Tense Courtroom Proceeding For Hodge Preliminary Hearing

Anthony Hodge bound over for trial on attempted homicide charge

The Lewistown Sentinel

July 27, 2007

By John Hilton

Sentinel Reporter

The animosity between Anthony Hodge and Asmara Vasser was clear even before Hodge’s preliminary hearing on attempted homicide charges began Friday.

Hodge’s family and supporters sat on one side of the room, while Vasser’s wife sat on the other. Defense attorney Justin J. McShane’s first act was to ask Magisterial District Justice Jessica Brewbaker to remove Vasser from the courtroom.

“I know this is an emotional issue,” the judge said to family and friends of the two men. “Everyone keep it together.”

After an hour of testimony, Brewbaker bound Hodge over for trial on several charges related to a July 16 shooting in Carlisle. She also reduced Hodge’s bail from $2 million to $500,000.

Carlisle police say Hodge, 22, and Vasser, 30, were feuding over a girl when the defendant fired shots at a car Vasser was driving along the first block of West North Street. Instead of hitting his intended target, a bullet struck Trakia Houdeshell, 27, as she sat on her porch in the 200 block of West North Street just before midnight.

Houdeshell was taken to Hershey Medical Center, where she was treated and released.

McShane previewed his defense strategy by questioning Vasser’s character and accusing him of dealing drugs, stalking Hodge and heading a “crew” that he directed to take out his rival.

The defense attorney alleged that Vasser turned his car around and drove back down West North Street firing a gun at Hodge.

Carlisle Police Detective Jeffrey Kurtz said all shell casings recovered by police point to one shooter.

“If Mr. Vasser had a revolver, there would be no shell casings, right?” McShane asked. The detective agreed.

No gun was recovered in the incident, McShane noted.

Once Vasser was brought back to the courtroom to testify, he had several heated exchanges with McShane. Vasser denied all of the defense attorney’s allegations.

“I didn’t think he was shooting at me,” Vasser said. “I thought he was shooting at the stars… He ain’t no killer.”

Wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with “Fear No Evil” across the front, Vasser said he is done feuding with Hodge.

“All of this over a girl?” he asked. “Just leave me alone. I’ve been trying to explain this to your client.”

Vasser conceded that he owns a gun – with a legal permit.

“You’re not in charge of a crew?” McShane pressed.

“I’m in charge of my family,” Vasser shot back. “The only thing I did wrong in all of this was commit adultery.”

McShane insisted that Vasser offered money to friends to testify against Hodge. He said Vasser had a fight with Hodge’s brother two days before the shooting. He accused Vasser of shooting at Hodge multiple times.

“There were 30 or 40 people out there (the night of July 16). Nobody saw me with a gun,” Vasser said. “Nobody’s ever seen me with a gun.”

“You know you’re under oath, right?” McShane quipped.

McShane noted that Vasser served time for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine.

“I did my time in Cumberland County Prison,” Vasser said. “I was young and just out of college… I’ve been a model citizen ever since.”

Following the hearing, Police Chief Stephen Margeson refuted the claims made in the courtroom, saying he knows of no investigations of Vasser for drug dealing. The chief added that he is confident that police arrested the right person and Vasser is a credible witness.

Hodge fired nine shots overall, police claim, resulting in nine counts of recklessly endangering. He is also charged with aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

He has been arrested numerous times over the past several years – including in March after Carlisle police say he led officers on a high-speed chase. In that report, police say, Hodge nearly struck vehicles during the chase and finally stopped the car and fled on foot before being apprehended.

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