Pennsylvania man, 38, charged with paying 14-year-old girl in money, drugs to carry out murder-for-hire scheme against rival; prosecutors will seek death penalty

Pennsylvania authorities have charged a 38-year-old man with organizing a murder-for-hire plot last yr after he allegedly paid a 14-year-old boy with money and drugs to kill a street rival in revenge.

The suspect, Calvin Jay Huffman, has been convicted of other crimes and now faces a single count of solicitation to commit murder. Prosecutors are searching for the death penalty.

Prosecutors say Huffman paid 14-year-old Antonyo Owens $5,000 in money and three large bags of marijuana to kill 38-year-old Anthony Jones to settle a drug dispute, According to reports.

After establishing a plan, police said Owens allegedly shot Jones near the Cavalry Methodist Church in Uniontown on the morning of June 6, 2023.

After the killing, Huffman allegedly paid other accomplices to help Owens evade capture, but the teenager was arrested five days later and charged as an adult. He now faces trial for murder.

“This crime had a profound impact on the community last year when it occurred, and its effects are still felt today,” Aubele said. according to KDKA News“That afternoon, an already disadvantaged community witnessed the execution of a teenager in broad daylight. It is sobering to think that this crime was even more disturbing than we originally thought at the time.”

In March 2024, an unidentified person got here forward with digital evidence allegedly showing that Owens received money and drugs as payment to commit the murder.

Fayette County District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Facebook said it plans to file “an aggravating circumstance notice against the defendant and if convicted, we will seek the death penalty.”

“We allege that at the time of the Anthony Jones murder, Huffman was in a drug dispute with the victim and paid Owens a substantial sum of money and drugs so that Huffman would retaliate against the victim,” District Attorney Mike Aubele said at a news conference, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

Aubele said investigators collected additional evidence against Huffman, including witness statements, cellphone data and geolocation information.

When Huffman became a suspect, he was already behind bars at Bedford County Correctional Facility, where he had been held since April on charges of kidnapping Samaritan who tried to help after Huffman crashed his automobile.

During the incident, authorities say Huffman told the victim he didn’t want to return to jail and compelled the driving force to drive away.

The driver managed to escape safely after Huffman jumped from the truck at a food market in Everett Borough, authorities said.

Huffman, who isn’t any newcomer to law enforcement, was convicted in 2011 of shooting a girl outside a bar and was charged with assaulting one other inmate during his most up-to-date stint in prison.