Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 20-year-old Christian Gille of Buffalo has been arraigned before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case on an indictment charging him with two counts of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Burglary in the First Degree.

On August 9, 2016, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the defendant broke into the home of 23-year-old Robert Wheeler of 27 Johnson St. in Lackawanna and fatally stabbed him. The defendant was arrested nearby by Lackawanna police. 

Gille pleaded not guilty and was remanded to jail without bail. 

Acting DA Flaherty commends the Lackawanna Police Department for their thorough investigative work, including Lt. Bryan Girdlestone, PO Patrick Wozniak, PO Michael Gawronski.  Flaherty also credits PO Abdul Omar and Dets. Brian Lakso, Rodney Pietras and Chuck Jaworski. 

As are all defendants accused of a crime, Gille is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Assistant District Attorney Colleen Curtin Gable, Chief of DA Flaherty’s Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case.