McGhee Plea and Sentencing Canceled

The plea and sentencing scheduled for Thursday for a Bellefonte man accused of his wife’s murder was canceled.

On Wednesday, the Centre County District Attorney’s Office said Charles McGhee, 38, was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon to enter a guilty plea on charges in the June death of his wife, Courtney McGhee, 41. He was to be sentenced immediately by Judge Katherine Oliver.

A notice from the DA’s office on Thursday morning, however, said the plea and sentencing were canceled. No reason was given, and District Attorney’s office staff and McGhee’s attorney did not return requests seeking comment.

Prosecutors have said that on June 5 McGhee murdered his wife and then attempted to burn down their Bellefonte home while their daughter was still inside. The county coroner’s office determined Courtney McGhee died of blunt force trauma to the head and a medical examiner said her injuries were consistent with a broken game controller found near her body.

Charles McGhee was allegedly angry that his wife said she wanted a divorce.

Investigators said three small fires were set in the basement of the home. The daughter was awoken by smoke alarms and fled to a neighbor’s house. Fire departments were dispatched to the scene and discovered Courtney McGhee.

McGhee was taken into custody on June 6 after crashing his vehicle on Interstate 80.

He is charged with first and third degree murder, aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated arson, endangering the welfare of a child, flight to avoid apprehension, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person and tampering with evidence. He also was charged with two counts of animal cruelty because two cats were killed by the fire.