Police: Couple conspired to kill man after claim of sexual assault

A man and a woman worked together to kill a McKees Rocks man she accused of sexually assaulting her, according to court records.

Sheila Wagner, 45, of McKees Rocks, and Robert Davies, 60, no address listed, were being held in the Allegheny County Jail on Monday while they await preliminary hearings in the death of Ronald Peless, 51. Mr. Peless was found dead and wrapped in a blanket inside his apartment

Thursday morning. A box cutter was inside the wrapping with the body.

While they were investigating, Allegheny County homicide detectives “learned of an incident in the end of January where Wagner accused Ronald Peless of raping her,” according to a criminal complaint. “In response to that,” police said Jeffrey Tyniec, 50, of McKees Rocks “assaulted Peless” and was arrested and charged in that incident late last month and released on nonmonetary bond.

Court records did not show any sexual assault or rape charges filed against Mr. Peless.

Police contacted Mr. Tyniec after they found Mr. Peless’ body. Mr. Tyniec told police he received a call from his girlfriend, Ms. Wagner, one morning in early February. She told him that she and Mr. Davies, a friend, had been staying with Mr. Peless.

The night before the phone call, Ms. Wagner and Mr. Davies were lying on the bed when Mr. Peless “attempted to assault her,” so Mr. Davies hit him with an iron until the iron broke and Ms. Wagner slashed him with a box cutter, according to a criminal complaint.

Mr. Davies told police a different story.

According to court records, he told police that he had been “messing around” with Ms. Wagner and learned that Mr. Peless “has attempted to sexually assault her two times.” He said “that he has warned Peless to not mess with her again or he was going to kick his ass.”

Mr. Davies told police, according to the complaint, that he was lying on the couch in Mr. Peless’ living room when he heard Ms. Wagner screaming inside the bedroom.

He said he went to the bedroom and “observed Peless standing over Sheila with his pants down.”

Mr. Davies told police he punched Mr. Peless multiple times and left the room; he said he heard a “commotion” and then Ms. Wagner “came out of the bedroom and there was blood everywhere.”

Police have said in court records that Mr. Tyniec helped the pair wrap Mr. Peless’ body and secure it with electrical cord.