Informant’s claims implicate Pennsylvania man in drug dealer’s 2007 murder

A longtime suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in her Pennsylvania home 16 years ago has now been charged with homicide and several other counts.

Charles Earl Ream, 53, of Latrobe was arrested Wednesday and remains jailed without bail. Court officials said there was not a defense lawyer on file to represent him and a text seeking comment was sent to his phone.

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Ream is charged with homicide, robbery, burglary and theft in the March 2007 death of 22-year-old Samantha Lang.

Lang was last seen alive about 24 hours before a friend found her body surrounded by a pool of blood in her living room. Lang’s skull had been fractured, her throat was cut and her left ring finger was broken. The home — which authorities have described in court papers as a hub for drug activity — was ransacked and had a strong odor of marijuana.

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Ream was initially questioned by police because he was known to be one of the last people seen with her. Ream told police he met with Lang at her home and ultimately bought three bags of heroin from her, authorities said.

An unidentified male informant spoke with investigators “multiple times” over the years and told them he talked with Ream around the time Lang was killed. He said Ream described killing the woman but said he had only gone there to break her fingers in order to learn where she kept her drugs.

Two months ago, a female informant told police she had overheard Ream telling others that he “did it” and “made a mistake,” according to court documents. She told police Ream said, “I have a daughter now,” and, “I don’t want to get in trouble for something I was involved in from the past.”