Man gets 15 to 30 years in 2015 McKeesport shooting death

A Clairton man will spend 15 to 30 years in prison for killing one person in a 2015 McKeesport shooting that also injured two women.

Roman Jones, 30, was found guilty of third-degree murder and related counts following a non-jury trial before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Randal B. Todd in November.

He was convicted of killing William Doyle Jr., 24, in Crawford Village on Jan. 20, 2015.

According to investigators, Jones and co-defendant Jonathan “BJ” Coles, who were known drug dealers, intended to kill a jitney driver that night who was a witness in another homicide. There was a $7,500 bounty to kill her, prosecutors said.

Doyle was with his girlfriend and the jitney driver in Crawford Village when Coles opened fire into the woman’s car, hitting her and Doyle’s girlfriend, according to testimony at trial. The jitney driver and Doyle’s girlfriend were wounded and survived.

Doyle, who had been standing outside of the car, ran away, but prosecutors said Jones chased him, caught up to him and then killed him. Jones denied being the shooter.

Doyle, who called 911 as he tried to get away, could be heard pleading for his life in the 911 recording.

“Billy Doyle was not only running for his life but begging for his life,” said Deputy District Attorney Kevin Chernosky.

Prosecutors originally filed notice that they would seek the death penalty in the case because Doyle was a witness to a shooting who was killed to prevent him from testifying. However, they withdrew that notice in October.

At Monday’s hearing, Chernosky asked for a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison.

However, defense attorney Thomas N. Farrell asked for half of that, which is the same sentence Coles got in exchange for his guilty plea and testimony.

“This was a horrible case. My client — that was his friend,” Farrell said.

He noted that Coles was the person who set out to kill the jitney driver.

“I believe it should be the same as the co-defendant in this case,” Farrell said. “My client feels very, very sad. Billy Doyle was his friend. He feels bad he was killed.”

During the sentencing hearing, Jones denied killing Doyle, and instead said they had been friends and that he sold Doyle drugs. He said he’d known Doyle since seventh grade.

“I’m very sorry that Billy is dead,” Jones told the court. “I did not murder him. I’m not a murderer.”