A man who said he was trying to kill himself when he set a fire in a Point Breeze home three years ago pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of two men.
Vincent Smith, 61, of Point Breeze North, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Judge Anthony M. Mariani on June 30.
Smith admitted that he killed John Van Dyke and Steven Pariser on Feb. 26, 2018.
Van Dyke’s brother reported him missing to Swissvale police, and officers were able to trace his cell phone to a home on Penfield Place in Point Breeze.
When officers arrived, they forced their way in through the basement. As they got to the first floor, they noticed movement upstairs.
They then saw a man later identified as Smith striking matches and tossing them to the floor.
One ignited in a pool of lighter fluid, the criminal complaint said, and officers retreated as the house caught fire.
Smith was rescued and taken to UPMC Mercy’s burn unit in critical condition.
Officers then found Pariser’s body in the basement covered with plastic garbage bags and clothing. He’d suffered head trauma.
Van Dyke’s body was found hidden under a wooden staircase.
Smith told police he’d gotten in an argument with the men the night of Feb. 21 because he’d threatened to steal their marijuana.
Smith “fought back” and threw the two men down the basement stairs, according to a criminal complaint.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Berosh told the court on Monday that, during his interview with detectives, Smith had fresh scratches on his hand and a bite mark, as well as bruising on his body.
Smith also told Mariani that he had a cut on his hand from a hammer blow, as well as a lump on his head, also from a hammer.
“What I was trying to do with the gasoline was set myself on fire — not the officers or anyone else,” Smith said. “I was trying to kill myself.”
