Trial date set for man accused of aiding killer

A trial date has been set for Donovan Carl Younker, who is accused of aiding Stephen J. Tamburo III in concealing the body of Stephen J. Tamburo, Jr. in December, 2008.

Circuit Judge David Sanders last week set a jury trial for Tuesday, December 6. He asked the Circuit Clerk’s Office to bring in extra people for the jury pool due to publicity surrounding the case.

Before setting the trial date, Judge Sanders rejected a proposed plea bargain by which Younker would plead “no contest” to the felony of aiding and abetting, but would be placed on probation without jail time.

Both the investigating officer and victim’s family objected to the proposed plea.

Sanders is the third circuit judge for the case. Previously, Judges Gina Groh and John Yoder recused themselves.

Berkeley County Prosecutor Pamela Games-Neely is special prosecuting attorney, while Younker is represented by Attorney Charles Trump.

The 29-year-old Younker was a neighbor of the Tamburos on Shanghai Road. He is accused of helping the younger Tamburo move his father’s dead body, wrapped in a rug, from the Tamburo residence. The body was dumped in Sleepy Creek Public Hunting Area, where it was found by a mushroom hunter in April, 2009.

Tamburo is now serving a life-with-mercy sentence after pleading guilty to murder last December in the shooting death of his father.