North Huntingdon man pleads guilty to killing Penn Township couple

The man who was brazen enough to gun down their brother and his girlfriend last year refused to even make eye contact with Seth and Zack Erdeljac as they sat in court for his sentencing Wednesday.

“Evil does exist in this world, and it is sitting here in the courtroom today,” Zack Erdeljac said during his victim impact statement in Westmoreland County court.

But Victor F. Steban, 54, of North Huntingdon showed no emotion and stared straight ahead during the two-hour hearing in which he pleaded guilty to the two murders and other violent crimes police said he committed over a four-day period last spring.

Steban pleaded guilty to 32 counts in seven cases, including the May 16, 2021, murders of Penn Township resident Jacob Erdeljac, 41, and his girlfriend, Mara Casale, 27.

He also pleaded guilty to firing shots into homes in Hempfield and Sewickley townships, attempting to steal a pickup at gunpoint, setting fire to his home in North Huntingdon and illegally possessing 11 guns.

In return for his pleas, prosecutors discontinued efforts to seek the death penalty against him for the murders.

Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger imposed the terms of the plea bargain, which called for Steban to serve two life prison sentences without parole. He also received concurrent sentences totaling 46 to 92 years behind bars.

District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, who attended but did not participate in the hearing, declined to answer questions or explain her decision to forgo the death penalty.

She issued a prepared statement to the media:

“This plea ensures that (Steban) will never walk the streets as a free man or threaten our community. After consulting with the Erdeljac and Casale families, as well as our team in the District Attorney’s office, my hope is that today can bring some closure and peace to Jake and Mara’s loved ones who have suffered unimaginable tragedy.”

Steban refused to speak during the hearing except to briefly answer questions from the judge, who asked Steban why he pleaded guilty to each charge.

“Because I am guilty,” Steban responded.

More than two dozen family members and friends of Erdeljac and Casale attended the hearing.

Deborah Zimmers, Erdeljac’s mother, told the judge she last saw her son on Mother’s Day in 2021, a week before he was killed.

“Jake was a spirited adventurer, and he loved Mara,” Zimmers said. “They were planning a life together.”

Erdeljac’s sister, Liz Amend, referred to Steban as a “monster” and a “coward” as she testified about the impact of her brother’s death.

“Jake and Mara were stolen from us by a jealous and evil coward,” Amend said. “I hope karma lives in prison and visits (Steban) often.”

Police said Steban waited for hours in a treeline until Erdeljac and Casale returned to their Claridge-Elliott Road home after a motorcycle ride.

Investigators say Steban approached Casale as she walked to the house, shot her on the back porch with an AR-15 rifle then killed Erdeljac as he sat on his motorcycle.

Investigators say Steban then returned his attention to Casale and fired again to ensure she was dead.

Steban stole Erdeljac’s truck and drove away. The couple’s bodies were not discovered until the next morning.

Prosecutors said Steban killed Casale so she couldn’t be a witness to Erdeljac’s slaying. Testimony from a preliminary hearing last year suggested Steban blamed Erdeljac for a recent breakup with a girlfriend.

Hours before the murders, Steban shot at three homes, including the Hempfield residence of Dennis “Rooster” Katona, the former national leader of the Pagans motorcycle club, police said.

Investigators suggested Steban’s crime spree was motivated in part by a dispute he had with leaders of the motorcycle gang. After a court appearance last year, Steban told reporters his actions were “all about getting Rooster.”

As he was led to a vehicle to take him back to the county prison after Wednesday’s hearing, Steban again referenced Katona and the Pagans.

Assistant District Attorney Adam Barr told the judge that the plea deal will not impact any ongoing investigation of Steban by federal authorities in connection with a car bombing May 15, 2021. No charges have been filed in that case.

Erdeljac’s family members told the judge they approved of the plea deal.

“Justice has been served,” said Erdeljac’s 73-year-old father, Robert. “It brings closure. He’s punished. Nothing brings Jake back, so whatever the state wants to do with him, that’s their business, not mine.”