Oct 13, 2016 3 min read

Robert Kramer Sr. told a Washington County judge Thursday he hoped Joshua Moss “spends all that time in prison, because the best place right now for this man is in God’s hands.”

Kramer spoke with a voice that at times cracked with emotion at the tense hearing where Moss, 28, of Westland, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and a firearms violation. The charges stemmed from the fatal April 17 shooting of his cousin, Robert Kramer Jr., 21, outside the Meadow Street duplex where they both lived.

Robert Kramer Sr. also turned to address Moss directly, calling the defendant’s actions “cowardly,” and telling him “you’re supposed to have love for my son.”

“I don’t get it, dude,” he said. “Why would you do something like that?”

Judge Gary Gilman accepted the terms of a plea deal between Public Defender Glenn Alterio, and the prosecution, sentencing Moss to 15 to 40 years in state prison on the murder charge. He also sentenced Moss, who was barred from having a gun because of a previous conviction for escape, to 6 to 12 months in prison on the firearm violation – to be served concurrently with the time on the murder charge.

Moss, who has been in jail without bond since the day after the shooting, got credit for time served.

State police said Moss and the victim got into an argument that turned physical during a family cookout.

Moss then pulled a knife that family members took from him.

At that point, he got a shotgun from his bedroom, according to an affidavit of probable cause supporting the criminal case, and shot Kramer in front of the house.

More than 20 friends and family of the victim, many wearing “Justice For Bobby” and “Rest For Bobby” T-shirts, attended the hearing.

Moss told those present he was still dealing with his actions himself.

“There’s no way that I can bring Bobby back,” he said. “I loved Bobby just as much as you.”

In May, Gilman sentenced Moss to 12 months of probation in a separate case stemming from a March 2015 incident at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Canonsburg.

Local police said the woman told them Moss, who she said was drunk, came into the unlocked apartment during an argument and choked her until she felt like she was going to pass out.

He also pushed her into a mirror, shattering it, and broke her cellphone, police said she told them.

Moss pleaded guilty to simple assault and in addition to the probation term was ordered to participate in anger management and domestic violence counseling.

Along with the victim’s father, Assistant District Attorney Leslie Ridge called on Kailyn Coughenour, the mother of Kramer’s daughter, who was 11 months old at the time of his death, to speak.

Coughenour told Moss he “tore the family apart.”

“I thought you guys were family,” she said. You guys were always together, hanging out.”

Kramer’s mother, Teresa Turner, was present but didn’t address the court.

Before the hearing began, she shouted through tears the same question that other family members posed during the hearing: “Why would you do this? Why, Josh? Why?”