Crime & Safety

Brother Testifies Against Brother at Murder Hearing

Homicide charges stand against Daniel Macon in mistaken identify killing of 15-year-old city boy.

In December 2006, Daniel Macon put a gun in Paul Serrano’s hands with simple orders: “Put in the work,” essentially a command to go kill a rival drug dealer in Bethlehem.

So testified Daniel Macon’s brother, Algee Macon, at a preliminary hearing Friday at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton in which criminal homicide and related charges against Daniel Macon were held for further court action.

Serrano knocked on the wrong door at 54 W. Union Boulevard and when 15-year-old middle school student Kevin Muzila answered, Serrano shot him in the chest, killing him. The intended target lived next door at 52 W. Union Boulevard.

Find out what's happening in Bethlehemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Serrano has already pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence for his crime. Prosecutors are now looking to hold

In handing down a decision to hold the case for court, District Judge Roy Manwaring said Algee Macon’s testimony was key in connecting Daniel Macon to Muzila’s death. Without it, Manwaring said, there was not enough evidence to bring the case to trial.

Find out what's happening in Bethlehemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Algee Macon had initially at the first preliminary hearing in late June, invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself.

But on Friday, under a court order issued by Northampton County Judge Paula A. Roscioli, he was back on the witness stand testifying against his brother, though perhaps reluctantly. His answers to questions were short, no more than a sentence or two, and in most cases, a word, “Yeah,” or three, “I don’t remember.”

But under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Robert Eyer, Algee Macon acknowledged that his brother had told him that he had given the weapon to Serrano. “He told him to go do something to somebody,” Algee Macon said. “I know he was beefing with some dude.”

Algee Macon also testified that he expressed some concern about the age of the victim, who was the same age as their younger brother. “I said, ‘He was young. He said, ‘I couldn’t nothing about that.’ ”

Daniel Macon’s attorney, of Bethlehem, tried to impugn the brother’s testimony, alleging that Algee Macon had been offered a “deal” for his cooperation in his case.

Scomillio pointed out that Algee Macon had been charged with three counts of attempted homicide for a shooting at a gas station and had the charge reduced to one count of aggravated assault. Algee Macon denied that one had anything to do with the other.

Both brothers, who are serving prison time, were escorted into the courtroom wearing prison jumpsuits, handcuffs and shackles. They did not appear to acknowledge each other at all during Algee Macon’s appearance on the witness stand, or after, when the witness was escorted out of the courtroom and past the defendant's table.

Daniel Macon now awaits further court action on charges of criminal homicide, criminal solicitation to commit homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide. He remains in Northampton County Prison without bail.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.