Man strangles his doctor wife to death, sets her body on fire with their 7-year-old daughter sleeping inside home, cops say

A Pennsylvania man choked his wife to death and set her body on fire with their 7-year-old daughter sleeping inside the home as the couple’s failing marriage neared separation, authorities say.

Jonathan Gatto, 41, stands accused of murder, arson, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of Dr. Julia Pederson, also 41. He’s also charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Cops and firefighters responded to a fire in the 2900 block of Green Street in Harrisburg around 7 a.m. on Oct. 10. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze and found Pederson’s body. An investigation found that the victim died before the fire, which was intentionally set in a bedroom, cops said. Gatto was arrested Wednesday.

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According to a criminal complaint obtained by local CBS affiliate WHP, Gatto told police in an interview that their marriage was on the rocks and they had planned to separate. The only thing stopping them was deciding how they were going to break the news to their daughter, cops reportedly wrote.

Gatto told cops that his wife did not take their daughter to ballet the day before she died because she wasn’t feeling well. Later that night, he said he heard what sounded like someone falling down the stairs but didn’t see anything, per the complaint. He checked on Pederson, but she retreated into her bedroom, he reportedly told cops.

The defendant said he tried to give his wife ibuprofen around 2 a.m., but she was startled when he walked in, so he went back to sleep, the affidavit said. He reportedly awoke around 7 a.m. after the smoke alarms went off. He rushed to get his daughter out of her room and tried to save his wife but said he was unable to reach her because of the fire, the complaint reportedly said.

An autopsy determined she died from strangulation.

Pederson, a pediatrician, attended many of the country’s top institutions, including Stanford and Harvard, and completed her residency at  Northwestern’s Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, a GoFundMe started by her sister said.

“Beyond her career, Julia cherished the simple joys of life. She lived in Harrisburg with her family and enjoyed exploring local nature preserves, reading, and learning to crochet,” her sister wrote. “She was so much more than her professional accomplishments, she was a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother whose presence and love meant so much to those closest to her.”

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Pederson was a member of the Children’s Community Pediatrics team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“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 hospital said in a statement to local media.

Gatto remains at the Dauphin County Prison without bond. His next court date is set for Oct. 28.

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