Johnstown shooting death of teen ruled a homicide

EBENSBURG — The death of a woman whose body was found New Year’s Day in a car in the Hornerstown section of Johnstown has been ruled a homicide.

Jaydin Sanderson, 19, of the Ferndale area, died of a gunshot wound to the head, Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees said Monday at a press conference in the Cambria County courthouse.

Lees said Sanderson had been dead for “several hours” before Johnstown police were notified shortly after 11 a.m. of an unresponsive person in a vehicle in the 600 block of Wood Street.

Officers arrived at the location and found Sanderson dead. Her body was in the driver’s seat, slumped over into the passenger seat of the black Chevrolet sedan.

“An autopsy was conducted (Sunday) by ForensicDX in Windber, confirming Miss Sanderson died from a gunshot wound to the head,” Lees said. “Manner of death is a homicide.”

Cambria County District Attorney Gregory Neugebauer said investigators are following leads and obtained two search warrants on Monday. Several more search warrants are being prepared.

“We are working on the case aggressively,” Neugebauer said at the press conference.

Authorities are asking the public for any additional information about the shooting.

“We have a 19-year-old whose life was cut short,” Neugebauer said “We are asking anyone with information to contact (Johnstown police).”

The information may be submitted anonymously by texting Johnstown police at 847411 or by calling Cambria County’s non-emergency number, 814-472-2100.

“Police can’t be everywhere all the time,” Neugebauer said. “A lot of times, we need help from the public.”

Police would like to talk to anyone who had contact with Sanderson early Saturday, he said.

In addition, because gunshots could be mistaken for New Year’s celebratory fireworks, neighbors in the Wood Street area who heard those sounds early Saturday should also contact police, Neugebauer said.

Sanderson’s name is on the list of 2021 graduates on the Greater Johnstown School District website. Neugebauer said she was working part time at a local hotel.