The trial for a woman who shot two people to death and wounded a third at the Kraft Food processing facility in 2010 ended with the defendant being found guilty yesterday.
Yvonne Hiller, 43, was charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and related offenses in connection with the September 9, 2010 incident. Latonya Brown, 36, and Tanya Wilson, 47, were both shot to death following an altercation with Hiller. Bryant Dalton, 39, was wounded. Hiller allegedly had an ongoing dispute with the victims for months, accusing them of spraying her with chemicals and deer urine.
In the one day trial, Court of Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner found Hiller guilty of two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. She faces an automatic sentence of life in prison.
Cop Killers
The two men accused of murdering Police Officer Moses Walker Jr., are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday in Room 306 at the Criminal Justice Center.
Rafael Jones and Chauncier McFarland are accused of murder and related offenses in the killing of Walker on August 18. The 19-year veteran officer was off duty, on his way home and was just four blocks away from his station house when he was gunned down during an attempted robbery.
Black Males Killed
Three young Black males were among those gunned down over a busy weekend in Philadelphia in which the murder rate jumped to 249.
Police were called to the 2500 block of Sartain Street on August 8 at 6:48 p.m. in response to a report of gunfire. When they arrived at the location, they found a 28-year old Black male seated behind the driver’s seat of a white Chrysler minivan. He had been shot multiple times and was rushed to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:07 p.m.
He has been identified as Anthony Ginns, of the 800 block of North 11th Street. As of Tribune press time, police have no motive and no arrests have been made.
In an unrelated murder investigation, police were called to the 2700 block of Vare Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. on the same date. When officers arrived at the scene, they found another Black male who had been shot multiple times. He was identified as Whitcomb Rogers, 37, of the 500 block of McClelland Street. Rogers was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m. So far, the motive remain undetermined and no arrests have been made.
In another unrelated killing, investigators said an argument was the motive behind a deadly shooting that happened on Aug. 9 at 2:07 a.m.
Police were called to the 1500 block of Federal Street in response to a report of person with a gun in the vicinity. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 22-year old Black male dying form multiple gunshot wounds inside a property at the location. The victim has been identified as Robert Williams of the 500 block of Holly Road in Yeadon. Williams was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where he was pronounced dead by physicians at 2:34 a.m.
As of Tribune press time no arrests have been made and the investigations into all of these cases is continuing. As with all homicides in Philadelphia, there is a standing reward of $20,000 for any information leading to the arrests and convictions of those responsible. Anyone with information should call 215-686-TIPS or go online to www.phillypolice.com.
