Police: Easton Homicide Victim Planned Robbery
Court documents say Matthew Kelly, shot to death earlier this year in Easton, planned to rob a man in parking lot where the shooting happened.
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An Bethlehem man who was shot and fatally wounded in a West Ward parking lot in April had lured another man there and planned to rob him, according to published reports.
The Morning Call, citing a search warrant return, said police believe Matthew Kelly and two women had planned to rob a man named Brian Simmons on the night of April 1.
Police say Simmons had gone to meet with Kelly in a church parking lot at the 1100 block of Spruce Street believing he'd be taking part in a drug deal.
Simmons was shot and also stabbed when the meeting turned violent, with numerous people shooting at each other. Kelly, 20, was shot and died the following day at Easton hospital.
According to the Express-Times, a woman who was with Kelly that night told police he divulged a plan to rob Simmons.
The case has been turned over the a county grand jury.
Tom Adams
4:57 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
Gee the paper's all said he was such a nice young man. Now we learn thet he came into Easton to rob a known drug dealer and felon. What was he thinking? The initial reports said there were others with him. Is that true? And the last I heard of this case it was before a Grand Jury. What was the result? Anyone know? Easton gets the rap and now we find out that it was a premeditated robbery gone bad.