Pittsburgh Man Who Killed GF, Hid Body In Shed Sentenced: Report

PITTSBURGH, PA — A Pittsburgh man who pleaded guilty to stabbing a woman dozens of times before hiding her body in a suitcase inside a shed will spend up to 38 years in prison following his sentencing this week, according to a report.

Montel Reed, 28, was charged with third-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse after killing 28-year-old Crystal Leschner on Dec. 27, 2021, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to all charges.

A judge also sentenced Reed to serve 10 to 20 years for trying to fatally stab another man during a fight five days after Leschner’s death, TribLive.com reported.

"(The sentences) could never be too much time for him," Leschner’s stepfather Drexel Connelly told TribLive after the sentencing. "We all know he has no remorse in his body at all."

Police said Reed was arrested after Leschner’s body was found in a suitcase inside a shed behind a home on Reifert Street in Knoxville.

According to testimony during his court hearings, Reed first hid Leschner’s body inside a hole in the wall of the residence, WPXI reported. He later wrapped her body in plastic and placed it in a suitcase before hiding it in the shed.

A neighbor found Leschner’s body days after the attack, TribLive.com reported.

Before the discovery of Leschner’s body, Reed stabbed another man at the same home, reports said.

During testimony, the man said he went to the house to purchase a PlayStation he found on Craigslist. When he walked in, he told the court Reed "immediately" him and stabbed him with a kitchen knife," reports said.

The victim was able to escape, but suffered multiple stab wounds, according to reports.