Hat-trick of Artworld Deaths !!
Pittsburgh Area man held for murder of Wealthy Antiques Dealer
By Jeff Oliver
VALLEY INDEPENDENT
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
A 39-year-old Elizabeth man was charged with criminal homicide Tuesday in the murder of a New Eagle man at his home.
Orville Leland Trail has been charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, theft and robbery in the death of Ira Wyne, 62, of 444 First Ave., state police from the Belle Vernon barracks revealed at a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Wyne's body had been discovered Monday at 7:15 p.m. and state police immediately began searching for a white box truck that was allegedly stolen from Wyne's home.
A criminal complaint in the case stated that Trail and Wyne were friends and that Wyne allegedly owed Trail money for work he had done for him.
On Monday, Wyne picked up Trail and brought him to Wyne's home to help unload antique items from a truck, according to the complaint. Wyne was an antique dealer.
At approximately 6 p.m., Holly Szedon, 18, came to the house to borrow Wyne's sport utility vehicle. While she was there, Wyne told her "an old friend named Orville" was visiting, the complaint states.
Szedon told authorities that, while she was at the house, she heard a man's voice in the basement.
The girl returned to the home approximately 90 minutes later and knocked at the door
After receiving no answer, she noticed that Wayne's white box truck was missing police said.
However, she heard a television inside the house and discovered the door was unlocked, so she decided to go inside, according to police.
After Szedon went into the home, she discovered Wyne's body naked in a pool of blood at the bottom of the steps in the basement, the complaint states.
Wyne, who was face down in the blood, had suffered a large laceration on the back of his head. He also had cuts to his shoulder and arms.
State police began looking for Trail and the truck Monday evening.
The truck was found abandoned before dawn Tuesday in Elizabeth, near Route 51.
Trail was discovered at the home of his girlfriend in Elizabeth Township sometime after midnight Tuesday morning.
He was hiding under a bed, still covered with blood.
Trail claimed, according to the affidavit, that Wyne owed him money.
He asked Wyne for $100 for cleaning and repairing some silver for the victim, the affidavit said.
Trail said that Wyne told him he could not pay and then made sexual advances toward him while naked.
Trail told police that Wyne came too close to him and that Trail pushed him away and started hitting him with various articles, including a candelabra, a pitcher and a vase.
Trail said he then began searching for the keys to Wyne's box truck and found them in the victim's pants and fled the scene. The box truck allegedly contained antiques valued at approximately $500,000.
Wyne was pronounced dead at 8:53 p.m. by Washington County Deputy Coroner Timothy Kegel. Cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma to the head and manner was listed as homicide.
Trail was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Mark Wilson, of Monongahela, and placed in the Washington County Jail without bond.
A preliminary hearing will be held 9:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at Central Court in Washington County.
State police were assisted in the investigation by Monongahela police.
Art Hostage comments:
These three deaths come from different sides of the art world but yet all have some connection, the power of art to steal, investigate, or deal !!!
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