HARRISBURG, Pa. — A UPMC doctor was murdered in Harrisburg.
Dr. Julia Pederson died on Saturday. Police say she was strangled to death by her husband, 41-year-old Jonathan Gatto.
She practiced at UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics in Camp Hill and Harrisburg.
In a statement, UPMC said in part, “Dr. Pederson devoted her career to caring for children and supporting families, and her loss is felt deeply by colleagues, patients and communities she served.”
According to the criminal complaint, after Gatto killed her, he set their house on fire in an attempt to cover up the murder.
During an interview with police, he told them he and Pedersen were planning to separate and were going to talk to their 7-year-old daughter about the decision when he allegedly killed the little girl’s mom.
In addition to first-degree murder, Gatto has also been charged with abuse of a corpse and endangering the welfare of a child.
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