Pennsylvania man who strangled his former girlfriend and left her body on hiking trail is sentenced

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (TCN) -- A 50-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing his former girlfriend days after he was released from jail for assaulting her.

According to a Jan. 9 news release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, Christopher Rowe received a life sentence without parole in connection with the death of Kaylene Roedel. A jury previously convicted him in November of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and false reports to law enforcement.

In 2016, Rowe reportedly assaulted Roedel and served time in Cambia County Jail. He shared a home with Roedel at the time, as well as custody of their child.

While in jail, Rowe reportedly "made comments to other inmates that he wanted to kill Roedel." The attorney general's office said Rowe had even threatened Roedel at her place of work. She went missing days after Rowe's release and was found dead on on a hiking trail on Aug. 7, 2016.

Investigators obtained surveillance footage showing Roedel's vehicle in Rowe's possession in the vicinity of where the victim was found.

According to authorities, a witness informed police that Rowe confessed to strangling Roedel and "that if the witness told anyone they would also be killed."

Pennsylvania Attorney General Henry stated, "This defendant ended one life and devastated many others with the premeditated and cold-hearted killing of the mother of his child. We hope this first-degree murder conviction and life sentence — which ensures he will never harm another person in free society — provide a sense of justice for Kaylene’s family and friends."

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