Indiana Co. Man Pleads Guilty To Killing Daughters, Wife
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A father from Indiana County sobbed as he pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal homicide on Friday in connection with the deaths of his estranged wife and two young daughters earlier this year.
The plea will spare him the death penalty.
In a brief statement, Lewis Beatty said he was sorry, very remorseful and this never should have happened. Beatty then received three consecutive life sentences with no parole.
"He will never see the outside of a jail during his lifetime," said Patrick Dougherty, the Indiana County District Attorney.
Beatty's 6-year-old daughter Sarah, 11-year-old daughter Amanda and his estranged wife Christine died on June 1.
"This is one of the hardest cases I've ever been involved with," said Dougherty. "I go back to the night of June 1 when I was called to the scene and to see the little girls lying there… I remember Sarah was wearing pink socks that day."
Christine's parents, Ron and Laura Smail, could not deal with the pain of sitting through the D.A.'s press conference. This will be their first Christmas without their only daughter and grandchildren.
"I hope I never know what went through his head," Dougherty said. "I am at a loss as to how you could do such a thing to your own children."
Defense attorney Fred Hummel says Beatty tried to get help.
"Lewis Beatty is not a monster," said Hummel. "He told the medical professionals that he was having homicidal thoughts towards his wife; 56 minutes later after walking in, he was discharged and put back out on the street."
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