PITTSBURGH —
Human remains found in a barrel last month belong to a black teen beaten with a baseball bat by a white man whose friends said hated blacks, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday.
The complaint was filed Sept. 10 and charged Jon Anthony Black, 32, of Yukon, with criminal homicide, for allegedly killing Rodnell Donte Burton, 17. The attack allegedly occurred at a mobile home in Conemaugh Township, Indiana County, in late March, when Burton’s family had reported him missing.
Burton’s body was dumped into the Conemaugh River, near Blairsville.
Black surrendered to police Saturday in Danville, W.Va., and is being held pending extradition.
The district judge who will arraign Black in Pennsylvania has no record of a defense attorney.
Several witnesses identified Black as the killer, though their versions of precisely how and why he killed Burton varied in the 11-page police affidavit filed with the complaint. Black spoke briefly to police on Sept. 1, but stopped when they asked him about loading the barrel onto a pickup, as related by several witnesses.
State police in Indiana said some suspects in a string of cigarette store robberies earlier this year provided information about the killing.
Two of them – Robert Watkins, 32, and Deidra Endres, 22 – gave statements about the killing at their trailer and figure prominently in the narrative – as does the defendant’s ex-girlfriend who told police of his “deep seeded hatred for blacks” and that Black confessed to her that he beat Burton “with a ball bat, shot him, burned him, and dumped him in the water.”
According to the affidavit, police interviewed Watkins on Aug. 31 – hours before a dive team found the barrel. He told police Burton went to his trailer in March to collect money Watkins owed the victim for drugs.
Watkins said he and Burton were “real good friends and even got the same tattoos, like blood brothers” that Black inked for them – even though Watkins also told police “Black is not a big fan of black people,” the affidavit said.
Black has several tattoos consistent with white supremacist beliefs, police said, including a large skull on his upper right arm and an image of Hitler on his upper right chest.
Watkins said Black grabbed a bat and began beating Burton.
Later he and Black dragged the body outside where Black doused it with fuel from the trailer’s heating oil tank and burned it in the barrel.
Endres gave police a similar statement, but said Black beat Burton because he was upset about a tattoo that Burton got.
Endres told police she went to another room but heard a “sickening thud” and Watkins yelling “Enough!” at Black.
Watkins and Endres have not been charged in Burton’s death.
Indiana County Coroner Michael Baker said DNA tests are needed to positively confirm Burton’s identity, first released by authorities in the criminal complaint. Burton’s grandmother, Donna Reed Williams of Pittsburgh, told reporters last week that police told Burton’s family they believed he was the victim. No one answered her telephone when it was called Monday.
According to the police affidavit, a skull, ribs, vertebra, and brain matter were found in the barrel along with jeans that had a studded waistband. Burton’s girlfriend told police he had worn jeans like those found with the remains.
Local News
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Black submitted photo
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Barrel victim ID’d
Complaint: Black teen was beaten with baseball bat
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