Demetrio Seantallis Hughes, a 24-year-old male of Hispanic ethnicity, tragically lost his life on March 16, 2016, in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. His body was discovered in the woods near Tannersville, Pennsylvania, and it was determined that he had been intentionally killed. The investigation revealed that Hughes was lured to the area under the pretense of a burglary. Once there, he was shot in the head by Michael Owens and Randy Criste-Troutman. The following day, Owens and Criste-Troutman returned to the scene and burned Hughes' body to conceal the crime.
The case went unsolved for several years until Michael Owens was convicted of first-degree murder in September 2021. Owens, along with his co-conspirator Criste-Troutman, was found guilty of executing Hughes and attempting to cover up the crime by burning his body. Criste-Troutman had previously pleaded guilty to homicide charges and was awaiting sentencing at the time of Owens' conviction. Both men are now awaiting sentencing for their roles in Hughes' death.
The investigation was a joint effort by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney, and the Monroe County Office of the Coroner, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso and Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bernal. The jury listened to five days of witness testimony, including Criste-Troutman's account of the events surrounding Hughes' murder. Owens faces an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole due to his first-degree murder conviction.
This tragic case highlights the importance of thorough investigations and the pursuit of justice for victims and their families. The conviction of Owens and Criste-Troutman brings some measure of closure to the family and friends of Demetrio Seantallis Hughes, who was only 24 years old when he was brutally taken from them.
