SMETHPORT — Shackled and escorted by at least six members of law enforcement, Brian Austin Kuchinka was arraigned Monday afternoon for the shooting death of K-Leigh Hill-Nelson over the weekend.
In the Smethport courtroom of District Judge Bill Todd, Kuchinka, 27, of Port Allegany, sat quietly, speaking only when addressed by the judge. The defendant had a treated wound across his forehead at his hairline with apparent stitches, from what District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer had at the time of his arrest called a self-inflicted head wound.
Around 3:30 p.m. Monday, with several family members of Hill-Nelson’s in the courtroom, Kuchinka was arraigned on charges of homicide; three counts of aggravated assault, first-degree felonies; one count of aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; and three counts of recklessly endangering another person, second-degree misdemeanors.
He was jailed without bail following the hearing.
Hill-Nelson, 28, had broken up with Kuchinka, and had recently been reported missing.
The judge read the criminal complaint during the hearing, as Kuchinka followed along, with an officer turning the pages for him.
The complaint stated that at 6:43 p.m. Feb. 22, Lewis Run-based state police were contacted to provide assistance at the Midtown Motel in Port Allegany Borough. Police had been dispatched there originally to follow up on a missing persons tip on Hill-Nelson. They were intending to speak with Kuchinka, her ex-boyfriend, who was known to be staying at the motel in room 41.
When borough police arrived, they knocked on the door and heard movement from inside, and then heard a gunshot from inside the room, and could smell gunshot residue coming from within the room.
Troopers arrived and established a perimeter, and one trooper began speaking with Kuchinka by phone. Kuchinka said he was the only person inside the room, and despite lengthy communication with state police, would not come out of the room. At 10:25 p.m., Kuchinka exited the room and was taken into custody by state police. A .45-caliber pistol was recovered from his back pocket, the complaint stated.
Two troopers entered the room and found Hill-Nelson’s body on the floor under a bed, the complaint stated.
At 2:30 a.m. Feb. 23, state police viewed surveillance footage from the Midtown that showed Kuchinka “remove what appears to be a female body” from his vehicle and go inside room 41. The vehicle was seized and towed to the state police barracks.
At 3 a.m. Feb. 23, state police forensics inspected room 41 at the motel, finding a hole in the ceiling from what appeared to be a bullet. A spent .45-caliber casing was found behind the door in the room.
Coroner Michael Mascho responded to the scene, and related that Hill-Nelson was deceased, the complaint stated.
Throughout the recitation of the complaint, some of the victim’s family quietly wept, while others openly glared at Kuchinka, their grief and anger apparent. As soon as the hearing concluded, a trooper led them out of the courtroom.
Several minutes later, the officers led Kuchinka out the back door of the building to be taken to McKean County Jail. A preliminary hearing has tentatively been scheduled for March 10 before Todd. During the course of the investigation, Vettenburg-Shaffer said police are also interested in speaking with anyone who was in the area of Costa’s Supermarket parking lot in Smethport Feb. 21, between 9 and 10 p.m., when Smethport Police were dispatched to a disturbance at that location which may relate to this investigation.
Anyone with information should contact Lewis Run-based state police at (814) 368-9230. The investigator on the case is Trooper Whitney Boshart.
