Fourth person arrested in Uniontown homicide
The fourth and final person charged with homicide in a shooting police described as a drug robbery gone awry Nov. 27 was arrested early Monday.
Uniontown City Police received a tip that Joel Michael Grooms, 30, was walking down an alley in the city. Police found him there, and he surrendered peacefully, police said.
He is facing homicide and related charges in the death of Marquell L. Bailey, 25, at a vacant Pershing Court apartment.
Police allege Bailey, Grooms, Megan Marie Bowlen, 24, and Miranda Engle, 30, all of Uniontown, conspired to rob Derek Lee Royster, 29, at the apartment.
Engle called Royster to set up a drug deal about an hour before the shooting at 6:30 p.m. They waited for Royster to arrive with cocaine at the 61 Pershing Court apartment, with the women in the living room and the men in the dining room, according to court paperwork.
Royster arrived and showed the women the cocaine in the living room as Bailey walked in and tried to punch Royster, prompting him to pull out a gun and shoot Bailey in the chest, police said.
He then allegedly shot twice at Bowlen, who hit behind the couch. Grooms and Engle ran out the back door.
After Royster fled in a red pickup, Bowlen ran out the back door and called 911. She later returned to perform CPR on Bailey, who was bleeding and gasping for air, according to police.
He was taken to Uniontown Hospital by ambulance, where he died.
Bowlen washed blood from her hands at her nearby apartment with Engle, then the two left the area, police said.
They were arrested later the night. Royster was arrested Nov. 30. City police were searching for Grooms for three weeks before the tip led to his arrest.
Grooms, Engle and Bowlen are charged with criminal homicide, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Royster is charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, possession with intent to deliver drugs, four counts of aggravated assault and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.
All four were denied bail in the case.
Grooms was arraigned at about 6:30 a.m. before on-call Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr.
Grooms’ preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 26 at 1:30 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Michael Metros.