Cambria County district attorney calls for justice in Moxham shooting death
Aug. 17—Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer pleaded with the public Tuesday during a press conference at the Cambria County Coroner's Office for anyone with information about the deadly shooting of Messiah Rhodes in Johnstown's Moxham neighborhood to come forward.
"A young man of the age of 29 died," he said.
"Him and his family deserve justice, and if you hold a piece of the puzzle to get justice for him and for his family, it's the right thing to come forward."
Authorities identified Rhodes, a Philadelphia native who lived in the Johnstown area for the past year, as the victim of Sunday's shooting that occurred just before 3 p.m.
When Johnstown police responded to a call of multiple shots fired, they found Rhodes deceased in a vehicle.
An autopsy was completed on Monday at ForensicDx in Windber.
Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees has ruled the incident a homicide, and the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.
"He was found sitting in the driver's seat of a parked vehicle along Lunen Street near Park Avenue," he said on Tuesday.
"This was right outside of the residence that he was living in."
Authorities said this was an isolated incident and do not believe the shooting was connected to the bust of the Johnstown-area drug ring from last week or any other recent violence in the city.
Neugebauer said the general community is not in any danger.
There have been no arrests made at this time, and Neugebauer declined to comment on whether the police had any suspects, whether the homicide was drug-related or if there was anyone else in the vehicle when Rhodes was murdered.
Additionally, nothing of any concern was found in the vehicle, according to authorities.
The investigation, involving the Johnstown Police Department and the district attorney and coroner's offices, is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police.
That can be done anonymously online at cityofjohnstownpa.net, by texting "JPD" to 847411 or by calling the nonemergency number, 814-472-2100.
