4 face trial in beating death

Four men are heading to trial in the brutal beating death of an Exeter man found at the bottom of an embankment near the city’s landmark Pagoda.

Kyle Adams, 21, and Paul Cook Jr., 19, both of Exeter, were held for trial to Berks County Court Tuesday on first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in the December death of 18-year-old Donavin L. Yenser of Exeter.

Two Reading men — Skylar Thomas Kerns, 19, and Joseph B. White, 20 — charged with aggravated assault and simple assault in the incident also waived court hearings and were held for trial.

Authorities allege that the four beat Yenser near Reading’s Pagoda, a landmark structure that sits atop Mount Penn overlooking the city.

Yenser was found bleeding early Dec. 6 after police responded to a reported fight in which several people were allegedly assaulting a man at 98 Duryea Drive. Police were called to the scene at 1:44 a.m. and found Yenser off the side of the road and over the embankment seriously injured.

Emergency medical services arrived shortly after and transported Yenser to Reading Hospital in West Reading, where he died from his injuries on Wednesday morning, Dec. 7.

Reading Police said Yenser was in his SUV when the four men smashed the windows using a baseball bat and jack handle and dragged him out of the vehicle and assaulted him. The four suspects were arrested on Dec. 23.

Yenser was targeted by the four suspects over the alleged theft of $20 worth of marijuana, according to court records.

Adams’ attorney, Robert Kirwan II, said a co-defendant’s testimony Tuesday showed that his client caused no life-threatening injuries and he was “very confident the murder charges will not be sustained.”

Cook’s attorney, Allan Sodomsky, said further evidence would show what he called the “limited participation” of his client.

Yenser worked in the concession stand at the Reading Fightin Phils, according to his obituary.