A Braddock man is accused of killing an Armstrong County man seeking drugs in a deadly robbery in Arnold, according to court paperwork unsealed Friday.
Allen Duwayne Herring, 32, faces charges of homicide, robbery, conspiracy and illegal gun possession in connection with the June 28 slaying of Gregory Ray Wynkoop, 35, of East Franklin. He is being held without bond in Westmoreland County Prison.
Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck took the unusual step of having court paperwork that identified two witnesses sealed until the day of Herring’s preliminary hearing, which had been scheduled for Friday.
While the records were unsealed, Herring’s hearing was postponed because the Westmoreland County Public Defender’s Office recused itself from representing Herring, citing a conflict of interest.
Public Defender Greg Cecchetti told District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. that attorneys in his office had represented at least one and possibly two prosecutorial witnesses in the case.
Cecchetti said his office would find other representation for Herring from a list of private attorneys.
The hearing will be rescheduled. A date has not been set.
According to the criminal complaint against Herring, Wynkoop went to Arnold to buy crack cocaine.
Police said Wynkoop gave $70 to a woman so she could arrange for him to get the drugs and she took the money to Herring, her boyfriend.
Wynkoop later picked up Herring along Kenva Alley and pulled into a gravel lot on the Woodmont Avenue side of the alley, the complaint said. Another woman who had been in the car with the men told police she got out of the car after Wynkoop parked and then she heard gunshots.
Herring later told her and his girlfriend that he tried to rob Wynkoop and shot him as they wrestled over Herring’s gun, the complaint said.
