Washington man charged in Nottingham Township homicide to stand trial
State police said suspect bludgeoned victim with hammer
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
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A Washington man accused of bludgeoning another man to death with a hammer inside a Nottingham Township mobile home last month will stand trial for homicide.
William Jeremiah Slider appeared for his preliminary hearing Thursday morning before District Judge Phillippe Melograne in Washington County Central Court and agreed to have all charges held for court in connection with the killing of 69-year-old Richard Morse.
State police said Slider beat Morse to death March 6 inside the victim’s residence at 627 Mingo Park Estates following an apparent argument over crack cocaine.
Morse’s neighbor contacted authorities on March 8 after not seeing him for a few days and then finding him dead inside the residence. Investigators said Morse’s body was found in the kitchen, and he appeared to have a severe head wound and was surrounded by dried blood.
Immediately after the killing, police said Slider took Morse’s car and drove it to Walmart in South Strabane Township, where he purchased clothes with a large amount of cash. Police said he then dumped a bag containing a bloody hammer in an outdoor trash can.
Hours after troopers found the body, they located Morse’s car in the Walmart parking lot and reviewed surveillance that showed Slider walking into the store to buy merchandise before leaving in another vehicle.
Troopers arrested him March 9 at his Euclid Avenue apartment in the city. During an interview with investigators, Slider allegedly admitted to being at Morse’s residence the morning of the killing and getting into an argument with the victim over crack cocaine, according to court documents. Police said he also admitted to driving Morse’s vehicle and discarding various items from the trunk in a trash can outside of the super store.
In addition to homicide, Slider is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment, evidence tampering, robbery, theft, driving on a suspended license and theft of moveable property. He and his public defender, Rose Semple, agreed to have his case held for court with no witness testimony or evidence being presented at the hearing.
Slider, 34, is being held without bond at the Washington County bond while he awaits trial in Morse’s killing.