(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: October 5, 2026): District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the man convicted of 1^st Degree Murder in the death of a Port Allegany woman in 2025 has been sentenced to life in prison following a sentencing hearing held today at the McKean County Courthouse.

KUCHINKA was charged by Trooper Whitney Boshart of the Pennsylvania State Police-Lewis Run barracks after K-leigh Hill-Nelson was reported missing after not showing up for her work at a nursing home in February, 2025. 

Brian KUCHINKA was convicted of 1^st Degree Murder in August after a trial before a judge at the McKean County Courthouse.  He had previously admitted to causing the death of  K-leigh but denied his actions were premediated and intentional.  The judge found that his actions showed that he acted intentionally and with premeditation to support a conviction of 1^st Degree Murder.  KUCHINKA shot K-leigh in the head.

At the sentencing hearing, family members of the victim and the District Attorney read statements about K-leigh and how her murder has impacted them and K-leigh’s young son. 

KUCHINKA did not make a statement.

The District Attorney reminded the court of some of the testimony at trial: Testimony that showed that K-leigh had ended the relationship and, just hours before her death, had changed the password to her social media accounts and planned to obtain a PFA the following week. K-leigh and her family had just been able to get KUCHINKA evicted from her residence because he would not leave voluntarily.  Testimony that KUKCHINKA was known to hack into her accounts and communicate with others from her accounts.  The DA recounted how KUCHINKA stalked K-leigh prior to her death and on the evening of her death by intercepting her vehicle while she was driving to work, following her into Smethport and cutting her off with the vehicle he was driving, and, when she tried to get other drivers to stop, KUCHINKA intervened and approached the other drivers before K-leigh could, telling them that she was just upset and there was no problem.  Even after K-leigh was able to leave, as she continued to her route to her job, KUCHINKA, knowing her route, ran to that street, and intercepted her again.  This time, he got into her vehicle and, just one block from her workplace, shot her in the head as was heard by residents on that block. And video evidence that showed him carrying K-leigh’s lifeless body into the motel where she was ultimately found naked under a bed.  When police made contact with KUCHINKA, he said she should be fine and denied that she was with him, thereby preventing any help for her that could have helped her. 

DA Vettenburg-Shaffer stressed that KUCHINKA should receive a sentence both for the murder and also the crime of abuse of a corpse because of what he did to her body after he killed her as evidenced by him driving around with her body, disrobing her, and shoving her under the hotel bed where she was found by State Troopers.  The DA said KUCHINKA deserves every day of the sentence he was about to receive.

The judge sentenced KUCHINKA to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the crime of Murder in the 1^st Degree and a consecutive period of incarceration for Abuse of a Corpse because, as the Judge pointed out, that was a separate crime and deserved a separate punishment. 

District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer: “KUCHINKA received the sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole because that is the only sentence the judge is allowed to impose for the crime of Murder in the First Degree in this case. Pennsylvania does not allow a sentence of death except when the facts of the case prove that one of 18 factors called “aggravating factors” exists in a case.  None of the factors existed in this case.  Going into today’s sentence, we knew that KUCHINKA would receive a sentence of life in prison.  But it was still important for the judge to hear from the victim’s family about who she was and how the defendant’s crime impacted those around her including her father, sisters, brother, aunts, and her young son.  K-leigh is not a faceless victim but, rather, a woman who was loved by many and her family will continue to grieve for her and, as many of their letters highlighted, they will also grieve for the memories that they would have had.” 

At the time of conviction, the District Attorney thanked the lead investigator, Trooper Whitney Boshart, and the entire law enforcement team who worked on the case. 

If you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available at the YWCA of Bradford by calling 1-888-822-6325.

Created Oct 5, 2026 @ 11:06 AM