Pa. man found guilty of fatally stabbing girlfriend faces life term

MILLCREEK — A man accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend amid an impending breakup has been convicted of murder.

James Gilbert was also convicted Wednesday of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and possession of an instrument of crime by a jury that deliberated for about 90 minutes. The murder count carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors say the 25-year-old Gilbert purposely killed 20-year-old Marinda Matasowski at her mother’s Millcreek home in August 2018, stabbing her 27 times with a kitchen knife before he stabbed himself in the chest.

But his attorney argued that Gilbert didn’t plan the killing and suggested Gilbert may have been on drugs. Gilbert previously said his own mental illness may have contributed to the killing.