About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, March 09, 2018

Two Charged in Gang-Related Bethlehem Homicide

DA John Morganelli, Bethlehem Police
Chief Mark DiLuzio
A little over a year ago, on February 8, 2017, a man who was leaving his Bethlehem home for work noticed something unfamiliar on the sidewalk near the northeast corner of Sioux and Sassafras Streets. Because it was 2 am, it was difficult to make things out. But as he drew closer, he realized it was a person lying on that sidewalk. That person was later identified as Teayahe Glover, a 19 year old woman living in the area. She had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including one to her face.

Bethlehem police opened an investigation. Detective Christopher Beebe suspected this shooting might be related to one that had taken place just six days earlier and about five blocks away. But he was unable to coax witnesses into talking and asked the Investigating Grand Jury, with its subpoena powers, for help. Thanks to that investigative tool, Bethlehem police were able to crack the case. On Monday, homicide and conspiracy charges were filed against Xavier Sheldon Snyder, age 18, of Washington, NJ, and Kasheem Abdullah Aiken, age 36, of Easton. District Attorney John Morganelli announced that both defendants were being picked up

Kasheem Aiken
According to Morganelli, Glover was killed in retaliation for cooperating with police in the shooting that had occurred just six days earlier. Young's gang allies also blamed her for the shooting.

The evidence garnered by the grand jury is that Alan Young, a gang member with the Hoover 74 Crips, believed that Glover might have also been seeing Tariq Page, a member of the Grape Street Crips. The two scuffled, and Paige pulled a gun and shot Young, seriously wounding him.

Glover witnessed the fight. Instead of remaining silent, she called police. This resulted in Paige's arrest and ultimate conviction of attempted murder. He'll be behind bars for the next seven years

Young was friendly with both Defendants, and all three were associated with a third local gang known simply as Cherokee. The Defendants began threatening Glover..

Shortly before Glover was shot and killed, she had received several text messages blaming her for the Young shooting. Two males were ringing the doorbell of her home at Seneca Street and then running off.

On her Facebook page, Glover posted this status: "The scariest s--t just happened to me. I'm freaked tf out yo! I want all this to be over. I can't deal. I'm gonna lose it."

It was the last Facebook message she ever sent.

Teayahe Glover
Around that time, Defendant Aiken began pressuring Defendant Snyder to lure Glover out of her Seneca Street home. When Snyder initially demurred, Aiken grabbed him by the arm and told him to text her or "I'm going to shoot you in the face."

Snyder then texted Glover to say that he and his cousin had come by to see if she wanted to smoke marijuana. "I need a smoke," she answered and agreed to meet him outside.

The two began walking and talking. She was unaware that Aiken was behind her, and he opened fire at the northeast corner of Sioux and Sassafras Street. She collapsed, but was moving along the sidewalk. Aiken walked up and shot her in the face. Then he turned to Snyder and said, "Let's go or you're next."

After reciting the facts as determined by the Grand Jury, Morganelli lamented the "wall of silence" that surrounds gang activity, saying that state law should be strengthened to make gang membership by itself a crime. Bethlehem Police Chief complimented Assistant DA Bill Blake, Detective Beebe and the Grand Jury for "bringing he wall of silence down." The Chief added, "We need to take notice of these organized criminals, and that's what they are, basically predators in our society. We need to remove them. We need something like a RICO statute on the state level."

The RICO statute is a federal statute applied to organized crime like the mafia, drug cartels and even politicians like Chaka Fattah.

As Morganelli announced the arrests, Glover'smother, Tanya Miller, fought back tears and held hands with Reverend TimSmith of the Faith Works House at Salvation Army. He said that Glover'spresence "still hovers over us, and we want her to know she's not forgotten." He said the family listens to "God's voice of justice," and thanked those in law enforcement "for holding fast to your calling."

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

"saying that state law should be strengthened to make gang membership by itself a crime."

so what defines a gang?
for example a so called minutemen or militia member commits a crime so all miltia members are part of a gang.
an extremist in PETA burns a research lab so all peta members are gangsters?
a tea party member shoots up a congressman's office so every tea party member is a gangsta .
my favorite would be
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juggalo

try
http://www.juggalomarch.com/the-people

"in 2014, I got into some legal trouble and ended up serving time for a DUI."
"She said that the fact that I knew of the gang label and had not disassociated myself with the Juggalos or covered my tattoos was proof enough to her that I was in the gang. She then validated me in the system as a gang member and gave me my new gang probation conditions. They were extensive, and included things such as random home visits, and the inability to set foot on any school grounds, even to see my niece’s dance recital. I would no longer be allowed to attend concerts or see my friends. I pleaded with her that my Juggalo friends were some of the most positive people in my life, and that attending shows was also helpful to me as a music business student. It made no difference. I had to provide all of my Facebook information, as any pictures showing my hatchet tattoos or having any person with Juggalo content on their profile on my friends list would be an automatic violation. She then informed me that were I to go back to jail I would not be able to leave solitary confinement, and were I go to go to prison it was mandatory that I would have to be housed at a maximum security facility. Also if I to be in the presence of a Juggalo who happened to commit a crime I would be charged with a gang crime whether I was involved or not."

