A man accused of stabbing and beating to death a local gay man, and disposing of his body in a suitcase, was formally arraigned this week.
Thomas Brennan faces murder, robbery, theft, abuse of corpse and related charges in connection with the May killing of Scott Bernheisel. He was arraigned Sept. 1 and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference 9 a.m. Sept. 29 in Room 1105 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. His co-defendant, Crystal Leibhart, also has a conference that day. Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner will preside.
Bernheisel’s body was discovered May 28 in a suitcase near Philadelphia International Airport. Investigators say he was the victim of a drug-related robbery that turned violent in the 200 block of Wilder Street in Pennsport, where he was temporarily living.
Investigators said they do not believe he was targeted for being gay; however, that idea was raised during at a pre-trial hearing last month.
At the proceeding, two former cellmates of Brennan testified that he confessed to killing Bernheisel, his alleged drug dealer, after a deal gone bad. One of the witnesses said Brennan told him he killed Bernheisel after the victim made unwanted sexual advances toward him.
They also testified that Brennan told them he killed Bernheisel in the house and attempted to hide the body in a closet. But, they testified, the odor became overpowering, so Brennan and Leibhart, his girlfriend, moved the body into a suitcase and deposited it near the airport.
Brennan remains incarcerated at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility and Leibhart at Riverside Correctional Facility.