Susan Louise Burkhart

1968 - 2002  (33 years)

• Name	Susan Louise Burkhart
  Born	16 Dec 1968	Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA
  Gender	Female
  Died	10 Jun 2002	Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA
  Buried	14 Jun 2002	Ogletown Brethren Cemetery, Ogletown, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA   [1, 2, 3]
  Person ID	I243777	Suedpfalz
  Last Modified	3 Sep 2015

  
  

  Father	R. Larry Burkhart
  Mother	Mary Lou Thomas
  Family ID	F86386	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Fyock
  Children	1. Logan Fyock   2. Hayden Patrick Carl Fyock
  Last Modified	1 May 2018
  Family ID	F86384	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Ashcomb
  Divorced	Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Dalton Ashcomb
  Last Modified	1 May 2018
  Family ID	F86385	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.de/2008/02/pa-susan-louise-fyock-burkhart-12161968.html Police say the killing came moments after Fyock, a divorced mother of three, appeared briefly on her front porch and announced to a neighbor that she was "throwing Craig out." Then, in the kitchen of the home, Knepper shot Fyock and began sobbing as the youngster screamed, "Why did you kill my mommy?"... JOHNSTOWN OFFICER HELD IN SLAYING OF HIS GIRLFRIEND ARRESTED AFTER FLEEING WITH BOY, 4, LEAVING HIM WITH GRANDMOTHER Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) Tom Gibb June 12, 2002 [Excerpts] The sign is half the size of a checkerboard, hand-lettered with a wood burner. "Craig & Sue's Place," it says... Monday night, Craig - veteran Johnstown police Officer Craig Knepper, 35 - exploded during an argument with Sue -- divorced mother of three Susan Louis Fyock , 33. As Fyock 's 4-year-old boy watched, Knepper aimed a handgun from little more than an arm's length away and killed the woman with a gunshot to the head... Within three hours of the shooting, before Knepper could cross the few hundred yards to U.S. Route 219 and go north again, a local police officer stopped the car - with a man officers won't identify at the wheel and another man riding with Knepper. Yesterday, Knepper, a police officer with 12 years on Johnstown's 46-person force, was in Cambria County Prison without bail, facing charges topped by first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence... Neighbors and friends told of police coming when Knepper and Fyock tangled before, of Fyock 's lament that Knepper would drink too much. Asked if Knepper was under mental health care, Johnstown's recently hired Police Chief William Clark refused comment. Asked if Knepper approached anyone in the department about getting care for himself, Clark replied, "It's conceivable, but I'm not going to comment on it." -- "I was told that last week, he pulled out a gun and put it to his head," said Bruce Fyock, father of Fyock's former husband... "The police were called up there a couple times, maybe three times," 16-year-old neighbor Nicole Furnari said... The final turn in the relationship came just before 10 Monday night, when Fyock came out of her half of the duplex and told Daria Auguste, the resident of the other side, that "she had enough of Craig and was throwing him out," a police affidavit says. Then, Fyock went back inside... Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said Knepper fired into Fyock's head and thigh. Investigators haven't determined yet if he was using his .40-caliber police gun... FORMER JOHNSTOWN POLICE OFFICER TO FACE TRIAL IN GIRLFRIEND'S KILLING Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) TOM GIBB July 19, 2002 [Excerpts] A former Johnstown police officer was ordered yesterday to face trial on murder charges in the death of his live-in girlfriend last month in front of her 4-year-old son at the duplex they shared. While they've made no move to dispute that 12-year veteran officer Craig Knepper is the killer, his lawyers are angling toward a defense in which they would claim that mental health problems and possibly other factors left the 35-year-old defendant unable to properly form the intent to kill. If the strategy works, it could erase the chance that Knepper would be convicted of first-degree murder and risk the death penalty or life in prison without parole... State police say that moments after Fyock emerged momentarily from the house and told a neighbor she planned "to throw Craig out," an argument broke out, followed by gunshots and the sound of Fyock's crying son pleading, "Craig, take me to my grandma's, take me to my grandma's." Knepper, too, was crying -- and still crying when he phoned his 75-year-old mother, pleading for help but refusing her offer to come to the house, telling her, "I don't want you to see what I did," police say. Defense co-counsel Arthur McQuillan said after the hearing that Knepper, who resigned from the police force shortly