Sep. 15—Any trials associated with a 2021 Meadville homicide have been continued until at least November by Crawford County Court of Common Pleas.
The trials of Timothy Bolden, 27, and Martavious K. Stout, 19, were to begin this week for their alleged roles in the July 3 shooting death of Nathaniel Harris.
At a hearing Thursday afternoon, President Judge John Spataro granted a motion by Bolden’s defense attorney, Komron Maknoon, to continue Bolden’s trial and separate Bolden from being tried along with Stout.
Maknoon, who attended the hearing via videoconference, told the judge that he needed additional time to prepare a defense in the event Stout was to accept a plea offer and become a potential witness in the case.
However, in granting the motion to continue Bolden’s trial, Spataro noted on the record that it could be November or possibly the January 2024 trial term as Bolden has a pending trial in Erie County that may begin in November.
Last week, Spataro granted Stout’s court-appointed defense attorney, Dustin Cole, additional time to discuss a new plea offer with Stout and Stout’s mother. Stout’s mother wanted more time to discuss it with her son, Cole said at that hearing. Stout was only 16 at the time of alleged crime, Spataro said in granting that time extension.
Meadville Police Department charged Bolden and Stout and three others for their alleged roles in the incident. Harris was 19 when he died from multiple gunshot wounds during an early morning armed robbery and burglary at his 376 1/2 Walnut St. apartment.
Qwamae D. Sherene, 20, still is scheduled to be tried on homicide and related charges for his alleged roles in Harris’ death.
Two other men charged in the case — Kavan M. Boitnott, 18, and Jayden I. Speed, 20 — already have pleaded guilty in the case and are serving state prison sentences.
Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.