State police file homicide charge
In a recorded prison phone call, a woman under investigation in the disappearance of a Kittanning man allegedly implicated her boyfriend in the death of a man in Lyndora March 20.
State police filed a homicide charge Monday against Joshua K. Greaves, 34, of Mercer, Mercer County, in the death of Gregory W. Bosko, 55.
Bosko's body was found in a wooded area April 1; his throat had been cut.
Following her arrest, Tiffany N. Hilliard, 30, of Butler used another person's phone account at the Butler County Prison, and called her mother, telling her that Bosko was dead, according to the affidavit of probable cause in the homicide case.
Detective Timothy Fennell, of the Butler County District Attorney's Office, had been monitoring prison phone calls in relation to an ongoing investigation and identified a different woman speaking on the account he had previously listened in on.
Fennel said Hilliard was identified as the caller and was extremely upset regarding Bosko's disappearance. A further call was overheard where Hilliard indicated that Bosko was dead, that Greaves was responsible and she is an accessory, the document states.
The document also states that during a police interview, Hilliard reported that she and Greaves contacted Bosko for a ride to buy drugs, and during the ride, Greaves slit Bosko's throat multiple times from behind with a razor-blade type knife in a parking lot at 203 Main St., Lyndora.
“He just reached up and cut his neck saying, 'I'm sorry baby I love you,'” the document states.
Hilliard then reported that the two moved Bosko's body to the backseat and covered him up using bloody clothing which they had removed. Hilliard said Bosko was dead when they moved the body, the document states. Hilliard then told police that she drove to Sheetz in the area of New Castle Road and Route 422 to get gas, where Greaves used money from Bosko's wallet to pay, before they drove to Oneida Valley Road, according to the court records. She said Greaves then threw two of Bosko's cellphones out the window.
She reported that she then drove the vehicle around before pulling onto Redbud Road, where the two wrapped Bosko's body in a green blanket and carried him into the woods, the document states.
The criminal complaint states that the pair then returned to Bosko's home in Kittanning to get their belongings, clean up and use heroin.
While there, the couple took a BB gun and a small computer, the document states. The two then drove back to Butler, where they disposed of their bloody clothes in a Dumpster near 339 Center Ave., and continued to drive Bosko's car until their arrest on March 24, Hilliard allegedly told police.
The affidavit states that Hilliard told police that Greaves and Bosko had been prison cellmates and that she and Greaves had been staying at Bosko's home in Kittanning for about a month. She said Bosko was not there very often, other than stopping by or bringing drugs.
According to the court records, Hilliard said the couple planned on leaving April 1 to go to Texas for work and to avoid apprehension on warrants, and discussed stealing Bosko's vehicle. Hilliard said she has stolen cars with Greaves in the past when he was on the run between 2011-12 in Florida.
Hilliard also stated that Greaves joked about killing someone, the document states.
Bosko was reported missing on March 20, and his body was found by police on April 1 in Concord Township.
Butler County Coroner William Young III ruled Bosko's death a homicide. He said the cause of death was “sharp trauma of the neck,” and that the man's throat had been slit “multiple times.”
In addition to the homicide charge, Greaves also is facing several related charges, including felony robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property, hindering apprehension, misdemeanor receiving stolen property, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy counts to all.
Hilliard wasn't charged with homicide, but faces charges of felony robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property, hindering apprehension, misdemeanor receiving stolen property, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy counts to all.
The couple was arrested March 24 after allegedly being found in Bosko's vehicle in the 300 block of West Wayne Street, and the two gave false names to officers. Once identified, both were found to be wanted on bench warrants. Greaves also was allegedly found in possession of three stamp bags of heroin. Both face charges in that incident as well.
Following arraignment Monday, bail was denied for Greaves, and Hilliard is held on $500,000 cash bail.
Greaves was set for a preliminary hearing on the false identification and possession charges on Monday, which was continued. That hearing is now scheduled for July 24 before District Judge William Fullerton.
