Introduction
According to recent reports circulating online, Kenneth Leighty, an American convict previously charged with murder, has allegedly passed away around June 16, 2023, as per rumors floating around. Allegedly, Altoona, Pennsylvania, is the place where his death was announced. However, the exact cause of his demise remains undisclosed, leading to speculation and private grieving among his family and close associates. It’s worth noting that despite these rumors, some prison records still list him as an inmate, creating uncertainty regarding his current status.
Is Kenneth Leighty Still Alive?
Kenneth Leighty, a 65-year-old resident of Altoona, found himself facing serious charges recently. After being arraigned, he was denied bond and ordered to remain in custody due to his alleged involvement in the tragic death of Kenneth Leighty
In the latest developments, search warrants issued just last month shed light on law enforcement’s suspicions that he may have buried her remains on his property in Huntingdon County. These warrants were prompted by Kenneth Leighty own confession, which came on a Friday. Following this admission, he reportedly aided authorities in locating the woman’s remains the very next day, which were discovered on land he owned in Warriors Mark Township, about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh. This grim turn of events led to Leighty facing a criminal homicide charge.
At the time of this report, attempts to contact attorneys representing Kenneth Leighty Kenneth Leightywere unsuccessful. It’s noted that he has been in custody since his last interaction with Altoona police, which occurred last month. During this encounter, authorities sought to question him regarding the disappearance of Sherry Leighty. However, instead of cooperating, police stated that he became involved in a physical altercation with officers, resulting in his arrest shortly thereafter.
Who is Kenneth Leight?
Kenneth Leighty, a convicted criminal, aided investigators in locating the remains of his daughter-in-law, Sherry Leighty, at his residence in Warriors Mark Township. Leighty had been convicted of her murder back in 1999. Updates from the Sherry Leighty Memorial Page on Facebook, dated March 14, 2020, revealed that he had not been granted parole and would not be eligible for consideration again until February 2021.
Maintaining a low profile in the media, Kenneth Wayne Leighty, also known as Kenneth Leighty, has kept details about his family private. He doesn’t have a Wikipedia page, adding to the mystery surrounding his personal life. His birthdate is recorded as June 5, 1947, but information about his parents and siblings remains elusive, suggesting he may have been an only child.
Kenneth Leight Biography
| Full Name | Kenneth Leighty |
| Date Of Birth | 1947 |
| Birth Day | 05 June |
| Father | N/A |
| Mother | N/A |
| Age | 76-Years-Old |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Relationship Status | Currently Single |
| Birth Place | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Late Wife | Darlene Delfosse Leighty |
| Nationality | American |
| Wedding Date | (?-2017) |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Children | Two Kids |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Profession | Prisoner |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
| Weight | Decent |
| Link | |
| Education | College Graduate |
Kenneth Leight Age?
Kenneth, who turned 76 this June, belongs to the Gemini zodiac sign. Originally from Pennsylvania, he identifies as a White American and follows the Christian faith.
Who Was Kenneth Leighy Married To? Why He Arrested?
Kenneth Leighty’s marriage to Darlene Delfosse-Leighty remained largely undisclosed to the public. Sadly, Darlene passed away on March 12, 2017, at the age of sixty-three. Notably, Kenneth was six years her senior.
The Leightys were blessed with two sons, Erik and Aaron, and a sizable family including 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
However, Kenneth’s life took a dark turn when he was detained without bail on suspicion of murdering his daughter-in-law, Sherry Leighty, wife of his son Aaron Leighty.
Sherry Jean Leighty disappeared at the young age of 21 in October 1999, coinciding with her divorce from Aaron. Custody of their three children was granted to her father following the divorce. Kenneth was reportedly the last person to have seen Sherry alive, dropping her off at work on the day she vanished.
