Jury finds 2 guilty of first-degree murder in 2021 Larimer slaying
A jury Monday found two men guilty of first-degree murder in a 2021 homicide at a Pittsburgh gas station.
Michael James and Randall Jones are each facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole for the killing of Robert Agurs.
Allegheny County Judge Edward J. Borkowski has not set a sentencing date.
Agurs, 32, of Garfield was fatally shot Jan. 16, 2021, outside a Marathon gas station in the city’s Garfield section.
A key witness called the killing a “hit.”
Earlier that evening, Agurs was at a Homewood club as were the witness, Dennis Alexander, and Jones, 32, of Chicago, according to the prosecution. James, 30, of Beaver Falls waited outside in a Jeep.
When Agurs left, the three men followed him. The prosecution said Jones fired 15 shots through the passenger window, striking Agurs.
The jury got the case around 2 p.m. Friday and quit for the weekend. Jurors resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. Monday and returned with a verdict around 1:30 p.m.
Both defendants were also found guilty of conspiracy and carrying a firearm without a license. The jury acquitted James of tampering with evidence.
Agurs’ family declined comment other than one relative, who said they are “thankful” for the verdict.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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