Upper St. Clair Father Charged With Criminal Homicide Held for Trial
The prosecution also added a possession of drug paraphernalia charge against Brandon Thomas.
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An Upper St. Clair father of three was held for trial Wednesday on criminal homicide and possession of drug paraphernalia charges.
Brandon Thomas, 30, is accused of fatally shooting Vaughn Simonelli, 55, of Chartiers Township, in the Shop 'n Save parking lot in the City of Washington on Oct. 18 after an apparent road rage incident.
Prosecution added the possession of drug paraphernalia charge to the case on Wednesday. Washington County Assistant District Attorney Mike Lucas said that when Thomas was being searched at the Washington County Jail, several empty heroin stamp bags fell from his socks. There was no illegal substance detected in the bags.
Two witnesses in the parking lot at the time of the shooting testified seeing the men arguing and said that Thomas waving his gun over Simonelli's head. Testimony revealed that Simonelli's car was blocking Thomas' Hummer in a parking space.
Thomas' attorney Frank Walker said the defense will have witnesses at trial that will testify that Simonelli was ramming Thomas' Hummer with his car while the two were driving down Jefferson Avenue. Walker said Thomas was using self-defense and should be exonerated under Pennsylvania’s new Castle Doctrine law, which permits the use of deadly force against an attacker when threatened.
Washington County Coroner Tim Warco testified that Simonelli died from a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the neck. Simonelli also suffered a gunshot wound to the front of his shoulder.
Walker asked Judge Lawrence Hopkins to set bond for Thomas so he could go home to his wife and three children, ages 10, 6 and 2. The judge denied the request and Thomas remains in the Washington County Jail.
Thomas is a decorated war veteran with three purple hearts. The 173d Airborne Brigade Association Foundation is raising money for Thomas' defense fund through online donations and an online petition is being circulated asking the Washington County district attorney to release Thomas from jail. The petition has more than 600 signatures.
The Washington Observer-Reporter reports that Thomas was being investigated by the North Franklin Township police three days prior to the incident after they found him passed out behind the wheel of his Hummer in front of a closed bar wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a small arsenal of legal weapons.
Bryan
1:29 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
and the plot thickens... looks like this guy had a bit of a heroin problem.
KC
1:50 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Sounds like he's a war veteran who came back with more problems than he or anyone else wanted to acknowledge. How very sad that it built up to this....
a
2:47 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
its sad that a father , a grandfater , a brother , a CUZ. had to be the victim of a violent man that walked this earth , and then being betrayed as this hero.
Brandon Ralston
11:22 am on Monday, February 18, 2013
Pretty sure the guy had already been shot for assaulting a disabled man, and had restraining orders against him, and had been convicted of assault a few times... But somehow Thomas is the violent man.
Janie
3:17 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
And people are defending this guy and want him to go back home to his wife and 3 young children? He murdered someone and is a drug addict. Hmmm, let's see, is there something wrong with this picture?
Robert Douglas Schuckert
4:59 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Did you NOT read the bit: "There was no illegal substance detected in the bags."? Ergo there was NO HEROIN! Granted it's a bit querky why he had anything in his socks other than his feet, but seriously Janie (and all others), QUIT making snap judgements based on ignorant ASSumptions! NO DRUGS WERE FOUND!!! The only reason he's being charged with "drug paraphernalia" is the baggies were in his socks and not in his pocket, emplying he was trying to hide them. Who are we to judge this guy, one way or the other, bases on limited facts of news articles? Get over yourself people, and get a life!
Brandon Ralston
12:12 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
The guy he killed was a violent criminal who'd already been shot once because he assaulted someone, and he had multiple restraining orders on him. You really think there's not a chance his luck just ran out.
bobbie_jo_lawver@hotmail,com
10:49 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
he is innocent..he protected himself..and vaughn doesnt have clean hands nor does the family to be casting judgement on this young man..even if he is a heroin addict has nothing to do with this..vaughn apparently wasnt perfect either..no one is..if i was attacked i would reac to..drug addict or not id protect myself..bottom line..it was self defense and we will see that verdict prevail in court..and then all comments from the family will stop..then they will blame our judicial system...blame the jurorsand anyone else they can..accept the fact he attacked this guy and he reacted..lossing his life was a horrible lesson to learn for punching someone..
Jon
11:08 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
back of the neck, sounds like execution style to me!
Sunshine
9:29 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
The baggies were tested and showed no drug residue. Get off your high horses people.
Bryan
10:44 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Yeah, because there are other uses for stamp bags!
Wake Up
3:30 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Stamp collector Bryan Get a clue
Nicole N
2:33 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Innocent until proven guilty. Regardless of what happens, it DOES NOT take away from what he has sacrificed to serve his country.
Jon
11:10 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Shot man in the back of the neck, sounds like execution style murder to me.
Cheri B
9:10 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Like that Dorner guy in California, he was a war hero too! Let's also remember him for that and not for the numerous innocent people he murdered. Deal?
Dexter Jackson
9:51 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Both of these guys sound like accidents waiting to happen. Glad they went into it with each other and not someone who is going to make a positive impact on this world. Drug addicts war idiots, and slack jawed convicts, waste of my tax dollars yet again.
Oren Spiegler
6:28 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
I do not believe any of those that are writing about this sad case were on the scene at the time of the killing, so it is not possible to know precisely what occurred until the facts come out in a court of law. What we know at this point is that a conflict ensued between two men and that one of them was shot to death as a result. If one of the men had not been toting a gun, both would likely be alive today and the gunman would not be facing the possibility of spending a significant part of the rest of his life incarcerated. When it is easy for guns to be used to settle a conflict, they have a tendency to be used.