A Pittsburgh man, already incarcerated for a previous homicide, Paul Kendrick, will now be facing the death penalty following a judge's recent approval of a jury's earlier sentence. Kendrick was convicted of first-degree murder for the brutal killing of Sgt. Mark Baserman, a corrections officer, is at the state prison in Somerset County. WTAE reported his attack in 2018 to have involved striking Baserman in the face and kicking him in the head several times, resulting in the officer's death.
In March, Kendrick faced a trial where he was found guilty not only of the murder but also faced charges including aggravated assault and assault by a prisoner. After the conviction, the jury recommended he be sentenced to death, a recommendation which was formally endorsed by a judge yesterday. Despite this sentence, Kendrick's placement on death row may seem more symbolic than pragmatic, given Pennsylvania's current suspension of executions, as noted by WPXI.
The details of Sgt. Baserman's death is harrowing. According to state police and surveillance footage of the incident, Kendrick punched Baserman roughly ten times, then continued his assault with kicks to the head, leaving the sergeant unresponsive. Following the approval of Kendrick's death sentence by the judge, additional consecutive life sentences have also been imposed.
