Guilty plea deal rejected in 2018 Jeannette murder and arson case
A Jeannette man charged with murder and arson in connection with a deadly fire in 2018 that killed one person and injured another rejected a proposed plea bargain that would have spared him from a life prison sentence.
Brian Rendon would not accept a deal to plead guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree murder and other offenses and instead would offer a new trial strategy that suggested his confession was not to be believed, defense attorney Jack Manderino said during a court appearance Monday.
“The offer is not something I can recommend at this point,” Manderino said.
Rendon, 36, is accused of setting the fire April 9, 2018, that destroyed a group of row homes on South Seventh Street in Jeannette. Shirley Kocherhans, 87, was found dead inside her row house. A woman who lived with her was injured. About a dozen residents were left homeless.
Rendon is charged with a general count of homicide along with specific charges of second- and third-degree murder, in addition to numerous other offenses, including arson, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life prison sentence for a conviction.
Rendon also faces a separate arson charge in connection with a blaze set two days earlier at his Jeannette home. No one was injured.
Neither Manderino nor Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Ranger would disclose details about the proposed deal.
Rendon’s trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 15 but could be delayed.
Manderino said the defense expects to present evidence that suggests Rendon did not understand his right to remain silent when he confessed to police. In 2019, Rendon was found competent to stand trial.
Ranger said the prosecution likely will challenge that defense.
“We need to get an expert to refute that,” Ranger said.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio said for now the case will remain on the November trial list, but she will make a determination at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 5.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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