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Mother of slain Gouverneur teen charged with manslaughter; murder charge stands against 13 y/o suspect

Posted 7/15/20

BY ANDY GARDNER North Country This Week GOUVERNEUR -- The mother of 18-year-old Treyanna Summerville, who was murdered last month at her Gouverneur home, has been charged with manslaughter in …

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Mother of slain Gouverneur teen charged with manslaughter; murder charge stands against 13 y/o suspect

Posted

BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

GOUVERNEUR -- The mother of 18-year-old Treyanna Summerville, who was murdered last month at her Gouverneur home, has been charged with manslaughter in connection with her daughter’s death.

Lashanna Charleton was arrested after turning herself in Wednesday morning, July 15, to Gouverneur-based New York State Police. She was arraigned in Gouverneur Town Court by Justice Travis Dann and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, Canton, in lieu of $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua announced the charges in a press conference later in the day after Charleton’s arrest.

Second-degree murder charges stand against a 13-year-old who was charged with Summerville’s murder. Relatives of both the victim and the suspect say the suspect is Summerville’s sister, but the families members believe she is innocent.

"This is a fluid investigation. That (murder) charge was laid at that time based on evidence we have and still have. Through the course of our investigation, based on evidence collected by New York State Police there was belief there was probable cause to make this (manslaughter) arrest today," Pasqua told reporters.

Justice Dann put an order of protection in place against Charleton and in favor of a person who Pasqua declined to identify. When asked by a reporter if the person is Summerville’s 13-year-old sister, Pasqua declined to answer.

Pasqua had little to say on the evidence against Charleton and the 13-year-old. He said he didn’t want to compromise any chances of either suspect possibly being denied a shot at a fair trail.

"I'm not going to make any comment with regard to the specifics of the investigation," St. Lawrence County’s top prosecutor said. "Part of my job is to ensure anyone charged gets a fair trial. I know that's the court's responsibility as well. We want to make sure that happens as well. If we disclose any information, that could affect the ability of anyone charged in this matter ... to have a fair and impartial trial in front of a jury. We're not going to do that."

He said there has been no determination made so far of charging any additional suspects, or laying further charges against the two people who have been arrested so far.

"If through the course of our investigation there was reason to charge any other individual, that's a determination we would make," Pasqua said.

Summerville’s relatives at a memorial rally in her name last month said that Charleton abused the victim and her siblings. There have been numerous claims made that authorities failed to investigate allegations of abuse in the home. Pasqua said he’s aware of the claims.

"I've heard those rumblings. I understand what the community is saying," he said. "Job one is what we're doing now and that involves her death and the case of that."

"We want to get a complete picture not only of what happened immediately around that time, but in general what her situation was in that community,” the county DA said.

He added that New York State Police "continue to investigate all aspects of this matter, follow any leads in this matter.”

"If anyone has any information regarding this case, I would ask you to contact New York State Police and provide that info,” Pasqua said.

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