Oakland death ruled homicide

A Blawnox man found dead in Oakland over the weekend died of head injuries but was also stabbed in the neck and chest, the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Tuesday.

The office labeled the death of Andrew McMunn, 23, a homicide.

McMunn was found dead in a ravine near a building in the 600 block of Melwood Avenue about 3 p.m. Sunday after someone spotted his red tennis shoe peeking out of some dirt and debris and called 911.

McMunn’s family had reported him missing to police. His brother, Charlie McMunn, posted a message on Facebook saying his brother had been missing since Thursday and was last seen with a large man whom he suspected was from Sharpsburg.

Lt. Daniel Herrmann, of the Pittsburgh major crimes unit, said Tuesday that police continue to work the case but provided little detail on their search for a suspect. How Andrew McMunn ended up in Pittsburgh is unclear and is part of the homicide investigation, police have said.

Attorney Owen Seman, who represented Andrew McMunn at various times, including on a custody case involving his now 6-year-old daughter, remembered him as quiet and shy.

Court records show that McMunn pleaded guilty to gun and drug charges after Etna police arrested him in September 2012. Police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause that they found McMunn and a woman in a car with heroin, a needle, a gun and a substance used to help drug addicts.

He was sentenced to one year of probation.

“I think he probably had some issues with substance abuse, but other than that there was nothing really about Andrew that would jump out at you,” Mr. Seman said. “He never struck me as being a violent or aggressive young man — actually, quite the opposite.”

Liz Navratil: lnavratil@ post-gazette.com or 412-2631438.