On a tragic Saturday evening in Bradford, Pennsylvania, the life of 21-year-old Rebecca L. Haynes was cut short. On June 7, 2025, the young mother, known to her friends and family as Becca, was found deceased in her residence on Jefferson Street. Her death was the result of a fatal shooting. At the time of her death, Rebecca, a female, was pregnant.
The man charged in connection with her death was 42-year-old Thomas James McElhattan of Bradford Township. McElhattan reportedly had an intimate relationship with Haynes. According to police reports, McElhattan himself called 911 after an argument with Haynes escalated, admitting to shooting her multiple times. Tragically, Haynes' one-year-old child was in another room at the time of the incident.
Following the incident, Thomas James McElhattan was arrested and faced serious charges, including criminal homicide and aggravated assault, both first-degree felonies, as well as two counts of recklessly endangering another person. He was subsequently held in the McKean County Jail without bail. The District Attorney's office has been pushing to move up the trial date, which was initially scheduled for the following June. The motive for the shooting was allegedly that Haynes was going to reveal their affair to McElhattan's wife. The murder trial for McElhattan has been set for May.
