Judge sentences man to life in prison for 2016 murder

EBENSBURG, Pa. – A Cambria County judge sentenced Christopher George Rowe to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday for the 2016 murder of a Blairsville woman.

A jury found Rowe, 50, guilty after a six-day trial in November of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and making false reports to authorities.

“It’s really tragic – this whole case,” said Senior Judge Norman A. Krumenacker III, who presided over the trial and handed down the sentence.

Rowe was charged in 2020 with murdering his former girlfriend, Kaylene Roedel, 26, and leaving her body near the Honan Avenue trail in Johnstown. He was prosecuted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

“This was a horrible and tragic case,” Senior Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry said Thursday. “Kaylene died way too young at the hands of the defendant.”

Rowe did not make a statement in court, but his attorneys, Daniel Kiss and Toby McIlwain, said he does plan to file post-sentence motions and appeals. The defense attorneys motioned to withdraw as Rowe’s attorneys, but Krumenacker denied the request.

Members of Roedel’s family spoke before Rowe was sentenced.

“You are nothing but a monster and I hope the rest of your life is miserable,” said Sarah West, Roedel’s cousin. She said that “things have not been the same” since losing Roedel and she still feels that grief years later.

Roedel’s daughter told Rowe that she still cries about her mother’s killing and often reflects on having to grow up without her parent. She ended by saying, “I wish you a horrible, horrible life.”

“You destroyed my family,” said Roedel’s sister-in-law, Billie Hillegass. “Shame on you.”

Krumenacker also weighed in with his thoughts about what led to Roedel’s slaying.

After reflecting on the trial, he said, he concluded that Roedel had decided to leave Rowe, and Rowe couldn’t handle that, so he did what he had done in the past and resorted to violence to solve his problems.

Krumenacker said Rowe has seven prior convictions involving violence, and it’s clear that’s how he has dealt with turbulence in his life since he was young.

Rowe’s charge of aggravated assault was merged with his life sentence for first-degree murder at the request of the defense, and his sentence of six to 12 months for making false reports will run concurrently.

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