close
close

Third suspect arrested in connection with fatal West End knife attack

The third suspect in connection with a fatal stabbing in Pittsburgh was arrested Saturday afternoon in Greensburg.

Pittsburgh police announced Saturday that 20-year-old Logan Smetanka was arrested by Greensburg police in connection with a March 22 stabbing that killed 37-year-old Marc Kovach in an abandoned home in Pittsburgh’s West End , was taken into custody.

Smetanka was taken to the Westmoreland County Jail and will be extradited to Allegheny County to face charges of murder and criminal conspiracy, Pittsburgh police said.

Police have charged and arrested two other people in connection with the stabbing. Dominic Johnson, 19, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide and tampering with evidence. Johnson’s girlfriend, Carlena Wells, 18, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide and conspiracy.

Both Johnson and Wells were denied bail and are being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

With Smetanka’s arrest, Pittsburgh police believe they have arrested everyone involved.

Authorities did not provide any information about the suspects’ home addresses.

A criminal complaint filed in the case says the crime occurred around March 16 at an abandoned home on Steuben Street.

A witness told police that Johnson and Smetanka began attacking Kovach because they were told that Kovach had touched Wells, the criminal complaint states.

Johnson and Smetanka knocked Kovach unconscious and then Johnson dragged him outside, where they killed Kovach, the witness told police.

The witness said Johnson, Smetanka and Wells said they “all participated in the murder” of Kovach, the complaint said.

When confronted by investigators, Smetanka said Johnson killed Kovach and Johnson told him not to tell anyone, the complaint says.

In a separate interview, Johnson denied being involved in the attack, the complaint says.

The witness told police Johnson said Wells stabbed Kovach in the forehead and face, and Johnson stabbed him in the stomach. The witness was unsure whether Smetanka even stabbed Kovach, but said that Smetanka gave them the knife used to kill Kovach.

The witness said they were handed the knife they used, washed it and threw it in the river, the complaint says. The witness also threw Johnson’s shoes into a dumpster.

Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at [email protected].