Mar 19, 2019 3 min read

Jurors heard testimony Monday about the traumatic childhood and family life of a 24-year-old Washington man before he was arrested in a 2013 fatal shooting, for which he could now be sentenced to death.

The same Washington County jury of six men and six women found Brandon Wolowski guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and other charges stemming from a robbery attempt on Jan. 8 of that year which left Matthew Mathias, 37, dead and Mathias’ girlfriend, Michelle Powell, 45, wounded, at their house in Washington’s West End neighborhood. Now, the jurors must consider whether to sentence Wolowski to execution by the state or to life without parole.

Jurors heard additional details about Wolowski’s childhood and life before his arrest during testimony from two witnesses called by the defense, which is arguing that mitigating factors – his age of 18 at the time of the incident and a substantial impairment in his ability to understand he was committing a crime – are present.

Wolowski’s sister, Susan McMasters, is the oldest of their mother’s four children. She testified at length about their childhood, during which the family moved frequently and the children were often neglected or abused by many of the adults in their lives. At different times the children stayed with relatives or in foster homes.

At one point, McMasters resorted in vain to a desperate measure to stop their mother’s frequent absences.

“I used to take her shoes so that she wouldn’t leave us,” she said

Thomas N. Farrell, one of Wolowski’s attorneys, also called Mariah McElhaney – who has a 6-year-old daughter, Natalia, with Wolowski – who spent much of the morning on the stand. She described how she and Wolowski were 16 when they met in 2011, before she became pregnant the following year.

McElhaney said Wolowski’s demeanor changed as soon as he learned about the pregnancy, turning himself into juvenile probation officials to resolve an outstanding issue so that he could be a parent. Wolowski’s own father had died early in his life.

He spent the pregnancy in placement facilities, but was able to be present for his child’s birth.

“Brandon worshiped Natalia, loved Natalia with every fiber of his being and would do anything to keep her safe, and myself as well,” McElhaney said.

Common Pleas Judge John DiSalle presided over the trial and penalty phase. Attorneys for both sides are expected to give their closing arguments today. Wolowski told DiSalle Monday that after consulting with his attorneys, he was declining to testify.

The prosecution is arguing that aggravating circumstances, that Wolowski killed Mathias in the course of a felony and he posed a “grave risk of death” to Powell, weigh in favor of the death sentence.

Cross examined by Deputy District Attorney Jason Walsh, McElhaney said she wasn’t sure about the details of what he’d done to wind up in juvenile placement. Walsh also took the opportunity to question to jurors whether or not Wolowski had changed after learning he would become a father, saying he “committed crimes before, and he committed crimes after.”