Baltimore Sun: Hearing for Woman Accused in Researcher's Death Postponed

(UPDATED 11:08 A.M.) — A violation-of-probation hearing for Lavelva Merritt, who was initially charged in the murder of Johns Hopkins researcher Stephen Pitcairn, was delayed Wednesday, according to The Baltimore Sun.  

The hearing is now scheduled for September, said Mark Cheshire, a spokesman for the State's Attorney's office.    

Merritt, 25, has agreed to testify that her partner John Wagner, 38, is responsible for stabbing Pitcairn on St. Paul Street in Charles Village during a robbery.  Merritt has pleaded guilty to crimes that are robbery-related, The Sun reported, and if she cooperates in testifying against Wagner, whose trial is in August, it is expected she will receive a 15-year prison sentence with additional suspended time on the robbery charges.