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Carroll Valley man pleads guilty to murder

(May, 2010) A 35-year-old Carroll Valley man was sentenced to 30 years in state prison on April 5 for stabbing and killing another man who he worked with at Liberty Mountain Resort. Under a plea agreement, Jason Reuben Armstrong pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Armstrong had been facing life in prison on a first-degree murder charge.

The case centered around the death of 19-year-old Andrew Scot Bosley, who lived on Carrolls Tract Road in Ortanna. His body was found May 28, 2008 with 145 stab wounds in it and burned. According to District Attorney Shawn Wagner, Bosley had been alive when his right ear was cut off, but dead by the time he was burned.

Armstrong confessed to the murder to his wife when he returned home at 5 a.m. covered in blood, though he told her that he had been attacked first. He then told his wife he wanted to get more beer and a steak because "he knew he would be going away for a long time," Wagner said.

On his way to get the beer, he crashed his car. When he returned home, he was arrested and taken to Gettysburg Hospital. His blood alcohol content was tested there and found to be 0.111 percent well above the legal limit.

Police found Bosley's body 500 yards into the woods off of Ski Run Trail. Armstrong was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possession of instruments of crime, arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and driving under the influence.

Bosley's parents testified, telling the court how the death of their son had affected their family. Armstrong did not react to hearing the testimony.

Bosley's mother, Glenda Woerner, said, "It changed our world. I don't know how we survived, or how we will continue to function. It still stings."

Judge Michael George sentenced Armstrong to 20 to 40 years in prison on the murder charge and 10 to 20 years for aggravated assault. The sentences are to be served consecutively, meaning that Armstrong will serve 30 to 60 years. George sentenced Armstrong to 1 to 3 years on the remaining charges, but these can be served concurrently with the murder sentence.

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