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Chester County Press

Man sentenced in killing of college freshman in 2015

05/04/2016 09:42AM ● By J. Chambless

By John Chambless
Staff Writer

A Kennett Square man charged in the killing of his girlfriend, Karlie Hall, in February 2015 was found guilty of third-degree murder by a jury in Lancaster County on May 2.


Karlie Hall, seen here in a Facebook photo, was a 2014 graduate of Unionville High School.

 Gregorio Orrostieta, now 20, of Kennett Square, has been held without bail in Lancaster County Prison after being found in Hall's dorm room early on the morning of Feb. 8, 2015. He was a 2014 graduate of Kennett High School but was not a student at Millersville. Hall was a freshman at Millersville University at the time. She was a 2014 graduate of Unionville High School.

According to a police affidavit at the time of the incident, first responders on the scene found Orrostieta "kneeling over Hall and attempting to administer CPR."

Orrostieta told investigators that he and Hall had argued at a party, and that Hall had hit him. He said the couple made up and returned to Hall's dorm room at around 1:30 a.m. He said that they argued again, and he admitted to shoving Hall, knocking her down and causing her to hit her head on a chair. He also said he "gave Hall a 'back hand' to her face, at which time the altercation ceased when Hall became unresponsive," according to the affidavit.

Gregorio Orrostieta, of Kennett Square, has been charged with third-degree murder.

 The trial centered on whether Orrostetia had strangled and beaten Hall during a fight after a party at Millersville, which would have resulted in a first-degree murder verdict and a life sentence for Orrostetia. The sentence of third-degree murder will lead to a sentencing hearing in the next two months. He faces the possibility of 20 to 40 years in state prison.


To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].