Taxpayers will foot bill for expert in Derry Township murder case
A Westmoreland County judge on Friday authorized spending $9,700 of taxpayer money to hire an expert to analyze nearly 100,000 computer images connected to a Derry Township murder case.
Walter Cable, 26, of Greensburg, is one of two men charged with criminal homicide for the 2017 death of 34-year-old Ronny Cable of Vandergrift, whose charred remains were found in a wooded section of Derry Township. Police said Ronny Cable was bludgeoned to death with a hammer and strangled during a robbery before her body and belongings were burned in an attempt to cover up the crime.
Walter Cable and the alleged victim were not related, according to police.
Defense attorney Tim Andrews said images from 25 different cameras from nearby businesses and homes were collected by investigators and could provide evidence that could be used to bolster the defense.
“I don’t know what they will find, but it’s an important question about where he was at the time,” Andrews said.
Walter Cable and Devin Andrew Akamichi, 26, of Murrysville were charged with criminal homicide, robbery and abuse of a corpse a year after the remains were discovered. Police said Akamichi has cooperated with investigators and assisted investigators in locating Ronny Cable’s remains a month after the killing.
On the day of the murder, Ronny Cable and the two men visited a store and local bar before traveling into the woods, where the murder occurred, police allege. Investigators contend Walter Cable beat and strangled the woman and then forced Akamichi to help him burn her body. Akamichi testified against Cable during a preliminary hearing this year that robbery was a motive and that Walter Cable stole money and prescription medicine from Ronny Cable’s purse after she was dead.
Andrews said a forensic review of computer images from the locations they visited before driving to the woods will take about two months.
Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger ordered that another hearing be conducted in April to determine when Walter Cable’s trial can be scheduled. Akamichi is scheduled to appear next month before Krieger for a status conference.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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