BY: Stephenie Livingston
suwanneedemocrat.com
James Howze, left, and Lonnie Munn will face a jury this fall.
Trials for the two men indicted on first degree murder charges for the execution style shooting deaths of three members of a McAlpin family, have been set for late October and November, according to Third Circuit Assistant State Attorney Craig Jacobsen.
James Lindsey Howze, 38, of O’Brien, will face a jury during the week of Oct. 24 while Lonnie Robert Munn, 47, Live Oak, will be tried the week of Nov. 21, Jacobsen said.
The two were arrested on first degree murder charges for the shooting death of Joseph Militello Jr., 57, his wife Nancy L. Militello, 68 and their nephew Angelo Rosales, 32.
Jacobsen said jury selection for Howze is scheduled to take place Oct. 19 and 20. Jury selection for Munn is expected to take place a couple days prior to his trial, Jacobsen said.
Howze and Munn have been charged with three counts each of first-degree murder while armed with a firearm, home invasion robbery while armed, conspiracy to commit home invasion robbery and conspiracy to commit first degree murder while armed with a firearm. The two face the death penalty if convicted.
The Militellos and their nephew were found by an employee lying face down in their 172nd Street McAlpin home early morning on Aug. 26, 2010 after they had been shot execution style once each in the back of their heads. Authorities said Howze and Munn targeted the Militellos for money and believed to have robbed and killed them the evening of Aug. 25.
A former employee of the Militellos, Keith Allen Hughes, 25, was jailed on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the murders. He hanged himself in his jail cell at the Suwannee County Jail last September. Hughes had a past record of arson, affray and criminal mischief.
Released from prison in 2008, Howze has already served 14 years of a 25-year sentence for second degree murder in Hernando County. Both Howze and Munn have a history of burglaries. Howze played a role in a previous Suwannee County burglary, while Munn served time in 1988 for burglary, robbery and false imprisonment. Munn landed back in prison four more times between 1992 and 1998 on cocaine charges, grand theft and burglary.
The pair are associated with the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club in Tampa, officials said. The Black Pistons are known to be involved in criminal activities, such as the transportation of drugs, assault, extortion, fraud, intimidation and theft.