Justin Schuback has been sentenced to life in prison — and then some — for the killing of Old Forge restaurant owner Robert Baron.
When Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon handed down the sentence on Wednesday, he also ordered Schuback, 38, to serve 7.5 to 15 years for robbery and burglary.
Schuback will not be eligible for parole.
Prosecutors say Schuback broke into Ghigiarelli's Pizza on the night of Jan. 25, 2017 intending to rob the business, where Baron was known to keep large amounts of cash. He apparently encountered Baron, violently attacking and killing him.
Schuback was convicted on May 15 following a jury trial.
Jurors, who deliberated for about 10 hours over two days in May, were asked to decide whether Schuback was guilty of first, second, or third-degree murder, as well as burglary and robbery. They found him guilty on all counts.
Jurors heard from numerous prosecution witnesses over four-and-a-half days of testimony, but they never heard from Schuback – who opted not to testify in his own defense – or from any defense witnesses.
"We are pleased with the judge's sentence and hope that the Baron family can obtain closure to begin the healing process," Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell told WVIA on Wednesday.
