A man was charged with homicide after a body was discovered on state game lands in Westmoreland County last month, authorities said.
Joseph Zvara has been charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of 64-year-old Robert Friend, according to a social media post from Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday. Zvara, of Greensburg, was arrested on Thursday. He is scheduled to return to court later this month for his preliminary hearing, according to court documents.
According to a lengthy probable cause document, Zvara had no prior knowledge of Friend before their encounter at Sheetz in Greensburg on Oct. 21. According to state police, Friend and Zvara’s son may have argued earlier in the day.
“It appears that that stimulated Mr. Zvara to come down to the Sheetz, where Mr. Friend was sitting peacefully outside, and Mr. Zvara goes over there and takes an aggressive posture,” said Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police.
The Sheetz security cameras captured no audio, but the two appeared to be bickering before shaking hands, getting into Zvara’s truck, and heading to the bar at Pizza Siena in Greensburg.
According to cops, Friend grew intoxicated and disorderly while at this bar. The bartender, who had Zvara’s phone number, texted him to ask that he no longer bring Friend to their place.
According to court documents, Zvara texted back, “He disrespected my son at Sheetz.” “I will deal with him.”
Friend and Zvara exited the bar together, and Friend was last seen alive.
Later that night, Zvara texted Braden Zvara and simply said, “I f-ed up.”
When Zvara became a suspect, police followed his travels using his phone, which identified Zvara at the location where Friend’s body was discarded.
Trooper Limani says Troop A put in a tremendous amount of effort to solve this case, and he commends the men and women of the local state police.
“The guys and girls I work with—I will be honest with you—this is one of the proudest moments I have had watching the amazing ability they had to take a whodunit,” Limani told the crowd. “This was the test of all tests, and these guys aced it.”
Zvara is currently being jailed without bail at the Westmoreland County Prison. He is expected back in court on Monday, November 17, at 10:30 a.m.
State police said the inquiry is ongoing. Anyone with information about the matter can call the state police’s Troop A Barracks at 724-697-5780, PSP Tips Toll Free at 1-800-472-8477, or online.
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