Man wanted in connection with May shooting death is captured

August 31, 2007|By ERIN JULIUS

The man wanted in connection with the May 22 shooting death of a Greencastle, Pa., man at a Hagerstown bar was captured Tuesday in New York City, according to a Hagerstown Police Department press release.

Stephen Lamar Urquhart, 26, whose address is unknown, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Christopher Jason Ayala, police said.

Urquhart was being held Friday in New York City while awaiting extradition to Maryland, police said. Extradition could take more than a month, Lt. Mike King of the Hagerstown Police Department said.

Police believe Urquhart originally was from New York, King has said. Investigators believe Urquhart lived in Hagerstown for about six months prior to the shooting, King has said.

Ayala, 23, was found on the floor of Zipper's bar on North Jonathan Street suffering from a gunshot wound on May 22 around 11 p.m., police have said. Ayala was taken to Washington County Hospital, where he later died.

Urquhart and Ayala were acquaintances prior to the shooting, King said Friday.

Detectives believe they have a motive for the shooting, but do not want to release that information before the trial, King said Friday.

Hagerstown Police Department detectives went to New York City Wednesday to try to talk to Urquhart, King said.

The U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force in Martinsburg W.Va., helped find Urquhart, police said.

"He probably felt comfortable up there in New York," Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Ulrich said.

The New York-New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force took Urquhart into custody without incident, police said.

Court records from Baltimore County District Court show that Urquhart was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree malicious burning and malicious destruction of property in a January 2006 incident.

Other robbery and assault charges against Urquhart dating to 2004 were dismissed, according to Baltimore County District Court records.

Court records also show that Urquhart was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and the other charge was dropped, according to Baltimore County District Court records.

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