In the early morning hours of May 25, 2018, the life of Matthew Anthony Zinnermon, a 32-year-old African American male from Chesapeake, Virginia, was tragically cut short in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The incident unfolded around 4 a.m. near the Maple Hill Apartments in the city's East Hills neighborhood. Zinnermon was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation was promptly launched, and a suspect, Leonard Bernard Hilton, a 24-year-old
from Pittsburgh's Sheraden neighborhood, was taken into custody. However, due to a clerical error, Hilton was released from jail before homicide charges could be formally filed. This prompted a brief period of uncertainty until Hilton, upon learning of the arrest warrant, turned himself in to the authorities.
Leonard Bernard Hilton was subsequently charged with criminal homicide and firearms violations in connection with Zinnermon's death. His defense attorney initially claimed that Hilton had acted in self-defense. Ultimately, in a plea agreement, Hilton pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. On June 4, 2020, an Allegheny County judge sentenced him to 10 to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation.
