NEW DETAILS: Johnstown man accused of homicide claimed another shot, killed woman

CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Police have released new details about the investigation into a Johnstown man who is accused of murdering a woman on Sept. 19.

Douglas Yonker, 57, was arraigned on Friday, Sept. 20 for homicide charges after police arrived at a home on K Street for a report of gunshots, according to a criminal complaint. On the day of the shooting officers from the Johnstown Police Department were called to a duplex and arrived to find Yonker with wounds to his head and 40-year-old Lenna Azzoli dead.

Police spoke with Yonker who told them that he was sitting on the porch with Azzoli when a car came down the road and a man stepped out and allegedly fired two shots at them. Yonker then added that he returned fire at the vehicle. Police noted in the complaint that they searched the area and found three shell casings on the porch and a firearm. The firearm had blood on it which detectives noted only coincides with when a bullet is fired into the flesh at close proximity, according to the affidavit.

Police also noted that the position of the shell casings, located on the porch, was inconsistent with Yonkers’s story. Shell casings are ejected back and to the right of a semi-automatic firearm and there were no shell casings located on the street, on the sidewalk or anywhere else besides the porch. According to the affidavit, there were also no signs of bullets hitting the porch, ceiling, brick, siding or anywhere to indicate that someone had fired shots at Azzoli from off the porch.

Police noted that Azzoli had at least five gunshot wounds to the right abdomen and right leg. The wounds were described as being large and having stippling, which indicated she was shot at a close range.

Police searched the home and noted in the report that there was blood on the floor, on napkins, on the kitchen sink and a washrag by the sink. Police reported that it showed Yonkers was cleaning himself up after Azzoli had been shot. They also wrote that the “blood drops were perpendicular with the floor, indicating that Yonker, who was wounded was not in a hurry, but calm and relaxed.”

According to the complaint, they also found blood on the top of the porch light switch, which indicated that Yonkers turned off the porch lights after the murder had happened.

A neighbor told police that she heard arguing across the street and then heard multiple “pops” so she went to her window and saw an individual on the porch go into the home and turn off the light.

Other residents who spoke to police told them they saw Yonker and Azzoli on the porch when they heard Azzoli yelling. They added that she was yelling for help before they heard a crashing noise.

No neighbor or witness heard or saw another car driving down the road at the time of the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Lastly, officers noted that Azzoli was covered in blood along with the inside of the screen door, which indicated to them that she was shot and died where she was on the porch.

Yonker was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence. He was placed in Cambria County Prison and his bail was denied.

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He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 10.

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