Shade Township murder case postponed, court administrator says

Jul. 6—WINDBER, Pa. — The homicide case against a Richland Township man who allegedly confessed to a June 2 shooting death in Shade Township was postponed on Wednesday, giving his attorney more time to prepare a defense, authorities said.

Gregory John Mostoller, 67, of the 100 block of Terrace Drive, was scheduled to appear before District Judge William Seger, of Windber, for the murder of Clifton Earl Johnson, 64, of Hooversville.

Mostoller's attorney Thomas M. Dickey, of Altoona, requested the delay, Somerset County Court Administrator Tammy J. Escalera said.

A new date has not been scheduled.

State police in Somerset charged Mostoller with criminal homicide. He is accused of shooting Johnson seven times at a residence in the 800 block of Charles Street on June 2.

Mostoller reportedly called the Somerset barracks saying, "A guy came at me with a wrench and I killed him," a complaint affidavit said.

Troopers said when they arrived, they found Johnson partially under a sliding barn door.

Troopers arrested Mostoller at the scene, where he reportedly admitted to killing Johnson.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.

It's unclear what the relationship was between the two men.

"We're looking into a lot of the background information on the case," Somerset County Acting District Attorney Molly Metzger said.

Homicide investigators recovered 12 Speer .45-caliber auto casings, a forged chrome-vanadium wrench, bullet fragments, a cellphone, a Nowlin .45 ACP pistol, eight Speer .45-caliber auto cartridges, a magazine, a blue tarp and a white rope.

Mostoller is being held in Somerset County Jail without bond.