Bradford man gets life without parole for killing Rebecca Haynes

On Aug. 4, 2026, a judge sentenced Thomas McElhattan to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury in May found him guilty of Murder in the 1st Degree for the June 7, 2025 killing of 21-year-old Rebecca Haynes. Evidence presented at trial showed McElhattan drove to Haynes’ home with her infant present, shot her five times—some at close range—and waited 13 minutes before calling 911. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer and family members described the calculated nature of the attack and praised the investigating officers whose work supported the conviction; an appeal remains possible.