In the early morning hours of February 28, 2015, a birthday celebration in Sharon, Pennsylvania, turned tragic, ending the life of 23-year-old Jaylen 'Bubby' West. West, an African American male, was attending a party for Michael Dwayne Bagnall when a disagreement broke out between the two acquaintances. The dispute escalated, and shortly after 2:30 a.m., Bagnall pulled out a gun and fatally shot West.
Police were called to the residence in the 300 block of Quinby Street for a disturbance and found West deceased from a gunshot wound. Authorities later clarified that the incident was not related to any drug activity.
Immediately following the shooting, a massive manhunt was launched for Bagnall, who was 31 years old at the time. Law enforcement agencies, including local police, the Mercer County Critical Incident Response Team, and U.S. Marshals, were involved in the extensive search. Believing he may have fled to Ohio where he had ties, authorities alerted the public that Bagnall was to be considered armed and dangerous. The search involved storming several homes and apartments and utilizing a state police helicopter. After a multi-day search, Michael Bagnall was apprehended in Pittsburgh by the U.S. Marshals Taskforce and taken into custody.
Following his arrest, Bagnall was charged with criminal homicide in connection with Jaylen West's death. In 2017, he was convicted of the murder. However, the legal battle was far from over. In a significant turn of events in 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Bagnall. The court's decision was based on a Brady violation, citing that the district attorney's office had failed to disclose an agreement made with a key witness in the case. This development has prolonged the legal proceedings as the justice system continues to address the circumstances surrounding West's death.
