Robert Baron's Alleged Murderer in Court Today
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — On Monday, a four-hour preliminary hearing was held at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Downtown Scranton for 37-year-old Justin Schuback.
Schuback was arrested back in March for allegedly murdering prominent Old Forge businessman, Robert Baron who's remains were recently found near Pagnotti Park in Old Forge.
Schuback is charged with criminal homicide, robbery, burglary, and abuse of a corpse.
Both the Baron and Schuback families and members of the community packed the courtroom in front of Judge Terrance Gallagher.
Baron was reported missing by his wife back in January of 2017 when he did not come home after working in the family restaurant, Ghigarhelli’s.
At the hearing, we learned more about the fatal night. On the stand, a responding State Trooper, James Hitchcock from Troop R in Dunmore described the scene.
Trooper Hitchcock stated that blood was found all over the restaurant, including on the wainscoting, on chairs, hallways and in the restaurant’s waiting area, plus what looked to be attempts to clean the floors.
Lackawanna County Coroner, Timothy Rowland, testified that he was mandated by a court in 2020 to issue a death certificate for Baron.
The coroner was called to the search back in March when skeletal remains were found near the Pagnotti Park area of Old Forge.
On the stand, Rowland says that investigators found a femur, extremities, and rib vertebrae. The femur was sent for further testing and was confirmed as Baron’s.
Rowland went on to say that just this week, he was able to amend the death certificate to now state January 26th, 2017, as Baron’s date of death with traumatic injuries as the cause.
DNA experts were also called to testify to confirm Baron’s blood was found throughout the restaurant. The experts also confirmed that Scuback’s DNA was found inside of the car Baron was driving.
At the end of the hearing, the judge stated that the case is “bound over” which means that it will move from the magistrate level to the district court with a formal arraignment to follow.
