By Karen Kane / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A Rankin man was charged today with killing his adult niece, then torching his Jeep in an apparent attempt to cover-up blood splatter evidence.
Kalvin Stewart, 38, is charged with criminal homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of India R. Stewart, 29, of Pitcairn. He was committed to the Allegheny County Jail this morning without bond.
He had been charged in October 2016 with assault and harassment in connection with punching in the face Ms. Stewart. She had obtained a protection from abuse order, according to police documents, but the charges against Mr. Stewart in that case had been withdrawn.
Allegheny County Police had reported Saturday that a body of an unidentified woman who had been shot at least once was found that morning at an abandoned garage in Braddock. The garage was at the intersection of Yew Way and Maple Alley at 8:50 a.m.
Police said in an affidavit of probable cause for Mr. Stewart's arrest that Ms. Stewart was shot in the head. The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said she died of a gunshot wound to the neck.
Ms. Stewart was an employee at Taco Bell at Edgewood Towne Center on South Braddock Avenue near the border of Swissvale and Edgewood. She left her Swissvale home at 6:25 a.m. Saturday for a 7 a.m. start at her job, where she worked behind the counter, according to a colleague.
She never arrived for work.
A witness told police that Ms. Stewart had complained in recent weeks about a "crazy ex-boyfriend from Rankin who was married and drove a gray Jeep." The witness said Ms. Stewart said the former boyfriend had assaulted her previously and she was "afraid for her life." Ms. Stewart told the same witness that on Friday, when she arrived at work, he was parked in the parking lot with his vehicle lights off.
According to police, Ms. Stewart had resided with Mr. Stewart and his wife, Victoria, for a time in Rankin.
Police said during an interview with Mr. Stewart, he acknowledged being Ms. Stewart's biological uncle. Police said that the incident in October in which Mr. Stewart was charged with assaulting Ms. Stewart — charges that were later withdrawn — had been connected to Ms. Stewart's telling authorities at the time in October that Mr. Stewart had a history of dating other women and that she had threatened to tell his wife.
After that alleged assault, she moved.
Police said that, at 7:48 a.m. Saturday, police found a Jeep on fire on the North Side. It was registered to Mr. Stewart and his wife. During a search, a substance believed to be blood was found in the vehicle.
Police said Mr. Stewart said he had dropped off his wife at 6 a.m. Saturday at a local bus station then made a stop before arriving home at 6:40 a.m. He said he left his car outside running and with the keys inside and he didn't realize it had been stolen until police contacted him and told him the vehicle was found burned on the North Side.
Police also said they have video surveillance of a Jeep like Mr. Stewart's "speeding away" at 7:10 a.m. Saturday from an area near where Ms. Stewart's body was found.
A supervising colleague of Ms. Stewart at Taco Bell, a supervisor who asked that he not be named, described her as: "Very upbeat. Very nice and friendly. Customers enjoyed her company here." He said she had been employed at Taco Bell for about six months. He said she had children and that she was in her 20s.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ea...s/201701150207
I'm a little confused here. Even if she was in a different town and figured no one would know or bother with looking into it, why would she openly refer to a biological uncle as an "ex boyfriend?"
A Rankin man was charged today with killing his adult niece, then torching his Jeep in an apparent attempt to cover-up blood splatter evidence.
Kalvin Stewart, 38, is charged with criminal homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of India R. Stewart, 29, of Pitcairn. He was committed to the Allegheny County Jail this morning without bond.
He had been charged in October 2016 with assault and harassment in connection with punching in the face Ms. Stewart. She had obtained a protection from abuse order, according to police documents, but the charges against Mr. Stewart in that case had been withdrawn.
Allegheny County Police had reported Saturday that a body of an unidentified woman who had been shot at least once was found that morning at an abandoned garage in Braddock. The garage was at the intersection of Yew Way and Maple Alley at 8:50 a.m.
Police said in an affidavit of probable cause for Mr. Stewart's arrest that Ms. Stewart was shot in the head. The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said she died of a gunshot wound to the neck.
Ms. Stewart was an employee at Taco Bell at Edgewood Towne Center on South Braddock Avenue near the border of Swissvale and Edgewood. She left her Swissvale home at 6:25 a.m. Saturday for a 7 a.m. start at her job, where she worked behind the counter, according to a colleague.
She never arrived for work.
A witness told police that Ms. Stewart had complained in recent weeks about a "crazy ex-boyfriend from Rankin who was married and drove a gray Jeep." The witness said Ms. Stewart said the former boyfriend had assaulted her previously and she was "afraid for her life." Ms. Stewart told the same witness that on Friday, when she arrived at work, he was parked in the parking lot with his vehicle lights off.
According to police, Ms. Stewart had resided with Mr. Stewart and his wife, Victoria, for a time in Rankin.
Police said during an interview with Mr. Stewart, he acknowledged being Ms. Stewart's biological uncle. Police said that the incident in October in which Mr. Stewart was charged with assaulting Ms. Stewart — charges that were later withdrawn — had been connected to Ms. Stewart's telling authorities at the time in October that Mr. Stewart had a history of dating other women and that she had threatened to tell his wife.
After that alleged assault, she moved.
Police said that, at 7:48 a.m. Saturday, police found a Jeep on fire on the North Side. It was registered to Mr. Stewart and his wife. During a search, a substance believed to be blood was found in the vehicle.
Police said Mr. Stewart said he had dropped off his wife at 6 a.m. Saturday at a local bus station then made a stop before arriving home at 6:40 a.m. He said he left his car outside running and with the keys inside and he didn't realize it had been stolen until police contacted him and told him the vehicle was found burned on the North Side.
Police also said they have video surveillance of a Jeep like Mr. Stewart's "speeding away" at 7:10 a.m. Saturday from an area near where Ms. Stewart's body was found.
A supervising colleague of Ms. Stewart at Taco Bell, a supervisor who asked that he not be named, described her as: "Very upbeat. Very nice and friendly. Customers enjoyed her company here." He said she had been employed at Taco Bell for about six months. He said she had children and that she was in her 20s.
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ea...s/201701150207
I'm a little confused here. Even if she was in a different town and figured no one would know or bother with looking into it, why would she openly refer to a biological uncle as an "ex boyfriend?"
.
Now serving breakfast
