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Hayden Robert Garreffa, of Dilltown, PA, was found dead by state troopers in a wooded area of Brush Valley Township on Saturday, Oct. 22 around 4 a.m., according to a state police briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 25. His death was believed to be a homicide, according to state police citing the Indiana County coroner's office.
The police think he was kidnapped, and beaten on the same day that he was killed and left in the wooded area, with a time of death around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20— the same day that he was reported missing from his East Wheatfield Township home.
Garreffa had gotten into an argument with his cousin Isaac Joel Buchkoski and three others over an incident involving Buchkoski's girlfriend inside his Buffington Township home around 11 a.m. before storming off, according to the complaint obtained by multiple media outlets.
"Garreffa's 17-year-old sister says the same group of people came back later that day and took her brother away, with the suspect allegedly saying Garreffa would be dead before the end of the day," WTAE reports citing the complaint.
Buchkoski supposedly had gathered the original three and three others and returned to the home, demanding Garreffa get into a red van around 2 p.m., WTAJ reports citing the affidavit.
Buchkoski allegedly told a witness, “you won’t have to worry about him again because he will be dead before the end of the day,” the court documents state according to the outlet.
His grandmother found that he was gone and noticed his phone was still in the home— something he would never be without, so she reported his disappearance and neurological condition to the state police.
Eight people have been charged in connection with the kidnapping of Garreffa and all but one are currently in Indiana County Prison after being deemed flight risks and therefore were denied bail, state police said at the press briefing.
The individuals in custody are Summer Isabella Settlemyer, 18; Isaac Joel Buchkoski, 21; Desean Garcia Alvarez, 21; Taylyn Nashell Edwards, 18; Mia Shai Catalfano, 18; Jesse Lee Wadsworth, 18; and Thomas Alan Rivera, 20; police say and court records confirm.
"An unnamed 14-year-old female is also currently in a juvenile facility," according to WTAJ citing state police.
All of them have been charged with kidnapping to facilitate a felony, with the additional charge of conspiracy to kidnap to facilitate a felony filed against Settlemyer and Buchkoski, according to state police and court records.
Preliminary hearings for all eight have been scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Susanne V. Steffee on Nov. 8 at 9 a.m., court records show.
Edwards has pending court dates in another active case involving threats to another, according to court documents. Rivera also has pending court dates for four other incidents including giving police a fake ID, terroristic threats, assault, and the rape of a minor, the latter charges were filed on Oct. 6, court records show.
Another cousin had a much different relationship with Garreffa and is posting about this sudden loss on social media:
“You deserved so much better in life, you deserved endless happiness,” cousin Kaitlin Smith wrote“Rest In Peace. It’s so unreal right now that I don’t know the right words besides that I’ll miss you so much.”
Family members described the 19-year-old man as a “beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin,” in one of two GoFundMe's started to help the immediate family cover funeral costs.
Funeral home services have been entrusted to Harris Funeral Home, Johnstown, according to state police but no other details about any services have been released.
The campaigns have raised a total of $5,481 from 93 donors. If you're interested in donating you can do so here and here.
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