HATBORO, Pa. — The murder trial of Maurice Byrd Jr. started on Monday, with prosecutors alleging that he provoked a fight with Steven Strassburg. Byrd’s defense counters by claiming he was defending himself from an aggressive attacker.
During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman described the case as fundamentally about hate. Byrd, 42, is charged with the murder of Strassburg, 38, whom he shot in front of his salon in June.
Cauffman stated Byrd had a longstanding enmity towards Strassburg that culminated in violence after Strassburg hurled a racial slur at him. “He made up his mind that Steven deserved to die, and he would make sure he was going to pull his trigger until Steven was dead,” she said.
Byrd’s attorney, Scott Frame, rejected this narrative, arguing that the true aggression came from Strassburg. He described Byrd as being a victim of Strassburg’s verbal and physical aggression. “If he believes his life is in danger, he has every right to use his legally owned and registered gun,” Frame said, citing Byrd’s status as a disabled Army veteran.
The shooting occurred outside Razor Reese’s Salon on North York Road on June 8. Strassburg, who lived nearby, had physically assaulted Byrd before the shooting, according to prosecutors. Byrd allegedly shot Strassburg after he was punched multiple times.
Evidence presented on Monday included surveillance footage from Byrd’s salon that showed him inviting Strassburg inside and stating he was going to shoot him. Despite receiving instructions from a 911 operator to stay away from Strassburg, Byrd left his salon, which Cauffman claimed was an intentional act to instigate a fight.
“He could have safely avoided this from happening,” Cauffman argued, emphasizing that he chose confrontation over safety.
Further evidence included a video from a nearby business showing Strassburg chasing Byrd, who was retreating while firing his weapon. After the shooting, Byrd told a 911 operator that he ‘just had to shoot’ Strassburg to stop the assault.
The ongoing feud between the men reportedly spanned years and involved disputes over various issues, including a parking space reserved for Byrd’s clients. Hatboro police had previously intervened in their disputes multiple times but failed to prevent the fatal confrontation.
Cauffman pointed out that Byrd had warned police earlier in January 2024 that he would defend himself if Strassburg continued to disrupt his business. She claimed Byrd’s reaction to the racial slur was a pretext for his deadly actions. “At the end of the day, it’s a word… Don’t let that word distract you from what this defendant did,” she stated.
Frame countered by emphasizing that Byrd had endured persistent harassment, positing that had Byrd not possessed a firearm, the outcome of the altercation would have likely been different. “I assure you, if [Byrd] didn’t have his gun, and Mr. Strassburg comes over and assaults him, who do you think would be in that chair?” he asked rhetorically.
The trial is ongoing and is presided over by Montgomery County Court Judge Risa Vetri Ferman.
