The State Superior Court will remit Arthur Whitfield’s murder case back to Westmoreland County Court today, formally bringing to a close his appeals.
Whitfield, who last lived in Josephine in Indiana County, had been denied a motion for post conviction relief after pleading guilty to second degree murder in the December 2013 shooting death of his former girlfriend, Holly Slone George, at her home in Derry. He broke into the home and shot her multiple times as she was watching TV with her 15-year-old daughter in an upstairs bedroom.
In January, the appeals court gave Whitfield a glimmer of hope, ruling that because he had previously been granted pauper’s status, he was entitled to counsel to guide him through additional appeals. His appointed attorney withdrew because his review of the case’s merits showed no hope of success. Whitfield was then given permission to file a brief on his own behalf, but missed the deadline in April, causing the court to dismiss his appeal.
Today’s court action is essentially a formality that will ensure he spends the rest of his life in prison with no chance at parole. He is serving his sentence at SCI Albion in Erie County.
