Police says drug search, homicide unrelated
CALIFORNIA – Just days before John Newman was killed over drugs, drug agents searched his neighbor’s home for heroin, but the investigating officer said the two incidents are unrelated. Police have not made an arrest in Newman’s slaying, and state police trooper James Monkelis said a search for heroin at a neighboring home on Liberty Street “appears to be unrelated” to the drug-related killing of Newman, 43, who lived at 141 Liberty St.
Newman, whom Monkelis said was both a user and dealer of heroin and Oxycontin, was shot in the head with a 9 mm handgun in the driver’s seat of his vehicle only a half-block from his home just before 7 a.m. Feb. 4.
His wife and daughter discovered him inside his car in the 300 block of First Street and called 911.
Monkelis said he is working “diligently on the case,” following up on a number of potential leads. He said as he continues to receive tips and information, he hopes a $2,000 reward offered by Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest in the slaying will continue to generate information.
Only days before Newman’s death, investigators with the office of state Attorney General Mike Fisher, searched another Liberty Street home, looking for heroin, drug paraphernalia, money, receipts or notes, after a confidential informant allegedly made three separate purchases of heroin there beginning Dec. 17, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The last drug purchase, according to the affidavit, occurred there 24 hours before the search warrant was approved. District Justice William Pelkey signed off on the warrant Jan. 29.
Pelkey said the investigators, since then, have not returned to his office or provided any additional information about the search, including an inventory of items seized from the home. The owner of that home has not been charged.
Pelkey said he has seen Newman in his courtroom on a tenant/landlord dispute, traffic citations and a disorderly conduct charge that was dropped.
California Police Chief Steve Silbaugh said police are aware of the recent influx of heroin into the small college town recently. He said it is a problem in the entire Mon Valley area.
Silbaugh said he also has received calls from people offering information related to the slaying, which he passes on to Monkelis.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 724-929-6262.