Sep 20, 2025 By Mike Jones 4 min read

The girlfriend of the suspect accused of shooting and killing a man in Washington earlier this year testified that he allegedly told her “I had to do what I had to do” in a video call minutes after she heard the gunshots outside her neighbor’s duplex.

Sydney Vaughn testified during the preliminary hearing Friday for Trevon McCrary and William Howell – both of whom are facing homicide charges – that she awoke with McCrary the morning of the shooting on April 28 and he told her he needed to borrow her SUV to pick up someone.

She rode in the passenger seat as McCrary drove to a Pittsburgh area neighborhood and picked up a man she did not know, but whom she identified as Howell, who was seated a few feet away from McCrary during their preliminary hearing at Washington County Central Court.

When they returned to Washington, the two men dropped Vaughn off at her West Walnut Street home and she went back inside as they drove away. About 45 minutes later, Vaughn said she heard five gunshots outside the home that were in the vicinity of her neighbor’s duplex at 103 W. Walnut St.

“I ran to find where my daughter was,” Vaughn said before breaking into tears. “I hid in my room.”

“Were you scared? Washington County Deputy District Attorney John Friedmann asked, prompting Vaughn to nod affirmatively.

Vaughn said she stayed hidden in her house for about five minutes until her neighbor, Destiny Matthews, began pounding on the door and came in to confront her.

“Somebody was trying to kick down my door,” Vaughn said before recalling what Matthews told her.

“You let him use your car,” Vaughn remembered Matthews telling her.

Nasstylejah Wilkerson, 28, of Washington, who was friends with Matthews and visiting at her house, was found lying on the sidewalk after suffering multiple bullet wounds to his torso while in a parked car. Washington police allege that McCrary, who is the victim’s brother, shot him at close range and Howell drove the SUV from the scene. Investigators have not said what the motive of the shooting was, although Friedmann indicated there was some sort of disagreement between the two brothers.

About 30 minutes after the shooting, McCrary made a video call to Vaughn’s cellphone and allegedly told her they had taken her SUV to the Bridgeville area, prompting her to ask him what happened.

“I had to do what I had to do,” Vaughn testified McCrary telling her.

Her SUV was eventually found parked at the Giant Eagle along Washington Pike in South Fayette Township. Washington police Detective Joshua Haines testified they found surveillance video at the grocery store showing a man matching McCrary’s description getting out of the back of the SUV and walking with the driver toward Washington Pike. Several traffic cameras in the area showed one man wearing a black track suit, which Vaughn testified he had been wearing earlier in the day.

Haines added that Howell was wearing a GPS ankle monitor while on parole that placed him at the scene of the shooting and showed him traveling north to South Fayette. Howell, who did not have an attorney present at the hearing and is representing himself, disputed the accuracy of the ankle monitor’s GPS coordinates.

“I would say there were numerous locations when it said I was somewhere I was not,” Howell said while questioning Haines on the stand. “That I was at a location and I was at home.”

“These are GPS coordinates,” Haines responded. “These are certified records, sir.”

“There were occasions when it said I was somewhere I was not,” Howell said while continuing to plead his case. “You can call my parole officer and ask him.”

Following nearly 90 minutes of testimony, Mark Adams, who is the defense attorney for McCrary, agreed the prosecution had met its burden for the most serious charges against his client, but asked District Judge Kelly Stewart to dismiss the unauthorized use of a vehicle and one reckless endangerment charge against both suspects, which the magistrate did.

Stewart ordered McCrary, 31, of Washington, to stand trial on charges of homicide, prohibited possession of a firearm, firearms not to be carried without a license and two counts of reckless endangerment. She also ordered Howell, 24, of Mt. Oliver, to stand trial on charges of homicide, conspiracy and two counts of reckless endangerment. Both suspects, who were shackled and wearing orange prison jumpsuits at the hearing, are being held without bond at the Washington County jail.