Local

Bride to stand trial in niece's death after wedding

BEAVER, Pa. — A bride accused of killing her niece after the wedding has been ordered to stand trial on homicide and aggravated assault charges.

Charges against 30-year-old newlywed Christina George-Harvan were sent to Beaver County court after her preliminary hearing Friday. She is being held without bail.

Prosecutors allege George-Harvan, of Conway, shot 21-year-old Katelyn Francis on April 24 as they left a bar in New Brighton. The wedding was held earlier that day.

Police said the newlyweds and Francis were arguing about who would be the designated driver when the bride picked up a gun from her husband's truck and shot Francis, of Fairmont, W.Va.

Channel 11's Amy Marcinkiewicz reported George-Harvan wept openly in court Friday as she relived the night.

Her husband, Jeremy Haran, broke down several times while on the stand as he explained how he and Francis were discussing who would be the designated driver.

Haran said the next thing he knew, a gun went off and Francis crumpled to the ground.

Defense attorney Stephen Colafella said his client simply tried to move the gun when it went off.

“She is devastated. She is devastated thinking about that night all the time she sits in jail,” Colafella said. “This was a horrific accident.”

Families of everyone involved said no one wins in this case.

“This was an accident. It was a horrible, horrible tragedy and no one is at fault here,” said one of George-Harvan’s friends.