District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Port Allegany man charged with causing the death of a Port Allegany woman in February of 2025 has now been convicted of Murder in the 1^st Degree.  Brian KUCHINKA pled guilty to causing her death and abuse of a corpse during a hearing in September but did not agree that he intentionally killed her, leaving the Judge to decide if the death was Murder in the 1^st Degree, Murder in the 3^rd Degree, Voluntary Manslaughter or Involuntary Manslaughter. 

Trooper Whitney Boshart of the Pennsylvania State Police-Lewis Run was the lead investigator.  She testified that, on February 21, 2025, K-Leigh Hill-Nelson was reported missing after not showing up for her job at a nursing home in Smethport for the start of her shift at 10pm.  Co-workers and family members attempted to reach her.  Residents of Smethport who were driving in the area of Water Street around 930 pm on February 21^st testified that they heard yelling and honking, saw a woman believed to be Hill-Nelson appearing visibly distraught, and saw a vehicle known to be driven by KUCHINKA abandoned in the street.  Two of them called 911. 

Trooper Boshart requested videos from area businesses and residences.  Video surveillance from private residences and businesses throughout Smethport, Port Allegany, and Turtlepoint showed the route of Hill-Nelson’s vehicle travel before being located in the parking lot of a closed restaurant in Port Allegany with blood on the seats, floors, and steering wheel.  Residents near the nursing home where the victim worked testified that they heard what they believed to be a gunshot at approximately 9:57 pm on February 21^st and then saw the car speed down the roadway. They took a photo of the car and provided it to Trooper Boshart.  The vehicle in the photo appears to be Hill-Nelson’s vehicle.  The locations of the cell phones of KUCHINKA and Hill-Nelson were mapped through phone records and showed that Hill-Nelson was travelling her normal route to work and KUCHINKA drove toward her.  Once KUCHINKA’s phone was in the location of Hill-Nelson’s phone, KUCHINKA changed his direction and the two phones then continued to travel in close proximity to each other.  Videos showed KUCHINKA driving behind Hill-Nelson into Smethport before he passed her on Water Street and left his car abandoned on Water Street.  He was later seen in Hill-Nelson’s vehicle.

Trooper Boshart reviewed Facebook and Snapchat records and testified that the records  revealed that KUCHINKA searched Facebook for Hill-Nelson over 300 times over a few days and searched the name of a man she had recently reconnected with numerous times.  Witnesses testified that KUCHINKA was known to hack into Hill-Nelson’s social media accounts and was confronted for doing so.  Records showed that his phone was used to log into her Facebook account numerous times in the days leading up to her murder, including the same day of her murder and, further, showed that she unfriended him and changed the password to her account just hours before her murder.  Her Facebook account was accessed even after she was killed.

Smethport Police Chief Kevin Seipp testified that he was dispatched for the disturbance involving two people on Water Street and located the abandoned vehicle that is now known to have been driven by KUCHINKA.  He testified that, the next day, he and Officer Tony Tanner of Port Allegany Police investigated the missing person’s report and came to believe that Hill-Nelson may be in the hotel room that KUCHINKA had recently rented.  KUCHINKA had been evicted by Hill-Nelson and her father a few weeks before and, initially, refused to leave the residence.  They and a relative of Hill-Nelson went to the motel and, hearing no response, the officers opened the window and heard a gunshot.  Numerous members of law enforcement in McKean and neighboring counties converged on the motel to back up the officers and attempted to take KUCHINKA into custody.  Once phone contact was made, KUCHINKA reported that Hill-Nelson was not with him and that she should be ok.   He was ordered to leave his gun in the room and surrender to police.  After several hours, he surrendered to the Troopers’ commands, but they observed a gun in his back pocket.  Once on his knees, troopers ran to place handcuffs on him and confiscated the firearm. It was found to have a bullet in the chamber. KUCHINKA was found to have shot himself and suffered a head wound that required treatment but was not life-threatening.  Troopers cleared the room and discovered Hill-Nelson’s lifeless body found under the bed without clothes. She died of a gunshot wound to her head. Video from the area of the hotel room captured KUCHINKA carrying her lifeless body from her vehicle into the room a few hours after she failed to appear for work. 

DA Vettenburg-Shaffer thanked Trooper Boshart and the other officers who worked on the case and recognized the family of Hill-Nelson.  “The investigation in this case was extensive and included obtaining physical evidence, electronic records, and scientific evidence.  Excellent police work resulted in the evidence that was required to hold KUCHINKA accountable. Of course, this verdict only brings the criminal case one step closer to completion, but the family will be left to mourn K-Leigh for the rest of their lives.  K-Leigh was a mother, daughter, sister, niece and friend and her absence will be felt by many people forever.”  If you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available at the YWCA of Bradford at 1-888-822-6325.