The investigation into Sherry’s disappearance spanned years, culminating in Kenneth’s arrest in April 2013 after an altercation with an officer during questioning. Despite initial resistance, Kenneth eventually confessed to the crime, leading investigators to discover Sherry’s remains along a fence row on his property in Warriors Mark Township. Throughout the investigation, Aaron cooperated with authorities, providing crucial information to unravel the mystery surrounding his former wife’s disappearance and death.
Kenneth Leight’s Murdered?
Initially, Sherry’s father, Sheldon Dumm, suggested to authorities that she might have gone to Maine to be with a boyfriend. Aaron, her husband, initially accepted this explanation but grew concerned when Sherry stopped contacting their children. Kenneth Leighty, Aaron’s father and Sherry’s father-in-law, was reportedly the last person to see her alive. He claimed he dropped her off at work before heading to his own job on October 1, 1999. Despite persistent efforts from Sherry’s family to prompt an investigation into her disappearance, the case remained dormant until August 2012 when a cold case detective decided to reopen it.
Discrepancies emerged in Kenneth’s initial statements to the police. Investigations revealed that he didn’t have work on October 1, contrary to what he had claimed, raising suspicions and leading to a deeper probe into his involvement. In April 2013, during police interrogation regarding the case, Kenneth resisted and engaged in a physical confrontation with the officers, resulting in his arrest.
In a later recorded conversation with Aaron, Kenneth confessed to accidentally killing Sherry during a heated argument. He admitted, “I did it… It was an accident.” According to his account, the argument escalated, leading to him striking her with a blunt object in his vehicle, resulting in her death. Kenneth then confessed to burying her on his property in Warriors Mark Township. Despite initial search efforts, her remains were not found until May 10, 2013, after Kenneth agreed to a plea deal and led the police to the location. However, he did not provide specific details about the argument or the exact time of Sherry’s death.
Investigators determined that Sherry likely died between September 22 and October 1, 1999. Additionally, it was discovered that Kenneth had researched topics related to disposing of human remains and police investigation techniques during the time authorities were searching for her buried remains.
Why Did Sherry Leighty Pass Away?
Sherry Jean Leighty, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was born in September 1976. At 23, she had a passion for country music and animals. Sherry graduated from Altoona Region Secondary School in 1995. At the time of her disappearance, she was a mother to three children aged 7, 3, and 1 with Aaron Leighty. Despite their ongoing divorce proceedings, she was still residing with her in-laws while Aaron had full custody of their children. Sherry was last seen alive towards the end of September 1999.
Her whereabouts remained unknown for years, and she was not officially reported as missing until much later. In May 2013, authorities conducted a thorough search of a large property in Heroes Mark Township, Pennsylvania. After excavating several areas along a stone wall, skeletal remains were discovered, later confirmed through DNA testing to be Sherry’s. Investigators believed that the perpetrator had relocated the decomposing remains from another location to their final resting place. Evidence of blunt force trauma to the skull was found, indicating a violent end to Sherry’s life.
The significance of this petition ?
On December 13, 2013, Kenneth Wayne Leighty admitted to third-degree murder in the tragic killing of my sister, 22-year-old Sherry Jean Leighty, back in 1999. At the time of her death, he was her father-in-law. For nearly 14 years, he concealed her body on his property in Fighters Mark. Shockingly, this was the same property where he would take her three children for camping and hunting trips every year, all the while knowing he had killed their mother and buried her on that very land. He deceived her children for so long, telling them that their mother had left them for a boyfriend and moved out of state.
He received a relatively short sentence of seven to ten years in prison for her murder, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for revealing the location of her remains. Many of us in the community feel that seven years behind bars is nowhere near enough punishment for the brutal killing of a loving mother of three young children. We demand that he serves the entirety of his sentence in prison. By signing this petition, you’re indicating your belief that this lenient sentence is an injustice to you, your community, and the justice system.
Kenneth Leighty: Where is he now?
