media descended on the neighborhood, known as Rosemont, Friday evening and yesterday morning, and the neighbors were tired of it.

"I have nothing to say," said one woman standing on the street. Other adults in the group nodded their heads in agreement.

A woman and two men standing in a driveway closer to the Bishop home, all of whom declined to identify themselves, expressed sympathy and concern for the family.

"I can't imagine what they are going through," the woman said. "What would make anyone do something like that, especially to your own brother?"

The trio said they had never seen or heard the boys quarreling.

Farther up the street, just before the cul de sac, three teen-agers stood and talked on a gravel driveway. Although they declined to identify themselves, their comments echoed the shock and disbelief expressed by the adults on the street. Their mood also was as gray as the day.

"I go to school with [Adam and Ian and] they seemed to get along fine," one boy said. "I never heard about any trouble between them."

"Nothing like this has ever happened here before," the girl said, "This is a quiet place."