A Lancaster County jury found Leeton Thomas guilty Tuesday of all counts regarding the June 2015 stabbing deaths of a mother and her daughter and the severe injuries to another daughter.
The jury deliberated for about 2½ hours before deciding the case about 2:30 p.m.
The panel of 7 women and 5 men convicted Thomas, 40, of:
- 2 counts of 1st-degree murder;
- 1 count of attempted homicide;
- 1 count of burglary
A penalty hearing will begin Wednesday morning, after which the jury will return a sentence of life in prison or death.
On June 11, 2015, Thomas stabbed Lisa Scheetz and her 16-year-old daughter during an early-morning attack at their Spring Valley Road home. Scheetz’s 15-year-old daughter survived the attack and testified at trial.
Lancaster County President Judge Dennis Reinaker read the verdict to a packed courtroom about 2:45 p.m.
Thomas did not react to the verdict while jurors were in the courtroom, but afterward, made comments to his attorneys and prosecutors.
In closing arguments Tuesday morning, Larsen said Thomas attacked the mother and daughters in attempts to eliminate witnesses from upcoming precedings regarding an alleged sex assault.
In closings, Larsen said Thomas cut a window screen in the Scheetz home, entered, then brutally stabbed the mother and two daughters.
“The goal was to go in and get rid of the witnesses, to get rid of the problem,” Larsen told jurors, at one point showing them the large knife which was broken in the attacks. “There is nothing else to consider but murder one.”
The surviving daughter, now 17, testified during the trial that “Pie” – a nickname for Thomas – was the killer.
State police Trooper Todd McCurdy filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright