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Wilt Convicted In Route 51 Murder

July 19th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

State’s Attorney for Allegany County, Michael O. Twigg, announced today that Jason Paul Wilt, 32 of Keyser, WV was convicted in Allegany County Circuit Court of one count of First Degree Murder relating to the January 27 death of Rhyshon Smith.

On January 27, 2016, officers and emergency personnel responded to the area of Route 51 near Uhl Highway for a report of a man lying along the road suffering from stabs wounds.  The victim was identified as Rhyshon Smith, 25 of Baltimore, who succumbed to his injuries at the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center. Following the investigation, Wilt and his girlfriend, Erika Dersin of Cumberland, were charged in Smith’s murder.  The couple had conspired together to rob Smith, and picked him up in Wilt’s vehicle earlier in the day in Cumberland.  As the vehicle traveled Rt. 51, the couple attempted to rob Smith, and he fought back.  At that time, Wilt produced a knife stabbing Smith several times within the vehicle, the fatal injury being a stab wound to Smith’s heart.   

The Honorable W. Timothy Finan, Circuit Court Judge for Allegany County, has scheduled Wilt’s sentencing for August 17, 2016.  Dersin is scheduled for trial that same day.

According to Assistant State’s Attorney Erich Bean, who prosecuted the case, “The investigators of the C3I Unit worked day and night for a week before the perpetrators were arrested.  It took some time just to identify the victim, we started with no obvious suspects, and without their relentless dedication, this senseless murder possibly could have gone unsolved.  I cannot applaud their efforts enough.”

The C3I Unit was assisted in the investigation by the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department and the Cumberland City Police Department.  Allegany County Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Detrick also prosecuted the matter.  Wilt was represented by Michael Stankan of the Public Defender’s Office. 

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