New Castle, Pennsylvania triple murder suspect arrested: Steven Procopio booked with the murders of Nichole Pumphrey, her daughter, Amariah Emery and Lawrence Cannon.
Pennsylvania authorities have arrested a 19 year old man after the bodies of three people, including a mother and her 10 year old daughter, were found dead inside a New Castle home.
Steven Procopio of New Wilmington was charged with three counts of criminal homicide.
‘I didn’t hurt her’ told the teen as he was taken into custody. Wednesday night, WPXI-TV reported.
Authorities in a press release told of finding the bodies of Nichole Pumphrey, 31, her 10-year-old daughter Amariah Emery and 31-year-old Lawrence Cannon inside the Lawrence County residence on Tuesday.
They believe the victims died on Monday night, KDKA reports. An autopsy revealed the cause of deaths resulting from gunshot wounds.
Steven Procopio New Castle triple murder suspect thought to be former babysitter to family.
Police believe Procopio may have been a babysitter to Pumphrey’s children in the past.
‘We believe he used to babysit the children. He was an acquaintance with Nichole, one of the victims,’ New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem said.
Mother-of-five Pumphrey and her daughter lived at the home, but Cannon- described as the mother’s boyfriend- lived elsewhere, police said. The New Castle News reported the ten year old girl as being a a fifth-grader at George Washington Intermediate School.
Officials said the woman was shot twice and the other two victims were each shot once.
Salem said four other children were found in the home. All were interviewed and then released to relatives.
Officers found the bodies after a family member called 911 upon finding the bodies.
Steven Procopio roommate running marijuana growing operation:
New Castle Police said Procopio is being held at the Lawrence County Jail and is expected to be arraigned on Thursday morning.
A second person, Jody Hammer, who allegedly lives with Procopio, was also arrested for her alleged role in a marijuana growing operation in their house, according to New Castle police Chief Bobby Salem. Hammer was arrested following a search warrant at the house.
To date authorities declined revealing further information as to what may have motivated the ‘babysitter’ allegedly taking his victims’ lives.
Steven Procopio, 19, of New Wilmington, was placed in the Lawrence County Jail to await arraignment this morning https://t.co/Qm0krGeBKR
— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) October 18, 2018
