The trial for three teenagers allegedly involved in an April shooting Orange Township has been continued after attorneys for the teens filed motions asking for separate trials.
Kayle Cantrell, 19, of Worthington, and Isaiah Steele, 19, and Terrance Jewell, 19, both of Columbus, were originally scheduled to stand trial in Delaware County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday to face charges in connection with a shooting in the area of Blue Holly Drive in Orange Township on April 13.
However, after a series of hearings on Monday morning, the trial was delayed. The trio’s attorneys had previously filed motions “to sever” — in effect, asking the judge to allow their clients to stand trial separately and not be tried with two other co-defendants.
Steele faces charges of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, which carries a firearm specification that could add additional prison time if Steele is convicted; improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation/in a school safety zone, a second-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
Cantrell faces a charge of robbery, which is a second-degree felony; and a charge of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Jewell is charged with a charge of felonious assault, a first-degree felony; robbery, a second-degree felony; and theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The charges stem from a fight between two groups of teenagers in the area of Blue Holly Drive in Lewis Center. Prosecutors allege Steele used a handgun during the fight to shoot 19-year-old Pierce Yurkowski-Gray several times. Yurkowski-Gray has since been released from the hospital.
During the fight, three other teenagers said they were robbed or assaulted by Steele, Jewell and Cantrell.
Jewell’s defense attorney, Christopher Soon, argued in his motion to sever the cases that Jewell is worried that he would be found “guilty by association” if he was tried with Steele. Soon also argued that if Steele or Cantrell is called to the stand during a combined trial, they would be able to use their Fifth Amendment right and Jewell’s attorney would not be able to cross-examine their testimony.
Steele’s attorney and Cantrell’s attorney also filed similar motions and Judge Everett Krueger granted the motions Monday, allowing the trio to be tried separately.
Steele is set for trial on Aug. 16 and Jewell is scheduled to stand trial the following week — on Aug. 23. A trial date for Cantrell has not yet been scheduled.
Steele and Jewell were in the Delaware County Jail Tuesday afternoon. Cantrell was released after posting bail.
They were indicted by a grand jury on April 22.