after the killing, was under care from a psychologist and a psychiatrist at the time of the homicide. "The defense position is that he couldn't form the specific intent to kill," McQuillan said... DEATH PENALTY WON'T BE SOUGHT Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) TOM GIBB August 14, 2002 [Excerpts] Prosecutors said yesterday that they will not seek the death penalty for a former Johnstown police officer charged with killing his girlfriend two months ago... That means that, if he goes to trial, Craig Knepper's greatest risk is life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder. Knepper's attorney could be counting on far less than that -- not contesting that Knepper was the killer but considering a defense that Knepper was drunk at the time and not able to clearly form the intent to kill... Police say the killing came moments after Fyock , a divorced mother of three, appeared briefly on her front porch and announced to a neighbor that she was "throwing Craig out." Then, in the kitchen of the home, Knepper shot Fyock and began sobbing as the youngster screamed, "Why did you kill my mommy?" police say.... Knepper, a 12-year veteran of the Johnstown police force, resigned from jail, where he has been held without bail since he was arrested several hours after the killing. FORMER JOHNSTOWN POLICEMAN PLEADS GUILTY IN GIRLFRIEND'S FATAL SHOOTING Jan 12 2003 [Excerpts] A former Johnstown police officer pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his girlfriend... By pleading guilty, Craig Knepper, 36, avoids the possibility of a life sentence for first-degree murder. A plea agreement worked out with prosecutors calls for him to face 20 to 40 years in prison - the maximum sentence for third-degree murder. The 14-year-police veteran was drinking heavily and taking anti-anxiety medication when he shot Susan Fyock, 33, in the head in June. Fyock died in the kitchen of the Johnstown duplex the couple shared... There were no officers from the Johnstown force present when Knepper pleaded guilty this week. Knepper acknowledged that he has a history of mental illness and had been treated by psychiatrists for anxiety and a panic disorder. "He was drinking heavily that day and also taking Xanax and several medications," Gleason said. "That combination clouded his judgment, as well as his anger and restraint in firing the weapon." District Attorney David Tulowitzki said the plea agreement was acceptable to Fyock's family. "The family wanted closure, which is what they received," Tulowitzki said. JOHNSTOWN POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR MURDER Post-Gazette By Tom Gibb March 11, 2003 [Excerpts] A veteran Johnstown police officer was sentenced today to 20 to 40 years in state prison for killing his live-in girlfriend last spring - a shooting that his defenders say came after a psychological collapse brought on by work and family stresses. Craig Knepper, 36, originally charged with first-degree murder that could have gotten him life in prison, pleaded guilty in December to third-degree murder. That was prosecutors' concession that Knepper had downed a bottle of vodka and a high dose of his prescription tranquilizer Xanax and may not have been able to form the intent to kill that is needed to buttress a first-degree charge. Police say that after a brief, loud argument on June 10, Knepper shot his girlfriend, Susan Fyock, 33, as they stood in the kitchen of the duplex they shared in Johnstown. Fyock's 4-year-old son watched... The defendant's brother, the Rev. Roger Knepper, dressed in his clerical garments as a Church of the Brethren minister, told of times when Knepper would arrive home after seeing a teenager who committed suicide or handling a child-abuse case. "He'd be emotionally distraught. He couldn't eat," Roger Knepper told the hearing. "He would throw up." PERSONALITY CHANGE TURNS JOHNSTOWN COP INTO INMATE Post-Gazette Tom Gibb March 12, 2003 [Excerpts] There was the Craig Knepper of a decade ago - religious, trying to be both standout police officer to the city of Johnstown and stand-up father to his two daughters - his clergyman brother told a Cambria County court yesterday. Then there was the Craig Knepper of a couple of years ago - drinking, out of his 13-year marriage and into an erratic relationship with a live-in girlfriend... By his brother's account, it was the second Craig Knepper, primed with vodka and prescription tranquilizers, who climaxed a loud argument with girlfriend Susan Fyock, 33, by shooting her to death in June in their Johnstown duplex. Yesterday, as relatives of both gunman and victim watched and wept, Cambria County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Swope sentenced 36-year-old Craig Knepper, who had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, to 20 to 40 years in state prison. But the case won't end here. Pittsburgh