charged with homicide By: Mark E. Crepp, Calkins Media 04/23/2007 Email to a friend Printer-friendly NESHANNOCK TWP. - State police say DNA evidence led to the arrest of a New Castle man on charges he killed a city woman and dumped her body near the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center.

Homicide and abuse of a corpse charges were filed Friday against Gaylord Spell, 44, of 529 E. Long Ave., New Castle, in connection with the death of Sueann Louise Brest, 40, of 413 E. Reynolds St., New Castle.

Spell was arraigned before District Judge James Reed in Neshannock Township, who ordered Spell held in the Lawrence County Jail without bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Brest's nude body was found in a gravel parking lot along Wood Street in Shenango Township by an employee of the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, formerly the Lawrence County Vocational-Technical School, around 7:30 a.m. March 1.

According to court documents, Brest's body was covered with a large amount of blood, but there was no pooling of blood near the body, which indicated she was killed at another location and taken to the parking lot. No clothing was found at the scene, police said.

An autopsy was conducted March 1 by pathologist Dr. James Reed at The Medical Center, Beaver, and Reed determined Brest was beaten to death with a blunt object such as a hammer or tire iron, police said.

During the autopsy, a rape kit was taken as well as fingernail clippings, which were sent to the state police crime lab in Greensburg for analysis. The DNA findings from the fingernails and sperm led police to Spell, who had a prior conviction for assault in Virginia.

Police said Spell called off sick from work on Feb. 28 and wears size 12 shoes, which are consistent with a pair of slippers found in Butler County March 1 along with the victim's clothing. A PennDOT worker found the bloodstained clothing along Kline Avenue in Callery as well as along Callery Road in Adams and Cranberry townships. State police collected the items along with a tablecloth.

A search warrant was executed at Spell's home, and police noted his sofa was consistent with a sofa arm cover was found along East Portersville Road in Portersville.

State police pointed out the clothing and other items were found near where he works and that the victim and Spell resided close to one another - about a block apart.

State police interviewed Brest's boyfriend, who said that he last saw her around 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 walking from her residence along Reynolds Street in New Castle. This was the last confirmed sighting of the victim, police said.

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