Fayette prosecutor calls for death penalty for alleged contract killing

The Fayette County district attorney will seek the death penalty for a Uniontown man accused of paying a teenager to kill someone.

District Attorney Mike Aubele cited three reasons for seeking the death penalty based on the charges against 37-year-old Calvin Huffman of Uniontown: Huffman paid another person money to kill another person, he had a history of violence, and the death of the alleged victim boosted Huffman's drug business.

Huffman is accused of paying Antonyo Owens, then 14, $5,000 in cash and three large bags of marijuana to shoot 38-year-old Anthony Jones of Uniontown on June 6, 2023. According to the initial investigation, law enforcement also believes that Owens, who was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, was able to evade arrest for five days thanks to Huffman's help.

Under Pennsylvania law, prosecutors can seek the death penalty in certain cases, and only when a defendant has been convicted of premeditated murder. These cases are known as “aggravating circumstances.” Prosecutors must report these alleged aggravating circumstances as soon as the case is filed in court.

In Huffman's case, Aubele noted that Huffman “has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence against the person.”

Huffman's previous convictions in Fayette County include a guilty plea to aggravated assault in 2005 and a 2013 conviction for a shooting outside a Uniontown bar.

According to the Altoona Mirror, Huffman pleaded guilty in July in Bedford County to 16 counts related to the kidnapping of a man and an attack at a supermarket.

Earlier this month, Huffman was charged with attempting to flee after police said he planned an “elaborate” escape from the Fayette County Jail.

The formal hearing of Huffman's agreement is scheduled for October 17 before Judge Nancy D. Vernon.