Best is charged with aggravated murder, with gun specifications, in the deaths of Joseph Romano and Tiffany Hoskins a day later at a Jacoby Avenue residence. He is also facing a conspiracy to commit murder charge for allegedly conspiring to kill Douglas Hobbs, who was living in Romano’s residence, and aggravated arson, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse for allegedly bleaching Hoskins’ body and then lighting it on fire. He additionally is charged with participating in a criminal gang.
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Romano was shot to death on Nov. 4, hit four times by bullets, three of them striking him in the chest, leg and neck. Romano was killed in his kitchen at 1517 Lafayette Ave.
Hours later, on Nov. 5, Hoskins was found shot inside a home at 1507 Jacoby Ave. Middletown firefighters were called to the scene and found flames shooting from the second floor and Hoskins’ body at the top of the home’s stairway.
Two weeks ago a July 10 trial date was set for Charles Ray Graham, 27, of 2002 Pearl St., is charged with attempted burglary and participating in a criminal gang. .
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In February the third co-defendant, Derrick Brown, 22, of 815 Crawford St., pleaded guilty to burglary, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, and aggravated murder for the death of Joseph Romano at his Lafayette Avenue home in November. He entered a guilty plea to participating in a criminal gang.
Brown was sentenced Monday afternoon to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of Romano, with an additional 31 years behind bars for the other charges.
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