The sentencing hearing put Battista’s family and best friend at the center of a Bucks County murder case.
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — Jaden Battista’s mother stood in a Bucks County courtroom and described the life her family lost before Trevor Christopher Weigel was ordered to spend life in prison without parole.
The April 28 sentencing marked the final major court hearing in the killing of Battista, a 19-year-old who was stabbed outside a Lower Makefield Township home in February 2024. Weigel, her former boyfriend, had been convicted in January of first-degree murder, burglary, attempted kidnapping and possession of an instrument of crime. Judge Charissa J. Liller added five to 20 years to the mandatory life sentence.
The hearing’s most personal moments came from the people closest to Battista. Her mother read her own statement and one written by Battista’s father. She described a daughter who loved animals and brought warmth to the people around her. Family members remembered Battista’s dog, Tater, and black cat, Socks, details that placed her life outside the facts of the trial. “Jaden was a gentle soul in a world that was far too cruel to her,” her mother said in court. She said her daughter did not deserve what happened, and that the loss had left an emptiness in the family home.
Battista’s mother also spoke about her two younger daughters, who now grow up without their older sister’s guidance and protection. The courtroom statements framed the sentence as legal closure, not emotional repair. The family did not describe a loss that ended with the verdict. They described an absence that continues in daily life, in rooms where Battista should have been and in family milestones she will not see. Prosecutors said the testimony showed the reach of a crime that began with one man’s anger and ended with a family permanently changed.
Another statement came from Battista’s best friend, who had been on FaceTime with her when Weigel arrived at the home. Deputy District Attorney Alan J. Garabedian read the friend’s words in court. Prosecutors said the friend heard the attack begin and called 911. In her statement, she called Battista a bright soul and said losing her had left a hole in her heart that could not truly be filled. Her role in the case was both personal and evidentiary. She was a best friend mourning a death and a witness whose call helped bring police to Waterford Road.
The violence that killed Battista began after she had ended a short relationship with Weigel, prosecutors said. On Feb. 16, 2024, Weigel left his job at a manufacturing plant in Warminster and drove about 30 minutes to Lower Makefield Township. During the drive, he left voicemails demanding to know why Battista had blocked him on her phone and social media. Authorities said he reached the home, banged on the door and forced his way inside through a first-floor bedroom window while Battista was still connected to her friend on FaceTime.
Prosecutors said Weigel forced Battista outside toward his red Mustang. She was barefoot and wearing Care Bear pajamas. Police had been dispatched for a burglary in progress, and when an officer arrived, Battista ran toward him. Authorities said Weigel chased her, tackled her in the street and stabbed her 14 times. Body camera video captured her pleas for help and the emergency response that followed. After the stabbing, Weigel fled, climbed a fence and ran toward an interstate, investigators said. Police said he stabbed himself in the neck before officers used a Taser and arrested him.
The January trial focused on whether the killing was premeditated murder or a lesser offense. Defense attorneys argued that Weigel snapped after Battista allegedly said she had cheated on him. Prosecutors answered with phone evidence, voicemails, the forced entry, the attempted movement toward the car and the attack as she ran for help. Garabedian told jurors that Weigel acted out of rage and obsession after Battista ended the relationship. “If he couldn’t have her, nobody was going to have her,” he said. Jurors deliberated for just over an hour before convicting Weigel.
The conviction list was broad. Jurors found Weigel guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, criminal attempted kidnapping, possession of an instrument of crime, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, evading arrest and disorderly conduct. Liller found him guilty of a summary count of harassment. At sentencing, the murder count carried life without parole. The added five-to-20-year term reflected the crimes around the killing. Weigel, of Churchville, was 23 when Battista died and 25 when he received the life sentence.
Officials used the sentencing to acknowledge both the work of investigators and the limits of the court process. District Attorney Joe Khan said Weigel had stolen a future filled with dreams and love. He said the justice system ensured Weigel would not have the chance to take another life. Lower Makefield Police Chief Joseph Kelly said his department’s hearts went out to the Battista family and thanked the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, county detectives and local officers who worked on the investigation and prosecution.
The case was investigated by Lower Makefield Township police and Bucks County detectives. Garabedian and Assistant District Attorney Jessica Frost prosecuted it. For the community, the case tied a quiet residential street to a public trial and a courthouse sentence. For Battista’s family, the court record now includes the official finding of murder, the sentence of life without parole and the words they spoke about the person they lost.
Trevor Weigel remains sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus five to 20 years. Battista’s family left the April 28 hearing with the criminal case concluded, but with the loss described in court still present.
Author note: Last updated May 21, 2026.