Pennsylvania Supreme Court Denies Appeal in Old Forge Murder Case
In a significant legal development, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has refused to consider an appeal from Justin Schuback, the man convicted in the 2017 murder of Robert Baron, a well-known restaurateur from Old Forge.
Back in May 2024, a jury from Lackawanna County convicted Schuback of first-degree murder, leading to an automatic life sentence. Additionally, Judge Terrence Nealon of Lackawanna County sentenced Schuback to an additional 7.5 to 15 years for charges of robbery and burglary.
The State Superior Court upheld the conviction and sentence in October 2025, prompting Schuback to seek relief from the state Supreme Court. However, the high court issued an order on Tuesday dismissing his petition without providing any reasons.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Schuback, 39, broke into Gigharelli’s Pizza on January 25, 2017, aiming to steal cash that Baron reportedly kept on the premises. During the robbery, Baron was brutally attacked and killed.
Inside the restaurant, evidence of a violent encounter was discovered, and blood was found in a car Baron had previously used. However, Baron’s remains were not discovered until March 2023, near Old Forge’s Pagnotti Park.
Schuback was considered a suspect from the start, but the authorities required years to gather sufficient evidence to arrest him. Advances in mobile phone tracking technology eventually allowed investigators to link Schuback’s movements to the area where Baron’s skeletal remains were uncovered, according to testimony from state troopers.
Schuback was apprehended in March 2023, and his trial commenced on May 6, 2024.
Jurors deliberated for approximately 10 hours over two days, tasked with determining Schuback’s guilt concerning various charges, including first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery.
During the four-and-a-half-day trial, the prosecution presented multiple witnesses, while Schuback chose not to testify in his defense and no defense witnesses were called. The jury returned with a verdict on May 15, 2024, finding Schuback guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery.
Judge Nealon delivered Schuback’s sentence on July 10, 2024. Schuback’s appeal criticized Nealon for allowing testimony from a jailhouse informant about his alleged admissions while incarcerated and questioned the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the jury’s decision.
“As the trial court detailed in great length, the Commonwealth presented ‘an ocean’ of evidence demonstrating [Schuback’s] culpability,” Superior Court’s October ruling stated. “The jury, as fact-finder, while passing on the credibility of the witnesses and weight of the evidence, was free to believe all, part, or none of the evidence.”
Meanwhile, Gigharelli’s Pizza has resumed operations, as noted in recent social media updates.
