Coatesville man and nephew charged in teen's slaying

After a Nov. 15 drug raid led to the discovery of mutilated pit bulls at a Chester County residence, the man who lived there admitted dismembering them with a chain saw, police said.

Search warrants executed at the Coatesville home of LaQuanta Chapman, 29, also suggested links to the disappearance of a teen who lived across the street, authorities said. Yesterday, Chapman and his nephew, Bryan Byrd, 19, of Newark, N.J., were charged with the homicide of 16-year-old Aaron L. Turner.

Expressing condolences to the Turner family, who did not attend a news conference announcing the arrests, Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll said the Turners experienced "a real-life version of every parent's worst nightmare."

When Turner failed to return home from a community-service assignment on Oct. 30, relatives were initially irritated by his tardiness, then mildly concerned, and finally panic-stricken as time passed with no word from him, Carroll said.

Chapman, a lifelong Coatesville resident, told police that the blood on clothing and chain saws that officers found in his basement came from the dogs he had killed, and that Turner had never been in his house, First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Carmody said.

DNA evidence told a different story - as did Byrd, Carmody said.

Byrd told police that he and an unknown third party were present when Chapman led Turner by the arm into his basement and instructed Byrd to turn up the music as loud as it would go, Carmody said.

Byrd said that when he returned to the basement, he saw Chapman and the other man shoot Turner, Carmody said. Byrd said he helped Chapman use a chain saw to dismember the body so that it could be carried outside in trash bags, Carmody said.

"I think the savagery of this . . . was to cover up the crime," Carmody said. "It was very deliberate."

Michael G. Noone, Chapman's court-appointed private attorney, said that he was not surprised by the charges and that he had not yet spoken to his client about them.

"We were aware of the investigation," Noone said, declining to comment further.

Mark Rassman, Byrd's court-appointed private attorney, agreed that the charges were not a surprise and declined further comment.

Carmody said some evidence indicated that Turner might have owed money to Chapman; however, Chapman told police he never sold drugs to Turner. Investigators are still working to determine whether a third person was involved, Carmody said.

Last week, Carmody said, investigators met with Richard Callery, Delaware's forensic pathologist. After reviewing evidence collected from Chapman's residence, Callery concluded that Turner had been killed, Carmody said.

Carroll said a decision on whether to seek the death penalty would be made later.

He thanked the county commissioners for giving investigators the resources "to do things the right way," approving about $150,000 for DNA testing and landfill searches. Regrettably, the searches were not successful in locating Turner's remains, Carroll said.

"The best we can do is bring some closure" to the family, Carroll said, praising the Turners' patience and police and community support throughout the seven-month investigation.

Carmody said he met with Turner's relatives yesterday morning.

"As you would expect, they were devastated by the details" of the crime, Carmody said. "But they seemed relieved that arrests were finally made."

A preliminary hearing for both defendants is scheduled for July 10 at the Chester County Justice Center.