EBENSBURG, Pa. – After a five-day trial in Cambria County court, Qwante N. Rose has been found guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person in the shooting death of Jaydin Sanderson on New Year’s Day in 2022.
Jurors deliberated for over two hours before delivering the verdict to Cambria County Senior Judge Norman A. Krumenacker III. The prosecution was handled by Cambria County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Green and Assistant District Attorney Joel Polites, while Attorney Ralph Karsh represented Rose.
During the trial, it was alleged that Rose, 22, shot and killed Sanderson, 19, with whom he had an on-and-off relationship. The shooting took place in her vehicle after a New Year’s Eve party, and her body was found the following day on Wood Street in the Hornerstown section of Johnstown.
Testimony from five expert witnesses and two other witnesses claiming firsthand knowledge of alleged confessions by Rose was presented to the jury. The evidence included moderate support for identifying Rose’s DNA signature on the victim’s pants, as well as a shell casing found in the back seat of Sanderson’s vehicle matching a 9mm pistol found in a vehicle operated by Rose after an unrelated incident in March 2022.
Additionally, it was stated that the gun used in the shooting had its barrel replaced after the incident, with the new barrel bearing an altered serial number that did not match the rifling on a bullet located in Sanderson’s vehicle. Witnesses testified that Rose reportedly laughed when admitting to the killing, and another witness claimed to have overheard him confess to the shooting while incarcerated in 2022.
In response, Rose’s attorney attempted to cast doubt on the evidence and testimonies presented during the trial, arguing that there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Rose was responsible for the death.
The guilty verdict carries a mandatory life sentence for Rose, who has not yet been sentenced; a conference has been scheduled prior to sentencing, which is expected to take place within the next 90 days.