AMANDA and SARA BEATTY - 11 and 6 yo/ Accused: Father-Lewis Beatty - Indiana (E of Pittsburgh) PA

A western Pennsylvania man has been jailed on charges he killed his two young daughters and his estranged wife at separate residences which were also set on fire.Officials at the Indiana County Jail confirmed that Lewis Beatty, 40, was charged with three counts of criminal homicide, though online court records were not immediately available Monday. State troopers and Indiana County District Attorney Pat Dougherty were planning to release additional details at an afternoon news conference.

Coroner Michael Baker said the bodies were found at the scene of separate fires in Indiana County, which Dougherty later identified as a home in South Mahoning Township, where the two girls were found, and the other at a home in East Mahoning Township, where one victim was found.

Ron Smail, who identified himself as the father and grandfather of the victims, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the girls found dead in one home were
6-year-old Sara Beatty and 11-year-old Amanda Beatty. They were found dead after Beatty allegedly set fire to his own home in South Mahoning Township about 7 p.m. Friday.

Smail said his daughter, Christine Beatty, 33, was the suspect's estranged wife and was found dead at the mobile home she had been renting 10 miles away in East Mahoning. That fire was reported about 8 p.m. Friday.

Smail said the coroner told him that all three victims bled to death from slash wounds to their throats. The family's pet pony, goat and dog had also been shot, Smail said.

The coroner issued a statement confirming all three victims were members of the same family, but Baker said additional details would be released only at Monday's news conference.

The Presbyterian Church of Plumville, where the family attended church, posted the message "We love you Chris Amanda and Sara" on a sign in front of the sanctuary.

It was not immediately clear if Lewis Beatty has an attorney. Beatty was jailed without bond following his arrest and preliminary arraignment Saturday.

Smail said his daughter and Beatty has separated and shared custody of their daughters. He said Lewis Beatty was attempting to reconcile with Christine, who had turned down his invitation for a dinner date on Friday.

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Family triple-murder suspect sent to trial in Indiana County
Lewis Beatty accused of killing daughters, wife

UPDATED 12:59 PM EDT Aug 17, 2012

INDIANA, Pa. - State police say a man used a hunting knife to slit his children's throats at home before following his estranged wife from work and doing the same to her, then set both of their homes on fire with the victims still inside.

Lewis Beatty was ordered Friday to stand trial on homicide charges after three witnesses gave testimony to District Judge Guy Haberl about the June deaths of 6-year-old Sara Beatty, 11-year-old Amanda Beatty and the girls' 32-year-old mother, Christine.

A state police investigator read the following information from the transcript of an interview with the suspect:
- The youngest daughter was slain first. She was playing with Barbie dolls and talking with her father when she brought up that her mother was seeing another man. He then choked the girl and slit her throat.
- The older daughter came home and asked to see her sister. Beatty grabbed the girl, choked her and cut her throat.
- Beatty said he also killed their goat, pony and dog because there would be no one to take care of them any more.

The family of the victims cried as the details were read in court.

“Every day’s a struggle. I mean, imagine how horrific it is that you lose your daughter and your two grandchildren in the same incident, so they’re having a hard time,” said Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty.

After the girls were slain at home on Morrow Road in South Mahoning Township, their mother was strangled and had her throat slashed about an hour later at her residence on Pfeiffer Road in East Mahoning Township, police said.

Dougherty said his office is still deciding whether to pursue the death penalty.

“Death penalty cases are long. They’re cost-intensive. I want to make sure that the victims’ family is on board for everything that’s included in a death penalty case,” said Dougherty.

Lewis Beatty remains in the Indiana County Jail awaiting his trial date.

Read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/local/Family-triple-murder-suspect-sent-to-trial-in-Indiana-County/-/9681086/16164890/-/9w2skw/-/index.html#ixzz23pGmnhVP

DA: Death for Pa. man in killings of wife, girls

The Associated Press
Published: Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 - 7:11 am

INDIANA, Pa. -- A district attorney says he'll pursue the death penalty against a western Pennsylvania man awaiting trial on charges that he killed his two young daughters and his estranged wife.

Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty (DAWK'-er-tee) says he's "never been involved in a more horrible case" than the prosecution of 41-year-old Lewis Beatty, of Home.

Beatty's attorney, Fred Hummel, says he anticipated the decision but otherwise declined comment.

Beatty is also charged with arson and animal cruelty because he allegedly set fire to his home, where his daughters were killed, and his estranged wife's residence after fatally shooting the family's pet pony, goat and dog during the June 1 rampage.

State police say Beatty confessed to choking and slashing the throat of 33-year-old Christine Beatty, after similarly killing their daughters, 6-year-old Sara, and 11-year-old Amanda.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/31/4775769/da-death-for-pa-man-in-killings.html#storylink=cpy