Woman tied to homicide in boyfriend’s death
Boardwalk Drive in Cranberry — is in the Butler County Jail, charged with felony assault and drunken driving.
Cranberry Police Chief Kevin Meyer said Sunday the list of the charges will be amended to include a homicide count, now that Mr. Minett has died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office on Sunday afternoon ruled Mr. Minett’s death a homicide and listed the cause as blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.
Ms. Royall was to have faced a preliminary hearing Monday in an Allegheny County courtroom for a July 4, 2017, incident in White Oak in which she was charged with causing an crash that resulted in injury as well as a count of reckless driving.
In the latest incident, Cranberry police said in an affidavit that nine eyewitnesses watched as Ms. Royall careened through a Cranberry neighborhood Friday. The affidavit said her tires were squealing as Mr. Minett clung to the luggage rack, his knees pressed against the side of the 2005 Buick Rendezvous before he lost his grip and his body was flung from the vehicle at the intersection of Cross Creek Drive and Little Pine Road.
Police were summoned to the scene by reports to the Butler County 911 Center that a man had fallen from a moving vehicle.
Police said he was found with “massive trauma to his head and torso.” Unconscious, he was flown by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian, where he underwent surgery. He died at 5:52 p.m. Saturday.
The affidavit notes eyewitnesses reported that Mr. Minett was “hanging from the rear, driver-side” of the vehicle as it sped from Ms. Royall’s home on Boardwalk Drive in Cranberry, then onto Waterlily Lane, then onto Theda-Dori Street, then on to Cross Creek Drive.
Police said Ms. Royall was found at her home. She greeted an officer, smelling of alcohol, her eyes glassy, and unable to perform field sobriety tests, the affidavit said.
Ms. Royall told police she had been arguing with Mr. Minett, who was living with her, although his most recent address, according to his driver’s license was in New Brighton, Beaver County.
She told police “different accounts of her intentions,” including that she was leaving the house to prevent an argument and that she was going to drive to North Huntingdon to pick up her children.
She told police, according to the affidavit, that Mr. Minett “confronted” her in the driveway and “held onto the vehicle as she drove away.” She said she stopped the vehicle at least four times to allow Mr. Minett to “let go.” But he didn’t.
Witness accounts appear to contradict Ms. Royall. Police said witnesses saw the car speeding and heard Mr. Minett screaming.
Ms. Royall is the mother of two young children and works at a local doughnut shop.
Mr. Minett, the father of two young sons, would have turned 28 on April 28.
Ms. Royall was charged Friday evening with aggravated assault by vehicle while under the influence; aggravated assault by vehicle; driving under the influence; reckless endangerment; driving with an expired driver’s license; reckless driving; careless driving; and running a stop sign.
Chief Meyer said a charge of “homicide by vehicle” will be added to the list when the courts are open for business Monday.
Ms. Royall had two previous convictions, both in 2016 — one in Allegheny County and one Westmoreland County, on misdemeanor drug charges. She was sentenced to one year probation in one case and about three months in jail in the other.