CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. -- Prosecutors in Cumberland County are seeking the death penalty for a teen accused of killing his 88-year-old neighbor in February.Colton Hardy, 19, is charged with the beating death of Ethel Weaver.
He broke into her house to steal her car keys, killed her and took her car for a joyride, police said.
Hardy pleaded not guilty Thursday morning at his formal arraignment.
Officials Discussed Case In February
At a February news conference, Cumberland County District Attorney Dave Freed described Weaver's killing in four words, "stupid, senseless and brutal."
Hardy broke into Weaver's home on Torway Road in Dickinson Township on Saturday, Feb. 7, according to officials.
"This appears by all accounts to be a burglary, a theft, that turned into a homicide," Freed said.
One of Weaver's daughter found her inside the home the next morning. The daughter was dropping by to pick Ethel up for church.
Court documents show that when police questioned Hardy, he told them that he remembered Weaver had suffered a beating.
"He's a coward. Basically, take on an 88-year-old victim like that. It's ridiculous," state trooper Karl Schmidhammer said.
A pair of bloody gloves was found inside Weaver's car, accorinding to police. They also said Hardy injured his right hand in the attack.
Two weeks before the killing, Hardy entered Weaver's home and helped himself to a glass of water, police said. The incident made Weaver and her family nervous.
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