Trial begins for one of five charged in murder of Evon Young

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The trial for Ashanti Mcalister, one of five men charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Evon Young, began Monday, June 24th.

In court on Monday, 13 Milwaukee County citizens were selected to serve as jurors in this case.

Opening statements were then heard by the state and the defense, and the state began laying out its case against Mcalister.

18-year-old Mcalister, along with 37-year-old Ron Allen, 23-year-old Devin Seaberry, 26-year-old Billy Griffin and 27-year-old Victor Stewart face first-degree intentional homicide charges.

The charges come with a maximum life in prison sentence upon conviction.

A Milwaukee County judge called a mistrial in the Billy Griffin case Monday, June 17th after jurors failed to reached a verdict. Griffin's trial will begin again in the fall.

Evon Young was reported missing on January 2nd by his mother.

According to the criminal complaint in the case, the five defendants were at Young’s home when his roommate (Griffin) accused Young of stealing. Investigators say the defendants took Young to the basement, put a bag over his head, beat him with tools and took turns strangling him with a chain before ending his life with three gunshots.

The five are accused of wrapping Young’s body in a bed sheet, and tossing Young’s body in a dumpster.

Search crews were sorting through a landfill in Menomonee Falls this week, but that search was ended.

Young's body has never been recovered.

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