In a quiet corner of Penn Township, the life of 27-year-old Mara Elizabeth Casale was tragically cut short on May 17, 2021. She and her 40-year-old boyfriend, Jacob 'Jake' Robert Erdeljac, were found shot to death in the driveway of their Claridge-Elliott Road home. The grim discovery was made on a Monday morning by a friend who had come looking for them.
The couple, who had been out for a motorcycle ride on that Sunday afternoon, were ambushed upon their return.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to 53-year-old Victor Frederick Steban. Authorities revealed that Steban had laid in wait for the couple, armed with an AR-15 rifle. After they returned from their ride, he immediately attacked them. According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney, Steban admitted to shooting Casale. When she attempted to flee, he shot her two more times. He also confessed to shooting Erdeljac while he was still on his motorcycle. The motive for this brutal act appeared to stem from a personal conflict Steban had with Erdeljac, with Steban claiming he felt 'disrespected' by him. Authorities believe Casale was a victim of circumstance, killed to eliminate a witness.
Following the murders, Steban stole Erdeljac's red truck from the scene. An alert was issued for the vehicle, which was later found abandoned in Manor Borough. Steban's arrest was a dramatic event that unfolded on a busy highway. Eyewitnesses described a swarm of police officers and a helicopter overhead as Steban was taken into custody without incident while walking along Route 30. When questioned by reporters during his transfer from the North Huntingdon Police Department, Steban cryptically stated his actions were not about revenge, but 'payback.'
Victor Steban was charged with two counts of homicide, burglary, robbery, and other offenses. In addition to the murders of Casale and Erdeljac, he was a suspect in a series of other violent incidents in the area, including house shootings and a car bombing. In June 2022, Steban pleaded guilty to 32 counts across seven cases, including the murders of Casale and Erdeljac. By pleading guilty, he avoided a potential death penalty and was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
