An Allegheny County man awaiting trial for a 2017 Jeannette murder now claims he was in another state at the time of the fatal shooting.
The lawyer for Darrelle Tolbert-McGhee filed court documents Wednesday in which he said he will pursue an alibi defense at trial, which is scheduled to start in January.
Tolbert-McGhee, 30, of Penn Hills, is charged with first-degree murder for the April 2017 shooting death of 32-year-old Michael Wilson, who police said was gunned down in front of the Dollar General store on Clay Avenue. Prosecutors have said fatal shooting was recorded on video surveillance cameras and that witnesses identified Tolbert-McGhee as the shooter.
Defense attorney Tim Dawson said Tolbert-McGhee was in Orlando at the time of the shooting. Tolbert-McGhee’s grandmother is expected testify that she spoke with her grandson by phone while he was out of state, according to the defense’s alibi.
Tolbert-McGhee was in Florida “conducting business regarding the storage of property owned by his father…,” the defense claims.
Dawson previously suggested that Tolbert-McGhee’s twin brother, who has since died, was responsible for Wilson’s fatal shooting.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio last month ruled that Tolbert-McGhee was competent to stand trial after a mental health expert determined there were no psychological issues that prevented the case from moving forward.
