Man sentenced in 2021 College Street homicide in Butler, pleas guilty to third degree murder
Following a mistrial in April, the final defendant in a 2021 drug-related homicide at a College Street residence in Butler pleaded guilty to third degree murder and was sentenced to serve eight to 40 years in state prison.
Hassan L.R. Brack, 38, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday, Aug. 11, in Common Pleas Court after a plea agreement was struck Friday in the Dec. 5 shooting and stabbing death of Hakeem Moran, 31, at 109 College St.
Brack’s trial in April ended in a mistrial declared by Judge Timothy McCune after the jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision after deliberating about nine hours over two days.
“We intended to retry him,” District Attorney Rich Goldinger said. “We had a material witness who became unavailable.
“We felt we couldn’t proceed with a trial so we reached a deal.”
Co-defendants Kahlil Z. H. Rippy Jr., 26, and Brooke R. Fair Smith, 31, both of Butler, testified against Brack and asked for leniency in sentencing. Rippy will be sentenced to serve 4 to 10 years in prison, and Fair Smith will be sentenced to 3.5 to 10 years in prison.
Butler police testified about surveillance footage showing Brack and Rippy outside Moran’s home, but their faces can’t be seen since the video was taken after sunset. He said there was no evidence of Brack in the home. Fair Smith’s DNA was found on the knife — not Brack’s — and the gun was never found.
Police allege the three defendants planned to rob Moran of drugs. Fair Smith purchased drugs from Moran then signaled Brack and Rippy waiting nearby to enter the home after she left.
A struggle ensued when Brack and Rippy entered the home, according to testimony. Rippy said Brack forced a man and woman in the home downstairs and pistol whipped the man when he resisted. Rippy said Brack then forced them both into the bathroom and told Rippy to be the lookout.
Rippy said when Brack went downstairs to find Moran, the two got into a struggle. Brack dropped a gun in the struggle and pulled out a knife instead to stab Moran before Brack retrieved the gun and shot Moran in the back, he continued. Rippy said he didn’t know Brack brought any weapons.
Rippy said he and Brack ran out of the house, and Brack handed him the knife to drop under a car before they were recorded by a surveillance video running down Linden Street.
