Trial set for Monessen teen charged with friend's killing
The murder trial for a Monessen teen charged with the fatal shooting of a friend as they played video games is set to begin May 6.
Terry Newton, 17, is awaiting trial on charges of criminal homicide in connection with the November 2022 shooting death of 16-year-old Amari Altomore. Police said Altomore was shot one time in the abdomen during a fight between the boys in Newton’s bedroom.
Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears last month rejected a defense request to transfer Newton’s case to juvenile court, where if convicted he could not be held in custody beyond his 21st birthday.
Newton claimed Altomore, a junior at Monessen High School and a member of the school’s football team, initially brandished a gun and that it accidentally discharged as the teens fought over the weapon.
Prosecutors said the suspected murder weapon was never recovered. Newton fled the shooting scene and was on the run for three weeks before he was arrested and charged with Altomore’s killing.
Newton turns 18 in August. He is being held without bond in the juvenile pod at the Lawrence County jail.
“A May trial is appropriate so we get it over with before he becomes an adult,” said defense attorney Ken Noga.
Prosecutors are still weighing whether to propose a plea bargain deal for Newton, according to Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.