Court orders hearing about juror in Sheldon Jeter's homicide trial

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Superior Court of Pennsylvania ordered there should be a hearing about a juror in Sheldon Jeter's homicide trial, the Beaver County district attorney confirmed. 

A jury found Jeter, of Aliquippa, guilty of first-degree homicide in the shooting death of his close friend, Tyric Pugh, in 2021.

There was a post-trial motion by the defense to challenge possible bias by that juror.  The trial judge denied the motion as based on hearsay.  But Wednesday's order directs the trial judge to hold a hearing on that one juror to develop direct facts on that post-trial question.   

Following the trial, KDKA Investigates reported that it was found juror No. 3 was a next-door neighbor to the family of Rachael DelTondo, the slain schoolteacher with whom Jeter once had a romantic relationship.

In 2018, DelTondo was shot several times in her parent's driveway, just feet from a home that KDKA-TV confirmed is owned by the female juror's parents.

Though he's never been formally named a suspect, Jeter has been under investigation in connection with the DelTondo murder for the past three years.

Since that time, Jeter has garnered national attention as a possible suspect in the murder. But the defense said when questioned during jury selection, juror No. 3 revealed no knowledge of Jeter or the present case.

Jeter's attorney Michael Santicola argued the verdict was tainted because the juror lived next to the DelTondo family. He also contended the juror was aware that Jeter is a person of interest in that homicide.

KDKA-TV also obtained transcripts of the court's questioning of the juror. They revealed that she was actually married to -- and apparently divorcing -- a relative of Jeter. 

The defense also produced a picture of Judge Tesla presiding over the couple's civil wedding ceremony and cited a specific line of questioning at jury selection.