The Cambria County District Attorney’s office will not seek the death penalty against the 29-year-old man accused of the August beating death of the longtime chief of Tyrone’s Neptune Fire Company, Ray Stringer.
George T. Lightcap IV of Nanty Glo had his formal arraignment earlier this week in Ebensburg. DA David Tulowitzki said the formal arraignment is the last point in the legal process when prosecutors can seek the death penalty. He said his office decided against seeking the death penalty since no aggravating factors were present in the alleged crime. At least one such factor must be present for prosecutors to go for the death penalty.
Aggravating factors include, but are not limited to, a drug killing, a victim under 12, endangering others in the commission of a killing, the death of a witness or a police official.
Tulowitzki said Lightcap could face life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder. He said his office filed a general charge of homicide that includes all murder degrees and manslaughter.
Barring the possibility of a plea bargain, a trial date was set for Jan. 3, 2006. The DA said it more than likely the trial will be continued at least once if not more before it actually begins. Tulowitzki said it has been his experience most murder trials in Cambria County wait about six months from formal arraignment before getting started.
The charges against Lightcap stemmed from an incident in the early morning hours of Aug. 19 at the Nanty Glo VFW. Stringer was in the town for a firefighters convention. An altercation at the VFW took place away from any official convention activities that were held elsewhere in the community.
Lightcap was bound over for court after a preliminary hearing in early October. At the time, his defense team said Lightcap’s actions were in self defense and the charges against him should be dismissed. Prosecutors said testimony at the preliminary hearing didn’t seem to establish self defense.
Lightcap has been held without bail since the time of his arrest.
