HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Central Pennsylvania man will serve life in prison for murdering a Dauphin County woman in 2020, Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo announced Thursday.
Tristan Nicholson, 39, was convicted in January of murdering Kelly Patton, whose body was found in her Swatara Township home on Dec. 16, 2020. She had been strangled and beaten to death.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Nicholson confessed to a friend that he killed Patton before her body was discovered.
Other evidence presented at trial included recordings of Patton expressing her fear of Nicholson, prosecutors said.
“I’m telling you. He’ll kill me. I’m scared,” she said in a call three weeks before the murder, according to prosecutors.
At sentencing, members of Kelly’s family described her as kind-hearted, forgiving and devoted to her son.
Deborah Patton, Kelly’s mother, said that two weeks prior to the murder, her daughter called her in tears, saying that if anything happened to her, Nicholson would be responsible.
Dauphin County Judge William T. Tully sentenced Nicholson to life in prison without parole at a hearing on Wednesday.
Deputy District Attorney Alexandra McNulty and Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Robinette prosecuted the case.
The prosecutors commended the work of Swatara Township Police in bringing Nicholson to justice.
“Detective Kenneth Platt led a department-wide effort to uncover the evidence that would lead to Nicholson’s conviction,” McNulty said.
