By Brian Bowling
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
PITTSBURGH — A teenager charged in the 2010 murder of a retired Pittsburgh firefighter was sentenced Monday to 25 to 50 years in prison after he admitted to the killing.
Cordell Brown, 18, of Marshall-Shadeland pleaded guilty before Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning to third-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy in the shooting of Mark Barry, 55, of the same neighborhood.
“I think the family is relieved to have this over with,” said Deputy District Attorney Janet Necessary.
Barry’s brother, Edward, was among several relatives in court for the sentencing, she said. He could not be reached for comment afterward.
The Marine veteran was walking his pit bull, Dray, on Mullins Street about 10 p.m. March 15, 2010, when he was confronted by Brown and Tyrone Thomas, 17, of Perry South, and shot twice.
Thomas pleaded guilty to the murder in May, and Manning sentenced him to 40 to 80 years in prison.
Brown and Thomas each accused the other of pulling the trigger. Necessary said Thomas received the heavier sentence because the gun was his and other evidence pointed to him as the shooter.
“That’s our take on the evidence,” she said.
Investigators interviewed Brown and Thomas after reviewing video surveillance footage taken near Shadeland and Woodland avenues that showed four males following Barry and his dog. Necessary said the other two teens were never charged because neither participated in the robbery.
Brown told police that Thomas said he needed some money to buy some heroin, in addition to saying that “I’m tired of walking around broke,” according to the arrest affidavit. Brown then told Thomas, “We got to do this smart. Let’s do the first person we see,” according to the affidavit.
Both teens told police they didn’t get any money from Barry after the shooting because the pit bull defended his body. Instead, they fled to a house on California Avenue.
Police found Barry, who retired in 2005 from 38 Engine Company in Northview Heights, lying in the street with gunshot wounds to the arm and chest. Necessary said the dog was still guarding the body when police arrived.
“They had to use pepper spray to get the dog away so the medics could reach Mr. Barry,” she said.
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