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Warren man gets 16 years to life for murder at city convenience store

By Ed Runyan 4 min read
JULY 3 CANFIELD — There will be a fireworks show at 9:45 p.m. at the Canfield Fairgrounds. Gates open at 5 p.m. with live entertainment, concessions and activities for children. MESOPOTAMIA — The Mesopotamia Ox Roast will take place 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 3 to 5 at the township center at state Routes 87 and 534. More than 160 dealers and live entertainment, as well as roast beef sandwiches, will be featured. There will be a pancake breakfast at the town hall 7 to 11 a.m. daily. SALEM — There will be a time capsule dedication at 10 a.m. at Liberty Center, 129 E. State St. This will be a celebration of the achievements of more than 30 organizations from Salem with speakers, a ribbon-cutting and music. There will be a patriotic-themed celebration for America250. WARREN — An America250 celebration will take place 5 to 8 p.m. at Warren Community Amphitheatre sponsored by the Veterans Service Commission of Trumbull County. YOUNGSTOWN — First Friday Downtown Youngstown celebrates America250 at the Ohio One Building and the Apollo from 5 to 8 p.m. on West Commerce and North Phelps. There will be nonprofits, community organizations and civic engagement opportunities. There will be live music on North Phelps and at the Apollo Event Center. Building tours will be given at the Ohio One Building, as well as guided historic tours by the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. JULY 4 AUSTINTOWN — The parade will start at noon at Raccoon and Kirk roads. The theme is “250 Years of Freedom: Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future,” in honor of America250. This event features parade floats, community organizations and a fireworks celebration. CANFIELD — The parade starts at 10 a.m. followed by festivities at the Village Green. Float judging will be at 8:30 a.m. Following the parade, there will be bands at the gazebo, a watermelon-eating contest, pet costume parade, bocce tournament, bounce houses and games. COLUMBIANA — Firestone Park, North Main Street, will have a celebration at 11 a.m. with a pet contest and parade, followed by an ice cream eating contest at 1:30 p.m., a watermelon eating contest at 3:30 pm, and a 4 p.m. martial arts demonstration, all with food vendors and music. The event also will feature skydivers and will conclude with a Phantom Fireworks display at 10 p.m. GUSTAVUS — The 104th homecoming celebration starts at 9 a.m. at the township center. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. starting at the township park. There will be a tot king and queen contest, turtle races (age 18 and under, bring your own turtle), Kiddie Tractor Pull, cornhole tournament and games. HOWLAND — The parade begins at 10 a.m. along East Market Street from Hunter Woods Plaza to Howland High School followed by games, activities, food and entertainment at Richard Orwig Park. NEWTON FALLS — The parade begins at 10 a.m. along Broad Street with a festival at the village park with food, games, rides and entertainment. Fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. The 80th annual festival runs Tuesday through Saturday at the park. NILES — The parade begins 11 a.m. on Main Street from Federal to State streets. A car, truck and motorcycle show and craft fair will take place at the Niles Senior Center. There will be food, music, vendors and activities for the kids. WARREN — The W.D. Packard Band will play its holiday concert on the lawn at Packard Music Hall at 8 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks display. JULY 5 YOUNGSTOWN — Ignite the Night Youngstown in honor of America250 will take place 6 to 10:30 p.m. with a performance by the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra followed by a fireworks show at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and Wean Park. To add an event to this list, email the information to society@tribtoday.com with July 4 in the subject line. Staff photos / Ed Runyan Woodall sentence A Staff photo / Ed Runyan Savion C. Woodall, 24, of Warren, left, and his attorney, Rhys Cartwright-Jones, listen as Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Becker describes the convictions Woodall was pleading guilty to Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

WARREN -- Savion C. Woodall, 24, of Warren, at times did not look like a guy who was expecting to get 16 years to life in prison as he sat waiting for his plea and sentencing hearing to begin.

He sat by himself quite a while, alternately smiling, looking around blankly and once leaning way back and staring at the ceiling. When his attorney, Rhys-Cartwright-Jones, walked up closer to the start of the hearing, a huge smile crossed Woodall's face.

And during the long series of questions Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean O'Brien asked Woodall to make sure he was entering a knowing and voluntary guilty plea in the Aug. 3, 2025, shooting death of David Lee Owens III, 31, of Warren, and the nonfatal shooting of Torian Phillips outside of the Convenient Food Mart at Elm Road and Larchmont Avenue, he answered directly.

He pleaded guilty not only to murder in Owens' death and attempted murder for the injury to Phillips, he pleaded guilty to gun specifications, possession of a firearm in a liquor permit premises, tampering with evidence and carrying a concealed weapon.

But the charge that mattered the most was the murder, which carries a prison sentence of 15 years to life, plus one more year for possessing a firearm. He was also sentenced to other prison time for the lesser charges, but the sentences for those will be served at the same time as the murder sntence.

That means his total sentence is 16 years to life, O'Brien said before a fairly large but quiet gallery of people split into two groups, as is usual, in the seating area.

No one representing the victims chose to speak. Defense attorney Rhys-Cartwright-Jones did not make extended remarks as some do to try to mitigate the defendant's conduct.

He only said that the shooting, captured on surveillance video, "begins as a fistfight and ends in a shooting. This is not the sort of long, drawn out malicious, calculated murder that would merit a sentence more severe than that is recommended here. I think 16 to life is very serious."

Woodall thanked O'Brien and his attorneys and then apologized.

Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Becker explained that the video showed Woodall inside the Convenient Food Mart, which had a liquor permit "holding what was later determined to be a 45-caliber handgun. Eventually he was outside of the store. He punched an individual while they were playing dice.

"A fight immediately ensued. (Woodall) got up and shot and killed David Lee Owens III. He also shot Torian Phillips," Becker said.

Woodall's tampering-with-evidence and improper-handling offenses took place Aug. 14, according to Woodall's indictments. Becker said they related to Woodall being in the front passenger seat of a car when the vehicle was traffic-stopped.

Officers found a bullet where Woodall was seated, and they found a disassembled gun with part of it under the passenger seat and other parts on the glove box and map pocket of the car.

Becker said he believed that Owens' mother agreed with the plea, and she nodded her head in agreement.

After the hearing, Becker said four firearms were used by four people in the incident. Three of the men with firearms were prosecuted federally. Woodall, who was prosecuted in Trumbull County, was the only one whose gunshots hit anyone.

The three other men only fired after Woodall had shot the two victims and was fleeing the scene, Becker said.

In May, Jumal Ellis Rowe, of Warren, was sentenced to 92 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to federal prosecutors. Also convicted federally were Sean King, 37, and Rayjon Ray McElroy, 25.

King received a sentence of 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. McElroy was sentenced to 25 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

Starting at /week.