Trial begins for man accused of fatally shooting neighbor over argument in Wilkinsburg
A Wilkinsburg man is on trial this week for a 2019 shooting death.
Dilon Bartifay, 34, is charged with criminal homicide stemming from the Nov. 16, 2019, incident at the corner of Ross and Center streets in Wilkinsburg.
Detectives said that Bartifay killed Gregory Lamont Blair Sr., 46, whose son is former University of Pittsburgh basketball star DeJuan Blair.
During her opening statement Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Alison Bragle told the jury that Blair was killed following an argument with Bartifay on the street.
That evening, a friend of Gregory Blair had gone to his home for dinner. When she was waiting on the street for a Lyft to leave, Bartifay was bothering her, the prosecution said. Blair yelled from his apartment window for Bartifay to leave his friend alone.
Ultimately, the woman left, and Bartifay, who had been dressed in all white, walked down the street, the prosecution said.
But a short time later, Blair left his apartment and walked in the direction Bartifay had gone, Bragle told the jury.
A witness is expected to testify that she saw the two men arguing as another man stood nearby. The witness then saw two bright flashes and heard gunshots.
Blair was found shot in the head. He was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh where he died a short time later.
The witness, who knew Bartifay, was able to identify him as a neighbor. He was arrested a short time later.
Video surveillance captured the defendant at various points that night, but not at the time of the shooting, the prosecution told the jury.
The clothing that investigators said Bartifay was wearing during the shooting was sent to the crime lab, and Bragle told the jury that gunshot residue was found on the cuff of the right sleeve.
Defense attorney Nina Martinelli told the jury that, although her client was present that night on the street, Bartifay was not the person who killed Blair.
The trial is expected to last through the rest of the week.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of "Death by Cyanide." She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
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