ARMSTRONG COUNTY, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police in Kittanning are investigating a homicide in which a man is accused of beating his father to death with a baseball bat, then disposing of his body and setting his mobile home on fire with the help of his girlfriend.
Police said George Burdette III, 30, and his girlfriend killed the man’s father in Sugar Creek Township before attempting to cover up the evidence, police said in a press conference Saturday.
The killing took place Wednesday in a mobile home in the 200 block of Little Road, according to the police criminal complaint.
PHOTOS: Son accused of killing father for 'disrespecting' his girlfriend
State police initially arrived at the residence around 6 a.m. that day to investigate the fire that had destroyed George Burdette Jr.’s mobile home. Troopers noticed a Dodge Neon that was registered to Burdette Jr. was missing.
Troopers then contacted Burdette III and his girlfriend, Cheyanna Lebaron, 28, and asked them to come to the father’s residence.
The couple arrived at the residence in a 2000 Dodge Neon, according to the criminal complaint. Burdette III then told investigators he had not seen his father in a “couple days” and did not know where he was.
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On Thursday, police said Burdette Jr., 59, was reported missing by his niece.
On Friday, state police interviewed Lebaron about the whereabouts of Burdette Jr. and her boyfriend’s possible involvement.
Lebaron then told police that Burdette III had referred to “wanting to kill his father for disrespecting her earlier (on Tuesday),” according to the criminal complaint. She told police that she and Burdette III -- carrying a wooden baseball bat -- entered his father’s house around 11:30 p.m. on July 11.
Lebaron said Burdette Jr. was asleep on the couch.
Victim: George Burdette Jr.
Lebaron told police Burdette III threw a cup of bleach in his father’s face to disorient him and began to strike him in the head with the bat. She said Burdette Jr. lost consciousness after the third or fourth strike and that his head had split open.
After realizing Burdette Jr. was dead, Lebaron said they covered him with a blanket. Lebaron and Burdette III then took sleeping pills and slept until around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the criminal complaint.
The couple then drove Burdette Jr.’s body in the Dodge Neon to a wooded area, where they dumped the body and returned to the house, the complaint said.
According to the criminal complaint, Burdette III and Lebaron lit the victim’s mattress on fire, which then spread throughout the residence.
Lebaron took state troopers to the body’s location of Burns Hill Road, where it was found wrapped in plastic.
Burdette III is in police custody, charged with criminal homicide, state police said. He was previously being held on possession of a firearm. He has a prior criminal history that includes theft and drug charges, and was not supposed to have a firearm.
Lebaron was arrested Saturday evening and is charged with criminal homicide, police announced Sunday.
Investigators said they will conduct search warrants in several locations to gather more evidence.
Cox Media Group
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