ERIE, PA. (THECOUNT) — Kevin Seelinger, a Pennsylvania state parole agent, has been found not guilty on all counts in the July 2025 fatal shooting of parolee Marchello Woodard in Erie County, following a criminal trial centered on whether Seelinger was justified in using deadly force.
The verdict was returned Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Erie County Court after jurors deliberated for several hours Tuesday and resumed deliberations Wednesday morning. The jury rejected all charges against Seelinger, who maintained that he shot Woodard in self-defense.
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Jurors began deliberating shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday. After roughly five-and-a-half hours, they told Judge John Trucilla they could not reach a unanimous decision. The judge directed them to return Wednesday to continue their discussions.
When deliberations resumed, jurors submitted questions seeking clarification about the legal definitions of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and the justification defense. The jury ultimately found Seelinger not guilty on all counts, according to local reporting.
The shooting occurred on July 2, 2025, during a parole compliance check in the 400 block of East 27th Street in Erie. Seelinger testified that he was leaning into Woodard’s vehicle through the open driver’s-side window when Woodard began driving away, leaving the agent clinging to the vehicle. Seelinger said he fired because he feared he would be seriously injured or killed.
Prosecutors argued that the use of deadly force was not justified and contended Seelinger could have let go of the moving vehicle rather than shooting Woodard. The defense maintained that Seelinger acted lawfully in response to the danger he believed he faced.
Following the verdict, Erie Mayor Daria Devlin expressed sympathy for Woodard’s family and acknowledged that the decision could bring renewed pain and frustration. Devlin said the case raised serious questions about the use of deadly force, accountability and public trust in law enforcement, adding that those questions remain important regardless of the criminal trial’s outcome.
Devlin encouraged residents to express their views peacefully and said the city would continue examining public safety policies and working to strengthen community trust through initiatives including the Mayor’s Council on Community Safety and Trust.
Erie is a city in northwestern Pennsylvania along Lake Erie. The shooting occurred on East 27th Street within the city, in Erie County.
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