SUNBURY A man from Northumberland County who fatally shot his seven-year girlfriend in Sunbury earlier this year will go on trial for all counts against him.
During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, Jared Heath Wolfe, 46, of Milton, had only one charge contested: unlawful handgun possession.
After reviewing the legislation briefly, District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner ruled that recklessly endangering another person, aggravated and simple assault, and first- and third-degree murder are all crimes that must be prosecuted in court.
When Wolfe was taken into custody on January 3, he acknowledged that he had shot and killed 47-year-old Jane A. White earlier that day.
During the hearing, two Sunbury police officers gave descriptions of the crime scene and Wolfe’s arrest.
According to Officer Trey Kurtz’s testimony, Wolfe informed him that White and him had spent time smoking marijuana with a father and son at an apartment in the 1000 block of Market Street. Kurtz went on to repeat what Wolfe had said:
When he pressed a paranormal meter against a statue, he became uneasy. He believed he was going to be killed by someone covering his face with a rag.
He went to retrieve his pistol from the console of his car, and as his girlfriend opened the door, he shot her. Kurtz claimed to have told him that he believed she was pursuing him.
White was bleeding in the center of Court Street, close to South 11th Street, as Wolfe drove away.
Adam Wolfe contacted 911 shortly afterward to report that his brother was at his house in the 800 block of Fifth Street with a gun and said he had murdered his fiancée.
According to Kurtz, the 9mm gun used in the shooting was found inside, along with another weapon, and Wolfe was taken into custody there. “When they searched Wolfe’s car, they found a paranormal meter,” he added.
According to coroner James F. Kelley’s autopsy, White was shot in the chest and died as a result.
Jane Michetti, the defense lawyer, asked a lot of questions about who was at the shooting site and what the two policemen who testified did.
She didn’t look into how Wolfe obtained the pistol or the paranormal element of the incident.
Wolfe claims in the police affidavit that he was too broken to offer his girlfriend assistance.
Following the hearing, District Attorney Michael C. O. Donnell declared that this was not a case involving the death penalty.
For Wolfe, who is being held without bail, the defense has stated that it is likely to pursue a mental health defense.
Stories by
John Beauge