One of the suspects in the death of Hayden Gareffa was ordered today to serve a lengthy sentence in state prison.
Indiana County President Judge Thomas Bianco this morning ordered 25-year-old Issac Joel Buchkoski of Johnstown to serve 50 years to life in a state correctional institution along for his guilty plea to a charge of Murder in the Second Degree. He will also serve up to 20 years each for charges of kidnapping to facilitate a felony, aggravated assault and conspiracy to those two crimes. Those sentences will run consecutive to each other, but concurrent with the murder sentence. Buchkoski pleaded guilty to those crimes in connection with Gareffa’s murder about three years ago. He was one of a group of five that kidnapped Gareffa from his grandmother’s home on Route 403 in Buffington Township on October 20th, 2022 and stabbed him. His body was found two days later in an area of tall grass off Oneida Mine Road in Brush Valley Township.
Summer Settlemyer was given a similar sentence for her guilty pleas to the same crimes. Another co-defendant, Taylyn Edwards, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first degree murder and was ordered to serve life in prison without parole. Cases remain active for Desean Alvarez, Mia Catalfano, Thomas Rivera and Jesse Lee Wadsworth.
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