Trial continues in stabbing death at Scott homeless encampment

Curtis Greenwalt was inside a tent along Creek Street in Scott nearly a year ago when he heard noises outside.

Greenwalt testified Wednesday that he frequently hung out in the area called “Tent City” and had arrived at the homeless encampment along Chartiers Creek around 1 or 2 p.m. on Nov. 11.

After drinking four or five beers, Greenwalt said he and a couple of friends went inside a tent to lie down. A short time later, Greenwalt said he went outside after hearing a dog barking.

That’s when he said he saw Vendell Nasir III standing over a body, kicking it.

Greenwalt testified that he asked Nasir who he was kicking and Nasir replied, “Nobody.”

“The guy wasn’t moving at all, so I knew something was wrong,” Greenwalt told Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer.

After Nasir left the area moments later, Greenwalt walked over to the person on the ground and recognized him as Joseph Williams, known by his friends at the encampment as “Joe Wine.”

“I could see the back of his body was covered with blood,” Greenwalt testified. “I knew he was gone.”

Nasir, of Carnegie, is charged with criminal homicide and tampering with evidence. Police said Williams, 70, was stabbed with a knife that was found about 30 feet from the body. He had wounds to his head, back, chest, neck and face.

Nasir’s non-jury trial before Beemer began Tuesday and continued with testimony on Wednesday.

The prosecution plans to call a final witness who will testify at a later date before the defense has an opportunity to call its own witnesses. The next hearing has not yet been scheduled.

On Wednesday, Greenwalt testified that after he checked on Williams’ body, he returned to the tent to get his friend, Barbara McKenna, and she called 911.

Greenwalt then left the scene.

On his way up the railroad tracks, he testified that he saw two Scott police officers responding to the 911 call.

Greenwalt said he pointed them in the direction of the body and told the officers that McKenna was there. He said they knew her and let him leave. The officers did not stop him or question him.

Nasir’s defense attorneys spent a lot of time during their cross examination of witnesses wondering why the officers allowed Greenwalt to leave the scene of a homicide.

Greenwalt said he was shaken up after finding Williams and walked to a nearby friend’s house. When Greenwalt learned a few hours later that police were looking for him, he returned to the area and went with them to headquarters, said Allegheny County homicide Detective Dale Canofari.

Canofari downplayed the concerns about Greenwalt leaving the scene. He also testified about injuries that officers found on Nasir.

When officers found Nasir at the crime scene, they testified Tuesday that he had blood all over his hands and on his clothing.

Later, detectives said they discovered bleeding wounds on Nasir’s hands.

“They were fresh,” said county police Detective Anthony Perry. “They were still bleeding.”

Nasir also had abrasions on his knees.

Canofari said Nasir told police, “I got into a fight with a wall.”

During McKenna’s testimony Tuesday, she said that while she was inside the tent, she heard Williams’ voice outside. She also heard arguing.

After Greenwalt told her about Williams, McKenna said she saw Nasir return to the area and she asked him to check if Williams was still breathing.

In the meantime, she continued, Greenwalt “hightailed it” out of there.