MIDDLEBURG -- Teresa Klein tearfully forgave Brandon Weader for shooting her son to death last year, but asked a Snyder County Court judge Friday to keep the young man in jail another six months.
"I know he's sorry for what he did, but I feel he should get the maximum," Mrs. Klein, of Lewisburg, said at a parole hearing before Union-Snyder President Judge Harold F. Woelfel Jr.
While sympathetic, the judge said he had no valid reason for keeping Mr. Weader, 18, in custody at Snyder County Jail beyond Sunday, when he will have served six months -- the minimum of his six month- to one-year sentence -- for pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the March 20, 2006, shooting of Michael D. Houtz, 21, of Beavertown.
The fatal shooting happened at Mr. Weader's home on Troxelville Road, Adams Township, when Mr. Weader picked up what he thought was an unloaded 12-gauge shotgun and it discharged in Mr. Houtz's face.
In a brief but emotional appearance on the witness stand, Mrs. Klein pleaded with the judge to have Mr. Weader serve the full sentence.
"His actions caused my son his life," she said, weeping. "Brandon has his whole life before him. I do forgive him, but Michael doesn't get a second chance."
Mr. Weader sat quietly in the courtroom, his head bowed slightly as Mrs. Klein spoke.
"I certainly understand parents wanting punishment for the person who caused the death of their child," Judge Woelfel said. "But the sentence that was imposed was not appealed by either side."
He added Mr. Weader has completed the minimum sentence, participated in the work-release program without incident and received positive reports from Adult Probation Director Craig Fasold.
Following his release from jail Sunday, Mr. Weader will remain under the supervision of county probation for four years.
He was also ordered to pay $4,373 in restitution to Mrs. Klein and $3,277 to Mr. Houtz's father, Michael G. Houtz, a decision made by the judge at the commonwealth's request after the sentence was imposed.
John Reed said he formally objected to the restitution, but the judge said the public defender failed to act last spring when it was ordered.
Outside the courtroom, Michael G. Houtz said he wants a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Weader when he's out of jail but had hoped his release wouldn't be taking place so soon.
"People do more harmless things and get more time," he said, shaking his head. "Drug offenders do it to their own bodies and get more time."
Victor Weader showed up at the hearing to support his son and said the young man is struggling to deal with the death of his friend.
"I wouldn't want to go through with what Brandon has to live with," he said.
"But Brandon's living flesh," said Mrs. Klein's husband, Steve. "You can hug him."
n E-mail comments to mmoore@dailyitem.com.
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