Homicide trial in 2021 killing on College Street to start Monday
Jury selection finished Thursday for the trial of a Huntington man accused of killing a Pittsburgh man found with gunshot and stab wounds on College Street in December 2021.
Hassan L. R. Brack, 38, was charged in the killing of Hakeem Moran, 31, following Moran’s death in Allegheny General Hospital after being transported from 109 College St. Brack was charged with one felony count each of criminal homicide, attempted robbery, burglary, conspiracy and criminal attempt.
Brack’s trial will start Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court before Judge Timothy McCune.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said about 40 people were chosen as prospective jurors before being whittled down to 12 jurors and two alternates.
Kahlil Z. H. Rippy Jr., 26, and Brooke R. Fair Smith, 31, both of Butler, received similar charges in the case, but Goldinger said their cases would be tried separately. He said Brack is the main suspect and he didn’t want to risk jurors getting confused about which evidence goes with which defendant.
Goldinger said assistant district attorney Robert M. Zanella Jr. will represent the commonwealth.
A hearing on the case without the jury present is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday.