Slaying suspect’s wife faces charges
The wife of a Coal Center man accused of systematically stealing from his 92-year-old neighbor and then killing her in mid-July is now facing charges related to the thefts, police said.
State police Monday filed a handful of charges against Diane McClelland as a result of their homicide investigation into the death of 92-year-old Evelyn Stepko.
About a week after Stepko’s death July 17 police charged David A. McClelland, 56, and his son, David James (DJ) McClelland, 36, with her death.
Trooper Louis J. Serafini said Monday that Diane McClelland, 48, was charged before Magisterial District Judge Joshua Kanalis with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and hindering apprehension for her role in the crimes committed against Stepko.
Earlier this month, Diane McClelland’s stepson waived all charges against him to Washington County Court, a few weeks after his father was held for trial on the charges filed against him. Both men face charges including homicide and burglary.
Police said Stepko’s body was found in the basement of her home at 1076 Pike run Dr., not far from David and Diane McClelland’s home and also near DJ McClelland’s residence. Serafini said Stepko had been stabbed twice in the neck and had multiple broken ribs.
Serafini said DJ McClelland told police that he received about $70,000 from his father that he knew had been taken from Stepko’s home. Some of that money was found at his home, police allege.
Serafini said that all three McClellands gambled large sums of money at the Meadows Casino in North Strabane Township in the last year, with the dates of the gambling excursions roughly corresponding to reported thefts at Stepko’s home. The McClellands also allegedly made cash purchases of guns, real estate and vehicles, without apparent income to support the purchases.
Serafini said that information received by police from DJ McClelland led to the arrest of his stepmother.
Police said Stepko was known to keep large sums of cash in her house, noting that $82,400 was found stashed through the house by police following her death.
Diane McClelland was placed in Washington County Prison on $500,000 bond following her arraignment.
She will face a preliminary hearing at a later date before Kanalis.
David A. McClelland and his son remain in prison without bond while awaiting trial.