SCRANTON, Pa. — Justin Schuback was found guilty of first-degree murder and burglary by a jury in Lackawanna County on Wednesday afternoon in the death of Old Forge businessman Robert Baron Sr. in 2017.
It was an emotionally charged scene inside the Lackawanna County courtroom. Cries of "burn in hell” and "garbage” came from the courtroom gallery as the county sheriff’s deputies led Justin Schuback away after the jury’s verdict was read.
The verdict in the trial concerning the death of Robert Baron came in just before 2 p.m., right after the jury finished their lunch from PJ Scanlan’s in downtown Scranton.
Jurors convicted Justin Schuback of first-degree murder.
As Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon read the verdict, Baron’s widow Maria began to cry in the first row of the packed courtroom gallery. Her son, Bobby, slapped his hand against his leg.
It was an emotional climax for a story that began more than seven years ago when Baron disappeared from his restaurant in Old Forge.
Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell told reporters that the case is closed and said he was happy for Baron’s family.
"We’re happy they have some peace of mind. They’ve been through a great deal. And they, too, never gave up on searching for their dad. Mr. Baron was the patriarch of that family. We understand and sympathize with their loss, and we hope this provides them with a little bit of peace and closure," Powell said.
The discovery of Baron’s bones in a wooded area of Old Forge last year confirmed he’d been murdered. Schuback soon found himself in handcuffs.
Over the past week, prosecutors called two dozen witnesses to try to put 38-year-old Schuback behind bars for the rest of his life.
They found out early Wednesday afternoon they succeeded. First-degree murder carries a mandatory term of life in prison. After ten hours of deliberation, the jury also found Schuback guilty of robbery and burglary.
Defense attorney Bernie Brown tried to raise doubt among the jurors that someone else must have been involved, but in the end, the jury reached their verdict.
"As disappointed and as devastated as we are, we do respect their decision. We may not understand it or understand how they came to that, but that’s part of this," Brown said.
It took more than six years for the police to find Robert Baron’s remains. It took almost 14 months for prosecutors to bring Schuback to trial.
And it took a judge just a moment to say the word that Baron’s family was waiting to hear: guilty.
Judge Nealon said he will order a presentence investigation. We don’t yet know when Schuback will be back in Lackawanna County court for sentencing.
The panel spent hours deliberating on Tuesday after closing argument and instructions from the judge.
Jurors asked a third question Wednesday morning. They wanted to look at dozens of crime scene photos depicting Ghigiarelli's Pizza in Old Forge after Robert Baron went missing in 2017.
Those photos show the blood that spattered across the restaurant walls, floors, and bar. They also show the blue, fluorescent glow of Luminol used to detect blood that was cleaned up, as well as the condition of the restaurant's utility closet, where Baron's tooth was found.
This was an attentive jury. All 16 people, including the four picked as alternates, maintained eye contact with the witness and seemed to be very engaged. Several took copious amounts of notes. When deliberations began, they asked thoughtful questions regarding key evidence in the case and about the keywords in those different degrees of murder.
The Baron family has been there throughout the trial and deliberations. Robert Baron's wife and three adult children were joined by uncles and other extended family members. Newswatch 16 has spoken to them several times over the past seven years as they sought justice in Baron's disappearance. Nothing happened for years until about a year ago when Baron's remains were finally discovered, which led to the arrest of Justin Schuback.