What started as a grim discovery behind a shuttered neighborhood grocery store has now landed a Georgia man in serious legal trouble.
Steven Thomas, 52, has been charged after police say a man's body was found under an 18-wheeler behind the former Shop 'n Save on Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh's Carrick neighborhood. The finding triggered a homicide investigation, and Thomas has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Friday (March 13).
According to a criminal complaint reported by WTAE, Thomas, a Georgia resident, is charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. The complaint states that Allegheny County dispatchers received a call around 8:30 p.m. on Monday reporting a deceased person under an 18-wheeler behind the Shop-N-Save on Brownsville Road. Court documents identify the victim as Vaughan Leroy, who had blunt-force trauma to the back of his head.
As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Public Safety said detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit responded to Amanda Street and Wynoka Street after a person found the body at the loading dock. CBS published a photo from Public Safety that shows officers gathered around a refrigerated trailer behind the store, which had closed last month.
What the criminal complaint says
Court documents reviewed by WTAE state that Thomas told officers he and Leroy had a confrontation inside Leroy's home on Feb. 27. During that dispute, Thomas allegedly pushed Leroy backward, causing him to fall. The complaint alleges that when Leroy appeared not to be breathing, Thomas panicked, put the body in a travel duffel, loaded it into a car, and left it under the semi-trailer near the home. The complaint notes that a preliminary hearing is set for next Friday.
Investigation and next steps
Officials say the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official manner and cause of death as detectives continue their investigation. For additional details on the scene and initial police response, see reporting by WPXI.
