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Daniel Saranchak Resentenced for Murder of Family Members

POTTSVILLE, Pa. — A convicted murderer who shot and killed two of his family members in 1993 was resentenced Monday in Schuylkill County. It will be 25 ye...

POTTSVILLE, Pa. -- A convicted murderer who shot and killed two of his family members in 1993 was resentenced Monday in Schuylkill County.

It will be 25 years ago next month since Daniel Saranchak murdered his uncle and grandmother.

In court Monday, a judge resentenced him to life in prison for the crime.

But family members believe a jury got it right years ago when they sentenced Saranchak to death.

Back in October of 1993, Daniel Saranchak of Pottsville shot and killed his grandmother Stella Saranchak and uncle Edmund Saranchak at their home near Pottsville.

In 1994, Saranchak was found guilty of first-degree murder. A jury then decided that Saranchak should get the death penalty.

In October of 2015, a federal appeals court overturned that death sentence. The judges said Saranchak's attorney was ineffective during the penalty phase.

At the Schuylkill County Courthouse on Monday, there were new developments. Saranchak was sentenced to life in prison without parole for both murders.

Family members of the victims believe Saranchak deserves the death penalty.

"He carried out his mission. In his eyes, his mission was successful. His mission also destroyed us. We have to live every day with this. My family wakes up. We live right next door to the house," Angela Regnier said. "He'll never get out of prison. He'll never step foot out of prison, but the original sentence should've been carried out, which was the death penalty."

Saranchak was not at the Schuylkill County Courthouse for his re-sentencing, but he did take part through a video link.

He is currently locked up at a state correctional institution about an hour south of Pittsburgh.

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