Police Reports

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Pennsylvania State Police-Lewis Run are currently investigating the circumstances of a vehicle rolling over a man outside of Kane earlier today. The man was transported to a local hospital and was subsequently transferred to an out-of-area hospital for treatment due to the extent of injuries. The investigation is on-going.  

On May 18, 2025, the Bradford City Police Department received a report from a female juvenile at a City address, alleging she was sexually assaulted by a known male several months prior. Following an investigation, officers determined there was sufficient evidence to make an arrest. A warrant was subsequently issued for the suspect, and on September 5, 2025, Pennsylvania State Police Troop J Avondale located and apprehended Richard D. Westrope in Chester County. Westrope was then taken to McKean County, where he was arraigned before Judge Todd. His bail was set at $200,000, which he was unable to post, resulting in his remand to the McKean County Jail.

Presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Port Allegany man charged with causing the death of a Port Allegany woman in February has pled guilty to causing her death.  And a McKean County Judge will determine the degree of homicide.  

Brian KUCHINKA was charged in February after the family of K-Leigh Hill-Nelson reported her missing after she failed to appear at her job in Smethport. Her body was found disrobed under a bed in a motel room where KUCHINKA was known to stay and he was taken into custody after several hours while State Police tried to secure his capture. Trooper Whitney Boshart, Pennsylvania State Police-Lewis Run, is the lead investigator.  

The case was listed for a jury trial in October.  During a pretrial conference with the Judge at the McKean County Courthouse earlier today, KUCHINKA pled guilty to Criminal Homicide and Abuse of a Corpse.

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer explained the charge of Homicide:  “Criminal Homicide is the criminal charge when an offender causes the death of another person. It is an “umbrella” crime and is made up of Murder 1, Murder 2, Murder 3, Voluntary Manslaughter and Involuntary Manslaughter. The plea was agreeable to the Commonwealth and the victim’s family because it required the offender to accept responsibility for causing the death and accomplished the same thing that a jury trial would.

When a jury trial occurs in a Criminal Homicide case, the jury has to first determine if the offender caused the death within the meaning of the criminal law. If the jury agrees on the charge of Criminal Homicide, it must then go through each of the sub-crimes and determine if the offender committed the Homicide in an intentional/premediated fashion (Murder 1), while committing a specified felony (Murder 2), all the way through each sub-crime of murder and manslaughter.  The plea requires the offender to plead guilty to Homicide and Abuse of the Corpse and, now, the Judge will determine what level of Homicide it was the same as a jury would. The trial with the judge will occur in October.  After the evidence, the Judge will determine if it is Murder 1, 2, 3 or Voluntary/Involuntary Manslaughter and the offender will be sentenced accordingly.”   

Leo E. Hayes, 81, of Lewis Run, passed away Sunday (August 31, 2025) at Olean General Hospital, Olean, NY.

He was born January 13, 1944 in Bradford, the son of Arthur and Bertha (Munn) Hayes.

Leo was a 1961 graduate of Bradford High School and earned both his B.S. and Masters Degrees in English Education from I.U.P. 

He served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam.