Walnut Street homicide trial is postponed from May

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 28—The trial for homicide suspect Martavious Stout is being postponed pending completion of an evaluation to determine if he should be tried as a juvenile.

Stout is one of five people charged in connection with the shooting death of Nathaniel E. Harris, 19, in Meadville in 2021. Harris was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at a Walnut Street apartment during the early morning hours of July 3.

Stout, who was 16 at the time, was set to go on trial during the May term of county court.

Among the charges filed against Stout by Meadville Police Department are counts of homicide of the second degree and conspiracy to commit robbery — two charges which prohibit the automatic transfer of the case to juvenile court.

In December, Crawford County President Judge John Spataro approved a motion to have Stout undergo an expert psychological evaluation to determine if Stout could be rehabilitated through the juvenile court system rather than be tried as an adult.

At a hearing Monday, Dustin Cole, Stout's defense attorney, asked that the trial be postponed since Stout's psychological evaluation hasn't been completed.

Cole told the court that three separate video evaluation sessions between Stout and Dr. Albert Scott, a clinical psychologist of Hermitage, were not completed by March 2 due to scheduling issues.

One video session was completed March 7 with others set for April 7 and May 2, Cole said. Scott's report then would be ready by May 31, he added.

At Monday's hearing, Spataro said he would grant the motion, saying, "I don't know if I have a choice."

Crawford County District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo did not oppose Cole's motion to postpone the trial.

The trial will be rescheduled for the June term of criminal court.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.