Man accused in 4 West Chester homicides won’t be back in court for months

A man charged with killing four family members in West Chester Twp. will not be back in court until October.

Gurpreet Singh was indicted by a Butler County grand jury last week on four counts of aggravated murder for the April 28 incident. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty if convicted.

Singh, 37, formerly of West Chester Twp., is the man who called 911 at about 9:40 p.m. on the night of April 28 screaming that he had found his family dead, according to police. Rittgers said Singh had last seen his family alive about 6 p.m. when he left to work on his truck.

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Singh is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their apartment on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

Attorneys Charles H. and Charles M. Rittgers were retained to represent Singh after West Chester police asked for a second round of questioning days after the homicides. Attorney Neal Schuett, a member of the Rittgers’ firm, is also listed as an attorney of Singh.

Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Howard denied bond for Singh. After the hearing attorneys and prosecutors met in chambers to set a date for the next pretrial hearing. That date is Oct. 10.

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Defense attorneys do not expect to get evidence from the prosecution for five weeks. The defense team also has a high-profile trial scheduled to begin on Sept. 3 in Warren County defending Brooke Skylar Richardson, who is accused of killing her newborn and burying her in her parent’s Carlisle backyard.

Singh appeared to pass out during his arraignment Monday and collapsed. Rittgers said he refused transport to an area hospital.

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