HARRISBURG, Pa. – A 19 year old Harrisburg man, accused in the June 29th bludgeoning death of Steven Esworthy is ordered to stand trial on murder and robbery charges. The order followed a preliminary hearing on August 29th for Shamir Hunter.
After being the best man at his brother’s wedding, Esworthy, 31, was walking to a residence along the 1200 block of Green Street when he was allegedly struck from behind with a wooden board by Hunter. During the preliminary hearing, Detective Quentin Kennedy testified that the blow to the victim’s neck was fatal according to the autopsy completed by Dr. Wayne Ross.
Under questioning by Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle, Detective Kennedy further testified that Hunter was identified as a person of interest when he was observed on surveillance footage breaking into a car in the same neighborhood shortly before the time of the homicide. According to Kennedy’s testimony, Hunter was arrested on the warrant for the car theft and subsequently gave a statement to the police that he had hit Esworthy to commit a robbery. Esworthy’s phone, wallet and $20 were stolen by Hunter after the victim was lying on the ground unconscious at the intersection of Green and Verbeke Streets.
Hunter is scheduled for formal arraignment in Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas on October 28th.
