110833861
Anthony Nicodemo, instead of facing a retrial that would have begun Monday, pleaded guilty Friday to third-degree murder and related offenses in the slaying of Gino DiPietro. The 43-year-old entered his plea in a Common Pleas courtroom and received a 25- to 50-year sentence in state prison from Judge Jeffrey Minehart.
On Dec. 12, ’12, someone gunned down DiPietro as the latter stood by his pickup truck on the 2800 block of South Iseminger Street, with a witness memorizing the license plate number of a black Honda Pilot SUV that sped from the scene. Within an hour, authorities identified the vehicle and located it in the back of Nicodemo’s Packer Park residence.
Police took the now-convicted individual in custody and recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson gun behind the driver’s seat of the SUV after obtaining a search warrant. Ballistics evidence later proved the gun a match for the murder weapon.
As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped a first-degree murder charge, with conspiracy and weapons offenses joining the third-degree murder offense. Published reports noted that authorities are still searching for a motive and the gunman.
To report information, call the FBI at 215-418-4000, or visit philadelphia.fbi.gov.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
183321061
183321061
