Trevor Weigel, 25, received a life sentence without parole plus 5 to 20 years for the first-degree murder of his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend Jaden Battista. The sentencing came after his January conviction on charges including burglary and attempted kidnapping. The attack occurred on February 16, 2024, in Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania.
Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced that Weigel was sentenced on Tuesday following his conviction. On the day of the crime, Weigel drove from his job in Warminster to Battista's home in Lower Makefield Township after she blocked his number and social media accounts. He left desperate voicemails and forced his way through her bedroom window while she was on FaceTime with a friend, authorities said. Dressed in Care Bear pajamas, Battista resisted as he tried to force her into his red Mustang amid a reported burglary in progress that drew police response. Battista ran toward a responding Lower Makefield Township police officer, but Weigel tackled her and stabbed her 14 times, as captured on body camera footage. The video showed her final pleas for help while gasping in the street. After the stabbing, Weigel stabbed himself in the neck, led police on a chase, and was arrested with a bloody knife found at the scene. Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Alan J. Garabedian told the jury, 'If he couldn't have her, nobody was going to have her. And he made sure of it.' Defense attorneys sought a voluntary manslaughter charge, claiming Weigel 'snapped' after Battista confessed to cheating, but prosecutors cited cellphone data and voicemails showing his rage beforehand. Weigel testified about their short relationship starting in July 2023, breakups, reconciliation, and her alleged acceptance of his marriage proposal, claims dismissed for lack of evidence like a ring. Emotional testimony at sentencing came from Battista's family and best friend, who was on the phone during the attack. Her mother and father read a statement calling Jaden a 'gentle soul' who brought 'kindness, love, and light,' adding, 'There is an emptiness in our home and in my heart that can never be filled.' The friend described her as a 'bright soul' and said losing her left 'a hole in my heart.'