DA’s office withdraws homicide charge

The Allegheny County district attorney’s office on Friday withdrew a homicide charge against a Wilkinsburg man who had been arrested in the death of a woman who was killed by another man she had attempted to rob.

Desmond Lyons, 26, was charged with homicide because authorities said he had conspired with Mia Green to pull off the robbery, even though Mr. Lyons did not shoot Ms. Green.

Ms. Green, 27, was killed by the victim of the robbery, which occurred Feb. 28 inside a home in the 7300 block of Hamilton Avenue in Homewood. The robbery victim, Deric Davis, testified during a preliminary hearing Friday that he had been at the home with Mr. Lyons when a woman showed up at the back door and asked to buy marijuana.

Mr. Davis testified that he was suspicious because neither he nor anyone in his family recognized the woman. He said that after she came inside and as he tried to determine who she was, the woman, later identified as Ms. Green, hit him in the backof the head with a gun.

“I wrestled the gun away from her, and I shot her,” he testified. He has not been charged in the case.

After the shooting, Mr. Lyons confessed to police that he’d plotted to set up Mr. Davis for the robbery and said his role was to scout the house to ensure money and marijuana were inside, and then give the all-clear to Ms. Green, Pittsburgh police Detective Michael Flynn testified.

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Hong-Barco said the office opted to withdraw the homicide charge against Mr. Lyons “based on legal research and a review of the facts of the case.”

Magisterial District Judge Derwin Rushing instead held for court charges of robbery, burglary and conspiracy. Saying he was worried for the safety of the witnesses, the judge set a $250,000 straight bond.