2 accused of witness intimidation in slaying case
The mother and sister of a South Union Township man accused of criminal homicide are also in the Fayette County Prison after they allegedly tried to intimidate witnesses in his case. Barbara Elle Leichliter, 46, and Kelly Marie Leichliter, 23, both of Uniontown, were charged with four counts each of intimidation of a witness and obstruction of law enforcement before Magisterial District Judge Joseph George Jr.
State police trooper Charles Morrison said both women tried to intimidate at least three prosecution witnesses on several occasions in the weeks following the arrest of Jason Matthew Leichliter in the shooting death of Thomas “Tommy” Wilson.
Jason Leichliter, of 14 Oberly Drive, was charged with criminal homicide before Uniontown Magisterial District Judge Mark L. Blair after he allegedly shot Wilson, 29, of 255 Elm Road, Uniontown, at least four times during a dispute at 10:50 p.m. July 4 in Bierer Wood Acres housing project in South Union Township, according to state police.
Leichliter, who police said fled the scene following the shooting, was found in a Connellsville gas station the following morning by Connellsville police and taken into custody.
According to the criminal complaints filed in the intimidation cases, on July 18 both women approached several witnesses who live in Bierer Wood Acres and threatened them regarding potential testimony during Leichliter’s preliminary hearing.
“If you testify in the criminal homicide case, you and your family are going to get hurt,” Barbara Leichliter told one witness, according to Morrison. “Your kids are going to get sliced.”
“If you testify in the homicide case, when you have your daughter outside at 6:30 a.m., I am going to slice her and you,” Kelly Leichliter told the same female witness, Morrison said.
Morrison said both women also threatened that two other eyewitnesses would go to jail “so Jason can shank them.”
A shank is a homemade knife.
Following the allegedl intimidation attempts, Morrison obtained an arrest warrant for the women on Friday.
Morrison said on Saturday that another call reporting intimidation by the two women was received, and state police along with Uniontown police were dispatched to Bierer Wood.
Uniontown police Patrolman Thomas Kolencik and Detective Jason Cox were able track Barbara and Kelly Leichliter to a 52 Nutt Ave. residence, where they were taken into custody without incident.
According to Morrison, on July 4, Wilson arrived outside 15 Snyder Terrace and began to argue with Leichliter. During the argument, Leichliter went into the apartment and emerged with a handgun. The argument then resumed, during which Wilson called Leichliter a derogatory name. After the insult, Leichliter shot Wilson in the chest, causing Wilson to fall to the ground. Leichliter stood over Wilson and shot him at least three more times, Morrison said.
Jason 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 Fayette County Court records.
Jason Leichliter is being held in the Fayette County Prison without bail.
Barbara and Kelly Leichliter are being held in the Fayette County Prison on $20,000 bond.
A preliminary hearing for all three Leichliters has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 16 before George.