LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — As the prosecution and defense prepare for closing arguments in the case of Robert Baron's accused killer Justin Schuback, residents in the borough of Old Forge say they are unsure how to feel about the alleged crime that's left such a dark mark on their community.
"What happened was wrong, and it shouldn't have happened," said Sarah Marianelli of Old Forge.
"For the community I think they would feel the same way I did, that justice wasn't done completely because there was more, we think more was involved," said Dorothy Marianelli.
While she believes more people are involved in Baron's death, Marianelli, who also lives in Old Forge, says Schuback's trial has been swift.
Prosecutors are trying to convince a jury that Schuback killed Baron in January 2017 during a robbery gone bad at Ghigiarelli's Restaurant.
Monday afternoon, the accused killer's defense said they won't call any witnesses. Schuback also stated he would not be testifying in his own defense.
Once the prosecution and defense give their closing statements on Tuesday.
The jury would then be left to take all the evidence into consideration and make their decision.
"It was a shock because something like this doesn't happen," said Marianelli.
Today, she prefers to think of Old Forge as the community it was before Baron's death.
Instead of remembering him as a victim, she thinks fondly of the business owner and his pizza shop along Main Street.
"He was a nice gentleman and that was a family restaurant that was there for years and years," said Marianelli.