Cops Nab Second Suspect In Deadly North Shore River Attack

A second man is now behind bars in connection with the September riverfront killing of 42-year-old Stephen Williams, a case that has rattled Pittsburgh’s North Shore and downtown communities.

Pittsburgh police say 40-year-old Joshua Currington was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy, and robbery in Williams’ drowning death, which investigators have treated as a homicide since his body was pulled from the Allegheny River days after he disappeared.

Arrest And Charges

Currington was booked into the Allegheny County Jail on Thursday on the new homicide-related counts, according to TribLIVE. Police say the charges stem from the same early-morning encounter in which Williams was allegedly attacked along the downtown riverwalk and robbed.

What Surveillance Video Shows

Investigators say surveillance video from the North Shore riverwalk captured two men attacking Williams in the early hours of Sept. 6. One man is seen holding Williams’ backpack and kicking him while another person assaults Williams and forces him into the water, according to WPXI. Detectives say that footage, along with the criminal complaint, helped them trace the suspects’ movements along the riverfront.

Victim And Recovery

Williams was last seen leaving the Downtown Wyndham on Sept. 5, authorities said. He was reported missing days later, and his cell phone was found in Point State Park. Pittsburgh River Rescue recovered a body from the Allegheny River near Rivers Casino on Sept. 9, and the Allegheny County coroner ruled the cause of death as drowning and the manner of death as homicide, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

Earlier Arrest In The Case

Currington is the second man charged in the case. The city’s Special Victims Unit previously arrested 25-year-old Jose Soto on counts of homicide, conspiracy, and robbery, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety. That update said Soto was identified after detectives reviewed surveillance footage and matched clothing descriptions while retracing Williams’ route.

Suspect Background And Custody Status

Police records show Currington has a criminal history dating back to 2004. Detectives say he was already being held in the Allegheny County Jail after a Sept. 30 arrest in an unrelated robbery case when investigators connected him to Williams’ death, TribLIVE reported. Currington now faces the new homicide-related charges and is expected to be arraigned in the coming days while detectives continue building the case for prosecutors.

Investigators Ask For Tips

Police say the investigation is still active and that they are not ruling out more developments. Anyone who may have witnessed the assault or who has video from the North Shore riverwalk on the night of the attack is urged to call detectives at 412-323-7141. The department’s public-safety notice, posted by Pittsburgh Public Safety, notes that the case will be presented to the Allegheny County prosecutor and that more details could be released as the charges move through the courts.