Sentencing hearings for two people charged with kidnapping and murdering Hayden Gareffa in 2022 have been continued.
The attorneys for 24-year-old Issac Buchkowski and 22-year-old Summer Settlemyer, both of Johnstown, both put in the continuance requests today at a sentencing hearing in front of Indiana County President Judge Thomas Bianco. The two were among a group of five who took Gareffa from his grandmother’s home on October 20th of 2022 and stabbed him multiple times. He was found in an area of tall grass off Oneida Mine Road in Brush Valley Township.
Settlemyer’s attorneys asked for the continuance as a review of her mental competency has not been returned as of yet. Buchkowski’s attorney asked for the continuance so that his client’s progress can remain in sync with Settlemyer.
The two pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges of criminal homicide, kidnapping to facilitate a felony and aggravated assault and conspiracy to kidnapping. Buchkowski also entered that plea for a charge of conspiracy to aggravated assault and Settlemyer did the same for a charge of conspiracy to homicide.
The hearing has been rescheduled for the end of September.
