Laurel Mountain Borough man expected to plead guilty in girlfriend's death

A Laurel Mountain Borough man jailed for the last five years as he awaits trial for the first-degree murder of his live-in girlfriend is expected to plead guilty Tuesday to a lesser charge.

The lawyer for Gregory Randall, 62, told a Westmoreland County judge that the trial scheduled to begin Sept. 9 won’t be necessary.

Randall is now expected to appear Tuesday before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio to plead guilty, defense attorney Brian Aston said.

“He was extended an offer, and my client indicated he would accept it,” Aston said.

Neither Aston nor District Attorney John Peck would disclose terms of the plea bargain.

Randall was charged with first-degree murder for the May 2014 bludgeoning death of his girlfriend, 52-year-old Angela Marie Cavalero. Police said Cavalero suffered 29 wounds from a beating that was inflicted by a hammer and a wine bottle following a domestic dispute with Randall in the home they shared.

According to previous court testimony, Randall initially denied he hit Cavalero but told a witness the fight started after she threw a frozen TV dinner at him. Her body was discovered six days later.

Randall faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder.

Through his lawyers, Randall indicated last month that he would seek a diminished capacity defense claiming that a head injury he suffered decades ago prevented him from being able to form an intent to kill. The judge this year ruled Randall competent to stand trial.