lawyer Timothy Schweers promised that he would file a federal lawsuit on behalf of Fyock's estate, charging that the city of Johnstown failed to protect the mother of three, despite indications that Knepper was veering out of control... "He had a hard time establishing the boundaries between his emotional life and the people he served," [his older brother] Roger Knepper said... JOHNSTOWN, POLICE, OFFICIALS SUED OVER KILLER OFFICER Post-Gazette Tom Gibb March 21, 2003 [Excerpts] When he was a Johnstown police officer, Craig Knepper was a violent man with a drug and alcohol problem, and things only got worse before he murdered his girlfriend last year in the duplex apartment they shared, according to a federal lawsuit filed yesterday. What's more, police should have known of Knepper's mean bent; he showed it on the job, and police were called to his home when it flared, according to the complaint. But Knepper never was suspended, taken off active duty, stripped of his weapons or required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, the lawsuit charges. For that, murder victim Susan Fyock's estate faults Knepper's former bosses in the city of Johnstown. The lawsuit, a civil rights action filed in federal court in Pittsburgh, asks for undisclosed damages from city government, its police department, then-Police Chief William Clark, Mayor Donato Zucco and Knepper himself, who was sentenced last week in Cambria County court to 20 to 40 years in state prison. "It seems to me that everybody in Johnstown who knew him knew he was a danger," Timothy Schweers, the Pittsburgh attorney who filed the lawsuit, said yesterday... After a brief argument in June, Knepper shot Fyock in their home as her 4-year-old son watched. Johnstown police were so concerned when Knepper fled the duplex and briefly disappeared that they posted armed officers at a parking garage overlooking the building housing city police offices. Asked at the time if Knepper approached anyone in the department about getting psychiatric care, Clark replied, "It's conceivable, but I'm not going to comment on it." The 15-count lawsuit charges constitutional rights violations that include Johnstown officials' failure to rein in a law officer known for violence and substance abuse... [police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder pennsylvania state politics] on 2/11/2008 Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook 18 comments: AnonymousMay 20, 2011 I knew Sue, and I knew Craig. I was the babysitter of the 4 year old. I can tell you that I think about this often, I think about them often. I was only 14yrs old when "it" happened. It affected the entire community. I do think the Johnstown police department did a poor job of making sure that Craig was mentally stable. This could have been prevented, 3 kids would still have a mother, her parents would still have a daughter and her friends would still have Sue. Craig should have been suspended the 1st time the police were ever called, or they should have at least done an extensive look into his mental health. It's too late now, and I hope the force has learned to act on domestic violence and take it serious no matter what, or who is involved. I can't believe it's been almost 10 years. She shouldn't be forgotten, I believe there should be a memorial in her name, paid for by Johnstown police. I know it's too much to ask, but I know I will light a candle for Sue this June 10th. Reply Behind The Blue WallMay 20, 2011 I think that's a good idea... the memorial. Thank you for sharing here. Reply AnonymousJune 13, 2011 Craig Nepper had many problems. He moved out of Susans home on many occasions. One time she thought he was gone and he was hiding in the attic for three days. On another occasion he threatened to shoot Dalton (her son) if she was 10 minutes late getting home from work. He had a minor conflict with a 80 year old neighbor lady so he climbed on her roof and cut her cable and phone line. He fell off and broke his leg which he claimed was a work related accident and was collecting workmans comp. for. I know this because I am Susans Father. Reply Replies Jen (the babysitter)March 28, 2012 I remember when he was hiding in the attic, I was supposed to babysit that night. It was creepy. I also remember when he cut her line and collected workmans comp. Reply Behind The Blue WallJune 13, 2011 Thank you. I'm so so sorry that you lost your daughter this way. I would love to know anything about her. All I know is from when she was in the paper as a "victim" - but everyone is so much more than that. I invite you to share some of who Susan was a person - as a woman, a daughter, a mother, or friend to people in her life. It is very dissettling and feels disrespectful to her life to not have a photo OR anything PERSONAL about her. Her life was stolen, and that is so cruel and unfair. Much love to your