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Murder trial under way in Elk CountyBy JONI SADLEY C-E CorrespondentRIDGWAY — A jury of seven men and five women was impaneled Monday in the third-degree murder trial of a Ridgway man.Brent Eric Buehler, 20, of Poorest View Heights is charged with third-degree murder, a firearms violation and recklessly en-dangerment in the Aug. 29, 1992 ,incident in which Timothy Brown, 18, also of Ridgway, was killed.Elk County District Attorney Vernon Roof said the commonwealth intends to prove that Buehler’s actions were reckless and negligent.Defense attorney William Manifesto of Pittsburgh said he intends to show that Brown’s death was a tragic accident.Gary John Streich Jr., 26, of 136 Grant Road, Ridgway, who describes himself as a “good friend to both Buehler and Brown, said he arrived at a Sringcreek Township campsite at about 1:30 or 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, for a weekend outing.The three — Streich, Buehler and Brown — “hung out” swimming and drinking most of the rainy day and Streich said all were “feeling good but nobody was really drunk” when they went to bed about 10 p.m.At first, all three were sleeping in Stre-ich's truck camper but after a short time, Buehler and Brown went to seek their own sleeping accommodations. Buehler went to sleep in the cab of his pickup truck, while Brown retired to a tent.At about 2 a.m., Streich said Buehler woke him by pounding on the camper door and shouting, “I shot Tim, 1 shot Tim. . .It was an accident...,”.Streich then packed his truck and belongings and told Buehler “not to tell anybody 1 was there” and left his friend alone.At about 2 a.m., Streich said Buehler woke him by pounding on the camper j door and shouting, 'I shot ITim, I shot Tim. . . It was Ian accident...' IIn talking to police later on Aug. 29, Streich kept his 'not there, don’t know anything” story, until police pressed him for answers. At that time, he admitted he was at the scene, but was sleeping and left immediately following the shooting.State police officers Cpl. James A. Cat-alone, Troopers Daniel J. Sadley, and W. Doug Brown each testified regarding various stories given to them by Buehler.Trooper Charles Pierce, was the first called to the Buehler Lumber Co., where he was told there was an accident by a “confused and hysterical” Buehler and his mother, Maureen.Pierce called the Ridgway barracks for the criminal investigation unit. Pierce said he was given a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver by Buehler, which he later turned over to Sadley, the criminal investigator in the case.Catalone, Brown and Sadley all took statements from Buehler the day of the shooting. They said Buehler told them he and Brown were sleeping in different locations when he woke up and tried to wake up Brown. When he could not awaken Brown, Buehler said he fired five shots into an embankment on the opposite side of the campsite to wake him, reloaded with three moreshells and fired again. At the first shot, he said he heard a “thud” and discovered he had shot Brown. Buehler credited a ricocheted bullet for the accident.Sadley and Catalone questioned Buehler again on Sept. 3 and, they said, he admitted then that he made up the ricocheted bullet story. The said Buehler told them that after the trio went to sleep for the night, he was awakened by someone opening the sliding window on the back of his pickup truck.In an effort to “scare them off” he picked up his revolver and fired a shot out the window. He heard a thud and discovered Brown laying in the bed of his truck. Buehler, an emergency medical technician, look for vital signs, took Brown’s pulse and said that after one or two beats, it stopped. He knew Brown was dead. He woke up Streich for help, but Streich left.The officers testified that Buehler said he drove his truck to the tent area of the campsite and dragged Brown s body off the truck. At first he was going to make it look like a game of Russian Roulette and leave. But he said could not leave his friend like that so he returned and took the gun. He went to an abandoned camp in McKean County with a Bible, a shotgun and a bottle of whiskey with intentions of killing himself. He could not go through with suicide, so he drove around made up the ricochet story and went home to tell his mother.Sadley said the final version of the shooting is consistent with the evidence found at the scene.Also testifying Monday was Dr. Leon Rozin, chief forensic pathologist from the Allegheny County Coroner's office who testified to the cause of death and the path and destruction of the single gunshot wound.
Newspaper Details
DuBois Courier Express
DuBois, Pennsylvania, US
Tue, Jul 13, 1993
Page 2
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PA, USA 05 Apr 2020
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