Ishemer Ramsey

Autopsy photographs and DNA analysis are in, but Ishemer Ramsey's defense attorney is still waiting on the ballistics report and other evidence related to the 2017 shooting death of Melissa Barto.

Ramsey, 22, of Lyndora is charged with homicide in the June 8 death of Barto, who was his girlfriend. He also is accused of burning and hiding her body with the help of a friend.

Ramsey appeared in court Monday for a discovery hearing with his court-appointed attorney, Christopher Capozzi, though little new information was revealed.

In addition to the discovery issues, Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz told the court she did not plan to call two of Ramsey's three co-defendants during the trial.

Ramsey, who is being held in Butler County Prison without bail, was not asked to speak and said nothing at the hearing before President Judge Thomas Doerr.

Schultz told Doerr that since Capozzi filed his discovery motion Dec. 22, prosecutors have turned over a five-page DNA analysis and a computer disc containing 61 photos taken at Barto's autopsy.

Capozzi said he is still awaiting laboratory reports for certain evidence collected in the state police investigation, including firearms and tool marks and latent fingerprints.

Schultz told Doerr those reports have not been completed by the police lab.

Police allege Ramsey shot and killed the 26-year-old Butler native and mother in his vehicle during an argument over his belief she had been unfaithful.

He is accused of soliciting the help of two other men — James E. Howard-George, 24, of Butler and Joshua W. Bowser, 22, of Lyndora — in disposing of her body.

Four days after the fatal shooting, police said, Barto's badly burned remains were found in a farm field in Lawrence County.

In addition to homicide, Ramsey is charged with conspiracy to commit homicide, hindering apprehension, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit the latter two crimes.

Police also filed lesser charges against Howard-George, Bowser and Justin M. Johnson, 20, of Butler in connection with the investigation. Johnson is accused of interfering with the investigation by providing a false alibi for Ramsey.

At Monday's hearing, Schultz said prosecutors do not plan to call Bowser or Johnson to testify at Ramsey's trial. No decision has been made about Howard-George's testimony.

She said no promises of reward have been made to any of the co-defendants in return for providing testimony as potential prosecution witnesses.

Doerr issued an order giving prosecutors 30 days to provide the defense with its requested discovery information.

Additionally, Ramsey's case was set for a status conference April 18.