PA Man Arrested After Confessing To Pastor He Hired Hitman to Kill Ex-Wife
Two Pennsylvania men are in jail after one of them confessed to his pastor that he paid the other $2000 to murder his ex-wife, prompting a quick call to the police and their swift arrest. According to WTAJ:
David Vanatta, 45, of Wilcox, and Colton Baird, 32, of Ridway, were charged after a pastor contacted police on Dec. 22 over a confession that had been made to him. Vanatta allegedly told the pastor that he had paid Baird $2,000 to kill his ex-wife.
Later that same day, Vanatta was interviewed by Pennsylvania State Police. During the conversation, he allegedly confirmed that he had paid Baird to kill his ex-wife and that the transaction took place at his house in Jones Township, according to the criminal complaint.
Police interviewed Baird, who confirmed Vanatta paid him in the murder-for-hire plot, and he was also arrested.
They each face one count of “criminal solicitation – criminal homicide, conspiracy – criminal homicide and criminal attempt – criminal homicide” and were denied bail.
Their preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 8, 2025.
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Hi, folks.
The press release that the PA State Police issued had a couple of inaccuracies. They weren’t substantial, but I do think they are worth noting.
1. David Vanatta is 49, not 45.
2. David Vanatta and his wife are estranged, and a divorce is pending. She is not his ex-wife at this time.
The potential victim in this case is my daughter. My wife and I were visiting with her and our grandchildren last weekend, and had only left her about 15-20 minutes before we learned what was happening. At that point Mr. Baird had not be brought in for questioning, so I stayed in that area until Tuesday until I had some assurances from the PA State Police that my daughter and grandchildren were safe.
Until things proceed further in court, I’m pretty sure neither Mr. Vanatta’s family nor mine will be making additional public statements for the sake of both the court proceedings and the welfare of my grandchildren.