On a cold December night in Erie, Pennsylvania, the life of 24-year-old Jaree Robert Warren, Sr. was tragically cut short. On December 6, 2014, Warren was fatally shot in a parking lot near West 18th and Raspberry streets. He had been inside the nearby Last Stop Cafe shortly before the incident. Following the shooting, Warren was rushed to UPMC Hamot, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Warren's death led authorities to Julian R. Mickel. Prosecutors alleged that Mickel had laid in wait for Warren in the parking lot. The motive for the shooting appeared to stem from an altercation that had occurred between the two men approximately two weeks prior, during which Mickel had also fired shots at Warren. Witnesses at the scene of the fatal shooting provided conflicting accounts. One witness, who had previously been unable to identify the shooter, later named Mickel as the gunman during his second trial. Another witness testified that they were with Warren when a scuffle broke out. They saw Warren push another man away and attempt to flee before being shot. This witness identified the shooter as Mickel and stated that Warren had identified his assailant as 'Juice,' a nickname associated with Mickel. However, the defense presented two witnesses who described a shooter that did not match Mickel's appearance.
Julian R. Mickel faced a series of trials for his role in Jaree Warren's death. He was charged with homicide, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. Prosecutors sought a first-degree murder conviction, which would have carried a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The first two trials, held in March and May, both resulted in hung juries, as the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. As a third trial was about to commence in September 2017, Mickel, then 27, chose to accept a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, defined as an unpremeditated killing with malice. As part of the plea deal, he agreed to a prison sentence of nine to 18 years. During the plea hearing, when asked by the judge if he had pulled the trigger himself, Mickel admitted, 'Correct.' At the time of this plea, Mickel was already serving a state prison sentence for the earlier incident where he had fired shots at Warren.
