Bedford County shooting suspect's Illinois charges put on ice until Pa. case resolves

David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jan. 22—Charges including child abduction filed in Illinois against a Milwaukee man will remain pending while he faces counts related to a 2020 Bedford County shooting.

DeWitt County State Prosecutor Dan Markwell said that a pretrial conference for Orsino Thurman's Illinois case is scheduled for April, but as long as Thurman is in custody in Bedford County, Markwell's office will likely wait for the Pennsylvania case to be resolved before bringing him back to Illinois to face trial.

Thurman faces numerous felony charges stemming from a Sept. 15 chase that allegedly occurred after state police in Illinois tried to stop him for domestic battery against a woman at a nearby motel.

Thurman is charged with child abduction and endangering that child by fleeing police despite orders to exit his vehicle alongside a DeWitt County highway. He's also charged with attempting to elude officers.

Thurman livestreamed his interaction with police that day, often swearing at an officer who called out to him and telling police they had the wrong guy, while a child in his car is heard crying in the background. His vehicle was later disabled with tire-puncturing metal "stop strips" after a chase ensued.

Four additional counts were filed of possession of a weapon by a felon — one for each gun that was found in his car, Markwell said.

Thurman's charges in Bedford County, including attempted aggravated assault for exchanging gunfire with Terry Myers, of Schellsburg, during a Black Lives Matter march along U.S. Route 30, are now headed to the Bedford County Court of Common Pleas.

Bedford County District Attorney Lesley Childers-Potts announced Thursday she has agreed to drop remaining charges against Myers for his continued cooperation and testimony in their case against Thurman.

She described Thurman as a proven "danger to society" and Myers' testimony as "crucial" to obtaining a conviction.

"I am very concerned about the danger to society Mr. Thurman seems to create in most of the jurisdictions where he has been arrested, including Bedford County. My office needed to make a decision about what was best for Bedford County and what was needed to successfully prosecute the case against Mr. Thurman," Childers-Potts said.

"I believe we have an opportunity and an obligation to ensure justice is served and Mr. Thurman receives a sentence in Pennsylvania that is suitable for someone with his criminal history."