Steven M. Rosa, 32, was sentenced by Judge Robert Steinberg to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a Lehigh County jury convicted him in May of First-Degree Criminal Homicide and carrying a firearm without a license in the killing of 33-year-old Tywon Deleva Abner, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Rosa also received an additional 10 to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of felony witness intimidation and criminal use of a communication facility in a related case. Prosecutors said Rosa used a computer tablet while housed in Lehigh County Jail in an attempt to persuade a witness not to testify.
The case stemmed from the July 28, 2022 fatal shooting of Abner in the 500 block of West Allen Street in Allentown. Officers responded to reports of gunfire around 11 p.m. and found Abner suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Despite life-saving efforts by police and paramedics, he died at a local hospital, prosecutors said.
Abner, who was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, worked as a construction contractor and had lived in Allentown for many years, according to his obituary. He also worked at an Allentown animal shelter, loved animals, enjoyed dancing and rap music, and is survived by his parents, seven children, 16 siblings, and numerous relatives and friends.
Rosa is also serving a separate state prison sentence for a robbery committed after the murder, the DA's Office said.
The homicide was investigated by Lehigh County's 12th Investigating Grand Jury, the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office Homicide Task Force, retired Allentown Police Detective Miguel Villa, Detective Kevin Mriss, and the Regional Intelligence and Investigative Center, according to prosecutors.
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