Four of the six suspects who have been arrested in connection to the homicide of 22-year-old Alishah Pointer faced an East Cleveland Municipal Court judge on Monday for arraignment.
- Anthony Bryant, 18-year-old high school student
- Brittany Smith, “certified life and health coach,” according to the judge
- Portria Williams, 30 years old
- Nathaniel Poke Jr., 22 years old
All four pleaded not guilty to murder and waived their preliminary hearings on Monday.
As a result, the cases have all been bound over to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas with $2 million bonds. Their initial appearances in county court are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 19 at 9:45 a.m.
The East Cleveland Police Department said on Friday that two other suspects were also arrested, but they were not in court on Monday. They were identified as Indya Pauldo and a 17-year-old girl, who is not being named publicly by 19 News at this time because of her age.
A seventh suspect, identified as Hakeem-Ali Shomo, is still on the run, East Cleveland police added on Friday.
According to investigators, the suspects are involved with the brutal murder of Pointer. Her body was found on Nov. 9 dumped in the basement of an abandoned and burned-out home on Savannah Street in East Cleveland.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner said on Monday that Pointer died as a result of gunshot wounds.
East Cleveland Chief of Police Scott Gardner said it’s believed that Pointer had information related to a crime in Cleveland, adding that the 22-year-old woman was abducted from a home in North Randall days before her death.
The suspects allegedly tortured her in an attempt to get information about the crime before she was murdered.
Tell us your thoughts...