Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi announced that the man accused of killing his father on New Year’s Day in 2020 entered guilty pleas this morning.
29-year-old Matthew Bartlebaugh pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime, while a charge of aggravated assault was not prosecuted. Bartlebaugh shot his 43-year-old father Gerald while he slept with his girlfriend lying at his side. She was not hurt. He kept police at bay during a standoff for several hours at the family home before surrendering.
President Judge Thomas Bianco accepted the guilty plea this morning and scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 16th. A pre-sentence investigation report must be completed by the Indiana County Probation Department prior to the hearing.
