In the early hours of June 2, 2017, the life of 48-year-old Dedric Ellis, a Black male from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, was tragically cut short. Ellis was discovered critically wounded inside his overturned SUV on McClure Avenue in Pittsburgh's Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood around 12:15 a.m. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the trunk and was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1 a.m.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office subsequently ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators believe that Ellis was shot while he was in his vehicle, which then led to the crash. Evidence of the shooting, in the form of shell casings, was found several blocks away from the crash site. A witness reported seeing two cars driving down the street while the occupants were shooting at each other before one vehicle, believed to be Ellis's, crashed. The other car fled the scene.
The investigation into Dedric Ellis's death quickly led to a suspect. Through the use of surveillance footage from the area, police were able to identify a gray Chevy Impala that had been following Ellis's SUV for about half a mile before the shooting. The footage showed the driver of the Impala pull alongside Ellis's vehicle and fire several shots into it. A witness who reviewed the surveillance video identified the driver as Melvin Russaw, also known as 'Slug.' This witness also picked Russaw out of a photo lineup.
Five days after the fatal shooting, Melvin Russaw, a 35-year-old from Perry South, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide. As a previously convicted felon, he also faced charges for illegal possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm without a license. In October 2019, Russaw pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and two firearms violations. In a plea deal, he was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of probation. As part of his sentencing, he was also ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution to the victim's compensation fund.