In December 2013, Kenneth, then 66 years old, admitted to third-degree murder as part of a plea agreement. Previously, he had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on police officers, resulting in a sentence of 3 to 23 months in prison. Following an extensive investigation into the murder, Kenneth was sentenced to 7 to 14 years. Due to insufficient evidence to prosecute him without the body, the prosecution opted for a plea deal. Currently, according to prison records, Kenneth is still held at the State Correctional Institution – Frackville in Pennsylvania.
Man admits to killing 99 people. ?
In Huntingdon, an Altoona resident, Kenneth Wayne Leighty, 66, faces a sentence of 7 to 14 years in state prison for the murder of Sherry Jean Leighty. This verdict offers limited closure for her family, law enforcement, and prosecutors. “I don’t think anyone in this room is satisfied with this sentence,” remarked Huntingdon County District Attorney George Zanic following Leighty’s acceptance of a plea deal on Thursday.
Zanic emphasized that Leighty, now convicted of third-degree murder in the death of his former daughter-in-law, Sherry Leighty, in the fall of 1999, would not have served any prison time without this plea deal. It was a collaborative effort between the state police, Altoona police, and Zanic’s office to reach this agreement, formulated last spring to locate Sherry Leighty’s body.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the sentence, Zanic justified the decision, stating, “I settled on the decision because we would never have been able to find her without it.” He made this statement in the presence of representatives from the Altoona and Huntingdon state police, as well as Sherry Leighty’s relatives and friends.
Appearing before Judge Stewart L. Kurtz in an orange prison jumpsuit and shackles, Kenneth Leighty entered his plea on Thursday. His sentencing is scheduled for February 27, with prosecutors recommending the 7-to-14-year sentence. According to Altoona police Investigator Cpl. Matthew Starr, Kenneth Leighty confessed to investigators that Sherry Leighty was killed during a heated argument at his residence on 19th Avenue. “Mr. Leighty struck Sherry Leighty in the head with a blunt object, possibly a bat or another type of pole,” Starr disclosed, adding that Leighty did not disclose the cause of the argument. Subsequently, Kenneth Leighty placed the victim into his vehicle.
Man Imprisoned for Murdering His In-Law Daughter ?
A man from central Pennsylvania has been sentenced to serve between seven and fourteen years in prison for the murder of his daughter-in-law fifteen years ago. Kenneth Leighty, aged 66, from Altoona, admitted in December in Huntington County to third-degree murder in the killing of 23-year-old Sherry Leighty back in 1999. Her remains were discovered in Fighters Mark Township in May after prosecutors offered the defendant a plea deal.
During Thursday’s brief sentencing hearing, defense attorney Thomas Hooper read a statement from Leighty expressing remorse for the pain he caused to family members. The victim’s siblings shared with Senior Judge Stewart Kurtz how their sister’s disappearance had impacted them, emphasizing the anguish of not knowing her fate for such a long time. Aaron Leighty, the defendant’s son, informed investigators that he initially believed Sherry Leighty had gone to Maine with another man. However, he grew suspicious when she failed to contact their children for weeks, months, or even years. Authorities revealed that their divorce had been finalized just days before she vanished.
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Final Words
Kenneth Leighty, a convicted felon linked to the tragic death of Sherry Leighty, has stirred controversy even after his demise, allegedly around June 16, 2023, according to online reports. Despite rumors circulating about his passing in Altoona, Pennsylvania, uncertainty clouds his fate as some prison records still list him as an inmate. Leighty’s involvement in Sherry Leighty’s disappearance, leading to her murder in 1999, resurfaced recently with new developments. A confession from Leighty prompted law enforcement to search his property, where they discovered Sherry’s remains. His arrest in 2013 followed a physical altercation with officers during questioning, leading to his eventual confession of accidentally killing Sherry. The case remained dormant until 2012, when renewed investigation shed light on discrepancies in Leighty’s statements. Despite his admission, the exact circumstances surrounding Sherry’s death remain unclear. Leighty’s marriage to Darlene Delfosse-Leighty, and their family life, adds layers to this tragic narrative. With speculation still surrounding his demise, the story of Kenneth Leighty continues to evoke both curiosity and horror.
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