West Chester family killer sentenced to four death sentences and 12 years in prison

Gurpreet Singh, the man convicted of killing four family members, faced a formal sentencing to death four times over, along with an additional 12 years on gun specifications, in Butler County Common Pleas. The decision was announced by a three-judge panel a week prior to the sentencing. The date set for execution was November 27, although it is unlikely to be carried out due to the automatic appeal process in capital cases and the current moratorium on executions in the state. Despite this, Judge Greg Howard emphasized that the formal requirements of the law mandated the setting of a date. The tragic events unfolded on April 28, 2019, when the 41-year-old former truck driver fatally shot his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag and Parmjit Kaur, and his aunt-in-law, Amarjit Kaur, inside their home on Wyntree Drive in West Chester Twp. This act of violence occurred after Singh's first trial resulted in a hung jury in October 2022. As the sentences were imposed, Singh displayed no emotion. The death sentences were to run concurrently, while four three-year gun specifications—one for each victim—were to run consecutively. In the courtroom, family members of the victims, who had traveled from various parts of the country for both trials, expressed their emotions in Punjabi as Singh left. They made remarks referring to the sentencing and the impending execution, while Singh remained silent. The panel, consisting of Judge Howard, Keith Spaeth, and Greg Stephens, deliberated for about two hours before reaching a unanimous decision to impose the death sentence, following a day of mitigation and a 10-day trial that found Singh guilty on May 10. During the sentencing statement, Judge Howard highlighted the brutality of the crime, noting that all the victims were shot execution-style in the head, with a total of 16 shots fired. Singh made sure his three children were out of the residence before carrying out the killings. He then called 911 and falsely claimed he had just arrived home, despite being found in blood-soaked clothing with blood on his hands. Defense attorneys Alexandra Deardorff and Mark Wieczorek chose not to comment as they left the courtroom following the sentencing. Ajaib Singh, a relative of the victims, expressed his agreement with the four death sentences, describing them as symbolic justice. Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser dismissed any claims of innocence made by Singh's defense attorneys, stating that the judges had diligently followed the evidence and the law in their decision. This marked a significant development in the case, as it was the first time in years that a death sentence had been imposed in Butler County, with the last one dating back to 2010. Prosecutors emphasized Singh's financial disputes with his father-in-law, his extramarital affair with a woman in Indiana, and his financial transactions that raised suspicions. GPS records placed Singh at the scene of the crime shortly before he called 911. These details, along with Singh's false statements to the dispatcher, painted a damning picture of his guilt in the horrific murders. The sentencing of Gurpreet Singh marked a solemn conclusion to a tragic chapter of violence and loss for the families involved. https://therealcrimediary.com/west-chester-family-killer-sentenced-to-four-death-sentences-and-12-years-in-prison/?feed_id=90279&_unique_id=6716cf209f1c7