In a quiet Kennedy Township neighborhood, the life of 59-year-old John L. 'Jack' Parkes was tragically cut short on July 21, 2014. A white male, Parkes was discovered in his Poplar Street home by his live-in girlfriend of 20 years, Carol Lapaglia, with whom he was planning to marry in a matter of weeks. The initial discovery was unsettling, with neighbors noting that the garage door and back gate, which Parkes habitually kept closed, were wide open.
Inside, the scene was described as ransacked, and an autopsy would later confirm that Parkes had been fatally shot in the head. What began as a suspicious death was quickly ruled a homicide, shaking the peaceful community.
The investigation into the death of the beloved groom-to-be soon focused on a suspect surprisingly close to home. Allegheny County Police arrested Michael Lapaglia, the 22-year-old nephew of Parkes' fiancée, in connection with the murder. The motive appeared to be robbery, as jewelry belonging to Parkes and his fiancée was missing from the ransacked home. The key piece of evidence that led investigators to Lapaglia was his attempt to sell the stolen items at a local pawn shop. An employee, suspicious of Lapaglia, took a photo of the jewelry which was later identified by a heartbroken Carol Lapaglia. Further investigation revealed that Lapaglia had successfully sold some of the stolen items at another jewelry store.
During questioning, Michael Lapaglia, a war veteran who served in Afghanistan, gave multiple conflicting stories before ultimately confessing to the crime. He claimed an argument with Parkes escalated, leading to the fatal shooting. At his trial, Lapaglia's defense team argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the prosecution presented a case of a planned robbery that turned deadly. In June 2015, a jury found Michael Lapaglia guilty of first-degree murder and robbery. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder, with an additional 10 to 20 years for the robbery. The judge described the killing as 'senseless, stupid and mean-spirited,' leaving a family to grapple with a betrayal that ended in a devastating loss just weeks before a wedding.
