The most serious charge in a brutal Shadyside stabbing case is not going anywhere. Yesterday, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski refused to dismiss an attempted homicide count against Jasper Hilliard, the man accused in a near-fatal 2023 attack, keeping the case on track for more pretrial wrangling.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, the judge denied the defense's request to toss the attempted homicide charge. The outlet’s video report confirms the ruling, although it offers only limited detail from inside the courtroom.
The 2023 Attack in Shadyside
The charge traces back to a June 3, 2023, stabbing on Lehigh Avenue in Shadyside that left a man in his 70s critically wounded, according to reporting from WTAE. Police arrested Hilliard near the scene after neighbors reported seeing a man covered in blood.
Court paperwork quoted by local outlets says Hilliard told officers he picked the victim out of convenience, per WPXI. Neighbors identified the victim as Al Carlson and described him as a longtime fixture on the block. Coverage at the time reported that his condition, initially critical, was later upgraded to stable.
What the Judge’s Decision Means for the Case
By keeping the attempted homicide count in place, Judge Borkowski ensured that prosecutors will continue pursuing that top charge as the case moves through pretrial motions and discovery in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Scheduling and filings run through the county’s downtown courthouse, where upcoming hearings will appear on the public docket.
Legal Context
Under Pennsylvania law, attempted homicide is charged as a criminal attempt under 18 Pa.C.S. § 901. Prosecutors must show that a defendant took a substantial step toward killing someone and did so with a specific intent to kill. The statute is outlined in Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
That high bar helps explain why judges sometimes hesitate to strip attempted homicide counts at the motion stage. With this ruling, the spotlight in Hilliard’s case stays firmly on whether the evidence ultimately meets that intent-to-kill standard.
