Opening Statements Today In Trial Of Man Charged In Killing Of Pregnant Woman And Toddler In Bucks County
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Opening statements are set to begin this morning in the trial of a Bristol Township man accused of killing a pregnant woman and her young daughter, then trying to set the bodies on fire.
22-year-old Marcel Johnson is charged with two counts of criminal homicide and one count of criminal homicide of an unborn child, in the November 2013 deaths of 22-year-old Ebony Talley who was five months pregnant, and her 4-year-old daughter R'mani Rankins.
Johnson is also facing two counts of arson as police say he tried to set the Bristol Township apartment on fire to cover up his crime.
Talley was found dead by firefighters with stab wounds and burns, her daughter also had a stab wound and burns, she was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The Bucks County District Attorney's office says they are seeking the death penalty.