Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 50-year-old Wayne Kozak of Eden has pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree, a Class “B” violent felony.

On April 20, 2017, police responded to a home on East Eden Road in the Town of Eden where they found the defendant’s mother, 79-year-old Mary Kozak, dead from a gunshot wound.

Pennsylvania State Police located the defendant several hours later at a motel in Erie, Pennsylvania where he was taken into custody.

Kozak remains remanded to jail without bail. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday, November 7 at 9:30 a.m.

DA Flynn commends the Eden Police Department, New York State Police and Pennsylvania State Police for identifying and locating the defendant as well as the investigative work of Lt. John McCarthy of the Eden Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael D. Smith of the DA’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Rachel L. Newton of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.