In the quiet of a Monday afternoon in Venango Township, Pennsylvania, a domestic argument escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 31-year-old Tyler J. Whitlatch. On March 20, 2023, what began as a dispute inside a home on Kohlmeyer Road between Whitlatch and 19-year-old Jessica Callahan took a tragic turn. According to Callahan's account to the police, the argument became physical, with Whitlatch allegedly pushing her and grabbing her by the neck.
Following the physical
altercation, Callahan told investigators she broke free and retrieved a shotgun from the living room. As Whitlatch pursued her out of the house, she claimed to have fired a warning shot before firing a second time, striking him in the abdomen. After the shooting, Callahan attempted to drive Whitlatch to the hospital. However, she soon realized the gravity of his injuries and pulled over at the North Washington Rodeo grounds in Washington Township to call 911.
When paramedics and state troopers arrived at the rodeo grounds, they found Tyler Whitlatch deceased from a gunshot wound. Jessica Callahan was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently charged with criminal homicide. She was held without bond in the Butler County Prison.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, a different narrative of the events emerged. Prosecutors argued that after the initial argument, Whitlatch had left the house and was shot in the back by Callahan. In July 2024, a Butler County jury found 20-year-old Jessica Callahan guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death of Tyler Whitlatch. Her sentencing was scheduled for August 16, 2024.
