Father pleads guilty to reduced charges in shooting death of son
An Allison 1 man accused in the November shooting death of his 12-year-old son pleaded guilty in Fayette County Court on Friday to a reduced charge. Michael Alvin Muha Jr., 39, of 74 Broadway St. was charged Nov. 24 with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person in the shooting death of his son, Michael Muha III, known as Mikey. An additional felony weapons charge was filed against Michael Muha Jr. earlier this year. Michael Muha Jr. entered a general plea Friday of guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter and also pleaded guilty to simple assault, illegally possessing a firearm and recklessly endangering another person before President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi.
While there was some speculation that a tentative plea agreement had been reached with the Fayette County District Attorney’s office that would have included a prison sentence for Michael Muha Jr. of 2 1/2 to 5 years, Assistant District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. said that an agreement was not in place and that Muha was simply entering a general plea.
As a result, Capuzzi will determine his actual sentence at a later date.
Michael Muha Jr. was arrested after he allegedly shot his son during an argument at their home Nov. 23.
According to Fayette County Deputy Coroner Marisa Springer, an autopsy performed by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht revealed the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound to the anterior chest. Springer said the manner of death has been ruled a homicide.
The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. when witnesses told police that Michael Muha Jr. and a friend, Tasha Lea Miciotto, 37, of Uniontown, were arguing, police said.
During the argument, Mikey Muha reportedly got a shotgun from his father’s vehicle at his father’s request, Trooper James Petrosky said.
Michael Muha Jr. told Capuzzi Friday that he was struggling over the gun with Miciotto when the shot was fired.
“Me and her were fighting over the shotgun when it went off,” Michael Muha Jr. testified, fighting back tears. “We were both pulling. She was trying to pull the gun out the door, and then it went off and struck by son in the chest.”
According to Petrosky, a neighbor of Michael Muha’s, Wesley Joseph Silva, told police that Michael Muha Jr. told him the gun accidentally went off and that the elder Muha had been beaten up by teenagers at the scene, Petrosky said.
Trooper Joe Christy said that during the altercation between Michael Muha Jr. and Miciotto, some teenagers at the residence attempted to break up the altercation and fought with Michael Muha Jr.
Petrosky said Michael Muha Jr. told officers that he directed his son to get the shotgun and that he loaded two rounds into the weapon. He told investigators that at some point the weapon discharged, striking his son in the chest, Petrosky said.
Michael Muha told the court Friday that he had only loaded the weapon in an attempt to scare off the people inside his home.
Investigators said that the shooting appeared to be negligent, rather than intentional.
Michael Muha Jr. remains in the Fayette County Prison without bond.