Aging murder defendant asks for a new attorney

Uley Hines, 83, of Coatesville, is charged with killing his roommate over a pet dog

An octogenarian Chester County man who is charged with the murder of his roommate after a dispute involving a pet dog told the Common Pleas Court judge overseeing his case that he wants a new attorney.

“I want a public defender,” defendant Uley Hines said Thursday from a seat in a wheelchair in Judge Patrick Carmody’s courtroom.

Hines, 83, of Coatesville, had been represented by the veteran criminal defense attorney Shaka Johnson of Philadelphia at his preliminary hearing in October. An associate of Johnson’s, attorney D’Yal McAllister, told Carmody that her office was asking to withdraw from the case, leading to Hines’ wish to apply to the Chester County Public Defender’s Office.

Carmody, hoping to expedite the process of securing an attorney for the aging defendant, directed a member of the Public Defender’s Office to visit Hines at the Chester County Prison, where he is being held without bail on first- and third-degree murder charges, to begin the paperwork.

“I want to make sure you get a date for a trial as soon as we can,” Carmody told Hines. “But you first need to get an attorney.” No trial date has been set.

Hines was arrested in August and charged with the fatal shooting of 61-year-old Keith Boggs at the home they shared in the city.

According to a press release, on Aug. 19, at 8:41 a.m., the Coatesville City Police Department responded to a residence on the 200 block of Graham Avenue, Coatesville, Chester County, for a report of a shooting.

At 8:44 a.m., officers arrived on the scene and found the victim lying unresponsive on the front steps of the residence. Officers observed one gunshot wound to the upper left chest area and found no pulse.

Officers heard a female juvenile screaming inside the residence as additional emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene.

Once inside, an officer observed a bloody shoe print located a few feet from the front door entryway, along with a few drops of blood. No other occupants were found inside the residence. Washington Hose EMS transported the victim to Paoli Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators spoke with the 911 caller who informed them that he had heard two gunshots and later observed the feet of the victim lying on the ground.

Hines