Charges Upgraded in Local Murder Case
Jacob Adams, 24 of Kittanning and McKinley Berry, 24 of Ford City, were both arraigned on more than a dozen charges yesterday by Butler County Judge Timothy McCune. Both men are reportedly still be held in the Armstrong County Jail in Rayburn Township.
A pair of local men accused of killing a Kittanning man in January were formally arraigned in Butler County Courthouse yesterday afternoon.
Jacob Adams, 24 of Kittanning and McKinley Berry, 24 of Ford City, were both arraigned on more than a dozen charges yesterday by Butler County Judge Timothy McCune.
Of the charges, more than half are felony accusations, including second-degree murder charges following the death of Jason McIntyre at about 3:15 AM January 22.
According to the criminal report filed, the three met at a bar in the Kittanning area and Adams drove Berry and McIntyre to Valencia (Adams Township, Butler County), parking in an area away from the Downieville Road residence with the intent to rob two tenants of marijuana and money. Berry and McIntyre walked to the home wearing hooded sweatshirts and gloves to conceal their identity and armed with a handgun while Adams stayed in the car.
Once arriving at the residence, Berry and McIntyre began forcing their way in and shooting at the victims. One resident, Daniel Oliverio, got a hand gun while another resident, Jeremy C. Hughes, used a shot gun to defend himself. Hughes was struck in the stomach and McIntyre was shot and died on the front steps. An autopsy revealed he died of a 12-gauge shotgun slug to the chest.
Berry retreated, returning to the car. Hughes, Oliverio and another person inside the home, Wade Brueckman of Connoquenessing, also fled, running past McIntyre’s body as it lay on the front steps. None of the individuals contacted police. Police said that neither Berry nor Adams attempted to contact the McIntyre family to inform them of his death upon their return to Armstrong County.
Yesterday, the Butler County District Attorney’s office changed the three homicide charges into murder offenses.
A status conference for both men – who are reportedly still incarcerated in the Armstrong County Jail on $1 million monetary bail – is scheduled for the end of April.
Butler County Assistant District Attorney Mark A. Lope has reportedly filed a notice for a joint trial to be held.
Local News | jweaver March 23, 2016
By ktown_kid, March 23, 2016 @ 2:48 PM
I’m not sticking up for these 2 clowns that are being charged, all 3 of them were drug addicts and in and out of trouble constantly but I don’t understand why they are being charged with this. For one it’s a justifiable shooting, they tried robbing the other drug dealers. The castle doctrine covers their end so nothing their but possibly for not informing the police of the incident. I guess either way when your outstanding citizens like Adams, mcintyre and berry you get yourself in situations like this.