Day two saw the pace pick up in the murder trial of George T. Lightcap IV of Nanty Glo who has been charged with the August 2005 murder of Ray E. Stringer, 43, who was fire chief of the Neptune Fire Company of Tyrone.
The jury of seven men, five women and two female alternates heard an opening statement from the Commonwealth and the defendant’s attorneys.
The jury, along with the attorneys and defendant Lightcap, were taken back to the scene of the alleged crime at the bar of the Loy A. Douglass Post 3489, VFW on First Street, Nanty Glo.
The jury heard an opening statement from Cambria County assistant District Attorney Tammy Bernstein as well as an opening statement from defense attorney Art McQuillan.
Bernstein told the jury that they would present witnesses who will tell how Lightcap’s attack on Stringer occurred and how Lightcap struck the victim, knocking him down and then straddled the victim and beat him about the head. He then got up and walked back into the bar area from the foyer and said, “I knocked him down with one punch.”
Stringer stood six feet tall and weighed 290 pounds. Bernstein said that a patron of the bar who had experience as an EMT did a quick check of Stringer who was in a pool of blood on the floor of the foyer and immediately asked the barmaids to call 9-1-1. Blacklick Valley Ambulance EMT Ann Schilling, who called for a medical helicopter, checked Stringer and had him flown to a Johnstown hospital where he died a short time later.
At a preliminary hearing, held earlier, a pathologist said that Stringer had died of concussion blunt force brain injuries.
Bernstein concluded her opening statements by saying that there is first-degree murder, third degree murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
She said, “We will come to you, the jury, and ask that you find the defendant George Lightcap guilty of murder.”
McQuillan, in his opening remarks said, “Long ago, before laws, we had the right to defend ourselves. There are laws on the books that say one can use force to defend one’s self.”
McQuillan said that Lightcap would take the stand in his own defense.
Shortly after the altercation, Lightcap left the scene, McQuillan told the jury. Returning to the VFW he was arrested by Nanty Glo Police Officer Steve Szymusiak.
Lightcap reportedly asked the officer why he was being arrested.
“Why am I being arrested?” he asked. “I didn’t start this.”
McQuillan said, “Our testimony will show that Stringer brought on the fight. We will ask that you find Mr. Lightcap not guilty.”
Following these opening remarks, the jury and other principals left the courthouse for the trip and tour of the VFW.
First to take the witness stand for the Commonwealth was Frank Riglin, who along with his fiancé Penelope Neshteruk, both of Bellefonte, was in Nanty Glo attending the fireman’s convention. They went to the VFW at about 11:30 p.m. the evening of Aug. 18. Riglin is a fire police captain for the Bellefonte fire company and also had training as an EMT.
Riglin testified that not long after arriving at the VFW and ordering drinks, they heard the pounding of a hand on the bar. They heard the barmaid tell the person doing the pounding to stop it. They then heard the pounding a second time, he said.
Riglin said he heard Stringer say to Lightcap, “Let\’s take this outside.” As Stringer exited the bar into the foyer, Riglin said he saw Lightcap leave his bar stool with his arm raised and his fist clenched and he moved quickly to the foyer where he hit Stringer. Riglin said Stringer fell to the floor after the first punch. Riglin testified that Stringer\’s hands never left his sides. It was Riglin who went to Stringer’s aid and asked that 9-1-1 be called.
Neshteruk\’s testimony almost duplicated that of her fiancé. She did say that when Stringer was hit by Lightcap he “went down like a big tree.”
She also said Lightcap re-entered the bar with his arm raised and said, “I took him out with one punch.”
During cross examination by defense attorney Robert Davis Gleason, Neshteruk said that at one point she was “chest-to-chest” with Lightcap and told him he had better not leave the VFW. She said that when Lightcap left the bar he did not have any marks on his face.
The third Commonwealth witness to take the stand was John Cooper who had been a police officer and at one time chief of police for Tyrone.
Cooper said that he too was in Nanty Glo for the convention and that he and some friends had arrived at the VFW about 5:45 p.m. the day of the fight. He said they left about 9 p.m. and returned a second time at about 11:30 p.m.
Cooper said he knew Stringer and he had spoken to him briefly on his first visit to the VFW. Cooper said that when they returned to the club, Stringer was also there. Cooper said he did not know if Stringer had been at the VFW the whole time.
In his testimony, Cooper said he had heard the barmaid say to Stringer, “You are shut off. Get out of here.” Cooper said he saw Stringer leave the bar and enter the foyer, “but he did a U-turn at the doorway, but did not re-enter the bar.”
At this point, Cooper said, he saw Lightcap heading toward the foyer with is arm raised and his fist clenched. He testified he did not see any actual contact between the two men, but heard Lightcap say as he re-entered the bar, “I knocked him down with one punch.”
When the call went out for the ambulance, the barmaid ordered all patrons to leave the bar. Cooper testified he walked past Stringer lying in a large pool of blood.
When defense attorney McQuillan concluded his cross-examination Judge Norman Krumenacker recessed the court for the day around 4:30 yesterday afternoon.
