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[December 01, 2009]

Two men resentenced in Springer slay case

Dec 01, 2009 (The Valley Independent - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WASHINGTON, Pa. -- A Washington County judge has modified the sentences she imposed on two Mon Valley men involved in the 2008 murders of a Carroll Township couple.

President Judge Debbie O' Dell Seneca vacated the sentences for some of the charges against Gerald Szakal, 27, of Webster, and Justin Welch, 22, of Donora.

On Oct. 1, a jury convicted Szakal of two counts of second-degree murder for the robbery and fatal shooting of retired Carroll Township police Chief Howard Springer, and his wife, Nancy, March 4, 2008, in their 1241 Highland Road home.

Welch pleaded guilty to charges related to allegations that he helped Szakal obtain the gun used in the murders.

Welch was a key prosecution witness, testifying during Szakal's trial.

Both men's attorneys filed appeals earlier this month, claiming O'Dell Seneca erred in her sentencing.

Szakal was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the Springers' murders and an additional 20 to 40 years in prison for one of the two robbery convictions.

He was also sentenced to 20 to 40 years for the second robbery conviction, 3 1/2 to seven years for theft, 3 1/2 to seven years for receiving stolen property and two, 10-year to 20- year terms for two criminal conspiracy charges.

The judge ordered those sentences to run concurrently with the life sentences.

In her order, filed last week, O'Dell Seneca modified the sentence, to allow for the merging of the robbery and theft convictions into Szakal's convictions for second-degree murder.

However, O'Dell Seneca did not merge the conspiracy to commit robbery charge and ordered all other sentences remain.

In Welch's sentencing, O'Dell Seneca ordered him to two consecutive 10-to-20-year prison terms for two separate charges of criminal conspiracy to commit homicide.

In her modification order, the judge resentenced Welch to two concurrent, 10-year to 20-year terms for the convictions. O'Dell Seneca vacated the sentence for one of the conspiracy charges against him.

Stacy Wolford can be reached at swolford@tribweb.com or 724-684-2640.

To see more of The Valley Independent or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Valley Independent, Monessen, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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