Valley homicide suspects to appear in court Monday
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Two men are charged with homicide in cases that remain under seal, but will be made public in preliminary hearings set for Monday in Washington County Court.
The men are Sidney Devon McLean, 32, of McKeesport and Devell Dexter Christian, 31, of White Oak. They’re charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and related offenses.
Christian has been in custody since July 7, held without bail in Westmoreland County Prison.
McLean was arrested Friday in Monroeville, where he was also charged with flight to avoid apprehension. He was denied bail due to the homicide charges and is lodged in Allegheny County Jail.
Their preliminary hearings will be held in Washington County Central Court in front of Magisterial District Judge Mark Wilson.
Two arrest warrants were issued in connection with the murder of Nicholas Tarpley at Anna Lee’s Convenience Store in Donora on Feb. 24. Donora is in Wilson’s magisterial district.
Washington County First Assistant District Attorney Jason Walsh would only confirm that two arrest warrants were signed by Washington County Judge John DiSalle. The affidavits of probable cause, criminal complaints and even the names of those the warrants were issued for are all sealed.
Walsh would not confirm that the hearings set for Monday are related to those two warrants or the Tarpley homicide.
Last month, when the warrants were issued, Walsh said the information is under seal to protect the ongoing investigation and the sources of information that are part of that investigation.
Tarpley, who was 28, was a Donora resident and part owner of Anna Lee’s Convenience Store, where he was shot and killed Feb. 24.
Trooper Robert Broadwater, public information officer for state police Troop B, said in February that the Major Case and Forensic units were investigating the shooting.
The coroner’s office said the incident happened around 5:07 p.m. while the victim was working at the store, which is at the corner of Allen Avenue and Fifth Street. Tarpley was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m.
Little has been revealed about the investigation. The week of the shooting, state police would not say if there was evidence of items being taken from the store during the incident. It was also not clear how many people were inside the store when the shooting occurred.
Neighbors, friends and family members on scene as police investigated told Broadwater that Tarpley was respected and well liked.
Both men have criminal histories.
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