A Huntingdon County man convicted Thursday in Armstrong County for attempted homicide is on the run, state police and court officials said Friday.
Willie James Lunsford, 34, of Mount Union, had posted $200,000 bond on Aug. 6 to await a trial that started Monday. He took part in his trial through Wednesday but didn’t attend the last day of the trial on Thursday, according to police and his attorney, Gregory W. Swank.
Swank said an alleged co-conspirator testified against Lunsford and co-defendant Eric Magic McKenzie, 33, of Beaver Falls, on Wednesday and the jury was shown surveillance footage showing the men near a South Jefferson Street apartment building where the three planned to rob an alleged drug dealer. State police said Lunsford fired a pistol during the robbery attempt and hit the robbery target in a hand.
The jury deliberated for about 3 hours on Thursday. It came back with guilty verdicts for Lunsford and McKenzie, according to court records.
Records show Lunsford was found guilty of charges including attempted homicide, robbery and aggravated assault, while McKenzie was convicted of four counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and criminal use of a communication facility.
State police Lt. Eric Simpko said troopers have been looking for Lunsford.
