(Story written by Noah Haswell of Beaver County Radio, August 22, 2024, Published at 9:22 a.m.)

(Aliquippa, PA) An Aliquippa man who was part of a murder-for-hire scheme nearly three decades ago has died on Friday afternoon. According to authorities at SCI Huntingdon, correctional officers found 44-year-old Trazis Durham unresponsive in his cell. He was taken to Penn Highlands hospital and then was pronounced dead that afternoon. Before he passed away, up to a life sentence was given to Durham for his role in the murders of William and Teresa Samuel in Aliquippa on April 11, 1996. Police investigations found that when he was 16, Durham and 18 year-old Pete Schoonover killed the couple to earn $12,000 after being hired by the couple’s son, Brian Samuel. State police in Pennsylvania are investigating the incident and the cause of Durham’s death has not been released by the public as of yesterday morning.