‘This make no sense’
Peter Spencer’s family hires attorney and a private investigator to seek answers on his lynching
Published:Monday | January 31, 2022 | 12:06 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
The question being asked is if the killing of Jamaica-born Peter Spencer is being investigated as a hate crime? Corporal Aaron Allen, liaison officer at the Heritage Affairs Section of the Pennsylvania State Trooper, declined comment on that score.
The Heritage Affairs Section investigates hate crimes in the state.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Allen said that he expects the investigation into Spencer’s killing to be wrapped in the next four to six weeks. He did concede that the investigation is looking to see if bias was a motive in the killing.
“We take it very seriously, even if it is not a hate crime,” he said. He refused to say if a grand jury would be empanelled to enquire into the killing.
According to the police, Spencer was found shot to death in Rockland Township in the early morning of December 12 after police were called to a residence on Carls Road shortly before 2:30 a.m.
Spencer, 29, of Pittsburgh, was found with several gunshot wounds. His body was found on the front lawn of the property. The police have not given a motive for the killing of Spencer.
The police have not release the full police report, nor have they release the killer’s name or filed charges. The police say that they are still investigating and requested that the public has patience as they gather the autopsy, ballistic, lab and toxicology reports.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Allen called the investigation ongoing, and said that at the conclusion of the investigation, the district attorney for the area will decide if charges will be filed after reviewing the evidence gathered.
COMMITTED TO SEEKING JUSTICE
“We are committed to seek justice for all parties,” he said.
Allen said that investigators are still gathering more evidence every day and putting the pieces together. “It is important to have transparency and dialogue,” he said.
Allen pointed out that he has had consultations with the Jamaican Consulate, a lawyer for the family, and with Spencer’s mother.
The Heritage Affairs Section is the lead investigative unit looking into the killing. The unit has been involved in a number of high-profile cases in the state of Pennsylvania, including the killing of several Jews at a synagogue. Heritage Affairs members regularly meet with lawmakers, community groups, and other stakeholders to address concerns before, and even after, a hate crime occurs.
Icilda Spencer-Henry and Conroy Spencer said that they have not been given a satisfactory explanation about their son’s killing.
“We have been told that there was an altercation and the people who shot him were in fear for their lives, but this make no sense, as he was with four other white men when he was shot and killed,” Spencer-Henry said.
They told The Gleaner that the four men who were with Peter were detained and taken into custody, but later released without being charged.
Allen confirmed that the men were released after questioning without being charged, while the investigation continues.
CROWDFUNDING
Two GoFundMe appeals have raised more than US$57,000. One page, set up to finance legal fees for the family, raised US$41,000 of a goal of US$50,000. The other, aimed at supporting burial arrangements, has raised US$16,000.
In a pot to the GoFundMe page, Spencer’s brother said his brother was murdered, and called it a hate crime.
Meanwhile, the family has hired an attorney and a private investigator to look into the circumstances of Spencer’s killing and to get answers from the police.
Spencer was born in Waterhouse, Kingston, and attended Balmagie and St Peter Claver primary schools and St Andrew Technical High School.
In 2008, at age 16, he migrated to the United States with his father Conroy Spencer, who settled in North Carolina.
Peter returned to Jamaica for a while, but moved back to the United States in 2013, settling in Pennsylvania with his mother.
He was a contractor working in the construction industry, said Mrs Spencer-Henry.
Both mother and father described Peter was very helpful and did everything to encourage those with whom he came into contact to succeed.