Man accused of lying in wait to shoot, kill local couple heading to trial on double homicide

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Homicide charges against a man accused of waiting for a Penn Township couple to come home before shooting them were held over to Westmoreland County Court on Tuesday.

Victor Steban, 53, is also facing charges across several other municipalities after shooting up homes and trying to kill the former national head of the Pagans Motorcycle Club. Steban was also considered a person of interest in a car bombing.

In the homicide incident, 27-year-old Mara Casale and 41-year-old Jacob Erdeljac were found shot to death at the home along Claridge-Elliot Road in Penn Township on May 17.

Testimony on Tuesday came from the investigating county Detective Randy Gardner, detailing the gruesome crime scene and trail of shell casings believed to be from an AR-15.

He recounted his interview with Steban, where Steban said he was lying in wait for Erdeljac to come home, and started advancing about 100-150 yards out from the woods shooting Casale first because she saw him approaching, then shoot Erdeljac multiple times.

“[Steban] said he fired two more times at Jacob’s head, and said, ‘I told you this would happen, I told you I’d kill you, I told you not to run your mouth,’” Gardner testified.

Gardner said Steban expressed some remorse for killing Casale but said she was there and entered into his world and he did what he had to do.

“He was very blasé' and unrepentant about what he had to do. He was going to get away with this crime and she may have very well prevented him by calling police or identifying him,” Gardner said.

The defense questioned whether or not investigators can tie Steban to stealing the truck and if forensics can prove he used an AR-15 to fire the deadly shots. They tried to get the illegal gun possession charge dropped, arguing that proof of Steban’s criminal history and conviction wasn’t entered into evidence, but the judge ruled to keep all charges, saying the detective’s testimony was sufficient at this stage.

“It’s clear, not only from the evidence but also the defendant’s own statements he intended to carry out that objective without any hesitation or delay,” the judge said.

Steban did not say anything on his way out of the hearing on Tuesday. The defense didn’t have any comment on today’s hearing, but Steban is expected to be back in court again tomorrow and next week for his cases pending out of north Huntingdon and state police territory.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Casale family and Erdeljac family, I can’t imagine a worst experience than this, than to be called and find out your son and daughter had been killed,” District Attorney John Peck said.

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