EASTON, Pa. — Prosecutors in eastern Pennsylvania plan to seek the death penalty against two New Jersey men accused of the 2007 execution-style shooting deaths of three men, court documents filed today show. Northampton County First Deputy District Attorney Terence Houck cited the multiple killings indicating that authorities will seek capital punishment if Olayiwola Hollist, 27, and Demar Edwards,...
Olayiwola Hollist, 27 and Demwar Edwards, 31.EASTON, Pa. — Prosecutors in eastern Pennsylvania plan to seek the death penalty against two New Jersey men accused of the 2007 execution-style shooting deaths of three men, court documents filed today show.
Northampton County First Deputy District Attorney Terence Houck cited the multiple killings indicating that authorities will seek capital punishment if Olayiwola Hollist, 27, and Demar Edwards, 31, both of Newark are convicted of first-degree murder.
They and two other men were accused in the deaths of Alphe Rene, 20, Chanel Armour, 23, and Aleah Hamlin, 19, in November 2007 in an Easton apartment. Authorities say they were killed as retaliation for gang slayings in New Jersey days earlier.
Hollist and Edwards, who are to be arraigned Thursday, were charged after co-defendant Lewis Gray, 34, of East Orange agreed to cooperate with authorities. He is serving 13 to 26 years after pleading guilty in May to conspiracy to commit third-degree murder.
Another man, Ali Davis, 23, of Freemansburg, was convicted of first-degree murder in January and sentenced to life in prison without parole after jurors deadlocked on whether to recommend the death penalty.
Previous coverage:
• Newark man is arraigned in Pa. triple murder
• Alleged Bloods member, Olayiwola 'T-Bone' Hollist, speaks with police about murders, authorities say - UPDATE
• Irvington man is charged in Pennsylvania triple slaying
• 4th arrest in Pennsylvania killings tied to Jersey City slayings
• Demar 'G-Red' Edwards, sought in 2007 Easton triple murder, is arrested in N.J.
