Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 16

Jonathan Gatto Charged in 41-Year-Old Wife's Killing, Accused of Setting Harrisburg Home Ablaze

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 16

Jonathan Gatto Charged in 41-Year-Old Wife's Killing, Accused of Setting Harrisburg Home Ablaze

Q: What will happen to the young daughter who survived the tragic night her mother was brutally murdered in their family home?

The girl is currently staying with relatives while a Dauphin County court decides who should have temporary custody. That is the clearest update reported publicly. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said relatives asked to take temporary custody because the child’s mother is dead and her father, Jonathan Gatto, is jailed without bond on murder, arson and related charges. He said temporary custody proceedings were already underway, with a master in the Court of Common Pleas reviewing the relatives’ requests and weighing the child’s best interests. What happens next will be handled through family court, not the criminal case alone. Because the father is incarcerated and accused of killing the mother, the court will determine who can provide a safe and stable placement. That could mean a temporary guardianship or custody order for family members, with longer-term arrangements decided later. There is no public indication that the child was physically injured in the fire. Police said she was asleep upstairs during the killing and fire and was taken outside after smoke alarms sounded. Gatto also faces a child-endangerment charge tied to her presence in the home. Beyond custody, support efforts have already begun. A fundraiser has reportedly been created to help with funeral expenses and to establish a college fund for the girl, as relatives and the wider community respond to the family’s loss.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 16

Jonathan Gatto, 41, was arrested four days after an Oct. 10 house fire and charged with murder, arson and related counts in the death of his wife, pediatrician Julia Pederson.
Harrisburg police said the investigation found Pederson, 41, did not die in the fire; investigators allege Gatto strangled her inside the family home before intentionally setting it ablaze.
A 7-year-old daughter was reportedly asleep in an upstairs bedroom during the incident, according to KATV.
Gatto is being held in Dauphin County jail without bond, with his next court date set for Oct. 28.
Pederson had joined UPMC Children's Community Pediatrics in February, and the health system said her death was a deep loss to colleagues, patients and the communities she served.