Carnrike faces trial for allegedly killing cousin
Mar. 16—TITUSVILLE — A Union City-area man will stand trial in Crawford County for allegedly killing his cousin on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend 2020.
Paul V. Carnrike Jr. is charged by Pennsylvania State Police with criminal homicide for allegedly shooting Michael G. Thieme, 50, of Corry, seven times with a 9mm inside Carnrike's trailer home at 26180 State Highway 8 in Bloomfield Township, around 12:30 a.m. Nov. 28.
Magisterial District Judge Amy Nicols ordered Carnrike held for trial following a two-hour preliminary hearing Monday in Titusville. The Tribune was the only media to attend the preliminary hearing; Carnrike attended via videoconference.
Carnrike had called Pennsylvania State Police at Corry following the alleged shooting to report it, Trooper Jon Sutton testified at Monday's hearing.
Sutton testified he and fellow Trooper Matthew Hodak were dispatched to the home and took Carnrike into custody without incident. Sutton testified he found Thieme dead in a bedroom doorway at the rear of the home.
In the initial interview with criminal investigators later in the morning of Nov. 28, Carnrike told police that Thieme had arrived at his home angry and intoxicated, Trooper Nicholas Kaschalk testified. Carnrike told police that Thieme was upset over an argument with Thieme's wife, Kaschalk said.
Carnrike had advised police that he was transgender and that Thieme had been supportive, Kaschalk said. However, Carnrike told police that Thieme's behavior was violent and aggressive toward him during the visit with unwanted advances and threats to him, the trooper said.
Carnrike told police that Thieme was trying to choke him in the kitchen at one point when Carnrike hit Thieme with a brandy bottle multiple times to break away from him, Kaschalk said. Carnrike told police that he went to a rear bedroom and locked himself insider with a loaded handgun.
Access to that bedroom was only available through a bathroom that adjoined the bedroom, Kaschalk said. The bathroom and bedroom shared a common wall.
Carnrike told police that he heard Thieme breaking things in the bathroom and Thieme pounded on the bedroom, Kaschalk said. Carnrike warned Thieme and then fired one warning shot into a closet. According to Carnrike, Thieme broke through the bedroom door and Carnrike then fired "two or three shots" at him before Thieme collapsed, Kaschalk testified.
Carnrike wasn't charged by police at that point. He was released following consultation between police and the Crawford County District Attorney's Office.
An autopsy performed Dec. 1 found Thieme had been shot seven times, Kaschalk testified.
When Carnrike was interviewed for a second time the night of Dec. 1, his story had changed some from what he had told police the first time, according to Kaschalk.
Carnrike now told police that when he fired the warning shot through the closet door he believed Thieme was at the bedroom door, Kaschalk said. As Thieme continued to hit the bedroom door and it was collapsing, Carnrike now told investigators that he then fired two more shots into the closet. Carnrike said he then fired the two or three shots at Thieme as he came through the bedroom doorway, the trooper testified.
Police then confronted Carnrike with the autopsy report that Thieme was hit by seven bullets and challenged his story. Carnrike then admitted to police that he knew Thieme was within the bathroom and not in front of the bedroom/bathroom door pounding on it when the shots were fired, Kaschalk testified.
Carnrike remains lodged in the Crawford County jail without bond as homicide is a nonbondable offense in Pennsylvania.
He is scheduled to go on trial in county court in June. If convicted of criminal homicide, he could face up to life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.