Another suspect in Piazza case behind bars

Police have arrested one of the gunmen in the fatal double shooting last month during a botched drug robbery at the Piazza at Schmidts apartment and retail complex, the Daily News has learned.

Homicide Capt. James Clark confirmed yesterday that Edward N. Daniels, 42, was arrested July 11 in the slayings of Rian Thal, 32, and Timothy Gilmore, 40.

Clark said that Danielswas the "nervous, heavyset" man captured on surveillance video in the Navona apartment building, where three gunmen and a lookout ambushed the victims.

"He is one of the three observed on video armed with guns. He was arrested outside 1400 Arch Street after a visit with his probation officer," Lt. Philip Riehl said, referring to the location of the city Probation Department.

Daniels, who was on probation for a drug conviction, was charged with murder, robbery, conspiracy, criminal trespass and four weapons offenses. He is listed for a violation of probation hearing on Aug. 19.

His case was listed in online court records with Katoya Jones, 25, the woman who was seen on video opening the door to the apartment building for one of the three gunmen and a lookout shortly before the killings.

Police sources have said that the group had planned to rob Thal, whose apartment was allegedly used as a stash house. Police found four kilos of cocaine and more than $100,000 inside Thal's seventh-floor apartment.

The U.S. Marshals Office is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of suspected triggerman Donnell Murchison, 33, who is on parole until 2016 in an armed robbery. The third gunman and at least one more lookout are also being sought in the Piazza case.

A preliminary hearing today for Will "Pooh" Hook, 40, the alleged mastermind of the drug-related robbery that led to the murders, was expected to be postponed, as have other defendants' hearings.

Wednesday, Hook was charged with two counts of murder in the case under the alias Keith Epps, even though Will Hook is his birth name. He has also used the alias James Wilson. *