A man accused of killing his girlfriend, and two other men charged with helping cover up the crime, appeared in Butler County Court on Tuesday.

The accused shooter, Ishemer D. Ramsey, 21, of Lyndora, and the man police say lent Ramsey his vehicle to dispose of the body, Joshua W. Bowser, 22, also of Lyndora, were formally arraigned before county Judge William Shaffer Tuesday afternoon on charges related to the shooting death of 26-year-old Melissa Barto on June 8.

Ramsey was charged with criminal homicide, felony conspiracy to criminal homicide, hinder apprehension, misdemeanor abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy charges to both.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger previously said no determination has yet been made toward seeking the death penalty in the case.

Bowser was charged with felony hindering apprehension and misdemeanor conspiracy counts to abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

Both men were scheduled for further court proceedings, according to public online court records. Ramsey was scheduled for a status conference on Oct. 16, call of the list on Nov. 29 and jury selection on Nov. 30. Bowser was scheduled for status conference on Oct. 16 and judicial conference on Dec. 6.

Ramsey continues to be held in the Butler County Prison after bail was denied, and Bowser continues to be held on $100,000 bail.

Another man, Justin M. Johnson, 19, of Butler, was also in county court in relation to the crime, but was scheduled for status conference in Judge Timothy McCune's courtroom Tuesday morning.

Johnson's case was moved on to judicial conference on Oct. 18, awaiting jury selection on Nov. 9, with trial scheduled on Nov. 13.

He was formally arraigned on Aug. 15 and continues to be held in the county jail on $100,000 bail on charges of felony hindering apprehension and misdemeanor false reports, after police say he supplied an alibi for Ramsey that later turned out to be false.

Johnson also awaits a hearing, which has yet to be scheduled according to online docket records, after filing a motion to change bail conditions.

The motion seeks release on pretrial supervision, based on the argument that Johnson has no prior criminal history, is a resident of Butler, was a full-time student and varsity athlete at Thiel College.

The motion says he seeks to take classes at Butler County Community College pending the resolution of the charges. That motion will be argued later.

Ramsey was charged after state police say he fatally shot Barto three times in the head during an argument in his car. Ramsey apparently suspected Barto was cheating on him, police said.

He then solicited the help of Bowser and another man, James E. Howard-George, 24, of Butler, in disposing of her body, which was later found partially burned in a field in Lawrence County, police said.

Howard-George also faces charges in the incident, including felony conspiracy to criminal homicide, misdemeanor abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He also continues to be held after bail was denied. Police said Howard-George helped Ramsey move Barto's body, and attempt to dispose of her remains.

He was arraigned on Aug. 1, and is awaiting judicial conference on Oct. 18 and jury selection on Nov. 9, with trial scheduled on Nov. 13.

Following a missing person's report, filed after Barto failed to show up at her 6-year-old daughter's kindergarten graduation, Ramsey was a person of interest in the case, after Barto was last seen on June 8 leaving work at Miller's Quality Meats in Butler shortly before 3:30 p.m.

Ramsey was pulled over on June 10 by Butler Township Police, and his vehicle was found to be missing the passenger seat and the “overwhelming odor” of bleach was smelled coming from the interior, police said.

When arrested, Ramsey was also found armed with a 1911-style handgun, police said.

After the execution of a search warrant, blood was allegedly found inside the vehicle, as well as a .45-caliber slug lodged in the passenger side door.

Police said surveillance footage from a local store also identified Ramsey and Howard-George purchasing rope, tarp and latex gloves.

On June 12, Barto's body was found by a farmer in a field in Lawrence County, laying face up, with her lower torso burned. Under her body, police said red rope, matching that which was purchased by Ramsey and Howard-George, was found. Police allege the two men used lighter fluid to ignite the body.

Further surveillance footage also shows the men at a car wash on Route 356 washing the inside of Ramsey's vehicle, as well as traveling on a toll road that night, police said.