Pennsylvania man arrested for 1985 cold case killing of 16-year-old Ohio girl appears in court

On Friday morning, 61-year-old James Kruczek, shackled in handcuffs, was escorted into the Westmoreland County Courthouse to face a criminal homicide charge in the 1985 cold case murder of 16-year-old Lottie Jo Gunn.

Gunn, an Ohio teenager, was stabbed to death, and her body was dumped along Turner Valley Road in North Huntingdon Township in May of 1985, and for 41 years, investigators have been searching for her killer.

Last week, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli credited advances in DNA technology with helping investigators finally connect Kruczek to the case. She said his DNA was matched to a dress Gunn was wearing when she was killed.

"It took 41 years to get here," Ziccarelli said at the time. "We made an arrest, and Jim Kruczek spent the night in prison last night and will be there from here on out until this can proceed with us trying to pursue justice for this young child."

Friday's preliminary hearing lasted about 35 minutes, with three witnesses taking the stand.

One of them, now-Glassport Police Chief Shawn DeVerse, testified that he and Kruczek were friendly when he was in high school. DeVerse told the court that in the 80s, Kruczek once confessed to him about killing a girl and dumping her body near where Gunn was found, allegedly after she tried to "rip him off."

Kruczek's attorney entered a not guilty plea, saying his client maintains he never met Gunn.

The case was held for court, and Kruczek remains in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. He is scheduled to return to court for a formal arraignment on Wednesday, December 23.