Oct 10, 2008 4:46 pm US/Eastern
Suspect To Stand Trial In '06 Bus Stop Murder
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
More than two years after a man waiting for a bus in Lawrenceville was gunned down during an apparent robbery, the victim's father says he's one step closer to getting on with the healing process.
For two years Eric Murray has wondered why his son, was killed and why it took so long to find out who did it.
Michael Vaughns, 24, was waiting at a bus stop when two men approached him, wanting his gold chain. Though the suspects got the chain, Vaughns was shot to death anyway.
Today the case that baffled police for two years finally made its way to court.
At a preliminary hearing, Murray heard a detective testify that Rashard Briscoe, 21, of the Hill District, confessed that he and his friends decided to rob someone because they needed some money.
Vaughns happened to be at the wrong place and the wrong time.
The detective testified that Briscoe told officers that the gun accidentally went off as he pulled the chain off Vaughns' neck.
Police say they cracked the case when ballistics linked the bullet to Briscoe's alleged accomplice, Christopher Moore.
Briscoe was ordered to stand trial for Vaughns' murder. Moore's preliminary hearing was postponed until next week.
While Murray says he was skeptical that the case would move forward after two years of waiting, he told KDKA, "This is the first step in the process of getting on with everything, so we're happy with that."
"There'll never be closure but we can get on with the process of healing."
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