Bucks Co. Man Convicted In ‘Rage-Fueled' Killing Of Former Girlfriend

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A Bucks County jury on Friday convicted Trevor Weigel of first-degree murder for the brutal February 2024 slaying of 19-year-old Jaden Battista in Lower Makefield.

The Churchville man will face a mandatory sentence of life in prison when he goes before Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller at a March 23 sentencing hearing.

The jury took just over an hour to return a verdict, finding Weigel, 25, 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 also found him guilty of a summary count of harassment.

Throughout the trial, Deputy District Attorney Alan J. Garabedian argued that the cold-blooded killing was a premeditated act fueled by rage and obsession after Battista ended the couple’s short-lived relationship.

The prosecution reconstructed the events of Feb. 16, 2024, showing that Weigel left his job at a Warminster manufacturing plant and drove 30 minutes to Battista’s home while leaving a series of increasingly desperate voicemails demanding to know why she had blocked his number and social media accounts.

“If he couldn’t have her, nobody was going to have her,” Garabedian told jurors. “And he made sure of it."

The jury heard and viewed testimony regarding the final moments of the victim’s life. Battista was barefoot and wearing "Care Bear" pajamas when Weigel forced his way through her first-floor bedroom window, prosecutors said.

While Battista was on a FaceTime call with a friend, she was forced outside to Weigel’s red Mustang in an attempted kidnapping. When she resisted and ran toward a responding Lower Makefield police officer for safety, Weigel tackled her and stabbed her 14 times.

Police were initially dispatched to a report of a burglary in progress in the 2500 block of Waterford Road at 2:22 p.m. The prosecution presented body camera footage that captured the attack and life-saving measures by first responders.

The defense argued for a conviction of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder, claiming Weigel “snapped” after Battista allegedly confessed to infidelity.

The prosecution countered, pointing to cellphone data and voicemails showing that Weigel’s mounting rage began long before he arrived at the residence.

Weigel took the stand on Thursday to testify in his own defense and claimed he and the victim first met in July 2023 and began a short relationship that twice ended with break-ups. He claimed they reconciled in February 2024, and the victim had accepted his marriage proposal following a Valentine’s Day dinner date.

Garabedian cross-examined Weigel, finding holes in his testimony and proving the absence of a ring or any evidence of a proposal. The jury ultimately rejected Weigel’s claims of a “blind rage” reaction.

Following the attack, prosecutors said Weigel attempted to take his own life by stabbing himself in the neck before leading police on a chase across a fence and onto I-295. He was apprehended shortly thereafter. A bloody knife was recovered from the scene, police reported.