Pa. man pleads guilty to killing 2 people, including his sister, and stabbing his nieces
10/09/2023 3:23 pm PDT
HARRISBURG, Pa. (TCD) -- A man pleaded guilty but mentally ill this week to multiple crimes in connection with the shooting deaths of his sister and another man, and injuring other relatives, including his two young nieces.
The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday, Oct. 9, that Gregory Greene entered the plea for two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, burglary, and possession of a firearm for the deaths of Meredith Greene and Tyler Thames. The charges also relate to shooting his other sister, Brittonie Meredith, in the face and stabbing two children under 8 years old.
A judge handed him two consecutive life sentences for murder, as well as 21 1/2 to 45 years in prison for the other offenses.
On Feb. 9, 2022, at 5:45 a.m., Greene stole a Dodge Charger from one of the victim’s homes in Swatara Township and drove to another house in Harrisburg. One of the sisters reportedly had a protective order against Greene, which prohibited him from entering her home.
The District Attorney’s statement said Greene broke into the residence at approximately 6 a.m. while everyone inside slept. He went to his sister Brittonie Meredith’s room on the second floor and shot her in the face.
Then, he went to Meredith Greene’s bedroom and shot her. Meredith Greene went to her mother’s room and closed the door, which "likely saved her mother’s life." Gregory Greene ascended to the third floor, where he fatally shot Tyler Thames.
After killing Thames, he went to his nieces' room and tried to shoot an 8-year-old girl, but he did not have any ammunition left in his gun. He stabbed the girl in the neck and shoulder and "threw her down the stairs." He subsequently stabbed her 6-year-old sister in the neck.
Brittonie Meredith, who had been shot in the face, ran outside and flagged down police from the narcotics division who were across the street serving a search warrant. The probable cause affidavit says officers called for backup, and paramedics arrived on scene, where they declared Meredith Greene and Thames deceased from gunshot wounds.
Police saw Gregory Greene flee through a side door and drive off in the Charger. Multiple law enforcement agencies engaged in a pursuit, and Greene ultimately crashed into a bus when an officer put down speed sticks. Greene ran into the officer placing the sticks, which caused the officer to sustain a knee injury.
The affidavit says the children told investigators had Greene stabbed them and that they saw him with a gun inside their home. The children and Brittonie Meredith survived.
According to the statement, Greene underwent mental health examinations, which "established that he was mentally ill but not insane at the time of the offenses."
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