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No leniency for jailed Phi Delt at IU-PA
Sunday 1 August, 2004
Reduced Sentence Not Granted
A former Indiana University of Pennsylvania student failed Friday in his bid to get a reduced prison sentence for his role in a fight between members of rival fraternities four years ago. Matthew Keenhold, 22, of Wind Gap, Northampton County, was convicted in August 2002 by an Indiana County Court jury of felony charges of burglary and criminal trespass and misdemeanor charges of simple assault and reckless endangerment. He was acquitted of conspiracy and aggravated assault.
Judge Gregory Olson sentenced Keenhold in November 2002 to serve two to five years in prison and pay a $2,000 fine and $500 restitution.
Yesterday, Olson refused to modify the sentence.
Keenhold had been charged by Indiana Borough police with beating IUP student Shad Connelly of Erie in the face with a wooden stick during a fight on Dec. 9, 2000, at Connelly's off-campus residence in Indiana.
A 5-inch fragment of the stick was jammed through Connelly's nose and lodged in his brain, causing a near-fatal injury, police charged.
In addition to Keenhold, police filed charges against eight other members and associates of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in connection with the brawl.
Charges against three were withdrawn; leniency was granted to five who cooperated with investigators in the case against Keenhold.
Connelly, a son of Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Shad Connelly, and John Higgins of Levittown, Bucks County, were injured in the melee in the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house where they resided.
Keenhold, who has served 20 months of his sentence near his home in a prison in Allentown, asked to be excused of the final four months of the minimum term.
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