Murder defendant waives hearing

STAMFORD — A Bridgeport man charged with killing a 35-year-old Stamford mother in September waived his right to a mini-trial that would have included testimony to determine whether police had enough evidence to arrest him on a murder charge.

Family members watched as Ian Evans, 28, appeared remotely from the MacDougall Correctional Institution in Suffield on Wednesday morning to waive his right to a hearing on probable cause, which is afforded to every defendant charged with murder under the state constitution.

The hearing would have allowed a state prosecutor to present its witnesses, who would testify about the evidence gathered against Evans in order to prove to a judge that the state had reasonable grounds to charge him with murder.

Evans was charged with murder earlier this month in the fatal shooting of Shernetta Dunmore at a block party on the city’s East Side last year.

On Sept. 20, Dunmore, who lived on Henry Street, joined a group of city residents marking the end of summer at Cummings Park.

When the park closed, many of them moved to a parking lot at the Ursula Place Housing Complex just off Cove Road to continue the celebration.

Just after midnight, gunfire erupted at the party. Police said about 30 shots were fired in total.

Dunmore was shot numerous times, police said. She was rushed to Stamford Hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Two other men, both from Bridgeport, were also injured in the shooting, police said.

Five days after the shooting, Evans was arrested on charges of first-degree assault, criminal attempt at first-degree assault, criminal use of a firearm and reckless endangerment in connection with the incident. Police said at the time the arrest was related to the wounding of a man at the party. In February, Evans pleaded not guilty to those initial charges.

After waiving his right to a probable cause hearing, Evans also entered a not guilty plea to the additional charge of murder.

He is next scheduled to appear in court on June 2.

Evans was held on $2 million bond on the murder charge and $1 million bond on the assault charges.