Man who kidnapped local resident faces death penalty
Huffman accused in Fayette of paying teen to kill man
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A Uniontown man who pleaded guilty in July to kidnapping a Woodbury Township man is facing the death penalty in Fayette County after being accused of paying a teenager to kill a man.
Based on the charges filed against Calvin Huffman, 37, Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele cited three reasons to seek a death sentence: that Huffman paid another person to kill someone; has a history of violence; and the alleged victim's death bolstered Huffman's drug business.
Huffman is accused of paying then-14-year-old Antonyo Owens $5,000 in cash and three large bags of marijuana to shoot Anthony Jones, 38, of Uniontown, on June 6, 2023. According to the initial investigation, law enforcement said they also believe that Owens, who was charged as an adult with criminal homicide, was able to evade capture for five days because of assistance from Huffman.
Under Pennsylvania law, prosecutors have the ability to seek the death penalty in limited instances, and only if a defendant is convicted of first-degree murder. Those instances are referred to as "aggravating circumstances." Prosecutors must file notice of those alleged aggravating circumstances once the case is logged in common pleas court.
In Huffman's case, Aubele noted that Huffman "has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person."
Among Huffman's past convictions in Fayette County are a 2005 guilty plea to aggravated assault and a 2013 conviction for a shooting outside a Uniontown bar.
In July, Huffman pleaded guilty to 16 charges in Bedford County associated with the kidnapping of a man, who offered to help Huffman push his crashed vehicle off a guide rail, and multiple assaults in the Everett Sheetz. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting his cellmate while a prisoner in the Bedford County Correctional Facility.
Earlier this month, Huffman was charged with intent to escape after police said he planned an "elaborate" escape from the Fayette County jail.
Huffman's formal arrangement is secluded for Oct. 17 before Judge Nancy D. Vernon. Court documents indicate he is being held in Fayette County with bail denied.