March trial possible for suspect in Cranberry Township shooting death
The trial for a Pittsburgh woman charged with homicide in the Feb. 11 shooting death of her boyfriend in a Cranberry Township home could take place in March.
In a pretrial motions hearing Thursday, the last week in March emerged as the likely time for the trial of Amanda M. Hughes, 27, for the death of Anthony D. Smith, 30, who was found with five gunshot wounds.
Hughes was being held in the county prison without bail following her arrest on Feb. 13, but bail was set at $100,000 on April 26 and she was released the next day when bail was posted.
Defense attorney Kenneth Haber told Common Pleas Judge Joseph Kubit that he wants the trial to start the first week of April. He said his investigator won’t be available in early March.
Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz said she wants the trial to start the last week in March because she is retiring in April.
Kubit didn’t issue an order scheduling the trial, but said he will start the trial on the last week in March, if he can.
Hughes told township police that she shot Smith after he began punching her in the face and head in a home on Brandywine Drive.
The woman caller reported she had been attacked and shot her boyfriend, Smith, before fleeing the residence to a neighbor’s house.
When officers arrived on scene, Hughes directed them to a firearm in the driveway and said she used it to shoot Smith, police said.
Police found Smith inside the residence at the base of a flight of stairs with multiple gunshot wounds, and recovered five shell casings from a corner of the master bedroom.
Hughes told police Smith was punching her in the face, and she reached into her nearby purse during the attack to retrieve a pistol and fired at Smith.
Police reported Hughes had bruising and swelling on the back of her right hand and a small cut and swelling under her left eye.
