Catherine Elizabeth 'Cat' Hartman, a 51-year-old White female, died on June 26, 2021, in York, Pennsylvania. A traveling nurse with a passion for horticulture, she was found deceased with multiple gunshot wounds inside a residence on Pleasant View Road in Fairview Township. The incident was determined to be domestic in nature.
Authorities discovered Hartman after responding to a report of an assault.
At the scene, they also found William Frederic Hudson, a 52-year-old nurse and Hartman's boyfriend, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his face. Hudson and Hartman had been living together in the home for three months prior to the incident. The events unfolded after an argument between the couple in the early morning hours of June 25, 2021. Following the argument, Hudson shot Hartman five times in the back, arm, and head. After shooting Hartman, Hudson turned the gun on himself, surviving the wound. He remained in the house for over a day before contacting a family member, who then alerted the police.
William Hudson was arrested and charged with criminal homicide. Initially, he claimed to have found Hartman already deceased, but later admitted to police, 'I probably did it.' Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene. Hudson was arraigned while still in the hospital receiving treatment for his injury before being transferred to York County Prison.
Following a week-long trial in September 2023, a York County jury convicted William Hudson of first-degree murder. The jury deliberated for just under an hour before reaching their verdict. Hudson was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
