A Byrnedale man is in Elk County Prison, charged with homicide for stabbing another man to death at the Duffy Apartments in Johnsonburg Thursday night.
Harvey Leroy Detterline III, 37, of 112 Madison St., is being held without bail in the death of a man the Elk County coroner has identified as Richard Hicks, 29.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, at 11:33 p.m. Thursday, Johnsonburg Police Officer Stefan Smith was dispatched to 426 ½ Water St. Extension for a 911 call with an open line. The dispatchers told police they could hear yelling, and they heard a female say her boyfriend entered her apartment through a second-story window. Police identified the complainant as “B.D.,” who they said rents an apartment there.
As police arrived on scene, they received a second call from dispatch saying someone at the complex had died. The caller was in the parking lot when the officer arrived on the scene, and told him several people were behind the apartments saying someone had been killed, the complaint stated.
Smith went to the rear of the building, where he saw Detterline, wearing black pants and no shirt and socks without shoes. There was blood on Detterline’s back, the complaint alleged.
Detterline approached the officer, put his hands behind his back and “stated he was going to go to prison,” the complaint alleged. When the officer asked him what he meant, Detterline said he had stabbed Hicks in the upstairs apartment.
Smith called for backup from other police agencies, and for an ambulance.
The officer spoke to a neighbor, who said Hicks was upstairs “bleeding and needed medical care,” the complaint stated. The officer went to the upstairs apartment and found Hicks, facedown at the top of the stairs with no pulse. Ambulance personnel arrived and were unable to find signs of life.
Hicks was pronounced dead at the scene by Elk County Coroner Michelle Muccio.
Smith transported Detterline to St. Marys Police station for an interview, where they were joined by Elk County Detective Gregg McManus. The female, B.D., was interviewed as well.
Police said it was determined that Hicks entered the second floor window of the apartment where B.D. was living with her two children. Detterline was at the apartment as well, the complaint read.
Detterline went upstairs and confronted Hicks and a “physical altercation ensued,” the complaint stated. During the altercation, Detterline stabbed Hicks in the upper torso. Hicks also had cuts on the palms of his hands and a cut on the lower left side of the abdomen.
Smith had recovered the knife in the grass outside the fenced patio area of B.D.’s apartment, the complaint stated.
When Detterline was being processed for arrest, he was found to be in possession of a hypodermic syringe, the complaint read.
Detterline was arraigned Friday before District Judge James Martin in Johnsonburg on charges of homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of possessing an instrument of crime and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was remanded to Elk County Prison without bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 29 before Martin.
Elk County District Attorney Shawn McMahon did not return messages seeking comment.
Muccio said Hicks’ cause of death was ruled exsanguination due to a stab wound. She said an autopsy is scheduled for today.
The investigation is ongoing by the Johnsonburg Police Department and the Office of the Coroner.
