Jury picked for man charged in Upper Darby murder
MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A jury has been empaneled to hear the case of a homeless man accused of fatally shooting 35-year-old Shawn O. Mitchell inside his Upper Darby home last year.
Jermaine Crosley, 29, is charged with homicide, murder in the first and third degree, possession of a firearm by person prohibited and possession of a weapon in the March 12, 2016, shooting.
Crosley was living with the Mitchell family at their home on the 500 block of Timblerlake Road in the Stonehurst Hills section of the township at the time of the shooting, according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
The victim asked Crosley to leave his home at about 2:15 p.m. March 12, sparking a verbal argument that turned physical, according to Chitwood. Crosley allegedly pulled out a .357 magnum and fired one shot into Mitchell’s chest.
Mitchell fled the home and Crosley allegedly pursued him while firing more shots at the wounded man. The victim collapsed at the corner of Timberlake Road and Patterson Avenue. He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where he died following emergency surgery, said Chitwood.
Crosley was arrested on the morning of March 13 on the 8600 block West Chester Pike by police officers Matt Rugh and Mike Williams. He allegedly gave a statement indicating self-defense and showed officers where he had stashed the gun under a porch rafter on the 400 block of Timberlake Road.
Crosley, who is being held without bail at the county prison in Concord, pled not guilty to all charges at a formal arraignment in May.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lynn Thurstlic O’Neill and defense counsel James S. Wright selected a jury Thursday. The trial is expected to commence Tuesday before Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge James Bradley.