Judge Finds Port Allegany Man Guilty of First‑Degree Murder
A judge has found a Port Allegany man guilty of first-degree murder for the February 2025 killing of K‑Leigh Hill‑Nelson after evidence tied him to the scene, social media access, and phone movements.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg‑Shaffer reports that Brian Kuchinka was found guilty of Murder in the 1st Degree for the February 21, 2025 death of K‑Leigh Hill‑Nelson after previously pleading guilty to causing her death and abuse of a corpse. Investigators used surveillance video, phone location records, witness testimony, and social media access to link Kuchinka to the scene; Hill‑Nelson died of a gunshot wound to the head and was found under a motel bed. Kuchinka was located in the motel room, suffered a non‑life‑threatening self‑inflicted wound, and surrendered to troopers; the district attorney thanked investigators and recognized the victim’s family.