North Whitehall teen faces criminal homicide charges
BY SUSAN BRYANT
BY KRISTINE PORTER
A North Whitehall Township teen was charged Sept. 19 in connection with the death of a mother and daughter in North Catasauqua, Northampton County.
According to Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck at a Sept. 19 news conference, John Derwin Bradley, 17, of Schnecksville, was charged with two counts of felony criminal homicide for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend Rianna Glass, 16, and her mother Rosalyn Glass, 39, in their home at 1106 Railroad St., overnight Sept. 13 into Sept. 14.
Houck alleges after Bradley killed the women, he stole the mother’s car, a Nissan Murano, crashing it into a tree at a high rate of speed in Upper Saucon Township sending him and his 14-year-old female passenger, known as S.K.Q. of Orefield, to area hospitals.
Houck said officers from Upper Saucon Police Department responded to the single motor vehicle crash in the area of Spring Valley Road around 5:53 a.m. Sept. 14. When they arrived, they found Bradley and S.K.Q., ejected from the silver Nissan.
Officers found a Smith and Wesson HRT fixed-blade, double-edged knife with a red-brown stain and a white, long-sleeved T-shirt with a red-brown stain near where Bradley was sitting, Houck said.
At 7:35 a.m., a request came in to the North Catasauqua Police Department to contact the residents at the Railroad Street address. Officers tried to contact Rosalyn Glass but there was no response at her door, Houck said.
At 11:33 a.m., officers were again dispatched to the residence on reports of an unresponsive woman discovered by a family friend inside the residence. Officers found Rosalyn Glass dead at the top of the staircase, Houck said. Her daughter, Rianna, was found dead in an upstairs bedroom.
As part of the investigation of the murders, Houck said the state police viewed video door footage from Glass’ neighbors. One video showed a man who looked like Bradley walking in front of the victims’ residence around 9:11 p.m. Sept. 13. Another camera captured the man walking toward the rear of the Railroad Street residence.
Around 2:33 a.m., a girl who looked like S.K.Q. was seen in video footage walking in front of the residence, Houck said. Another camera caught her entering the front of the house a minute later.
Around 3:32 a.m., cameras captured the same man and girl walking away from the rear of the Railroad Street address toward Arch Street, where Rosalyn Glass was known to park her silver Nissan Murano. An SUV matching the description of Glass’ vehicle was seen on video about seven minutes later traveling west on Arch Street, going away from the Railroad Street address.
Houck said a search warrant was executed on Sept. 15, and swabs to collect DNA for forensic analysis were taken from Bradley at St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem Campus.
On Sept. 16, autopsies performed at the Northampton County Forensics Center revealed Rosalyn Glass died from multiple stab wounds. Rianna Glass died from neck compression and stab wounds.
“The stab wounds on both victims were consistent with that of a double-edged weapon,” Houck said.
Forensic analysis further revealed that the handle of the Smith and Wesson HRT fixed-blade, double-edged knife found at the crash scene contained the DNA of three people - Bradley and both victims.
Houck said two samples of a red and brown stain taken from the first-floor kitchen of the victims’ house contained Bradley’s DNA profile.
“As a result of that, a warrant was secured for the arrest of the defendant, and he was taken into custody without incident,” Houck said.
After being processed, Bradley was transported to the Northampton County Juvenile Justice Center.
According to Houck, Following the vehicle crash, Bradley was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem, where he received treatment for his injuries.
The 14-year-old girl was taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she remains in serious condition.
Police have not yet spoken with her due to the seriousness of her injuries, Houck said, adding the relationship between her and Bradley or whether she will also face criminal charges for the double homicides is not known.
According to Houck, Bradley was recently told by his ex-girlfriend that she was dating someone else.
Houck said the reason for the delay in providing updates on the murders was that Bradley was in the hospital until Sept. 19.
When Bradley was released from the hospital and sent home he was taken into custody by police and officially charged with the Glass murders and transported to Northampton County.
Houck said Bradley will be tried as an adult for the double homicide.
According to court records, he was also charged with one count of felony theft by unlawful taking for allegedly stealing the Nissan Murano.
Court records further state Bradley has been denied bail.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28 before Northampton County Magisterial District Judge Robert A. Hawke, Walnutport.