On the day after Christmas in 2024, a woman walking through a wooded area in Shaler, Pennsylvania, made a grim discovery. The body of Andre Wallace, a 45-year-old Black man from Millvale, was found off the 200 block of Hahn Road. He was dressed in multiple layers of clothing and a mask. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Mr.
Wallace had died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his death was immediately investigated as a homicide.
Detectives soon learned that the story of Mr. Wallace's death began late on Christmas Day in Pittsburgh's Hill District. According to prosecutors, Mr. Wallace and another man drove to the 2400 block of Chauncey Drive to buy crack cocaine. There, they met a man named Eugene Jones. Mr. Wallace gave Jones money for the drugs and then told the driver to pull away. As their vehicle moved, Jones reportedly said something about the amount of money he had received.
A single gunshot rang out, and the driver saw Mr. Wallace slump over in the passenger seat, having been shot in the head. The driver, who was not involved in the shooting, panicked. He drove to his home in Castle Shannon, but when Mr. Wallace would not wake up, he drove the body to Shaler. He left Mr. Wallace in the woods along Hahn Road, believing he would be found there.
Investigators used video surveillance, license plate reading cameras, and cell phone records to identify the shooter. On January 16, 2025, police arrested 27-year-old Eugene Jones in connection with the murder. He was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and carrying a firearm without a license.
In Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, Eugene Jones pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and related counts for the shooting death of Andre Wallace. As of his plea, he is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for October 14.
