A Fayette County man has been sentenced to life without parole after being convicted of the murder of an 83-year-old man, officials announced yesterday. 67-year-old Norman Pennington was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Anthony DiCenzo, an event that unfolded in April 2024 in German Township. The devastating verdict was reported by WPXI.
According to the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office, Pennington was arrested shortly after DiCenzo, formerly of Brownsville, was found dead from gunshot wounds inside his car. The authorities believe the motive behind the killing was related to a bad business deal between the two, who were longtime friends. Pennington had to quickly confess that he had swindled DiCenzo out of $30,000 under the guise of a real estate investment—a fact he disclosed under the weight of confrontation regarding the unacted-upon deal. "The victim was upset about $30,000 he gave to Mr. Pennington to purchase a property for which Mr. Pennington never acted upon," Fayette County DA Mike Aubele said in a statement obtained by WPXI.
During the investigation, state police pieced together the sequence of events that led up to DiCenzo's death. DiCenzo was last seen leaving his home in Brownsville around 5 p.m. on April 12, 2024, and was reported missing by his family the next morning. His body was found inside his 2011 white Cadillac STS on Riffle Hollow Road. "Eventually, Mr. Pennington confessed to killing Mr. DiCenzo in the vehicle as it was parked in his driveway, then moving the vehicle and body to Riffle Hollow Road," DA Michael Aubele stated, as reported by WTAE.
Pennington, who has a substantial criminal background, was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his felony status. Nevertheless, a gun—used as the murder weapon—played a central role in the crime.
