ANTHONY LIAS and DONALD ELMORE - 17 yo - Reading PA

Police are working to piece together the mysterious deaths of two
Berks County teens found dead in the same spot less than one day apart. The boys' bodies were found in an alleyway in Reading. Both teens were shot to death. Police believe the deaths are connected, and they're left trying to figure out why. And they're not the only ones with lots of questions. Family members and friends of the two teens also want answers. Police
said the body of 17-year-old Donald Elmore, who friends and family call
"Steve," was found around 2 a.m. Sunday after authorities were tipped
off by an anonymous caller. They told Fox 29 News that Elmore's
body was discovered at a memorial site set up 17-year-old Anthony Lias,
who was gunned down in the same North 10th Street alley the day before. While
it's not clear in what part of the body Elmore was shot, an autopsy
Sunday concluded that Lias -- also known as "Stacks" -- died of a
single gunshot to the back of the neck. Now, inconsolable family members are questioning who would want to do this and why. "It's
a lot to deal with. I mean, there's a lot of information, a lot of
stories. You really don't know what to believe, what's what," said
Lavar Alston, Elmore's brother. Classmates of the two Reading
high schoolers, who knew each other, shared with us that both boys had
aspirations of making it big. In fact, Elmore was an aspiring rapper. "The
last thing he asked me was to put his music on the radio, and that's
what I'm going to do, 'cause that's what he lived for," close friend
Chartiona Keith said. Friends of Lias said he had a great sense of humor. "He was so funny. You couldn't be sad around him," cried Christina Cruz. One
relative believes Elmore shot himself as a way out of a gang. Others
believe he shot himself over the death of his best friend, Lias, the
day before. "He promised me he wasn't going to do anything
stupid. Lias was his best friend and that's hard losing your best
friend," Keith said. Police have not said whether the deaths are
homicides. They are still looking to question anyone who witnessed
either shooting, and they are still investigating the case.

The
death of a Reading teen in an alley 24 hours after his best friend was
shot and killed there has been ruled a suicide, the Berks County
coroner's office said Tuesday.

Donald S. Elmore Jr., 17, was found dead Sunday about 2 a.m. in an alley off the 300 block of North 10th Street.

He shot himself at a memorial honoring Anthony T. Lias, 17, who was
found shot to death in the same place early Saturday, police said.

Elmore shot himself in the head above his right ear, the coroner's office said.

A gun and shell casing were found at the memorial, said Capt. Francis F. Drexler, head of the criminal investigations division.

Police believe others were at or near the memorial when Elmore died.

Witnesses have not been cooperating with authorities, police said Tuesday.

Officials said an autopsy performed Sunday in Reading Hospital
determined Lias died of a single gunshot to the back of the neck. His
death was ruled a homicide.

The gun is undergoing ballistics testing to determine if it was used in both deaths, Drexler said.

Originally Published: 9/21/2010
Jason Brudereck: Reading youths face nights of living dangerously

Anthony Lias was found dead at age 17 of a single gunshot to the back of the neck in an alley off the 300 block of North 10th Street.

It was after 2 a.m. on a Saturday in July 2009.

Wrong place. Wrong time.

And then just recently, Willy Tineo-Ferreira, 15, was shot to death in the 900 block of Green Street at 1:30 a.m. by a group of teens looking for someone to rob.

Wrong place. Wrong time.

The murder vividly brought back bad memories for Anthony's mom, Candace Burton-Singlar.

When asked why Willy was out that late, his relatives had an answer: Parties in Reading start at 10 - exactly when the city curfew for youths begins - and go on for hours.

Some kids don't care that it puts them in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When I asked last week why Anthony was out that late, his mom had an answer: "He used to climb out the window. I could call the police, and they said they couldn't do anything."

He smoked marijuana.

She tried to get him to rehab three times.

She took him to every local agency anyone could mention.

"I did everything I could do in my power to get him off the streets," Candace said. "He liked to be out with his friends. There are parents in this city who let these kids congregate in their houses. I would ride around at night looking for him."

One day, she took him to a district judge for a haranguing.

The judge told Anthony to pull his life together, listen to his mother, get off the streets, shape up. Or else.

Or else what?

Things would end badly, of course.

"He just thought he was doing what the typical 17-year-olds are doing, but he is a victim, too," Candace said.

A victim of being, by his choice, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the typical rush to blame the parents of victims and assailants, the fact that young men can be defiant is often overlooked.

In Willy's case, four defendants were arrested within hours.

In Anthony's case, there have been no arrests. There are no suspects.

Both lives were cut short.

And it will happen again.

It will be a weekend. It will be the middle of the night.

A boy will be shot dead.

The community will wonder why.

The answer will be the same: Wrong place. Wrong time.

Contact Jason Brudereck: 610-371-5044 or jbrudereck@readingeagle.com.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=250641