2 people charged with homicide after 71-year-old man discovered dead near railroad tracks in Uniontown

Two people have been charged with homicide following the discovery of a 71-year-old man’s body in Uniontown.

According to the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office, Terry Newland, 58, and Alysha Riggans, 30, are charged with plotting to murder Ralph Brown.

Brown’s body was discovered on railroad tracks near West Kerr Street on Sunday.

Newland and Riggans are charged with criminal homicide, corpse abuse, and evidence tampering.

Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele described this as a “very, very callous, cold, and calculated crime.”

He said investigators discovered Brown’s body tied up and wrapped in a blanket along the train tracks on West Kerr Street.

According to the DA, the couple was living with Brown and were fighting over money.

“They were going to basically take a room for a short period of time and ended up changing their address to a point where he really couldn’t get them out,” Aubele added.

Riggans told police that when Brown got home on Wednesday last week, she observed Newland stab him in the neck with a knife. Riggans then told police she observed Newland hit Brown in the head with a table.

She reportedly told police that she and Newland tied a bag around Brown’s head, bound his feet in cords, and kept his body in the basement for two days before dropping him in the grass near the train tracks at 4 a.m. Saturday.

When police discovered Brown’s body and drove to their Crow Street location, they instantly identified Newland and Riggans and brought them into arrest.

“As soon as we walked into the house, we noticed items of forensic value, including potential blood,” Aubele added.

According to the police complaint, Riggans grabbed money from Brown’s pockets while his body was in the basement and spent more than $600 on his debit card. Riggans and Newland are currently being incarcerated at the Fayette County Prison.

“What I’ve heard from investigators and people around the community is that this was a beloved individual and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law,” Aubele said.

Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 20.