In the spring of 2014, the community of Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, was confronted with the death of 61-year-old Scott B. Sechrist, a man known to some as a former church pastor and decorated Vietnam War veteran. On Monday, May 12, 2014, Sechrist was found deceased in his Levittown home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death occurred just a week before he was scheduled to stand trial for the alleged sexual assault of a young girl.
The legal troubles facing Sechrist were significant, as he was charged with 30 felony counts related to the sexual abuse of a girl starting when she was nine years old. The alleged assaults were reported to have taken place between 1989 and 1992. Despite the serious accusations and a forthcoming trial, Sechrist maintained his innocence in a note he left behind.
Authorities, however, indicated they had substantial evidence against him, including a secret recording of a conversation between Sechrist and his accuser where he purportedly admitted to the assaults. This recording had been presented at a preliminary hearing in the March preceding his death. At the time of his death, Sechrist was free on $500,000 unsecured bail. His passing brought an abrupt end to the legal proceedings, leaving a complex and somber story in its wake.
