Police identify two men slain in separate incidents Tuesday

Two men shot to death in separate incidents during the early-morning hours Tuesday were identified by police on Wednesday.

In the first, police said Eric Charlton, 39, of Pratt Street near Summerdale Avenue in Summerdale, was shot in the face and chest inside a 2003 GMC Yukon on Belmar Terrace near 57th Street, in Southwest Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood. The Yukon had come to rest in the middle of the street, and officers responding to the scene to clear the parked car found Charlton's bloodied body in the SUV. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 2 a.m., and police have not released any information regarding a motive or suspects in his murder.

A check of Charlton's court record revealed that the victim had a lengthy rap sheet dating as far back as 2002. In 2007, he was twice arrested for robbery, aggravated assault, gun possession, attempted murder and a slew of related offenses. In 2011, he was arrested again for receiving stolen property, marijuana possession, DUI, gun possession and presenting a false ID to law enforcement. For some of the more recent charges, he was scheduled to go to trial in May.

In the second slaying Tuesday morning, police said Steven Cassidy, 41, of Bucknell Street near Brown in Fairmount, was shot four times in the groin, back and stomach around 4:30 a.m. on Indiana Avenue near Front Street in Kensington. Cassidy died two hours later at Temple University Hospital. Witnesses to that shooting told police they heard an argument followed by gunshots, but police have not released any information on a suspect in the killing.

Court records show that Cassidy had previous arrests for offenses including drug possession, robbery and theft.