family. Cloud Reply AnonymousJune 13, 2011 Susan was so well liked that after her funeral they had a candelight vigil that took up the whole bock in front of her house and had to baracade the street from traffic. It's hard to beleive that Craig Knepper was a preacher before he became a policeman. Susans three boys are doing Ok and all are very active in school sports. Reply AnonymousJune 13, 2011 Contributing this that I had copied from a link that isn't there anymore. "I love you Sue About a year ago i met a lady that i would soon be babysitting for Named Sue. She was probably the Nicest person i had ever been close to. She had a son named Dalton who was 3 at the time and a boyfriend Named Craig... he was a police officer. it was easy to see that they loved eachother... they had even had eachother's names tatooed to them. I had known them for about a year and Grew to love them both a lot. Towards the end of their relationship they had some problems... Craig had been depressed from his failing marriage but would not divorce because he had before been a reverand and divorce was a sin... He had also hurt his leg falling off of a ladder and was in a brace... he couldn't work and also couldn't take care of sues son because he was too active and craig couldn't walk too well so my friend and i stayed at the house with Dalton and Craig. Craig loved dalton so much like he was his own son... He played with him and watched movies with him and everything. I had also spent alot of time with Craig... He was like an Uncle or so to me. He helped me with my homework and joked around with me... i would call him Gimpy and stuff cuz he couldn't walk and he found that funny. He was an all around great guy. But apparently he and sue had been arguing about him being Lazy because he wouldn't clean up after the dog and he had been drinking alot since he had been off of his depression pills. One day she had come downstairs before she had to leave for work and told us that she had seen him holding a gun to his head and she told him that if he was gonna kill himself to do it in his car not infront of her son. the monday after that she had called and told me that her son was going to his grandma's house so she didnt need us to babysit, but we would be there tomorrow. later that night i was going to call her and tell her that i was going to Maryland for 2 weeks on that friday... It was 9:55 PM when i picked up the phone but then realized it was a little bit late so i would just tell her tomorrow. I wish i would have called her that night. at around 10:05 her and Craig had been fighting and he shot her infront of her 4 year old son who had just come back from his grandmothers house. Once in the face and once in the thigh. At 4:00AM my sister called to tell me that she had heard what had happened... In the newspaper it said that he had held the boy hostage... I have never been more terrified in my life. Dalton was my world... I loved him more than myself. then i found out that he was ok and Craig had been arrested. Just 3 days ago i went to Craigs preliminary hearing before the trial. I wanted to badly to say hello to him and let him kno that even though what he did was wrong... and i could never forgive him for it... i still love him and i still think of him all the time. Though i also miss Sue... I know that i will never see her in this life again... But knowing that craig is still alive and i can't talk to him causes so much agony. And as for the little boy... i still speak to him and one of the things he had asked me is if i hate "Craiggy" now and i told him no... and he said "me Nether... I love craiggy" and he asked me if i miss Craig and i said yes and he said that he wants to go get him out of jail cuz he wants to watch michael Meyers with him and "Coby" (the dog). I know that the boy should understand what craig did... and im sure he does... But Craig was like a father to him and for him to hate him would be so terrible... like losing 2 parents instead of one. I love you Sue... I Miss you too... and lifes so Hard... Without you. in loving memory of Susan Louise (Burkhart) Fyock. you mean the world to me..." Reply AnonymousJune 13, 2011 I wouldn't be comfortable with a babysitter being that attached to my man. Reply Replies Jen (the babysitter)March 28, 2012 There were 2 babysitters, Myself (Jen) another. I won't give her name. But it's not that she was "close" to him, he and Sue were like our other family. Sumtimes we spent more time there than at our own house. I remember going over and Sue would play with my hair. Her friends would have "O*Town" playing for us when we got there. Craig really didn't talk to us much, but when he did it was always in a kidding way. Than we started to see he darker side come out, through the things Sue would tell us. She wouldn't give details but she would give us insight incase he came home while we were there.

