Man Arrested in Slaying of Boy Who Was to Testify

Police on Thursday arrested a man wanted for questioning in the slaying of an 8-year-old boy who was going to testify against him in a murder case.

Russell Peeler, 26, was taken into custody by police searching for his 22-year-old brother, Adrian, who had escaped from a halfway house.

Both brothers were being sought for questioning in the slayings of 8-year-old Leroy Brown Jr. and his mother, Karen Clarke, who were shot in their home last week as they returned from grocery shopping.

Russell Peeler was arrested shortly after midnight at his father’s home. State police said they found a stolen shotgun in the house and charged Peeler with illegal possession of a firearm.

Peeler was jailed on $750,000 cash bail.

He had been free on $900,000 bail in a murder case in which Leroy, who was known as B.J., was expected to be a key witness. In that case, Peeler had to post only 10%, or $90,000.

Peeler is charged in the shooting death last May of Rudolph Snead Jr., Clarke’s boyfriend. Leroy identified Peeler as the gunman in an earlier drive-by shooting in which Snead was slightly wounded.

The slayings of Leroy and his mother prompted questions about why Peeler was out on bail and why the boy was not under police guard as a witness. His mother had turned down police protection after a few days, saying she found it intrusive.

Peeler’s lawyer has said he was at home when the boy and his mother were killed and was monitored by an electronic bracelet.

Adrian Peeler, the brother, had been serving a sentence on drug and child endangerment charges when he fled the halfway house.

Police Lt. Mathew Cuminotto Jr. said, “We want to question him; we want to question everyone associated with [Russell] Peeler.”