Fox Chapel man charged in Baldwin man's death pleads not guilty

A Fox Chapel man facing charges in the death of a Baldwin man will get his day in court following a not guilty plea Friday.

Adam Rosenberg, 21, has been charged with criminal homicide, robbery, tampering with evidence and firearms violations in connection to the homicide of Jeremy Dentel, 28.

District Judge David Barton, acknowledged that most of the evidence presented during the preliminary hearing Friday was circumstantial, but ordered Rosenberg to stand trial.

“The level of premeditation here is shocking,” he said, addressing Rosenberg. He also characterized the alleged killing as “sickening.”

Both of Rosenberg’s parents, were present and declined to comment afterward.

Dentel’s family also was present. Several family members’ eyes were tear-filled at points during the hearing. They also declined to comment.

Police said Dentel was shot once in the head with a 9mm handgun at around 6:10 p.m. Feb. 16 during an exchange inside Dentel’s Baldwin home that lasted less than a minute.

A bullet shell was found near Dentel’s body, and the bullet that killed him was found lodged in a wall near where his body was found nearly 24 hours later when his parents asked police to check on him, said Allegheny County Homicide Detective Darren Gerlach. Gerlach was called to testify Friday by Assistant District Attorney Alex Cashman.

The gun that police believe Rosenberg used to kill Dentel was later found on his property in Fox Chapel, where Rosenberg allegedly told police he had started a relationship with Dentel on the “Find Men” app. The two later began communicating by text and allegedly shared up to nine texts on the day Dentel died, according to a criminal complaint filed against Rosenberg.

Police said a neighbor’s surveillance video captured someone arriving at Dentel’s home around 6:10 p.m., but that they could not identify the person seen in the video.

During the hearing, Rosenberg’s attorneys questioned the authenticity of the phone records searched and obtained that led police to charge their client.

Allegheny County Homicide Detective Laurie McKeel said the phone number linked to Rosenberg was subscribed to his mother , but that detectives learned the suspect used the phone.

McKeel said detectives also discovered that records from Uber, the mobile ride share service, show Rosenberg’s phone was used to arrange travel to and from Dentel’s Baldwin home. McKeel said Rosenberg arrived in an Uber ride to Dentel’s house at 6:09 p.m. Then, using the same Uber driver, Rosenberg departed back to his Fox Chapel home at 6:14 p.m.

Wendy Williams, one of Rosenberg’s attorneys, argued the text messages could have been sent from anyone, and that Uber rides can be hailed by people other than the phone’s owner.

Williams failed to convince the district judge to dismiss the robbery and tampering with evidence charges.

Following the hearing, White said Friday was a tough day for everyone involved. Williams said the Rosenbergs are “heartbroken.”

Rosenberg’s attorneys, Casey White and Wendy Williams, speak to reporters after Friday’s preliminary hearing. pic.twitter.com/EjMb5tDxBJ

— Dillon Garrett Carr (@dillonswriting) March 13, 2020

“They’re heartbroken for their own family, they’re heartbroken for the Dentel family. Obviously, they never thought they would find themselves in this position,” Williams said. “And we’re here, sad, and looking for answers just like everybody else.”

Just two weeks after being charged with Dentel’s death, Rosenberg now faces questions after police found the body of Christian Moore-Rouse, 22, near the family’s Fox Chapel home in a wooded lot.

Moore-Rouse, of Verona, had been missing since December. His mother reported him missing. Police said he had last been seen at the Dollar Tree store on Rodi Road in Penn Hills on Dec. 21.

The Medical Examiner’s Office said Moore-Rouse died from a single gunshot wound to the head and ruled his death a homicide on Wednesday, the same day his family held a memorial service for him in Wilkinsburg.

No charges have been filed in relation to Moore-Rouse’s death.

When asked about Moore-Rouse’s body being found near Rosenberg’s property, Williams said, “he hasn’t been charged in that yet” and that it would be premature to speculate.