Court Transcript Shows Judge's Grave Concern For Murdered Pitt Student's Safety
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Murdered Pitt student Alina Sheykhet had a Protection from Abuse Order, or a PFA, against her ex-boyfriend, who is the man accused in her killing, Matthew Darby.
Sheykhet told the judge she didn't think Darby would ever hurt her.
Judge David Spurgeon still granted the PFA out of concern for Sheykhet's safety. He also gave her a warning, saying Darby was a danger to her.
Sheykhet went before Judge Spurgeon to ask for the PFA after Darby allegedly broke into her Oakland home.
She told the judge, in part, "I was asleep at the time. He climbed up the gutter of the house and broke into the second-floor window through the kitchen, and then walked into my bedroom. It was nothing malicious, nothing. He didn't want to harm me. He just wanted to speak to me. I did leave him a few weeks prior to that, and I guess he did not like the fact that I asked him to leave me alone."
Judge Spurgeon told Sheykhet, "Tell me if you're afraid."
But Sheykhet said, "I would just like him to leave me alone."
Judge Spurgeon explained that's not what a PFA is for.
"The purpose of a PFA is to prevent you from being hurt," he told her. "So tell me if you think he has a possibility of hurting you."
Sheykhet answered "No."
It's was at that point in the hearing that Judge Spurgeon started expressing his concern. He said, "You don't think he has the possibility of hurting you? He climbed up and broke into your house."
Sheykhet replied, "I don't think he would lay a hand on me."
The judge kept questioning and said, "Really? Why do you think he came to your house and broke in then? Why don't you think he just knocked on the door?"
Sheykhet said, "I can see where you're coming from."
After a little more dialogue, Judge Spurgeon said, "I'm more worried about your safety than you are. I think he's a danger to you."
Sheykhet said "Okay."
The judge granted Sheykhet's PFA and ended the proceeding by saying, in part, "I hope that you believe that he's a danger to you, because this is not the way normal people react."
From those chilling portions of the transcript, the bigger question being raised is one we may never have the answer to and that is whether Sheykhet truly believed her life was in danger.