Man Found Guilty In 2014 Murder, Dismemberment Of Mother, Stepfather
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A man accused of murdering and dismembering his mother and stepfather has been found guilty.
Jury deliberations began this morning in the trial of Frederick Harris III. Harris was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of abuse of a corpse.
It took the jury, which was made up of six men and six women, about two hours to reach their decision.
In December of 2014, Harris was arrested at a home on Suncrest Drive in Penn Hills.
According to investigators, seven garbage cans were found in the basement with remains inside. Police say the remains were those of Olivia and Lamar Gilbert.
During testimony, a detective took the stand and said one of the first things he saw when he looked inside was a human head.
The jury also saw several crime scene photos, including those of a piece of blood-soaked carpet detectives say was ripped from the floor, bottles of bleach and cleaner and a receipt for a 45-gallon garbage can from Home Depot.
The prosecution played several video clips of store surveillance footage from the days and the hours before the gruesome discovery. On the footage, investigators say Harris can be seen buying trash cans & a set of kitchen knives.
Detectives also pointed out that a pair of Nike tennis shoes Harris was wearing in some of the videos were found inside the home.
Prosecutors also presented fingerprint evidence. Harris' prints were found on two of the garbage bag knots and on a piece of packaging tape.
Harris did not appear to show much emotion when the verdict was announced. He didn't say anything.
Judge Kevin Sasinoski revoked his bond and remanded him to the Allegheny County Jail. He will be sentenced on Jan. 3, 2017.
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