A Lancaster man serving life in prison for killing a victim in a city parking lot in 2015 had his most recent appeal for a new trial denied Thursday.

Victor Tirado, now 57, was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder for shooting Rahdir Maxton, 21, in the head in a parking lot in the 200 block of East Fulton Street. The incident occurred on September 9, 2015.

Tirado was sentenced to life in prison by Lancaster County Judge Donald Totaro on February 7, 2018. He argued in previous request for relief that his trial attorney was ineffective and failed to ask the trial judge to provide jurors with an instruction about two witness he claimed were accomplices. The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed Totaro’s denial of that request in 2020.

In Tirado’s latest request for relief, he argued he had a signed affidavit from a Commonwealth trial witness that stated the witness fabricated his testimony and had a secretly arranged deal with prosecutors.

First Deputy District Attorney Cody Wade handled the post-conviction litigation and cross-examined the witness, who said he had never seen the affidavit before and it was not in his handwriting. Wade also presented evidence from the witness’ attorney, the prosecutor who originally represented the Commonwealth in the case, and a county detective who all said no promises were made if the witness testified.

Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker dismissed the petition from the bench.

Assistant District Attorney Courtney Restemayer assisted in the proceedings.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Stanley Roache filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.