Father of convicted cop killer gets time served in witness intimidation case

The father of the Allegheny County man sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of a New Kensington police officer was paroled Monday after being sentenced for the intimidation of a witness who was to testify against his son.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears ordered Gregory Baucum Jr. to serve at least 364 days to a maximum of nearly two years in jail and an additional two years on probation. Baucum has served 17 months since his arrest and was to be released from jail Monday night.

Baucum, 49, formerly of Arnold, was convicted this month of two misdemeanor counts in which prosecutors said he intimidated and threatened retaliation against a woman who came forward to police with information she learned while in jail about the shooting of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw and Baucum’s son’s efforts to avoid capture after the murder.

Prosecutors said Baucum released details on social media about the woman who was listed as a witness in the case against his son, Rahmael Sal Holt. The woman, Tasha Williams, 39, of New Kensington, was not called as a witness at Holt’s trial.

Police said Baucum threatened Williams and sent messages that labeled her a “cheese-eating rat snitch” along with emojis of a rat and a casket.

Williams testified at Baucum’s trial she feared for her life. On Monday, she said she still receives threats in the New Kensington area from people associated with Baucum and Holt as well as others involved in additional cases in which she has cooperated with police.

“I don’t feel safe, and I don’t deal with people I used to deal with,” Williams testified Monday.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli asked that Baucum serve up to four years in prison.

“There has to be a sentence of righteousness and justice when it comes to cases like this. Mr. Baucum tried to go outside of the judicial system to find his own sense of justice. I am asking for the system to be vindicated,” Iannamorelli said.

The judge said a longer sentence was not justified because jurors acquitted Baucum of a more serious felony count of witness intimidation. As part of the sentence, Baucum was ordered to have no contact with any witnesses against him or his son.

“If he is charged again, I will not hesitate to sentence him to the entire four years in prison,” Mears said.

A jury in November 2018 acquitted Baucum of witness intimidation and assault charges in connection with allegations he strangled his then-girlfriend, who he believed cooperated with police in the days after Shaw’s murder to help identify and capture Holt.