🌱 Fatal Shooting Consequences + Dismembered Parents + Downtown Crime

HAPPY SATURDAY! It's me, Rachel Tasker, your host of the Daily. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in the community today, including...

• A fatal downtown Pittsburgh shooting convinces dental practice to leave area
• A UPMC doctor accused of driving drunk, causing fatal crash appears in court
• A Pennsylvania woman charged after her elderly parents were found shot and dismembered in their home

You ready?

A flurry this morning. High: 38 Low: 27.

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Here are the top stories today in Pittsburgh:

1) A number of Fox Chapel Area School District students were recently honored for their musical talents. 21 students in total were selected, by audition, to perform with the 2023 Allegheny Valley senior and junior high honors bands. Seventh to 12th grade student musicians from the Avonworth, Fox Chapel Area, Hampton, North Allegheny, Northgate, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Riverview, and Shaler Area school districts auditioned, and 200 were selected. The Allegheny Valley Honors Band Festival was held at Fox Chapel Area High School Jan. 5 and 6 with a public concert Jan. 6.

(TribLIVE)

2) Fatal crime in downtown Pittsburgh is leaving a lasting impact on local businesses. Dr. Christopher Hayner, owner of Hayner Dental, has decided to move his practice out of the downtown area after Thursday's fatal shooting in the 700 block of Liberty Avenue. The business owner states that the incident is his 'breaking point' after a surge in crime incidents during the past four years. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership issued a statement Friday afternoon, "Our residents, workers, and visitors must feel that Downtown is an environment that prioritizes their safety in order to sustain growth and vibrancy. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our city, but the latest gun-related incident underscores the urgent need for focus on public safety. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership will continue to advocate for increased police presence Downtown, and will further collaborate with the City, County, partner organizations and businesses, to implement solutions that can assure the safety of our community at all times of the day or night."

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

3) A Pittsburgh police officer has been placed on administrative leave after being accused of staging a dead cat on a fence behind a local station. The deceased animal was placed to look as if it was climbing the fence. An official from the bureau said they are aware of the incident, and that an investigation is underway.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

4) A Pennsylvania woman is now in custody and facing murder charges after police found the dismembered bodies of her elderly parents in their shared home. A police welfare check of the elderly couple due to a concerned caller led to law enforcement officials finding their daughter Verity Beck inside, along with one body "tightly wrapped in a white bed sheet" and evidence of a second dead person. Authorities conducted another search of the home and found the bodies of Beck's 73-year-old father and 72-year-old mother. "A chain saw was located near one of the bodies, and both individuals were in various stages of dismemberment," Steele said. "Several firearms were recovered from the home as well." An investigation is underway and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 1, according to court records.

(CBS Pittsburgh)

5) A UPMC doctor appeared in court for the first time on Friday after being accused of driving over the speed limit while under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Joseph Yanta is charged with causing the crash that killed his coworker in July 2022. Another UPMC doctor, Doug Rockacy, was the victim of the crash which occurred on Wexford Bayne Road in Pine Township. According to the criminal complaint, Yanta was driving nearly 130 miles per hour when he lost control. His Tesla went airborne and crashed into a creek. Detectives say Rockacy was ejected from the passenger seat. People who were with Rockacy and Yanta that day said they were at a golf outing all day. Police said they went to Cenci's Pizza in Wexford afterward, and surveillance video shows they continued to drink there. The criminal complaint states Yanta's blood alcohol content was a .172, an hour and a half after the crash.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

Today in Pittsburgh:

• The Dinner Detective Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Show (6 PM)
• Trivia Night - Brentwood Library (6:30 PM)
• Sound Series: Cass McCombs - Andy Warhol Museum (8 PM)

From my notebook:

• Pittsburgh Bureau of Police: "Pittsburgh Police SVU detectives are seeking the public's help in finding a missing 12-year-old girl. KyLeeah Carrington-Moore is described as 5'7", 115 pounds, with black eyes and curly hair bunched on the top of her head. " (Pittsburgh Bureau of Police via Facebook)
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: "We've extended our Winter Light Garden to the end of the month! Be sure to marvel at our illuminated Outdoor Garden and Children's Discovery Gardens every Fri. and Sat. evening before it's gone! " (Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
• Visit Pittsburgh: "Happy Friday! 😍 Start making your weekend plans in Pittsburgh! Get more details here 👉 https://bit.ly/3D29dRH ✨ Gather and Brew 📆 Jan. 20 📍 Pittsburgh Glass Center ✨ Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad 📆 Jan. 20" (Visit Pittsburgh via Facebook)
• Grow Pittsburgh: "Are you interested in growing mushrooms at home? Check out our upcoming workshop on Growing Mushrooms Indoors!" (Grow Pittsburgh via Facebook)
• City of Pittsburgh: "DOMI is hiring! Consider joining our team as a Project Engineer, Staff Engineer, Project Manager, or in one of the nine open positions in the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. Apply today at bit.ly/DOMIJobs" (City of Pittsburgh via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll see you soon!

— Rachel Tasker

About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She's got a background in a little bit of everything... from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won... AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com