Charges dropped against Maryland man in Eastville shooting

By Linda Cicoira

Charges against a Salisbury, Md. man, who was linked by police to the outlaw Titan’s Motorcycle Club and was accused of participating in a shooting in Eastville last January, were dismissed Thursday in Northampton General District Court for lack of evidence.

Judge Gordon Vincent dismissed charges of destruction of more than $1,000 worth of property, shooting a firearm from a vehicle, shooting at an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm in a felony, attempted malicious wounding, and two counts of attempted malicious wounding by a mob against thirty-five-year-old Casey Lee Gillespie. A misdemeanor count of reckless use of a firearm was not prosecuted.

“Where’s the beef?” defense lawyer Andrew Protogyrou said using the old Wendy’s restaurant adage. There was “no identification of the defendant. Didn’t know if he was in colors or in the motorcycle group. No identification with weapon, at the scene. In best case, he is somewhere in a car. I appreciate the difficultly the Commonwealth has, even for purposes of a preliminary (hearing). Maybe if a weapon was found … There’s nothing that puts him (at the scene). We can’t put him in either car. You can do a bunch of guessing.… There has to be evidence that he participated. We don’t have him recklessly firing a firearm (or) shooting at an occupied vehicle. It’s all guessing,” the attorney said.

The victims, Timothy Pope and Tyler Combs, testified they could not identify Gillespie since the incident occurred at night. The two said they had a couple of beers at the restaurant/bar Yuk, Yuk & Joe’s, in Eastville. When they were leaving the establishment’s parking lot, they said they saw motorcycle riders making obscene hand gestures at them. The victims turned south and drove into town. A motorcycle pulled up alongside them and another got in front and hit the brakes. Combs was driving and said vehicle made contact with the motorcycle. Then the bike to the left slowed down and they heard three shots. By that time, the vehicles were in front of the old courthouse.

Major Rob Stubbs of the Eastville Police Department said shell casings were found at the scene. Bullet fragments were found inside the vehicle and made holes in its back end and to a lens.

Pope owns the vehicle and said it cost $2,000 to repair. He also said there was a vehicle behind them that night. Stubbs said a video recording showed the motorcycles and two vehicles pulling into a Cheriton gas station soon after the shooting. Six people could be seen but not close enough to identify. A copy of the Titan rules and regulations were found at one suspect’s home. Gillespie’s name came from a credit card that was used at the restaurant that night, the officer said.

Charges filed against forty-five-year-old Charles Matthew Lewis, of Accomac, in connection with the incident will not be prosecuted, according to court records. Charges against fifty-three-year-old Janet Page Lewis, of Exmore, and Richard Russell, of Laurel, Del., were dismissed. Charges against thirty-one-year-old Michael Leonard Stevens, and Edward Thornton Tayloe, both of Cape Charles, were certified to a grand jury.

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