A Cambria County judge found Dashane White-Ferguson guilty of first-degree murder and three other charges Tuesday, nearly two years after the burned body of 54-year-old Barry Senior Jr. was discovered along Haws Pike in Lower Yoder Township. The 27-year-old Philadelphia man represented himself throughout the two-day, non-jury trial and was acquitted of one charge, robbery, while sentencing was set for Nov. 23 at 10 a.m.
The verdict came on the second day of the trial before Cambria County Judge Tamara Bernstein, according to tribdem.com. White-Ferguson was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse, while Judge Bernstein found him not guilty of robbery, per the same account. Senior's body was found along Route 56, also known as Haws Pike, after firefighters responded to what was initially reported as a brush fire, according to wjactv.com.
Arrest Came During a Turnpike Traffic Stop
White-Ferguson was arrested in Lancaster County after state police troopers testified that he was found attempting to abandon Senior's vehicle on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the station reported. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Matthew Deck testified that White-Ferguson initially gave troopers a fake name, and the outlet's report notes that his detention escalated into an arrest after an outstanding Philadelphia warrant on drug charges surfaced. At the time of his arrest, White-Ferguson was found in possession of a lighter, Senior's vehicle registration, his insurance card, and a debit or credit card, according to WTAJ's report on the WTAJ case.
Investigators said Senior was likely killed elsewhere and his body dumped beside the road, per the WTAJ report. Prosecutors alleged that White-Ferguson stabbed Senior more than two dozen times before setting his remains on fire, according to the wjactv.com account; a forensic pathologist later testified at trial that Senior suffered approximately 25 stab wounds, including 13 to the head and neck area, per the same report.
Competing Accounts of Cause of Death
Medical testimony diverged on the precise cause of Senior's death. A forensic pathologist testified that the cause was multiple sharp-force injuries contributed to by strangulation, wjactv.com reported, while Cambria County Deputy Coroner Ira Hart testified separately that Senior's cause of death was exsanguination, or massive blood loss. Senior also had defensive wounds on his left hand and showed evidence of having been strangled to some extent, according to WTAJ's reporting, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Troopers found blood in Senior's boots, in the vehicle's backseat and trunk, and on White-Ferguson's boots, WTAJ reported. DNA signatures from both men turned up in samples taken from the boots and the vehicle's backseat, and Senior's DNA matched blood found in the trunk, per the same report. A screwdriver recovered with White-Ferguson contained DNA from White-Ferguson, Senior, and at least two other people, WTAJ noted.
Defendant Clashed With the Court While Representing Himself
White-Ferguson represented himself at trial with standby counsel provided by the Cambria County Public Defender's Office, according to the Tribune-Democrat's reporting. On the first day, he questioned witnesses about their reports and qualifications, the outlet reported. Judge Bernstein warned him that he could be removed from the courtroom if he violated court rules and that the trial would continue without him, and she said during proceedings that White-Ferguson was becoming argumentative with the commonwealth and the court, per the Tribune-Democrat.
White-Ferguson told the court he was sorry for Senior's death but believed authorities had arrested the wrong person, according to the same reporting. First Assistant District Attorney Joseph Green said the legality of White-Ferguson's detention had already been addressed in pretrial motions. Cambria County District Attorney Jessica Aurandt said she was grateful for the verdict, particularly for the family that had been awaiting closure for almost two years.
White-Ferguson now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, with sentencing scheduled for Nov. 23 at 10 a.m., according to wjactv.com.
