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Pocono News Section
Guilty plea for Minersville murderer
Guilty plea for Minersville murderer - Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 6:11PM EST
Thursday, Jan 17, 2008 @06:11pm EST
An admitted killer tells the family of his victim he is sorry
68 year old Nevin Wetzel of Minersville pleaded guilty to stabbing 57 year old Gloria Pauzer to death last year in St. Clair.
Wetzel knew he was facing a trial that could have ended in a death sentence.
Instead, he chose life in prison, and took his sentence today.
We asked Netzel outside the courthouse, "are you going to plead guilty today?” He said, “yup.”
We asked, “why is that?” He said, “i want to get out of here."
Nevin Wetzel knew exactly what he was going to do inside the Schuylkill County courthouse.
He pled guilty to first degree murder, and heard his sentence: life in prison.
The family of victim Gloria Pauzer is relieved.
Nancy Pauzer, Gloria’s sister-in-law says,
"We're just glad that this part is over that we have a little bit of closure anyway."
Pauzer's sister in law says she was quiet and friendly, and went to church almost every week.
"She was someone who enjoyed life's simple pleasures," says Pauzer.
But Pauzer's life ended tragically last May.
Wetzel stabbed her to death here at her St. Clair home.
Police say Wetzel tried to make advances at Pauzer, and she told him to leave.
He didn't, and a fight started that ended with a deadly knife attack, leaving Pauzer dead.
St. Clair police chief Michael Carey remembers it well.
St. Clair police chief Michael Carey says,
"It's one of my worst things I've seen in my 15 years in St. Clair."
Schuylkill county district attorney James Goodman sought the death penalty, but is pleased with the outcome.
"That was on the table and we were ready to proceed the trial and this defendant chose to plead guilty, except life in prison. And the commonwealth and the victims and the saint clair police were happy with that," says Goodman.
Leaving the courthouse, Wetzel had a message for Pauzer's family.
"Sorry. I'm sorry it just happened. It wasn't meant to be,” said Wetzel.
Now Wetzel is headed behind bars for the rest of his life.
Wetzel told the judge he couldn't wait to get to state prison, where's he's been in and out of his whole life.
He was a registered sex offender, on the Megan's Law website. | | |
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