Police have arrested Joseph C. Zvara, a 47-year-old Greensburg resident, in the killing of Robert Friend, whose body was discovered on state game lands near the Mannitto Golf Course in Loyalhanna, Pennsylvania. The Westmoreland County man was found dead with a wound to his face and defensive injuries on Oct. 25. According to WTAE, Friend had sustained blunt force trauma to the head, with Zvara now facing charges of criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse.
An employee at the Pizza Siena bar, speaking with investigators, described seeing both men at the establishment on Oct. 21, as reported by TribLIVE. A friend was reportedly asked to leave for inappropriate behavior due to his high level of intoxication. Discovering Friend's body, two hunters contacted the state police, who described him as a transient and one who often found shelter through the Greensburg area. After the altercation at the bar, Zvara allegedly texted another employee, writing, "He will never come back after tonight," accompanied by a laughing/crying emoji, a grim foreshadowing of the events that unfolded thereafter.
Further investigation by Pennsylvania State Police involved obtaining surveillance video from a Sheetz gas station, where the suspect had reportedly had a verbal altercation with Friend. The footage showed Zvara appearing to confront Friend inside the store before they left together, according to WTAE. Police also gathered evidence from Zvara's cell phone, which was tracked to locations including the area where Friend's body was found. Zvara's statements to police conflicted with the cell phone data, further implicating him in the crime.
Zvara's son relayed to authorities that his father had confessed to him in a text message simply stating, "I (expletive) up," with the son warning, "don't incriminate yourself," WTAE detailed. Held without bail at the Westmoreland County Prison, Zvara is scheduled for a Nov. 17 preliminary hearing in front of Judge Charles Moore, reflecting the seriousness of the charge levied against him, as TribLIVE reported.
