One of two men charged in connection with the death of a man in Sharon has pleaded no contest and awaits sentencing, while his co-defendant’s case is under appeal.

Eric Wayne Lomax, 64, of Sharpsville, is scheduled to be sentenced April 29 after pleading no contest to aggravated assault.

Lomax and Vince Hines, 59, of Sharon, were charged after Edward Reedy, 35, was found Feb. 5, 2024, bleeding from a head wound outside a garage on the 700 block of New Castle Avenue. Reedy died at a hospital.

Police said Lomax, who owned the home where the incident occurred, had allowed Reedy, his wife and son to stay with him.

According to a criminal complaint, Lomax threatened to kill Reedy if he did not repay owed money, then struck him multiple times with a pistol until he lost consciousness. Police said Lomax then fled.

Hines, the second suspect, was awaiting trial on firearm and drug charges when Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel Wallace ruled late last year that a warrantless search of his home during the police investigation was unconstitutional.

Court documents show Hines told officers he heard a noise, went outside and saw Reedy on the ground and a man fleeing on a bicycle.

Officers conducted a “protective sweep” of Hines’ residence, discovering a shotgun. A subsequent search warrant yielded further evidence.

Wallace ruled the initial warrantless entry violated Hines’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. He determined the circumstances did not justify a protective sweep or the “community caretaking doctrine,” which allows warrantless searches in certain emergencies.

“There was no evidence that the crime began or partially occurred inside Defendant’s home,” Wallace wrote in his opinion. He also noted officers had no indication anyone else was in the home or that the fleeing man had entered.

Wallace found the officers’ actions did not meet the legal criteria for a protective sweep, which requires “articulable facts” suggesting a danger to officers or others. He rejected the Commonwealth’s argument that Hines’ 911 call constituted implied consent to search.

“This Court cannot permit warrantless searches of a home simply due to the fact that a crime was committed outside of it,” Wallace wrote.

All evidence obtained from Hines’ home was suppressed, affecting the prosecution’s case.

The Mercer County District Attorney’s Office has appealed Wallace’s ruling to the Superior Court.