HOLLIDAYSBURG – The killing of an Altoona man early Sunday led to the resolution of charges against Brandon Midder, 25, who was facing a five-day trial this week for offenses stemming from an unrelated murder 18 months ago.

The common thread in the two cases was Kai Lamar Carter, 28, of Altoona, who was shot to death early Sunday in a dispute with Jorge Luis Gomez III, 35, while the two were at a party watching the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao title fight.

Gomez is charged with homicide in Carter’s death.

Midder of Altoona was due to begin a weeklong trial Monday morning for aggravated assault, hindering prosecution and simple assault stemming from events that occurred on Halloween night 2013 at Choices/Club NXT, 130 Sixth Ave.

Midder is a friend of Hugo Baez of New York, who was convicted of third-degree murder and is behind bars for a minimum of 30 years for fatally shooting Willie Solomon.

On that Halloween night Baez became embroiled in a fight with Jacob Dormevil, Solomon’s brother. When Solomon attempted to intervene, he was shot by Baez.

The Halloween night fight was an extension of a brawl that had occurred at the nightclub a few days before.

Carter, also known as “Castro,” and others were involved in the earlier fight.

Earlier this year, Midder pleaded guilty to two the gun violations and was sentenced to nine to 18 years by Judge Elizabeth Doyle.

As Midder’s trial was to commence, news that Carter had been killed raised concerns among prosecutors and defense attorneys as to what this would mean if Carter’s name came up during the Midder trial.

First Assistant District Attorney Jackie Bernard and Assistant District Attorney Peter Weeks indicated that witnesses reliving events leading to the Solomon shooting would inevitably mention Carter’s name and the prior brawl.

The two prosecutors offered a plea agreement in which Midder would serve an additional one to 21 years for the aggravated assault and related charges.

Midder’s attorney, Douglas Keating, said Monday his client accepted the deal.

“He got one extra year. It was a good offer,” Keating said.

That means that Midder will serve a total of 10-39 years.

Bernard and Weeks said Monday afternoon that the plea agreement puts Midder’s case to rest, and Bernard noted he may or may not get out of prison at the end of 10 years. He could serve longer, she said.

Midder will be under state supervision until he is 64.

She said she thinks Midder received an appropriate sentence for “brandishing a gun in a fist fight.”

The overall sentence, she said, serves justice for the victims and society.

“It brings an end to a very long case,” she said.

Another tragic twist in the case stems from the beating death of Solomon’s son, allegedly by one of Solomon’s friends three weeks ago.

As Bernard explained, Dormevil has lost his brother (Willie Solomon), his nephew (Ty’Mil Solomon) and now a very good friend (Carter) in the past 18 months.

She said despite his losses and the emotion that goes with it, he was still willing to testify this week.

Dormevil, meanwhile, is in the Blair County Prison awaiting disposition of assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges against him stemming from the night his brother was shot to death.

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.