Man accused in Pr. George's fatal 2005 shooting ordered held

A 25-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a teenage girl in Bowie in 2005 for a payment of $600 was ordered held without bond Monday by a Prince George's County judge.

During a brief hearing, District Court Judge Lawrence V. Hill Jr. ordered that Jarvis D. Tyler be jailed pending a Feb. 25 preliminary hearing.

Tyler was arrested about two weeks ago in Orange County, Fla., and charged in the slaying of Stacey Seaton. Tyler had been living in Florida for at least a couple of years, but previously lived in Bowie, authorities said. Tyler waived extradition, courthouse sources said.

According to police charging documents filed against Tyler, a co-defendant (who is not named) on Jan. 12 told police he agreed to pay Tyler $600 to kill Seaton.

Seaton was 17 when she was shot in the back of the head, about 200 yards from her home in a quiet upper-middle-class neighborhood. The shooting took place on a winding path in a wooded area. Seaton was 18 days away from her 18th birthday and pregnant when she was killed June 1, 2005.

In October 2009, county police charged McDonald Abraham III, 26, in Seaton's killing.

According to charging documents filed by police, Seaton was killed because Abraham believed she had been involved in stealing money and drugs from the apartment where he was living. Abraham was known to sell marijuana, police said.

During Tyler's bond hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Wesley Adams said Seaton did not steal anything from Abraham.

Abraham's trial began Jan. 10 with jury selection. Opening arguments were scheduled for Jan. 11, but were postponed because of a snowstorm.

Circuit Court Judge Michael R. Pearson then sealed proceedings in the Abraham case. In general, court proceedings by law are public, but a judge can seal a courtroom under certain circumstances, such as when a defendant agrees to plead guilty and implicate another suspect.

Tyler was arrested a few days after the Abraham case was sealed.