  
  

• Sources

  [S926] Find-A-Grave, (www.findagrave.com). Susan Louise Burkhart Fyock Memorial Photos Flowers Edit Share Learn about sponsoring this memorial... Birth: Dec. 16, 1968 Death: Jun. 10, 2002 Burial: Ogletown Brethren Cemetery Ogletown Somerset County Pennsylvania, USA Plot: 2-02-21 Created by: bluebelles Record added: Dec 17, 2011 Find A Grave Memorial# 82091876 [S927] Obituary. D: I150603 Name: Susan Louise BURKHART Given Name: Susan Louise Surname: Burkhart Sex: F Birth: 16 Dec 1968 in Johnstown, Cambria Co, Pa Death: 10 Jun 2002 in Johnstown, Cambria Co, Pa Burial: Ogletown Brethren Cem, Ogle Twp, Somerset Co, Pa Event: Obituary Note: Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, June 12, 2002 FYOCK - Susan L., 33, Johnstown, died June 10, 2002, at home. Born Dec. 16, 1968, in Johnstown, daughter of R. Larry and Mary Lou (Thomas) Burkhart. Preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Ralph and Verda Burkhart; and maternal grandparents, Lewis and Pearl Thomas. Survived by children, Logan and Hayden Fyock, both of Windber; and Dalton Ashcom, at home; and sisters, Laurie Podrasky, Debbie Yost, Donna Keller, Sandy Mulhollen and Sherry Sivec; and brothers, Richard, Roger and Larry, all of Johnstown. Also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. A 1988 graduate of Greater Johnstown Vocational-Technical School. Former employee of Westmont Eat'N Park and Applebee's of Richland. Friends received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at John Henderson Co. Funeral Home, 215 Central Ave., where service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Pastor Ed Jenkins. Interment, Ogletown Brethren Cemetery. Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, June 12, 2002 Cop held in murder By PATRICK BUCHNOWSKI, THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT A Johnstown cop, thrown out of his home by a live-in girlfriend who had "had enough," pulled a gun and shot her dead with bullets to the head and thigh, authorities said yesterday. Craig Alan Knepper, 35, shot Susan Louise Fyock, 33, at the couple's Sheridan Street residence at 10 p.m. Monday as her 4-year-old son cried and watched his mother die in a pool of blood, police said. Knepper was taken into custody without incident several hours later after he fled the West End duplex with the boy to the Somerset County residence of his father-in-law. He was charged early yesterday with counts including first-degree murder. Knepper's father-in-law, Robert Stevanus Sr., said the 13-year police officer knocked on his door late at night. "He walked in out of the blue," Stevanus said in an interview from his home on Hysota Hill Road in Jerome. 'I haven't seen him in 21/2 years. "He said they had an argument and he shot her." Knepper is in a divorce proceeding with his wife, Gail, and has had little contact with her family. Acquaintances said he had played a back-and-forth love game between his wife and Fyock. Knepper showed up with the child - Fyock's son, Dalton Ashcom -{*} and was at the residence about two hours before leaving to turn himself in, Stevanus said. "Other than him sitting there crying, he didn't make much sense," he said. The boy was turned over unhurt to his family that night, Stevanus said. "He's a sweet little boy," he said. "This is a tragedy." A Special Emergency Response Team of officers from Conemaugh Township and West Hills Regional Police had quickly assembled in Somerset County. The nine-member team surrounded the Jerome house where Knepper had taken the boy. Knepper left Jerome after midnight in a Grand Am and was stopped by Paint Township Officer Edward Porada - apparently a SERT team member - on a Route 219 on-ramp, Conemaugh Township police Chief Louis Barclay said. Knepper then was arrested. Johnstown police turned the investigation over to state police to avoid any appearances of conflict of interest. State police in Ebensburg did not know yesterday what caliber of weapon was used or if Knepper's department-issued .40-caliber Beretta was the murder weapon. Weapons were recovered, state police said, but authorities would not describe them or say where they were found. In an affidavit of probable cause, duplex neighbor Daria Auguste said she was on her front porch when Fyock came out. Fyock said she had had enough of Knepper and was throwing him out, and then went back inside, the affidavit said. Auguste said she then heard a short scream and two gunshots, followed by the child's crying. A court document said the shooting came as the child watched in horror, and repeatedly cried, "Craig, take me to my grandma's." Knepper fled Johnstown with the boy, leaving Fyock on the kitchen