Dispute over car leads to shooting
MUDDY CREEK TWP — A Portersville area man was charged with attempted homicide following an incident around 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to state police.
Paul J. Harper, 70, was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.
He allegedly went to the residence of Christopher and Debra Galbreath, at 1634 Perry Highway, with a shotgun and shot Christopher Galbreath in the arm. Galbreath was transported to Allegheny General Hospital and is expected to survive.
A police report stated that Debra Galbreath said that she and Christopher were watching television when she heard a noise similar to fireworks near the rear of the residence. The door of the sunroom was shattered.
According to the criminal complaint, Christopher Galbreath told her to get his gun from his bedroom, and she did so and handed him a .38-caliber revolver.
He headed toward the door, where more gunshots were heard, according to the complaint. Debra Galbreath told police that Christopher Galbreath told her he'd been shot and to call 911.
State police arrived on scene and observed two green shotgun shell casings outside of the house near the glass door to the sunroom.
Police also saw that both the inner and outer doors were shattered, and wood and debris were scattered throughout the living room, kitchen, sunroom and deck, according to the complaint. Police observed blood leading into the bedroom to which Christopher Galbreath retreated.
Police received a 911 hang-up call from 1354 Wright Road in Perry Township, Lawrence County. The report stated that when troopers responded to the call, Edward Harper, son of Paul Harper, came out of the residence with his hands up.
He told police that his father was inside and had just shot someone, according to the complaint. Police observed a shotgun inside the residence.
Paul Harper told police that he was upset that he sold a Ford car to Christopher Galbreath for about $5,500 around 1½ years ago, and recently saw the same car for sale on Craiglist for $30,000, according to the complaint.
The report stated that Edward Harper told police that his father wanted him to post a Craigslist advertisement saying that the car was “junk,” and that when he refused, Paul Harper told him he was going to get a gun from his garage and kill the man to whom he'd sold the car.
Paul Harper told police he went to Galbreath's house with a shotgun and knocked on the back door, and that when Christopher Galbreath approached, Harper fired the shotgun without saying anything, according to the complaint.
The reported stated that Christopher Galbreath told police that after a couple of shots the shotgun malfunctioned. Paul Harper said repeatedly that he wanted to kill Galbreath, according to the complaint.
Paul Harper is in Butler County Prison awaiting arraignment.
