Homicide suspect waives hearing
A 20-year-old Pittsburgh woman charged by state police with two counts of conspiracy in the March 24 strangulation death of a Cleveland, Ohio, man in a South Union Township housing project waived her preliminary hearing Monday. Chambrale Marie “Pooh” Parham, of 843 Brighton Ridge Road, Pittsburgh, waived her hearing on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery before Uniontown District Justice Mark Blair.
The case against her will be forwarded to county court where she will either accept a plea agreement or have a trial. She remains free on $500,000 unsecured bail.
A hearing was also scheduled Monday for co-defendant Charles Eugene Wilson, 33, of Cleveland, but it was delayed at the request of the county’s public defender’s office.
Wilson faces charges of homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy charges related to the other charges. He fought extradition from Cleveland, but lost and is being held in the county prison without bail.
Another defendant, Deshon T. Garrison, 18, of Cleveland waived extradition and his hearing in May, and has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in county court.
Garrison agreed to testify against the other defendants while he awaits sentencing. He is being held without bail in a Washington County prison.
A fourth suspect, Timothy Atwater, 25, of Cleveland, who police believe was the ringleader in the death of Eric Corwin “ET” Thomas, 30, shot and killed himself as police were about to arrest him in a Cleveland apartment building on March 31.
Parham’s attorney, Samuel Davis, told the court that the waiver was part of a plea agreement in which she would receive a sentence of probation in exchange for her cooperation if the agreement were accepted in county court
He said she would testify in hearings and trials in the case and agreed to provide a sworn statement Monday in Davis’s office in the presence of police and a representative from the district attorney’s office.
Davis said Parham became involved in the incident after Thomas was killed.
Assistant District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. told the court that he agreed with Davis’s statements.
Police said Atwater planned to steal drugs from Thomas.
According to police, Atwater, Wilson, Garrison and Parham went to an apartment at 4 Howard Court in Tuskegee Terrace where Thomas was staying with his 2-year-old daughter at approximately 5 p.m.
Police said Atwater reportedly struck Thomas in the head, wrestled with him, wrapped his arm around Thomas’s neck and began to choke him. While they fought, Wilson allegedly tied Thomas’s hands and feet.
According to police, Thomas continued to struggle as Atwater reportedly tied a shirt around his mouth, shoved him into a living room closet and pushed a couch against the door before he straightened up the apartment. Atwater then called Terrance Lett, of Uniontown, who had a rented car that Thomas was driving.
When Lett arrived, Wilson allegedly jumped him and Garrison allegedly pulled a gun. They ordered Lett to get on the floor and Wilson tied his hands. Atwater assaulted him and told him he had killed Thomas. Atwater dragged Lett into a closet and piled bags of clothes and trash on top of him, said police.
After the four suspects left, police saidi Lett freed himself and found Thomas’s daughter sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.
Police said Parham was upstairs with the child while the incident was taking place.
Lett then saw the couch blocking the closet and pulled Thomas out, but he was already dead by the time police and emergency medical personnel arrived.
The rented car was recovered in Pittsburgh a few days after the incident.