floor. The victim has three children, two of whom live in Windber. "She just cleaned the porch and put out a flower pot the other day," said one neighbor who did not give her name. "It's a little gloomy here," police Chief William Clark said. "Police departments don't like to deal with issues like this when it's one of our own." Knepper is in protective custody today in the Cambria County jail, facing life in prison. Fyock suffered gunshot wounds to the head and thigh, Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said during a news conference held with state police spokesman Steve Barto and District Attorney David Tulowitzki. Fyock was pronounced dead at 11:52 p.m. Monday at the residence, where a sign hangs outside welcoming visitors to "Craig & Sue's Place." Knepper has been suspended from the Johnstown police department, Clark said. Clark said during his seven months as chief Knepper had not faced disciplinary action. He would not say if Knepper was disciplined before then. "I suspect there are other disciplinary issues, " Clark said yesterday. "I'm not cognizant of what they are at the moment." A SERT team officer was in communication with a family member inside the Jerome home where Knepper stayed for about two hours, Barclay said. Barclay would not reveal details of the conversation but said the operation went smooth. "It was a safety factor," Barclay said. "Nobody got hurt." Trooper Edward Miller said in a criminal complaint Knepper left the crime scene with a gun in the vehicle's glove box. Knepper was arraigned before District Justice Mary Ann Zanghi of Vinco and sent to county jail without bond. He is charged with first-degree murder, criminal homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Knepper will be represented by attorneys Robert Davis Gleason and Art McQuillan of Johnstown, who had little to say yesterday. "We're at the initial stage of our investigation," Gleason said in a telephone interview. They had interviewed Knepper at the jail. Because he is police officer, Knepper is under protective custody. Jail officials are considering moving Knepper to another county jail for his own safety but it might not be necessary, Deputy Warden John Prebish said. He described Knepper as feeling "comfortable." Knepper was on desk duty after suffering a leg and back injury in recent months. He was not working the day of the shooting, Clark said. It is not clear what sparked the argument between the couple but neighbors said the pair had a stormy relationship. This is the second time this year state police were called to handle a criminal investigation involving a city police officer. Officer George Stevens shot Kenneth John Maurer in a gun battle in Kernville on March 26. Stevens was cleared of any wrongdoing in separate investigations by state police and Johnstown police, who said Stevens fired in self defense. Maurer, 41, is in the county jail charged with attempted criminal homicide. {*} Dalton ashcom is NOT Fyock's son - see article below. Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, June 12, 2002 Victim was settling down, dad says Susan Louise Fyock, 33, was having trouble growing up, but seemed to be settling down and finding her niche when she was shot and killed late Monday. That was how the victim's father, Larry Burkhart Sr. of the 100 block of Adams Drive in Salix, described her yesterday in a telephone interview from his home. "She had her own life and we had ours," the grieving father said. "But we had a close relationship." Fyock's police-officer boyfriend, Craig Alan Knepper, has been charged with the killing. Her life revolved around her three children and the home in the 100 block of Sheridan Street where she died, Burkhart said. "She was a good mother and a good housekeeper," he said. Court records show the former Susan Louise Burkhart and Bruce Fyock were married on Sept. 6, 1992. They had two children and were divorced in July 1998 when Susan Fyock had a son to Lee Ashcom. Fyock was a former employee of Applebees Neighborhood Grill and Bar, 425 Galleria Drive in Richland Township, and Eat'n Park Restaurant Inc., 1300 Minno Drive in Westwood. She recently began working for telemarketing companies, her father said. "It was her niche, I think. She found it was working out for her," Burkhart said. Her former boss at Applebee's said she worked there for a year or two until 1998. "she was a great employee," General Manager Chris Letzo said yesterday in a telephone interview. "when I read the paper this morning I was shocked." While Fyock enjoyed her work and her children, she found little time for other activities, her father said. "She hadn't really got settled down enough for