LANCASTER, PA — The Pennsylvania Superior Court last Thursday firmly rejected the appeal of Kristopher Smith, the Narvon man serving a life sentence for the chilling murder of Dennis Pitch. Smith, 48, had sought to overturn his first-degree murder conviction, claiming that the evidence against him was insufficient and that he deserved a new trial. However, the court found his arguments unconvincing, ensuring he remains behind bars for life plus an additional 16 ½ to 40 years.
Smith’s bid for freedom hinged on his assertion that there wasn’t enough proof to show he wielded the gun that ended Pitch’s life or that he harbored any intention to kill. He tried to paint himself as merely aiming to rob Pitch, but the court saw through this claim. It ruled that Smith was just as culpable for the murder as his co-conspirators, Michael Baker and Christopher Lyles, due to the principle of accomplice liability.
The court detailed in its memo that it wasn’t necessary for the Commonwealth to demonstrate Smith was the triggerman. The crux of the matter lay in his collaboration with Baker and Lyles, both hailing from Philadelphia, with whom he shared a lethal intent. This partnership in crime, according to the judges, sealed his fate as an accomplice, making him criminally responsible for the actions of his partners, one of whom, Lyles, was identified as the person who actually pulled the trigger.
This saga began on the fateful night of December 2, 2016, when Smith, alongside Baker and Lyles, invaded Pitch’s Salisbury Township home. The plot turned deadly, resulting in Pitch being fatally shot. When Smith returned to the getaway car, his ominous words to co-defendant Brandon Bills, “It didn’t go as planned,” hinted at the grim outcome of their scheme.
Pitch, known to Smith from their time in Narvon and believed to have recently come into a significant sum of money, became the target of their ill-fated robbery attempt. His absence from work raised alarms among his loved ones, leading to the grim discovery of his body on December 4, 2016. The investigation that ensued culminated in charges being filed against Smith and his accomplices in April 2018, with Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman leading the prosecution.
Smith’s attempt to challenge the disparity in convictions—arguing the injustice of his first-degree murder conviction while his co-conspirators were found guilty of second-degree murder—fell flat. The court cited precedent that inconsistencies in verdicts among co-conspirators do not warrant a new trial, closing yet another chapter in this harrowing case that has left an indelible mark on the community of Lancaster County.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.