Uniontown man charged with homicide accepts tentative plea to reduced charges
A Uniontown man, who police allege stabbed a Uniontown woman to death and injured three others during a party held at a Fairchance bar, has accepted a tentative plea deal.
Darius Lee “Boo” Samuel, 22, was charged with criminal homicide in the death of Rashaunda Fitzgerald, 21, and with three additional counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and related charges for injuring Montaque Wilson, 21, Trenton Branch, 25, and Cornell Neal, 25, all of Uniontown, during the altercation Feb. 22 at the Goal Post Lounge.
During a preliminary hearing Tuesday before Fayette County Magisterial District Judge Randy Abraham, Samuel accepted a tentative plea to third-degree murder, according to Assistant District Attorney J.W. Eddy. He said the three charges of aggravated assault and three charges of simple assault have tentatively been dropped as part of the plea deal. Charges of possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment remain.
Eddy said the aggravated assault and simple assault charges were withdrawn because the alleged victims — Wilson, Branch and Neal — were unable to be contacted and failed to appear for the preliminary hearing.
The tentative plea to reduced charges is not official until Samuel accepts the plea in Fayette County Common Pleas Court.
Eddy said Samuel is free to withdraw the plea offer at any time up until he gets sentenced. He said sentencing is up to the judge.
He also said that prosecutors will not recommend a minimum prison term, but noted that the maximum allowed under the sentencing guidelines is 20 to 40 years in prison.
State police Trooper Nathaniel Lieberum said that the incident occurred at the bar located on Morgantown Road shortly before 2 a.m.
Fitzgerald was later pronounced dead at Uniontown Hospital.
Wilson, Branch and Neal were treated at the hospital for non-life threatening stab wounds, Lieberum said, with Wilson later moved to UPMC-Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for further treatment.
Lieberum said that Fitzgerald tried to intervene to stop an altercation between Samuel and several others inside the bar when she was stabbed.
Samuel allegedly left the scene in a Lincoln Navigator with friends following the incident but was later apprehended by police.
Police additionally found a Gerber knife in the SUV that police suspect was used in the fatal stabbing, according to District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr.
Samuel remains in the county lockup without bond.