In the late summer of 2025, a quiet corner of Conklin, New York, became the scene of a tragic family dispute that ended in a murder-suicide. The victim was 41-year-old Matthew Slavetskas, a male described by loved ones as a kind and helpful man with a quick sense of humor. His life was cut short following a confrontation with his uncle, 65-year-old Michael Shuta.
The tragic events began to unfold on the evening of Thursday, August 21, 2025.
An ongoing dispute over property between Slavetskas and his uncle, who lived in a trailer on the same Brady Hill Road property, escalated. Security camera footage from the residence captured Shuta, dressed in black, disabling one of the cameras around 10:00 PM. Slavetskas, who was not home at the time, manually deactivated the remaining cameras from his phone.
When Slavetskas returned home between 10:30 PM and 11:00 PM, a physical altercation erupted between him and his uncle in the backyard. During the struggle, Shuta shot his nephew multiple times in the head and torso with a. 17 HMR revolver. Despite his severe injuries, Slavetskas managed to lock himself inside his house, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. His cell phone was later found in his truck at the back of the property.
The following morning, Friday, August 22, 2025, the grim discovery of Michael Shuta's body on a family-owned property in Montrose, Pennsylvania, prompted concerned family members to contact the Broome County Sheriff's Office. They were unable to reach Slavetskas and informed the authorities about the ongoing dispute with his uncle. Responding to a welfare check at approximately 3:30 PM, deputies found Matthew Slavetskas deceased inside his home. Shuta's death was ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a different firearm, a. 357 Magnum revolver. Investigators found Shuta's dark clothing and the murder weapon at the scene of the homicide in Conklin. The Broome County Sheriff's Office concluded that Michael Shuta had murdered his nephew before taking his own life.
