New Kensington slaying co-defendant testifies shooting victim was feared

One of the seven people charged with robbery and murder of a man last year in New Kensington told a Westmoreland County jury that the shooting victim was a known drug user and thief who was feared in the community.

Raquan Carpenter, 20, of Pittsburgh, testified Wednesday for the prosecution in the trial of a young man and two youths charged with the July 3, 2022, killing of 39-year-old Jason Raiford in front of the Royal Valley Court Apartments in New Kensington.

Police charged Carpenter and six others in connection with Raiford’s killing. Carpenter testified during the second day in the cases against Amir Kennedy, 16, DaMontae Brooks, 17, and Elijah Gary, 20, all of New Kensington.

Kennedy is charged with first-degree murder. Brooks and Gary are facing charges of second-degree murder.

All three are accused of robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault and other related offenses.

Carpenter, like Brooks and Gary, is charged with second-degree murder.

“Jason Raiford had a reputation of being on drugs and ripping people off,” Carpenter said as he described the moments that led up to a melee in the lobby of the apartment building. That preceded the shooting in which Raiford suffered 11 gunshot wounds, including 10 to the back of his body.

Carpenter said Raiford was the aggressor in the fight, and after he was struck with a pistol by Gary, Raiford picked the gun up from the floor and pointed it at the others, who surrounded him in the building’s lobby.

According to Carpenter, Raiford left the building with gun in hand. He was confronted by Kennedy, who stood in a grassy area about 19 feet from the apartment’s entrance.

Kennedy took a defensive position as Raiford’s gun was pointed to the ground and then made eye contact with Kennedy the youth that prosecutors said fired the fatal shots from a semiautomatic rifle, Carpenter testified.

“People want to paint a picture that we are young thugs who wanted to kill somebody. No one came out that day and thought someone would be killed,” Carpenter testified.

He said he gave Gary an unloaded pistol he found on a stairway to be used as a show of force should Raiford become violent during an expected drug deal. Carpenter said Gary was upset and claimed Raiford owned him money for a previous drug deal.

Carpenter testified Raiford, whom he described as a friend, appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

“You could tell he was on something,” Carpenter said. “He wasn’t himself that day.”

Carpenter is the lone suspect who has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution to have testified so far.

Three others, Avian Molter, 16, of Pittsburgh; Jonathan Felder, 19, of Arnold; and Braedon Dickinson, 16, of New Kensington, are charged with second-degree murder and other offenses. Prosecutors say they also are potential witnesses against Kennedy, Brooks and Gary.

Carpenter testified there is no deal in place for leniency in exchange for his testimony but told jurors he was hopeful prosecutors would dismiss the murder charge he faces.

“I wasn’t promised anything, but it’s what I am looking forward to,” Carpenter said.

Prosecutors claim as many as four of those accused of Raiford’s killing were armed during the incident.

The suspected murder weapon was stolen from a home in Harrison in September 2021, according to prosecutors.

Westmoreland County Detective Todd Roach testified investigators found 14 spent shell casings that were fired from that gun during the shooting. Another 15 rounds remained in the weapon, Roach said.

The trial will continue Thursday before Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani.