Fifth person charged with homicide in Uniontown robbery death
A fifth person was charged with homicide Friday in the shooting death of a 25-year-old man at a vacant Pershing Court apartment Nov. 27.
Uniontown City Police issued an arrest warrant for Devin Michael Fitzgerald, 28, of West Askren Street in the death of Marquell Bailey.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed in his case, Fitzgerald, Megan Marie Bowlen, 24, and Miranda Engle, 31, and Joel Grooms, 30, and Bailey, 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. The four people 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 a fight broke out over the cocaine.
He 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 a tip led to his arrest Dec. 18.
Fitzgerald, 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.
They were all denied bail in the case.