YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — A federal judge Monday granted attorneys representing two Warren men charged with the shooting death of a postal worker time to come up with mitigation evidence should the government seek to pursue the death penalty.
U.S. Judge Donald C. Nugent made his decision following a telephone conference in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio in the case of Thomas Sledge, 44 and his son Kaprise Sledge, 24.
They were indicted Oct. 2 by a grand jury on charges of murder of an officer and employee of the United States and one count of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence for the March 2 shooting death of Jont’e Davis, 33. Both have been held without bond since they were arrested.
Davis was a letter carrier for the Warren branch of the U.S. Post Office when he was shot and killed while delivering mail at Olive and Washington Streets NE.
Davis was shot while inside his U.S. Postal van. Officers and EMTs performed life-saving measures on scene and he was transported to Trumbull Regional Medical Center, where he later died as a result of his wounds.