In a somber update from Latrobe, police have arrested in the murder of Pamela Puskar, 59, who was found dead inside the Loyalhanna Apartments on Jefferson Street. According to WPXI, Glen Whittier, 54, is facing criminal homicide and tampering with evidence charges after he was allegedly caught on surveillance video exiting the apartment building on the morning Puskar's body was discovered.
Early investigations by Latrobe Police suggested that there had been a struggle and that Puskar and the suspect knew each other in some capacity. Further details from WTAE indicate that Whittier claimed to have met Puskar for the first time that night through a friend. Following a chilling sequence of events, where Whittier allegedly expressed intentions to perform sexual acts upon Puskar and was rebuffed, her friends, unable to reach her, discovered her body the following morning.
Compounding the case, surveillance footage appears to show Whittier changing clothes following the incident, with investigators believing he stole Puskar's garments after they were ostensibly stained with blood. Authorities have charged him with criminal homicide, and during his transfer out of the Latrobe Police Department, Whittier purportedly maintained his innocence.
Prior encounters with the law paint a troubling history for Whittier, who has several sets of charges dating back over two decades, including a 2015 accusation of beating his then-girlfriend with a hammer. Now he sits in Westmoreland County Prison, denied bail. In this latest, heartbreaking chapter, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office has identified him as the last person seen with the victim. The Latrobe Police and the Westmoreland County Detective Bureau urge anyone with pertinent information or surveillance video to reach out at 724-830-3287.
