Jurors Hear Taped Confession In Westmoreland Co. Teacher's Murder
GREENSBURG (KDKA) -- Jurors in the trial of a Westmoreland County man accused of strangling his school teacher wife to death heard a taped confession Thursday in court.
The fourth day of testimony centered on the audiotaped confession that suspect, David Stahl, made to state police investigators.
Specifically, what happened in the moments leading up to Rebecca Stahl's strangulation death inside 803 Seton View in South Greensburg on Feb. 18, 2012.
It started with David arriving home; authorities say he was admittedly intoxicated.
Taped Confession: "My wife had been smoking marijuana and she was bitter, and I didn't wanna deal with it."
What followed, according to the suspect's own words, was a physical confrontation throughout the house.
Taped Confession: "Basically, it was a cat and mouse chase - back and forth, back and forth."
The violence culminated with Rebecca Stahl's death.
Taped Confession: "I didn't do this intentionally. My hands were around her neck, trying to keep her away from me. I thought she just passed out."
The prosecution would rest later in the day, wrapping up by showing text messages between the couple.
Most of those messages centered on Rebecca Stahl's depression over her inability to have a child after her hysterectomy, and her wanting her husband to come home from the bar to be with her.
RELATED LINKS:
Wecht: Wife Strangled With Such Force It Broke Bone In Her Neck (6/25/14)
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