Murder Charges Held For Man Accused Of Killing CHOP Nurse In Tredyffrin

TREDYFFRIN, PA — A man accused of fatally shooting a CHOP nurse at random in Tredyffrin can be prosecuted at trial for murder, a judge ruled Monday.

Steve Jahn is accused of shooting Megan Karyl Nieberle in early March in a random attack.

Hours earlier, police tried to get him to admit himself for a mental health evaluation, according to court documents. But Jahn, who told police that people were out to get him, refused to do so because it would have required him to surrender his guns, which he legally owned.

Monday's preliminary hearing was his first court appearance since he was denied bail after his arrest.

Past coverage of this case:

• March 9: Woman Shot, Killed In Random Attack In Tredyffrin; Suspect In Custody: DA
• March 10: 'Frantic' Man Called 911, Police Let Him Go; Then He Killed A Woman: Court Docs
• March 12: CHOP Nurse, Mother Of 3 Identified As Victim Of Main Line Killing
• March 16: Family of Tredyffrin Shooting Victim, CHOP Nurse Sees Surge In Community Support
• March 19: Residents Question Police Response To Fatal Shooting In Tredyffrin

In dashcam videos played at Monday's hearing, Jahn grips a handgun in his pickup truck, mutters to himself, and glances back and forth erratically as cars pass by, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Get out of the (expletive) way," Jahn says in one part of the video, holding the gun. "You don't belong here."

"Ya'll (expletive) are dead," he says in another clip, according to the Inquirer.

The footage came hours before the shooting, according to Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Wright. Jahn turned off the camera before the incident.

But GPS data from his vehicle, neighbors' surveillance footage and recordings, and remarks Jahn made to police helped authorities identify him as the suspect and arrest him the next day.

Near the intersection of Old State Road and Contention Lane, Jahn shot Nieberle as she drove by, prosecutors say. Nieberle, a 53-year-old mother of three, succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Jahn was charged with murder of the first and third degrees, along with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons count.

On Monday, Wright said Jahn rolled down his window, aimed his weapon and would have "had to have known" someone was inside the oncoming vehicle before firing, the Inquirer reports. The actions show intent to kill, Wright claims.

Jahn's attorney, Brian McCarthy, argued that his client's actions don't constitute first-degree murder.

"We're still trying to figure out everything that happened, but my client and I are adamant: this is not murder of the first degree," McCarthy told Patch. "So we are going to keep diligently defending this case and make sure the whole story is told."

District Judge Patricia A. Zaffarano ruled that prosecutors have sufficient evidence for Jahn to face all charges, should the case go to trial.

Jahn remains jailed at the Chester County Correctional Facility. He is scheduled to return to court July 2 for a formal arraignment.

The case sparked local discussions about guns and mental health. Local officials say that Pennsylvania's lack of "red flag" laws left police without a way to seize Jahn's legally owned guns during their encounter with him before the shooting.