Two men guilty of killing drug dealer turned informant
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Two men were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy Tuesday night in the 2003 shooting death of a drug dealer-turned-informant.
John Bronson Jr., 55, a federal inmate, and Michael Duncan, 35, of Amherst, Ohio, were charged in August with the February 2003 shooting of John Newman Jr., 45, of California, Pa.
An 18-page grand jury presentment described Mr. Bronson as a "dangerous major" drug dealer who met Mr. Newman after Mr. Newman became addicted to prescription painkillers following a severe back injury.
Mr. Newman struck a deal with police and agreed to become an informant.
Mr. Bronson would later be arrested as well, striking a similar deal with police but failing to cooperate and instead facing federal charges, the presentment said.
Police said Mr. Bronson suspected that Mr. Newman had set him up and offered one person $10,000 to kill Mr. Newman. That person declined, but police believe Mr. Bronson was able to persuade Mr. Duncan, who they called a low-level marijuana and "pill dealer," to carry out the crime.
Mr. Newman was last seen alive the night of Feb. 3, 2002. The next morning, his wife and daughter spotted his Oldsmobile parked on the curb near his Liberty Street home. Mr. Newman was slumped over in the driver's seat, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. It was the first homicide in 35 years in California, Pa.
In addition to the murder and conspiracy to commit murder charge, a Washington County jury convicted Mr. Bronson of criminal solicitation of first-degree murder. Sentencing had not been scheduled Tuesday night.
First Published January 25, 2012 12:00 am
