Twin co-defendant turns himself in to authorities in Hagerstown murder case

Joshua Lee Kohutiak, one of twin homeless brothers charged with murder in a November stabbing in downtown Hagerstown, turned himself in to authorities Monday night, according to Hagerstown Police.

Kohutiak, 21, surrendered at the Washington County Sheriff's Office along the west side of Hagerstown, according to Lt. Rebecca Fetchu, spokesperson for the Hagerstown Police Department.

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Kohutiak was being held without bond Tuesday afternoon at the detention center. He was scheduled to have a bond hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

His twin brother, Jacob Leon Kohutiak, also was being held without bond at the detention center.

Jacob had been scheduled for trial Tuesday at the Washington County Circuit Court in the murder case, but his trial was postponed, according to his online court docket.

The brothers were initially charged with the attempted murder of Octovial Taft after Hagerstown Police found Taft with multiple puncture wounds to the chest, back and upper arm/armpit area shortly before 6 p.m. on Nov. 26, according to charging documents in Washington County District Court. Police had responded to the 100 block of East Antietam Street for a reported stabbing.

Taft was taken by ambulance to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown and underwent surgery for his wounds, Fetchu has said.

He was released at a later, but unknown date, Fetchu has said. Taft returned to Meritus on Dec. 15 and was transferred to University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore and underwent another surgery.

Taft died during that Dec. 16 procedure, Fetchu has said. The medical examiner "attributed his death to complications from the initial stabbing," she wrote in an email.

A grand jury indicted the brothers on Dec. 28, upgrading their charges to include first- and second-degree murder, according to court records.

They also are each charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment, according to court records.

Victim had run-in with brothers near Washington County Free Library

A witness who had been with Taft in front of the Washington County Free Library told police she saw Taft arguing with two males around 4 p.m. on Nov. 26 in front of the library at East Antietam and South Potomac streets, court records state.

The witness told police she wasn't sure what the argument was about, but she was able to separate Taft from the other two men and asked Taft to walk away, court records state.

The woman walked away herself and told police the two males followed and confronted her down the street when she was alone, spitting in her face and then running off, court records state.

The female said she met up with Taft again and told him about the males spitting on her, court records state. The two spent the next hour or more hanging out near a wellness and recovery program office about a block and a half down East Antietam Street from the library. She told police they often hung out in that area.

Taft saw the two males from the earlier argument and told the female he was going to confront them about spitting on her, court records state.

Taft went up the street, where the witness could not see him, court records state. After a short period, she went to where she last saw him and found Taft had been stabbed.

Another witness, a male, told police he saw two males and Taft in a confrontation, and it appeared the two males were "just getting off of Taft and Taft was trying to back away from them," court records state. One of the males got on a bicycle and the other on a scooter as they left quickly, the male witness told police.

Police checked city and private surveillance cameras and saw a physical confrontation between the three men when Taft tries to run out in the street but the other two males hold on to him so he can't get away, court records state. Both males "are actively punching and swinging at Taft," striking him in the head, chest and back multiple times.

Police wrote it was unclear in the video if one or both males had a knife or cutting instrument in hand, but both were seen swinging and striking at Taft in a motion consistent with stabbing, court records state.

The two males pulled Taft to the ground and continued striking him before getting away on the scooter and bike.

One of the cameras captured clear pictures of the men's faces. Library staff were able to identify the two attackers as twin brothers who visited the library almost daily, court records state. Library security talked to the brothers after the initial confrontation in front of the library and staff recommended they file a police report, but the brothers allegedly advised they would "take care of it themselves," according to court records.

Library security identified the brothers as Jacob and Joshua Kohutiak and that they were believed to be homeless, court records state.

Hagerstown Police checked with staff from a local homeless shelter to confirm males in the photos as the Kohutiak brothers.

Charging documents for both brothers listed an address near Cavetown.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Twin homeless brother turns himself in in Maryland murder case