anything else," Burkhart said from the Adams Township home where Fyock's family members gathered yesterday to share their fried. Her children are Hayden Fyock, 7 and Logan Fyock, 8, both of Windber, and Dalton Ashcom, 4, at home. Also surviving are five sisters, Laurie Podrasky, Debbie Yost, Donna Keller, Sandy Mulhollen and Sherry Sivec, and three brothers, Richard, Roger and Larry Burkhart Jr. all live in the Johnstown area. Her father said Fyock was especially close to her mother, Mary Lou (Thomas) Burkhart. "She talked to her every day on the phone," Burkhart said, adding, "Mom is pretty tore up." Event: Newspaper Article Note: I killed my girlfriend, officer admits By KIRK SWAUGER, THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT December 26, 2002 ©Tribune Democrat 2002 EBENSBURG ? Former Johnstown police officer Craig Knepper faces 20 to 40 years behind bars after pleading guilty to third-degree murder in the June shooting death of his estranged girlfriend. Wearing a brown suit and white dress shirt with the point of a tattoo showing through the collar, Knepper, 36, answered Cambria County Judge Thomas SwopeÙus questions succinctly. He said little else during the 20-minute hearing Tuesday. He will be sentenced Feb. 11. Knepper, 36, a 14-year veteran of the troubled Johnstown force, was drinking heavily and on anti-anxiety medication, his attorneys revealed, when he shot and killed Susan Fyock, 33, on June 10 at the duplex the couple shared in the city. Fyock family members said they are relieved by KnepperÙus Christmas Eve guilty plea. ÙSIÙum satisfied with it,ÙT her father, Larry Burkhart, said afterward. ÙSIf it would have gone to trial, itÙus a long process and thereÙus always a chance of something going wrong.ÙT None of KnepperÙus fellow officers on the Johnstown force were present at the hearing. Knepper resigned from the department soon after the shooting. Knepper was returned to the county jail without bond, awaiting sentencing. In pleading to third-degree murder and reckless endangerment, Knepper avoided first-degree murder charges and a potential life imprisonment without parole. The plea agreement stipulates that Knepper will receive the maximum sentence for third-degree murder of 20 to 40 years. ÙSHe wanted to accept responsibility for his actions,ÙT defense attorney Art McQuillan said. ÙSLegally and spiritually,ÙT added defense attorney Robert Davis ÙSGunnerÙT Gleason. Fyock died in the kitchen of the Sheridan Street home from a bullet to the head, state Trooper Edward Miller testified. The shooting occurred as FyockÙus 4-year-old son watched, authorities added. During TuesdayÙus proceeding, Knepper admitted he has had a history of mental illness and has been treated by psychiatrists for anxiety and panic disorder. That played a role in the shooting, Gleason said. ÙSHe was drinking heavily that day and also taking Xanax and several medications,ÙT Gleason said. ÙSThat combination clouded his judgment, as well as his anger and restraint in firing the weapon.ÙT Swope meticulously asked Knepper whether he understood that, by pleading guilty, he is admitting he committed the crime. ÙSYes,ÙT Knepper responded. Gleason said Knepper didnÙut want to face the possibility of a life sentence for first-degree murder if the case had gone to trial before a jury. ÙSItÙus been very difficult,ÙT Gleason said. ÙSHe (Knepper) is going to present publicly his regrets and remorse at the sentencing.ÙT FyockÙus family also declined to comment to the court until Feb. 11. District Attorney David Tulowitzki said the family ÙSis at peace with the decision. ÙSUltimately, in a plea agreement, what youÙure trying to do is predict what a jury would do,ÙT Tulowitzki said afterward, standing outside the courtroom. ÙSThe family wanted closure ? which they received today.ÙT Swope has ordered a presentence investigation. If Swope decides not to accept the recommended sentence, the plea agreement will be voided, Tulowitzki said. _UID: E5B34815EC4B4BAC9FADEBC6C06207105968 Change Date: 17 Jan 2008 at 06:23 Father: Living BURKHART Mother: Living THOMAS [S927] Obituary. Name: FYOCK, Susan L. (Burkhart) Death Date: 10 Jun 2002 Age: 33 Birth Date: 16 Dec 1968 Parents: R. Larry & Mary Lou (Thomas) Burkhart Preceded in death by: paternal grandparents, Ralph & Verda Burkhart; maternal grandparents, Lewis & Pearl Thomas Survived by: children - Logan Fyock, Hayden Fyock; Dalton Ashcom; sisters - Laurie Podrasky, Debbie Yost, Donna Keller, Sandy Mulhollen, Sherry Sivec; brothers - Richard, Roger, Larry Buried: Ogletown Brethren Cemetery Newspaper: Tribune-Democrat Obituary Date: 12 Jun 2002 Contributed by: Sharon Trosan Remarks: b. / d. Johnstown