Man convicted of third-degree murder in Canonsburg shooting sentenced to prison
The Canonsburg man convicted of third-degree murder in the killing of another man at a house party in the borough last year said nothing to the family of his victim before he was sentenced Friday to serve more than a decade in prison.
Kristopher Moorehouse, 21, sat emotionless as he was sentenced to serve 12 to 24 years in a state prison by President Judge Valarie Costanzo in the Sept. 6, 2025, shooting of Brady Paul during a fight inside a Canonsburg house.
Deputy District Attorney John Friedmann had asked Constanzo to sentence Moorehouse to 23 to 46 years in state prison “to show the seriousness of his actions” and due to his criminal history and the danger he put other people in by firing a handgun in the house. Costanzo said in court the sentence she imposed was within the standard range for third-degree murder.
Costanzo gave Moorehouse the opportunity to address two of Paul’s family members who were seated in the courtroom gallery during the sentencing, but he declined as he sat at the defense table while shackled and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. Paul’s great-grandmother Louise Oleska-Maksa gave a victim impact statement about how his death has been hard on the family, but she’s never seen or heard any remorse from his killer.
“It’s been hard to cope with his death,” she said. “I believe Moorehouse should be punished for this crime. I was at the trial and I saw no remorse from him.”
Moorehouse testified at his trial that he acted in self-defense after Paul made unwanted sexual advances to Moorehouse’s girlfriend over text messages during the house party at 521 Giffin Ave. That led to an argument in which Moorehouse pointed a non-functioning revolver at Paul before another partygoer escorted Paul from the house.
But Paul returned a few minutes later through a backdoor and a fistfight ensued between him and Moorehouse in the living room, leading to Moorehouse grabbing a handgun and firing three shots, striking Paul twice.
Paul, 25, of Canonsburg, stumbled out of the house and died on the front porch from a gunshot wound to his chest and abdomen. Moorehouse ran from the scene and later fled to Parkersburg, W.Va., before returning to Canonsburg and turning himself in to authorities two days after the killing.
The jury of seven men and five women took about four hours to deliberate June 11 before convicting Moorehouse of third-degree murder following the three-day trial before Costanzo at the Washington County Courthouse. Moorehouse was also convicted of aggravated assault and four counts of reckless endangerment. He has been jailed without bond since his arrest last September.