Brighton Heights woman charged with killing man over drugs, sex, money
A Brighton Heights woman was jailed Tuesday on charges that she fatally shot an Arlington man last month in a confrontation that police said revolved around illicit drugs, sex and a $700 CashApp payment.
Jaelyn Nowlin, 20, is charged with killing Grant Gibeault, 25, in his apartment in the 2200 block of Arlington Avenue.
Nowlin told Pittsburgh police she had sold marijuana and “weed pens” to Gibeault and thought he’d be “an easy target to rob,” according to a criminal complaint.
Using the name “Unique,” Nowlin started talking with Gibeault in December through a dating app on her cellphone, the complaint said.
On Dec. 30, she negotiated a price for sex — $700, via CashApp — and went to Gibeault’s apartment, according to the complaint.
Police said Nowlin told them that Gibeault “kept coming toward her, being funny, and giving her a weird vibe.”
Gibeault paid Nowlin $700 via CashApp — she told police it was for sex — but canceled the payment when Nowlin left, police said.
Nowlin said she returned to the apartment and claimed that by canceling the payment, Gibeault had robbed her, the complaint said.
The pair fought. Nowlin pulled a gun from her bag and shot Gibeault several times, according to the account she gave police.
Gibeault gave his own brief account of the situation shortly before the shooting when police said that he texted an unnamed witness around 8:10 p.m.: “Just got robbed at gunpoint.”
Moments later, the witness heard five or six bangs, the complaint said.
“Please tell me that was ur drums,” the person texted Gibeault.
When Gibeault didn’t answer, the witness went to his apartment, found Gibeault laying on the floor with blood on his clothes and called 911. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police later found 17 fired bullets and shell casings in the apartment, the complaint said.
Nowlin is charged with criminal homicide, robbery and two firearms counts. She was arraigned Tuesday morning and taken to the Allegheny County Jail.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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