The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria man gets new attorney in 2018 murder, robbery case
An Elyria man accused of a 2018 murder changed his attorney June 14.
Keeon A. Green Jr., 19, is facing two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated robbery and a single count of tampering with evidence in connection to the Oct. 1 shooting death of 20-year-old Zachary Mason of Elyria.
In the June 14 hearing, Green’s attorney, Mike Duff, said he asked to be dismissed from the case because he is defending Green’s father, also named Keeon Green, in a case in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
The court appointed attorney J. Anthony Rich to defend the younger Green, who is scheduled for a pretrial July 10.
The younger Green’s co-defendants, 29-yearold Lance B. Cheers and Larry Hamilton Jr., 24, both of Lorain, face identical charges.
Hamilton also was charged with possessing criminal tools.
Pretrial information for Cheers is unavailable, and Hamilton is scheduled for a pretrial Aug. 2.
Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James L. Miraldi will hear the three cases.
Police found Mason in a parking lot in the 1400 block of West River Road in Elyria with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He later died of his injuries at University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center.
Detectives learned Mason was shot on the second-floor landing of one of the nearby apartment buildings and was able to travel to the lot before collapsing, police said.
The apartment complex where Mason was shot was the victim of arson three days later.
The Elyria Fire Department was called to the complex about 6:15 a.m. for a fire in the hallway of the complex.
The fire was quickly doused, but authorities found evidence it was intentional.