Pennsylvania

Mother Faults Police After Teen Son is Slain

A western Pennsylvania mother says authorities failed her and her 15-year-old son, who was slain after he testified in another criminal case.
 
Vickie Powell of Duquesne says police didn't tell her about the county's witness protection program until after LeRoy Powell's video testimony was released to the media, prompting a wave of threats.
 
Powell testified on July 30 and was shot in the early afternoon of Aug. 6 near his Duquesne home. Powell initially told police he saw another 15-year-old boy carrying a gun moments before his pregnant friend was shot. But he changed his story at the preliminary hearing.
 
The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office says that in retrospect they should have made a stronger effort to tell the family about possible consequences of playing the video in court.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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