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3 facing capital charges in murder of Struthers boy to be tried separately

3 face capital charges in murder of Struthers boy

Staff photo / Ed Runyan Kimonie Bryant, right, listens to his attorneys, from left John Juhasz and Lynn Maro, during a hearing Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in Bryant’s aggravated murder case. In the back is sheriff’s deputy James Weeden.

YOUNGSTOWN — Two more co-defendants were indicted last month on death penalty-level charges in the aggravated murder case against Kimonie Bryant, but their cases will not be tried together.

During a pretrial hearing in Bryant’s case Tuesday, prosecutors said that when more than one person is indicted on charges that could lead to a death sentence, all must be tried separately.

Dawn Cantalamessa, assistant county prosecutor, said she thinks everyone involved in the case has now been charged.

Last month, Brandon L. Crump Jr., 18, and Andre S. McCoy, 21, were indicted on aggravated murder and other charges that could result in the death penalty. Bryant, 23, was indicted months ago on death penalty-level charges.

All three are charged in the Sept. 21, 2020, shooting death of Rowan Sweeney, 4, in the home where he lived with his mother and her boyfriend on Perry Street in Struthers.

All three also are charged with attempted murder for being responsible for shooting several adults at the same time Rowan was killed.

Two women also were indicted on tampering with evidence in the case, Lawshawn A. Scott, 43, Bryant’s mother; and Odyssie O. Butler-Reed, 19, Crump’s girlfriend.

Bryant and Crump are being held in the Mahoning County jail. McCoy still is not in custody, Assistant Prosecutor Mike Yacovone said. Scott and Butler-Reed are free on bond.

Judge Anthony D’Apolito, who will preside over all five cases, concluded that it is best to have separate hearings for each of the five, but he would like to hold the hearings close together, timewise, to help him keep track of them.

During Tuesday’s monthly hearing, Bryant was arraigned on one new charge he faces — a conspiracy charge added when the four other defendants were indicted.

D’Apolito also discussed with Bryant’s lawyers how well they are receiving the pretrial evidence in the case from prosecutors — known as “discovery.”

Defense attorney John Juhasz said it is going “voluminously,” meaning there is a lot of it.

Prosecutors still need to provide additional information on search warrants that were issued in the case, Cantalamessa said. She noted there were “a lot of search warrants in this case.”

About 30 warrants were served, defense attorney Lynn Maro said.

For now, the judge is keeping Bryant’s Sept. 13 trial date, he said, but things will be more complicated now with Bryant having four co-defendants.

The next pretrial hearing is 2 p.m. May 4.

erunyan@vindy.com

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