Jitney driver from Castle Shannon guilty of first-degree murder in 2018 shooting death

A jitney driver accused of killing a man and dumping his system on the aspect of a road in North Versailles was found responsible Wednesday of 1st-degree murder.

Darrel Hardy Jr., 33, of Castle Shannon, is scheduled to be sentenced by Allegheny County Widespread Pleas Choose Randal B. Todd on June 30. He faces a mandatory time period of life in prison without the need of parole.

The jury deliberated about 4-and-a-fifty percent hours above two days ahead of reaching its verdict.

Hardy was accused of killing Zack “Bud” Moore, 28, early on July 8, 2018.

Hardy worked as a driver for Moore, and the night time in advance of, he took him to a bar in Homestead, then a further in the Strip District, followed by two just after-hrs golf equipment. Hardy accompanied Moore in the institutions, law enforcement reported.

But by about 5:30 a.m., Moore’s system was uncovered in close proximity to Dixon Avenue and East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard with a gunshot wound to his head.

Making use of license plate readers, safety digicam footage and a rental car or truck arrangement, investigators have been ready to establish Hardy as a suspect.

A few several hours after Moore’s system was uncovered, someone termed 911 to report a car or truck on fire on the South Facet. The car, a 2017 pink Chevy Malibu rental vehicle, had been rented by Hardy.

License plate viewers showed it in the place where by Moore’s overall body was remaining, and surveillance footage close to the vehicle fireplace showed Hardy going for walks away.

Remnants of the clothing he wore out that night to the golf equipment ended up discovered in the trunk and had blood on them, prosecutors said.

Paula Reed Ward is a Tribune-Critique team author. You can get in touch with Paula by electronic mail at [email protected] or by way of Twitter .