ethompson@lewistownsentinel.com
LEWISTOWN A jury found Stuart Wayne Bryant guilty of third-degree murder and related charges during the third day of a trial stemming from a devastating 2019 crash that killed Mifflin County Junior High School teacher and coach, Harry Aultz.
The verdict followed nearly three hours of deliberation on Friday at the Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas.
“It was a terrible case where somebody lost their life,” Mifflin County District Attorney Christopher Torquato said after the trial. “We certainly appreciate the attentiveness of the jury in evaluating the facts of the case. (Considering) the nature of the defense in the case, we felt a third-degree murder charge was appropriate. The jury apparently agreed after hearing all the evidence of the case. In the end, justice has been done for Harry Aultz and the family.”
ethompson@lewistownsentinel.com
LEWISTOWN A jury is tasked this week with determining whether Stuart Wayne Bryant had malicious intent related to the crash in January 2019 that killed Mifflin County Junior High School teacher and coach, Harry Aultz.
The jury on Tuesday heard testimony from two expert witnesses and 14 others who said they saw a vehicle that fit the description of the one Bryant was driving the night of the accident to be driving erratically in various locations in Mifflin County.
The jury trial will determine whether Bryant, 61, of Coatesville, is guilty of charges of murder of the third degree, a first-degree felony; homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, a second-degree felony; homicide by vehicle, a third-degree felony; involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree misdemeanor; and more than a dozen related criminal and traffic offenses.