Pennsylvania – In a chilling case in Pennsylvania that prosecutors say unfolded in a matter of minutes, a 26-year-old man, identified as M. Dutkiewicz, is facing multiple charges in connection with the death of his 25-year-old girlfriend, identified as A. Wiest, whom he shot to death on a sidewalk outside her home less than half an hour after she put an end to their two-year relationship.
Dutkiewicz is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and possession of an instrument of crime in the killing of Wiest. Prosecutors maintain that shortly after Wiest told him she was breaking up with him, Dutkiewicz turned to the internet to learn how to use a gun, then carried out the blinding act of violence. Evidence presented in court indicates he used Wiest’s personal gun to carry out the killing, suggesting not only premeditation but also cold calculation. His defense, while not denying the shooting, argues that the killing occurred in an emotional moment, not as a planned execution.
The tragic events occurred in the pre-dawn hours of May 18. Around 12:25 a.m., police were dispatched to the crime scene after receiving reports of gunfire near a residence. When officers arrived, they found Wiest lying face-down on the sidewalk, with visible gunshot wounds to her torso. The area was stained with blood, and the scene painted a grim picture of a violent confrontation. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Inside her home, police found the front door open and a trail of blood leading from the interior to the sidewalk, as if Wiest tried to flee her attacker. Authorities recovered five “projectiles”—bullets or casings—from within the residence and around her body. Neighbors later described hearing shots and the young woman screaming as she ran down the street. One witness claimed that after the shooting, Dutkiewicz was seen standing next to his silver truck. The vehicle then drove away, and license plate readers confirmed that a truck registered to him traveled through the area in the time immediately following the incident.
The prosecution asserts that Dutkiewicz sought out instructions online about how to load and fire a gun just after learning of the breakup, then used that knowledge to carry out the killing. According to reports, investigators said the fatal shooting took place just less than half an hour after Wiest told Dutkiewicz their relationship was over. When authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, Dutkiewicz ultimately turned himself in and was placed in the county correctional facility. He remains held without bail. In court, his defense does not deny that he committed the killing—rather, they aim to frame it as a crime of passion, seeking to reduce the charge to a lesser degree by arguing he was overwhelmed by emotion.
A jury is now being asked to decide whether the killing was premeditated, as prosecutors claim, or the result of a sudden emotional break as the defense suggests. Wiest’s family and friends remember her through an obituary that calls her a “beloved shining star—radiant, vibrant, and full of light,” a life cut short in an instant. As the trial progresses, the community watches on, seeking justice for a woman who tried to walk away—and was met with violence instead. If convicted of first-degree murder, Dutkiewicz faces life in prison for the life he is accused of taking.
