Pennsylvania pediatrician allegedly killed by husband who set fire

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 18:44 · Archive

A Pennsylvania pediatrician was allegedly strangled by her husband, who then set their home on fire while their daughter slept.

Julia Pederson, a 41-year-old pediatrician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, was allegedly strangled to death by her husband Jonathan Gatto before he intentionally set their Harrisburg, Pennsylvania home on fire on Saturday. Their 7-year-old daughter was asleep upstairs at the time of the incident.

Jonathan Gatto, 42, was arrested and charged Wednesday with first-degree murder, arson, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and endangering the welfare of children. According to an affidavit, Gatto told police he was awakened by a smoke detector and saw a fire in a downstairs bedroom. He claimed he removed his daughter from the home and called 911, and that he burned his hand attempting to re-enter to save his wife.

Blood tests, however, showed Pederson had died before the fire broke out, according to court documents. The coroner ruled her cause of death as homicide by multiple traumatic injuries. During a police interview, Gatto told officers that his marriage with Pederson was deteriorating and they had planned to separate.

Pederson was a Stanford-educated pediatrician who earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. She had joined UPMC Children's Community Pediatrics in February. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said in a statement that she was 'a beloved pediatrician and valued member' of their team.

How it is being reported

• Ivy-League educated pediatrician allegedly murdered by husband who then set home on fire: policeJulia Pederson, a Stanford-educated pediatrician at UPMC, was allegedly strangled by husband Jonathan Gatto before he set their Harrisburg home ablaze.Fox News · 16 Oct, 18:26
• Beloved doctor’s husband allegedly strangled her, set her body on fire while young daughter was asleepJonathan Gatto was charged Wednesday with the murder of his pediatrician wife Julia Pederson, 41, after allegedly staging an accidental blaze at their house Harrisburg Saturday, according to an affidavit.New York Post · 15 Oct, 20:40

In this story: Julia Pederson · Jonathan Gatto · University of Pittsburgh Medical Center · Harrisburg · Pennsylvania

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