"I was released from probation in December 2016, after a failed try earlier in the year that was denied because of my gang status. However, I will forever be in the system as a gang member, subject to police harassment and constant fear that this will continue to affect me in my upcoming professional life as well as my personal life."

better yet who determines a gang?
do not like their message or look and that earns the tag of a gang member?
that is the biggest problem with a state level rico law.

Anonymous said...

Patiently unconstitutional.
Cut the pandering.

Anonymous said...

Just look at the guy, it figures. This is the new normal in once peaceful Lehigh Valley. Why can't they use the RICO laws against these new thug gangs, the way they broke up the mafia. Anyone in the gang gets the same charge. They will soon all become Flecks. Let the truth stand. RICO must apply to these animal gangs!

Plain Speaking American!

Anonymous said...

Why can't they use RICO on these new gangs? They are a such an organized crime group as the mafia. Is it political correctness? Use RICO and put them all away. Time to end the new mafia.

X said...

There is one venue that is left out here, that is some gang members work with local police, elected officials and in the public sectors as well as in official seats. Now not all are working on this transgression progress process but there are many.
This is how the theft of the whole of America coincides with war against the whole of America. Stealing of our youth on many levels and in some cases like this one even killing, before they become mature adults!

Anonymous said...

Why are you regurgitating local rag fill stories? Old news...

Anonymous said...

Oh this is an "old News" story... in reality i is a "John Morganelli look good bromance story"

He has about about much chance at this race as all the others.

Anonymous said...

Morganelli fluff piece

Bernie O'Hare said...

This is neither an "old" news piece nor Morganelli fluff. The charges were just filed and announced on Tuesday. I worked hard that night to produce the story you see. Other news accounts appeared in the dailies. I sent my story in at a weekly, where it was going to be loaded online the next day. There were technical problems.So I loaded it here.

It is about a murder. Gang-related. In Bethlehem. It took police a year to crack it, and they did so by using the powers of the grand jury. To the mother of the 19 yo girl whose life was taken, this is not a fluff piece. To John Morganelli, who has to deal with the relatives of homicide victims all the time, this is not a fluff story. To the Bethlehem police, who spent a year working on this case, it is not a fluff piece. To the gang members who were and are being targeted by the law, this is not old news.

To attempt to make this about politics is outrageous and demonstrates a callousness I find completely remarkable. . This is about public safety and security.

Dindu Nuffin said...

Aiken was a good boy, just got his G.E.D and started attendin NCC was really turning his life round.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Lying in wait to kill someone is first degree murder.

Anonymous said...

Hats off to the grand jury. I'm still not voting for John.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to those who brought these filthy animals to justice. They need to be put down and locked up forever. Their kind has out the area in fear for too long

Anonymous said...

Shocked! They look like members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce!

Unknown said...

Sam Murray fixed an All Star vote for his son=wrong !

Margie Mellon said...

Sam Murray fixed an All Star Vote for his Son !

Unknown said...

Sam Murray fixed an All Star Vote for his Son=wrong

Unknown said...

Sam Murray is a fraud = fixed a Little League vote for her s Son !

Margie Fleck said...

Sam Murray fixed an All Star Vote Vote for his son =wrong !

Unknown said...

Sam Murray is a fraud !

Unknown said...

Fuck you Bernie !

Unknown said...

Nazareth blows !

Unknown said...

Your Son in law ?.

Anonymous said...

Your Sonin Law ?.

Tay's Mom said...

First let me say thank you to Bernie O'Hare for his blog. Now let me say that I am Teayahe Glover's mother and I have not seen his until today. Anonymous thank you kindly for the links that you shared, I read them. Hey, did you read the original post? MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE (GANG RELATED) DECIDED TO KILL HER, she is not coming home..What definition of a gang would you like? Because I am pretty sure they fit the criteria so woe is you, I'm sure glad you didnt kill no one with your DUI. Plain Speaking American thank you but its not their looks that killed my baby it was their actions. I fully agree with your views of the RICO law but this is a state level problem so we sure cannot use a federal law fix. George Schaller, I can see your point of view but do you think that should still be the case when it comes to murder? Maybe its a little tougher for me to see considering MY 19 year old daughter never got to really live her life. huh I guess in your eyes it all depends on what you see but what I don't see is Tay ever walking through the door again because someone else decided TO KILL HER, maybe they should just say sorry. Ahh Anonymous 9:01 a.m., 11:39 a.m., and 11:44 a.m. you are my favorites let me share why? you don't care about my daughter you just want to talk bad about John Morganelli, well you did you exercised your freedom of speech, all better now? Dindu Nuffin, I decided not to even entertain any of your thoughts and thank you too for exercising your freedom of speech. Anonymous 1:42 I applaud you for your honesty! Look it wasn't my intention to disrespect anyone but can you people look at the big picture? My daughter is dead. Look I do not need anyone of you to care about her but know this if it was someone in your family I am more than sure your tune would be different, I do appreciate that we have Freedom of Speech so even if I didn't like what you said it doesn't matter its your prerogative. Stay Blessed and try to remember when your talking about someone they do have families who truly miss and love them so try to be kinder.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Tay's Mom, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I met you at the DA's announcement, and hope that you continue to find solace in your faith.

Tay's Mom said...

Thank you Bernie. My faith is the only comfort I will ever find with the loss of my daughter. Again, thank you for the facts! Blessings!