Jonathan Gatto was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, pediatrician Julia Pederson.
Gatto, 42, allegedly strangled Pederson, 41, in their Harrisburg home before setting her body on fire while their 7-year-old daughter slept upstairs, according to an affidavit. The blaze broke out early Saturday, and prosecutors say the husband staged the scene to look like an accidental fire that trapped his wife.
The coroner ruled Pederson’s cause of death as homicide by multiple traumatic injuries, court documents show. Blood tests reportedly showed she had already died before the fire started, undermining Gatto’s account to investigators.
During a police interview, Gatto told officers that his marriage with Pederson was on the rocks. He said they planned to separate and were trying to figure out how to talk to their daughter about it, the station reported.
Gatto’s version of events began with a smoke detector jolting him awake. He claimed he saw a small fire in a downstairs bedroom, rushed to get his young daughter outside, then called 911. He told police he burned his hand trying to go back inside to save Pederson, according to the affidavit.
The charges extend well beyond murder. Gatto faces arson counts for allegedly intentionally starting the fire, plus abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and endangering the welfare of children.
Pederson was well-liked at her University of Pittsburgh Medical Center position, where she devoted her career to caring for children and supporting families.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Dr. Julia Pederson, a beloved pediatrician and valued member of our UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics team,” the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said in a statement.
“Dr. Pederson devoted her career to caring for children and supporting families, and her loss is felt deeply by colleagues, patients, and communities she served.”
The case has stunned the Harrisburg community and the medical circles where Pederson built her reputation. A mother and physician killed in her own home, with her young daughter nearby and her husband now accused of staging a fiery cover-up, has left colleagues grieving and neighbors searching for answers.
Gatto’s alleged attempt to disguise the killing as a rescue gone wrong — complete with a burned hand and a frantic 911 call — collapsed under forensic scrutiny. The timeline he gave investigators could not square with the medical evidence of when and how Pederson died.
Gatto was charged Wednesday and awaits further legal proceedings.