Carmela King last saw her fiancé when she dropped him off to go out with a friend in rural Pennsylvania. Her last “Love You” text message went unanswered. She said that her husband’s body lay on the cabin’s front yard, with his back covered in multiple bullet wounds.
Peter Bernardo Spencer was shot to death Dec. 12 2021, more than six weeks before. So far there has been no charges for the father-to be, 29-years-old Peter Bernardo Spencer’s murder.
King stated, “He was a great man and his life matters.” King said, “He deserved the opportunity to have his child, to be the father, husband and hard-working man that he wanted to be.”
The people accused of killing Spencer walked away for 45 days, leaving Spencer’s family, activists, and religious groups confused. They claimed that the incident demonstrates a double standard in which justice is applied differently to victims based on their skin color.
According to a Pennsylvania State Police press release, Spencer, an immigrant from Jamaica, was found dead in Rockland, Pa., just before 2:30 AM. This is about 85 miles north of Pittsburgh. Officers found numerous firearms, “ballistic” evidence and drugs in the cabin. The suspect, a White 25-year-old man, was detained along with three other people, who were also White. After consultation with the Venango County District Attorney’s Office, all four were released. Although the State Police’s Heritage Affairs team responds to hate or bias-related crimes was notified, Spencer’s death has not been investigated as a hate crime.
Paul Jubas, a civil rights attorney, said that he would love to see a district prosecutor find a crime scene with a home full of Black people and a White man in the yard with nine bullet holes and then detain them and let them go.” Jubas is Spencer’s advisor. I would love to hear the reaction to that. The next day, the district attorney would be out of office. White America wouldn’t stand for this.”
Shawn White, Venango County District Attorney, urged patience Tuesday in an email to The Washington Post. He stated that while he understood the family’s need for information, his office must conduct an exhaustive investigation.
The family’s surprise has become outrage as the days drag on without any arrests. The family is now asking federal agencies to join the investigation. They want the case referred to the Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Cyril Wecht, a well-known pathologist, to perform a private autopsy.
Jubas stated, “We are being stonewalled.” “So even something as simple and as easy as sharing their autopsy photos to our medical examiner — even something so small — they refuse to cooperate with.”
Icilda Spencer Hunter, Spencer’s mother, said that Spencer was a “mama” boy who loved her. He called her “madre”, and would always give her a hug or shoulder rub. She said that they were working together to realize their dream of opening a restaurant. They started with a catering company offering Jamaican dishes. Although Spencer is now vegan, Icilda says that Spencer was a vegetarian until recently. Tehilah, Spencer’s younger brother, said that Spencer was a self-taught, multi-skilled man who was always willing and able to help others.
He was also a soon to be-father to a baby due in June.
The family was dissatisfied by the lack of information available from authorities regarding Spencer’s death and turned to Wecht, an Allegheny County Coroner and Medical Examiner who has consulted in high-profile cases like the deaths of JonBenet Ramsey or Laci Peterson.
Wecht did not examine Spencer’s body. However, Wecht said that he could only analyze photos taken by the embalmer. He has requested a report from the coroner, but to no avail. He said that it was difficult to determine the trajectory of the bullets because the funeral home had inserted trocars into the wounds. Many appear to have passed through Spencer’s back.
Wecht stated that nine shots were fired over 24 inches, which is what we call long distance shots. It’s almost like watching someone get hunted down.
Spencer’s family and Tim Stevens (activist and chairman of Pittsburgh-based Black Political Empowerment Project) claim that the shooter was his co-worker. He claimed self-defense. Police have not revealed the identity of the man they identified.
Stevens stated that there was a lack of transparency and accountability, which prompted B-PEP to send a letter to the Pennsylvania Governor. Tom Wolf (D), U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland, and Shapiro asked them to intervene. Stevens stated that local officials are watching the case. However, Shapiro’s office will need to receive an official request from Venango County in order to intervene.
Spencer was killed in Pennsylvania’s most rural county, Allegheny County, where only 1.1 percent of the residents are Black, according U.S. Census Bureau data. The figures cast doubt on the ability to have a fair investigation without bias, said Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus chair William Anderson. He said that the case exposes a racist past that has been simmering in the state.
Anderson stated, “This is a township of 1,400 people where some people believe that Blacks or people of color are taking control of their country.” Anderson asked, “How is the county’s District Attorney able to handle this case and prosecute it without bias?”
According to data from the Southern Poverty Law Center, 36 active hate organizations were tracked by the Center. Most of them had skinhead, neoliberal and white supremacist ideologies. The Rev. Dale Snyder is a pastor at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Snyder said that the historical context of all this is what Jim Crow would have done to bring Blacks out as prey. His church supports Spencer’s transparency calls. “So, we’re trying not to draw any conclusions, but it was very difficult when this happened in December.”
Icilda described the emotional rollercoaster ride that was Spencer’s memorial service on Dec. 31. She described frustration at being “ghosted,” and helplessness at not knowing the answers. There was also comfort from the tributes to her son’s kindness, and hope that there would be some good from the tragedy.
Icilda stated that her father always said “Something good is going on” and that this is where she’s going. “But I need people who treat my deceased son as a person, not as a number. They need to hear his story. He was a child of a person.
