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Mercer corrections officer charged with murder

Mercer County prison employee is suspended from his job while authorities in New Castle investigate him as a murder suspect.

Wednesday, March 16th 2016, 5:06 PM EDT

Updated:

Tuesday, March 22nd 2016, 9:17 AM EDT

John Husted

NEW CASTLE, Pa. - Mercer County prison employee is suspended from his job while authorities in New Castle investigate him as a murder suspect.

New Castle Police have charged Joseph Cohen, 46, of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania with criminal homicide and aggravated assault.

Cohen is being held in the Lawrence County Jail without bond for the shooting death of Demon Marktez Higgins, 25, of Detroit, Michigan.

New Castle Police found the body of Higgins outisde the Lincoln Housing Complex Tuesday night.

Officers say Higgins was shot during an argument with Cohen.

Acting on a tip, police say they found Cohen hiding in a wooded area near the complex, where he was taken into custody.

State Department of Corrections officials say Cohen has been a corrections officer at the State Correctional Institution at Mercer since August 2012, but is currently under suspension.

He is scheduled to appear before a District Magistrate for a preliminary hearing next Wednesday.

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