A jury has found Christopher Rowe, a resident of Cambria County, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his former girlfriend, Kaylene Roedel. The verdict was announced by Attorney General Michelle Henry. In addition to the murder charge, Rowe, aged 50, was also convicted of aggravated assault and providing false reports to law enforcement.
The prosecution presented evidence that Rowe had threatened Roedel at her workplace just days before she disappeared. Her body was discovered on August 7, 2016, on a hiking trail in Johnstown. Rowe is now facing a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole when he is sentenced in January 2025.
Attorney General Henry commented on the case: "The defendant brutally murdered this woman — the mother of his child — after publicly threatening her at her place of employment." She expressed gratitude towards those involved in securing justice for Roedel and hoped the verdict would bring some peace to her family.
Rowe had previously been incarcerated in Cambria County Jail for an earlier assault on Roedel. At that time, they shared both a home and custody of their child. Testimonies during the trial revealed that Rowe had expressed intentions to kill Roedel while he was still imprisoned. Following his release from jail, Roedel went missing.
Surveillance footage showed Roedel's vehicle near where her body was later found; Rowe had possession of the vehicle at that time. A witness reported that Rowe confessed to strangling Roedel and threatened them with harm if they disclosed this information.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry and Deputy Attorney General Aaron McKendry prosecuted the case.