Juror Dismissed In Accused Cop-Killer's Trial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The trial for a man accused of killing a Penn Hills Police officer resumed Monday morning with a juror being dismissed.
Judge Kevin Sasinoski began today's session announcing that Juror No. 12, who he did not identify, has been removed from the case after an incident over the weekend.
On Friday, the juror told court personnel that the night before, he had received a call from KDKA-TV reporter Harold Hayes seeking a comment about the case.
After an investigation by the Allegheny County Sheriff, it was determined Hayes made no such call, which would have been inappropriate during trial.
Instead, the investigation determined the call was placed by the juror's own son.
Because the juror told other jurors that he had been contacted by the media, he was removed from the case.
Late this afternoon, a prosecution witness who described himself as defendant Ronald Robinson's best friend growing up refuted a police report claiming Robinson called him the night of the murders, asking him to help him collect a debt.
Witness Robert Evans claims he said what police wanted him to say just to be finished with the interview, and was concerned about being a "snitch."
He denied being asked to help Robinson collect a debt from victim Danny Morton.
Earlier, the jury saw the AK-47 used in the shootings and saw the trajectories of the 13 shots aimed at the cruiser of Penn Hills Officer Michael Crawshaw.
On Friday, the jury in the Ronald Robinson trial heard more recordings from police dispatch calls the night Danyal Morton and Penn Hills Police Officer Michael Crawshaw were killed.
The recordings included calls from frantic neighbors and from police officers called to the scene who did not hear from Crawshaw after he radioed that he was turning onto Johnston Road to respond to the initial call.
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