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Christopher Gillie, 62, of Lackawanna County, pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, Feb. 7, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement.
The charges stemmed from the 2021 fire that killed his girlfriend's father, 81-year-old Julius Drelick, in his Buckingham Township home. First responders were called to Drelick's 5777 Private Drive residence at 3 a.m. on Dec. 5 after hearing reports of flames, Daily Voice has reported.
On arrival, firefighters met Phyllis Drelick, who managed to escape the blaze but told them her husband was still inside. Emergency workers initially could not enter the home due to heavy smoke and fire, but eventually made their way in to find Julius unresponsive.
He was declared dead at the scene, officials said.
The Drelicks had typically used a chairlift to move up and down the stairs in their home, but the fire knocked out the electricity, trapping the 81-year-old on the second floor, authorities said.
Investigators at the scene searched with K9 teams and found evidence that an accelerant was used to get the fire going, the DA said.
The same morning, Gillie was stopped in Lackawanna County by Dunmore police, who noted that he smelled like gasoline and had a lighter on the passenger seat. Officers also said they found an "old style" rifle in his car, which was later determined to belong to the Drelicks.
At trial, Common Pleas Judge Raymond F. McHugh heard from Julius Drelick's daughters, who described how their father's death impacted their aging mother. Phyllis became depressed and sullen after the fire and died only four months later, they told the court.
“The Defendant used fire as a weapon, but his heart was as cold as ice," Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber argued. "He deserves nothing less than to be behind bars for the rest of his life."
Gillie's guilty plea came after prosecutors said last spring that they were "reserving the right" to seek the death penalty.
In addition to life without parole for the murder of Julius Drelick, Gillie received a consecutive sentence of 25 years to life for the attempted murder of Phyllis, the DA noted.
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