Pennsylvania Man Faces Up to 100 Years for Murder

A man from Pennsylvania could end up spending up to a century behind bars for a gruesome crime involving the death of a police informant. Steven Gaddis, 28, entered a guilty plea on Friday related to the murder of Matthew Wisman, who was 25 at the time of his death. Charges against Gaddis include third-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness, as reported by WHTM.

In October, Gaddis was arrested alongside Wisman’s cousins, Alexander Whisman and Jeremy Absher. The trio allegedly murdered Wisman due to his intention to assist with an investigation into a mass shooting that occurred in Maryland earlier in January.

Documents from the court reveal that Wisman returned home to East Dolemore Township, about 105 miles from Philadelphia, on April 3, 2024. Gaddis searched Wisman’s phone and discovered a text indicating that Wisman was cooperating with authorities.

According to allegations, Gaddis and two others forcibly took Wisman into a bathroom, where they assaulted him and then compelled him to shower to eliminate any evidence.

One disturbing detail involved Gaddis approaching Wisman and asking, “How would you feel if this was your last supper?” They then took him to the basement and offered him food, during which, it’s noted, a distraught Wisman cried.

Afterward, Gaddis reportedly filled two syringes with fentanyl. The men then forced Wisman into a vehicle and administered a lethal dose of the drug, as stated by the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

Subsequently, they allegedly disposed of Wisman’s body by throwing it off a bridge.

Before the crime, all but Gaddis left their phones at home, as noted in the report. Wisman was reported missing in July. During the investigation into his disappearance, witnesses mentioned “horrible” events involving Alexander Whisman, Gaddis, and Absher.

Campsite counselors discovered Wisman’s remains in August near a hiking trail in Cecil County, Maryland.

In October, the three suspects faced a total of 11 charges, including murder, kidnapping in relation to a felony, and intimidation of a witness. Absher, who had escaped to Maysville, South Carolina, was extradited to Lancaster County on unrelated charges prior to facing accusations regarding Wisman’s death.

Both Alexander Whisman and Gaddis are currently in custody on unrelated matters; Whisman is at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center while Gaddis is being held in the Chester County Jail. They were reportedly heavy drug users, with Gaddis allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the murder.

In addition to his involvement in Wisman’s death, Gaddis pleaded guilty to charges connected to a shooting at a house party in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, which occurred in the same month.

His sentence will likely range from 43 to 100 years in prison.

Meanwhile, both Absher and Alexander Whisman are awaiting trial, with Absher due back in court on April 23.