Man convicted in 2021 murder of pregnant woman in McKeesport sentenced to life in prison

A man convicted of the murder of Karli Short, who was pregnant at the time, has been sentenced to prison.

Isaac Smith has been sentenced to two life sentences, to be served consecutively.

Smith was found guilty by a jury last week of Short’s murder.

Previous coverage: Man told girlfriend he was going to see puppy when he killed mother of unborn child, police say

Short was killed in McKeesport in September 2021 while she was 17 weeks pregnant. Her body was found in an alleyway near her home.

She was the daughter of former Penn State and NFL football player Brandon Short.

Prosecutors were originally seeking the death penalty against Smith. Nearly a year ago, the Allegheny County District Attorney took that off the table.

At one point during victim impact statements Tuesday morning, Karli’s mother addressed Smith directly, saying he robbed her and their family of all that they were looking forward to with Karli and their grandchild.

Family members held back tears, describing Karli as a beautiful soul who was excited to be a mother.

“She just sent me a photo of a sonogram – and it was just like ‘Boom. Surprise!’” said Phylicia Cook, Karli’s aunt. “That was her joy. That was her moment.”

The shooting happened just days before Karli’s gender reveal party. DNA testing conducted after her death revealed the baby was a girl and that Smith was not the child’s father.

“My grandchild was not murdered by her father. Her father did not kill her. A murdering coward did. That is one small blessing in all of this,” said Brandon Short, Karli’s father. “Karli will not be defined by the man who took her life. She will be defined by who she was and the work we will continue to do in her name.”

Short’s family started The Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation in her honor. It supports college students whose lives have been affected by gun violence, and to date, has raised more than $1 million.

“Karli’s life will continue to touch the lives of others, that is how we honor her. That is how this terrible day becomes something more than the end of her story. It’s the next chapter,” Brandon said.

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