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Jessica Alinsky Guilty of Third Degree Murder

WILKES-BARRE — The jury found a woman guilty of killing her boyfriend in Luzerne County. Jessica Alinsky is guilty of third degree murder and tampering wi...

WILKES-BARRE -- The jury found a woman guilty of killing her boyfriend in Luzerne County.

Jessica Alinsky is guilty of third degree murder and tampering with evidence. The verdict came down just after 5 p.m. Friday.

The jury began deliberating just before 3 p.m., after hearing several hours of closing arguments in the homicide trial of Jessica Alinsky.

Prosecutors believe Alinsky, 32, of Shenandoah shot and killed Matthew Gailie, in the Eagle Rock community near Hazleton in 2011.

At first, police thought the man committed suicide, but after a coroner's inquest the death was ruled homicide. Alinsky pleaded guilty to the killing, only to change her mind a month later, withdrawing that plea.

In closing arguments, the prosecution told the jury of Alinsky's changing story:

"How hard is it to tell the truth, unless you're hiding something?"

But Alinsky's defense argued she was confused and in shock. They also told the jury that there's "reasonable doubt" Alinsky is the killer because "they never proved she loaded the gun or chambered the gun."

At least a dozen employees from the Schuylkill County Correctional Facility, where the victim worked as a corrections officer, packed into the courtroom to hear closing arguments.

"I was in shock. I couldn't believe what happened with him. State troopers were at my house the next day. I couldn't believe what they told me. I know that I know that they fought constantly, over the phone, and I guess physical confrontation from what he told me. I was actually in shock that it got to this point," said James Stotler, a former coworker of the victim.

Alinsky is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22.

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