State police believe Frank Novak’s body remained in his Hempfield home for two days after he was beaten to death before his 41-year-old son set the house on fire, Trooper Evan Terek of the Pennsylvania State Police testified Tuesday.

An examination of the 92-year-old man’s pacemaker by Excela Health officials determined it started working at 100% at 8:40 p.m. Dec. 18, leading authorities to that conclusion, Terek said.

Between Frank Novak’s apparent death Dec. 18 and the fire Dec. 20, Terek said son Douglas F. Novak “came and went” from the Courtview Drive home.

“He said several times … that he knew full well that his assaulting his father could result in his death and he said that was something he was willing to do to get his cellphone back,” Terek said.

Homicide, arson and related charges against Douglas Novak were held for trial after Tuesday’s 30-minute preliminary hearing. Novak has been held at the Westmoreland County Prison since his arrest Dec. 21 in connection with the fire. State police later added homicide charges.

After his arrest, Novak underwent mental health treatment at Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township at the request of his defense attorney. He was ruled competent to stand trial in May.

State police accuse Novak of beating his father to death because he believed the elder Novak was hiding his cellphone. Terek testified investigators found Frank Novak’s body in a bedroom after the Dec. 20 fire was extinguished. An autopsy determined he died from complications of blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.

“I observed obvious broken fingers … contusions to his head and dried blood on his skin,” he said.

A witness told troopers he saw a man matching the description of the younger Novak standing inside facing a burning staircase after the fire call. Authorities located Novak near the intersection of Roseytown Road and Route 119 in the hours after the report. During an interview with troopers, he told them he couldn’t find his cellphone and confronted his father about it. His father denied having the phone and the argument escalated, Terek said.

Troopers recovered a wooden armrest from a dining room chair that Terek said Novak used to beat his father. Novak told investigators he dragged his father into a shower and ran cold water on him, still demanding his cellphone, Terek testified. Novak later put the man in bed.

“He knew his father was dead, but he wanted him to get better if that makes any sense at all,” Terek testified. “That is what he told me.”

Troopers ruled the fire was intentionally set on a dining room table and in a small closet or pantry.

Novak is being held without bail.

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