SMETHPORT — After a four-day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, Frederick Camejo Jr. was convicted of crimes related to the Congress Street killing of Edward “Bo” Fomby Jr. in May 2022.
In addition to third-degree murder, Camejo was convicted on all other charges — discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and three counts of recklessly endangering another person with a deadly weapon.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer said Camejo was charged by City of Bradford Police when they responded May 29, 2022, to Camejo’s residence after Camejo shot and killed Fomby in front of his home. The pair, along with others, had come to the residence for an “after-party” after frequenting area bars.
First responders found Fomby deceased on the sidewalk, lying on his back. Officers learned that Camejo shot Fomby on the porch steps and the home’s surveillance cameras captured footage of the crime without sound.
As law enforcement responded to process the crime scene, a disturbance at a house across the street from Camejo’s residence led officers to discover a bullet that entered the home when Camejo shot his firearm over Fomby’s head.
Officers obtained audio of the crime from a neighbor’s security camera and, with help from the FBI and other service providers, enhanced it to capture statements made by Camejo and Fomby.
Camejo told officers he killed Fomby in self-defense. Video showed that Camejo fired his gun 10 times throughout the encounter, six times directly at Fomby as he was walking away, hitting him four times — three in his back and one in the back of his leg.
Vettenburg-Shaffer, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the commonwealth, said, “The crime of criminal homicide is a general umbrella category of homicide that includes murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, murder in the third degree, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. In this case, murder in the second degree was not applicable.
“The jury had to first consider whether murder in the first degree, or premeditated murder, occurred and then go through each type of homicide until it came to a verdict on the type of homicide that occurred. The jury found Camejo committed murder in the third degree, killing someone with malice.”
Following the verdict, Senior Judge Robert Yeatts set Camejo’s bail at $500,000 and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 29.
