Derrick Owens, a 30-year-old man from Pittsburgh, PA, was fatally shot on April 24, 2015. He was standing outside his vehicle in the 1300 block of Columbus Avenue when he was shot around 10 p.m. Derrick Owens was married and had five children, ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old.
Following Derrick Owens' death, Rashawn Austin, a 28-year-old man from Bellevue, was arrested and later convicted of third-degree murder.
Rashawn Austin was sentenced to 17 to 40 years in prison for the killing. The conviction came after a non-jury trial in January 2017, where Judge Philip A. Ignelzi found Austin guilty based on the evidence presented, despite defense arguments questioning the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
The case highlighted the challenges of prosecuting such crimes, especially when eyewitness accounts and physical evidence may not always align perfectly. Derrick Owens' death and the subsequent legal proceedings underscored the impact of violent crime on families and communities in Pittsburgh.
