Man who pleaded guilty to slaying teen brother gets parole

YORK — A man who pleaded guilty to stabbing his younger brother to death when they were teenagers two decades ago has been granted parole.

Thirty-five-year-old Zachary Witman will be eligible for release beginning May 21 following Friday’s decision in York County. The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole cited his completion of programs, positive behavior, and recommendations from state prison officials and prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Witman, then 15, stabbed and slashed his 13-year-old brother, Greg, more than 100 times with a penknife after he got home from school. The attack nearly decapitated the victim.

Witman, convicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and sentenced to life in prison, maintained his innocence for almost 20 years. But last year, he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, allowing for his eventual release.