Liberty killings prove puzzling

2-26-2010 Ohio:

WARREN — One of the five Youngstown residents charged in the aggravated murder of Liberty residents Wilneice L. Green, 28, and her 13-year-old daughter, Ja-Brajasia, told his girlfriend that Melvin L. Turner, 36, of Maryland shot and killed Green — but he didn’t know why.

Marquese J. Floyd, 25, of Atkinson Avenue, told his girlfriend he was part of a group of five that went to Green’s house on Northgate Drive in Liberty on Nov. 15, 2009, but “it wasn’t supposed to go down that way and that he didn’t know why [Turner] had killed Wilneice and Ja-Brajasia,” according to an affidavit submitted Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

James M. Christian, 20, another of the five, told police they went to the Green residence, just north of Northside Medical Center, to kill a male acquaintance of Wilneice Green. That acquaintance had been accused earlier Nov. 15 at the Liberty Police Department of having sexual contact with a child, the affidavit said.

Liberty Police Chief Richard Tisone has said Ja-Brajasia and her mother were “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and were not the intended targets of the crime.

Denise L. Jackson, 25, of Trumbull Court, another of the five, told family members Nov. 15 that the man accused of the sex offense had to “pay for what he did” to the child, who is related to her, police said.

Jackson appeared in common pleas court Thursday, where she was ordered held on $2 million bond. Floyd and Apollonia E. Baker, 25, of Miller Street, also appeared, and are also being held in the Trumbull County jail on $2 million bond.

Turner is being held by Baltimore police, awaiting his return here.

The affidavit says Jackson went to Floyd’s home Nov. 15 and told him the alleged sex offender had to “pay for what he had done.” Floyd is also related to the alleged victim of the sex offense, police said.

Later that day, Baker picked up Jackson, Turner, Floyd and Christian in Baker’s car. On the way to Northgate Drive, Jackson handed out gloves to Turner, Floyd and Christian and held a gun that she handed to Christian after he was done putting on his gloves, the affidavit said.

Floyd had a handgun and Turner, also known as “Dreads,” had an AK-47 type assault rifle.

All five got out of the car at Green’s home, hopped over a fence and went to the back door, with Turner eventually breaking it open with his shoulder.

Once inside, Floyd and Turner went to the back of the house, while the females waited outside, and Christian went to the kitchen.

Christian told police he heard Wilneice Green say, “Not my kids,” as Turner shot her in the chest.

As Ja-Brayasia ran toward the back of the house, Turner motioned for Christian to shoot her, but he didn’t, so Turner shot her in the abdomen, the affidavit said.

Both females died at the scene. Both spent cartridges recovered from the scene came from the same gun, the affidavit said.

The five fled and went to an address on Liberty Street in Youngstown, where Floyd hid the assault rifle and a handgun. They also went to a Youngstown apartment complex and removed their gloves and outer clothing, the affidavit says. The weapons were never located.

Turner was wanted in Maryland at the time of the murders for failing to appear in U.S. District Court in October 2009. He was back in custody in Maryland by the end of November and has remained in custody.

Jackson was granted judicial release from prison Sept. 28, 2009, by Judge James Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after Jackson had served 21‚Ñ2 years of a 31‚Ñ2-year sentence for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and aggravated robbery.

Floyd was on two years’ probation at the time of the murders on a 2008 conviction for improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

In court Thursday, Judge John M. Stuard agreed to have Baker take a polygraph test, which her attorney, Lou DeFabio, said he believes will show her “non-involvement in the case.” Baker returns to court at 9 a.m. March 15.

Christian is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Wednesday to plead guilty to various charges. Jackson returns to court at 9 a.m. Thursday, and Floyd returns to court at 9 a.m. March 15. ..Source.. ED RUNYAN, VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER