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Slaying suspect held for court in death of Uniontown man

By Josh Krysak 4 min read

The sister and wife of a Uniontown man who was shot to death on July 4 tried to fight back tears as they listened to a blow-by-blow description of his death being read in district court Wednesday. Just a few seats from them, Thomas “Tommy” Wilson’s accused killer stared without visible emotion, his hulking frame being monitored by half a dozen state police troopers.

The victim’s family cried as Fayette County District Attorney Nancy Vernon gave an account of the shooting death. Vernon said the bullets pierced through Wilson’s chest, rupturing one of his lungs. Additional bullets broke several ribs, ruptured a kidney and caused massive bleeding.

Wilson’s family sat silently as all charges against Jason Matthew Leichliter, 27, of Uniontown were held for Fayette County Court following a brief but emotional preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Joseph George. Leichliter was charged with criminal homicide before Uniontown Magisterial District Judge Mark L. Blair July 5 after he allegedly shot Wilson, 29, of 255 Elm Road, Uniontown, five times during a dispute at 10:50 p.m. July 4 in the Bierer Wood Acres housing project in South Union Township, according to state police.

An additional charge of unlawful possession of a firearm was added Wednesday.

The 6-foot 4-inch, 290-pound Leichliter, escorted into the heavily secured courtroom by four state police troopers, sat stoically during the hearing while two eyewitnesses testified in the shooting death.

David Burton, 22, of South Union Township, testified he was sitting on the porch of his fianc?e’s apartment in Bierer Wood Acres the night of the shooting and had noticed Leichliter and a group of his friends setting off fireworks.

“I felt something funny in the air that night and I stayed away from all of them,” Burton said.

Burton said around 10:50 p.m. he saw Wilson drive up with two passengers in his vehicle. Wilson parked a few apartments away, and began talking with Leichliter, Burton said.

A brief argument ensued, and after approaching Wilson’s vehicle, Leichliter then turned to go back into his sister’s residence at 15 Snyder Terrace.

“Jason told him to wait and said that he had something for him in the house,” Burton testified.

Burton said Leichliter quickly returned carrying a handgun behind his back.

The argument continued, and then Wilson called Leichliter a derogatory name, Burton testified.

“He told him to put the gun down and fight like a man,” Burton said.

Burton said Leichliter then raised the gun and shot Wilson in the chest from less than 2 feet away. Leichliter then stood over Wilson, who fell following the first shot, and shot him several more times, Burton said.

Walter Myers III, 25, of Uniontown testified that he witnessed the shooting from his porch a few homes down.

“He (Leichliter) pointed the gun at him and shot him one time, and he fell,” Myers said, his voice shaking. “Then Jason continued to shoot him.”

The autopsy conducted by Allegheny County forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht revealed multiple gunshot wounds to Wilson’s chest and abdomen, which caused massive bleeding.

Vernon said Wilson was shot five times, three in the chest, once in the right forearm and once in the left hand.

One of the witnesses named in the affidavit filed by state police trooper Charles Morrison said Leichliter shouted, “I kill people, man. I kill people” as he ran from the scene following the shooting.

Wilson was pronounced dead by Uniontown Hospital emergency room doctors at 11:21 p.m., according to Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly.

After state police put out an all-points bulletin on Leichliter, Connellsville police discovered Leichliter in the company of his brother, Chad Leichliter, at a gas station in Connellsville.

Connellsville police took Leichliter into custody at 1:48 a.m. without incident. A subsequent search of Leichliter’s vehicle revealed a 9 mm Ruger handgun, police said.

Just days before the shooting Wilson had completed payments to Fayette County for his 1994 conviction of third-degree murder. According to court records, Wilson pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the June 1993 beating death of William Earl Tringes of Uniontown.

Wilson was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in a state prison on May 20, 1994. He was paroled in June 2003.

Leichliter, also known as Michael G. Patton, has an extensive criminal record that includes 18 separate charges of theft by unlawful taking in 1997 alone, according to court records.

According to Morrison, Leichliter also was charged with assault after an incident involving a prison guard.

He remains in the Fayette County Prison without bail.

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