Jul 13, 2024 By Zach Petroff 3 min read

Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said Friday he plans to seek the death penalty against a man who allegedly paid a teenager in cash and drugs to carry out a fatal shooting.

“The callousness of this crime cannot be ignored and it deserves the most serious punishment available,” Aubele said, referring to the solicitation to commit criminal homicide charge filed Friday against Calvin Huffman, 37, of Uniontown.

Police contend Huffman paid Antonyo Owens $5,000 in cash and gave him three large bags of marijuana to shoot Anthony Jones, 38, of Uniontown on June 6, 2023. Owens, 14 at the time, is charged as an adult with criminal homicide.

The shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Clarke Street near Calvary United Methodist Church in Uniontown, and was over “an ongoing dispute between Huffman and Jones regarding a large amount of drugs,” according to court paperwork.

Aubele said that during the initial investigation law enforcement believed that Owens had received assistance in evading capture for several days, which they now believe Huffman is responsible for.

“Huffman took substantial steps to hinder the apprehension of Owens,” Aubele said, “including further payments in cash and drugs to various individuals to have him concealed from law enforcement.”

Owens was arrested five days after the shooting.

According to the complaint, police were contacted this past March by someone who linked Huffman to the shooting. That person, who was not identified in court paperwork, “was in possession of corroborating digital evidence to support their statement that (Owens) was paid in money and drugs” to shoot Jones.

Aubele also said troopers were able to compile geolocation, cellular data, additional witness statements and other evidence that resulted in the criminal charges.

Huffman has a lengthy criminal history that stretches back 20 years, including a 2011 case in Fayette County where he was convicted of shooting a woman outside of a bar.

This past April, Huffman was arrested in Bedford County after he allegedly kidnapped a man and assaulted others.

Charging documents in that case allege Huffman got into the truck of a man who stopped to help him after a crash and forced him to drive around. As the man drove, police alleged, Huffman assaulted him and made comments about not wanting to go back to jail.

Police said Huffman got out of the truck at a Sheetz in Everett Borough, Bedford County, and the man drove off and called 911.

Huffman was arrested at the Sheetz store after he allegedly attacked several people.

He faces several charges in that case, including kidnapping and robbery of a motor vehicle.

As he awaits a preliminary hearing in the charges related to Jones’ death, Huffman will remain in Bedford County jail.

The Altoona Mirror contributed to this report.