A Unity man who killed a Derry Township woman in her bed when he fired four shots into her home will serve up to 42 years in prison.
Nathan J. Quidetto, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge of third-degree murder in connection with the July 20, 2020, shooting death of 52-year-old Tracy Squib.
Police said Squib was asleep with her husband at their Pandora Road home when she awoke about 4 a.m. with what at first she believed was an insect bite but quickly learned was a bullet wound that ultimately caused her death.
Investigators claim Quidetto was seeking revenge for a botched drug deal and fired four rounds from the street into a home he erroneously believed was his target’s. The home was occupied by Squib, her husband and their two children, who also were asleep at the time.
A judge last year rejected a defense request to bar prosecutors from seeking a first-degree murder conviction against Quidetto, claiming he had no intent to kill Squib.
But, in court Monday, the prosecution allowed Quidetto to plead guilty to third-degree murder and asked that he be sentenced to serve 16 to 42 years in prison as part of a deal Assistant District Attorney Jim Lazar described as one that both prosecutors and family members reluctantly supported.
“Although none of us are happy with this resolution, they do not object,” Lazar said.
Squib’s now-20-year-old daughter, Marissa, attended the hearing but did not testify and declined to speak outside the courtroom.
“It’s been very difficult for them,” Lazar said. “The family has been involved throughout the case, but they are at a loss for words but not with a loss of feelings.”
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli defended the plea deal in an emailed statement.
“We felt this was an appropriate resolution given the circumstances and evidence in this case. This plea agreement was reached, in consultation with the Squib family, as an effort to ensure Mr. Quidetto received a substantial prison sentence, while reducing the risk of a conviction for a lesser degree of homicide at trial,” Ziccarelli said.
Quidetto received a 15- to 40-year prison sentence for Squib’s murder and an additional one to two years behind bars for firing a weapon into an occupied structure. He received concurrent sentences after pleading guilty to charges of reckless endangerment.
Quidetto also pleaded guilty to charges in three unrelated drug cases, including allegations he sold methamphetamine, and received no additional prison time for those offenses.
“I am truly sorry for what I did to your family,” Quidetto said. “I should have never done this.”
