NEW PHILADELPHIA - A Saint Clair man has been charged in the death of Jason "Jay" Hahn, whose body was found Saturday in Blythe Township.
State police at Frackville charged Ethan Michael Sullivan, 20, with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, simple assault, theft and recklessly endangering another person. He was arraigned by videoconference Sunday by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua.
Sullivan was already in Schuylkill County Prison after he was unable to post $25,000 bail on previous charges of burglary, criminal mischief and theft, which were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, after an incident in East Norwegian Township on Tuesday.
Hahn's body was found about 5 p.m. Saturday in a wooded area near Silver Creek Road in Blythe Township. The investigation was conducted by members of the Troop L major case team from Reading. State police at Frackville and members of the Cumbola Fire Department and Kaska Fire Company also responded to the scene.
Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David J. Moylan pronounced Hahn, 22, of the Tamaqua area, dead at 7 p.m. Saturday. He had been missing since June 14.
Moylan said an autopsy will be performed today at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Preliminary results are possible by noon, he said.
A virtual autopsy was conducted Sunday at Simon Kramer Institute, New Philadelphia.
Moylan said the body was decomposing but a CAT scan was performed.
"The views of the skull suggest blunt force trauma to the skull," he said.
To get additional help on the matter, Moylan said he requested the assistance of Dr. Dennis Dirkmatt, a forensic anthropology consultant with Mercyhurst University, Erie, to look at some photographs.
Meanwhile, family members and friends are dealing with the loss of Hahn.
"I don't want to talk to anybody about nothing," his brother, Henry, said.
Derek Snyder, 27, of West Penn Township, said he can't believe his friend is gone.
Snyder said Hahn lived at his parents' house for the last year and for a short period of time before that.
Snyder said he last saw Hahn between 11 p.m. and midnight June 14.
"We had a small party with maybe 10 to 12 people," he said.
There was alcohol at the party and Hahn drank some, but Snyder does not think that had a role in his death. Hahn was in a good mood, he said.
Snyder went to bed early and did not see Hahn leave.
"He left with Ethan Sullivan," Snyder said, adding that other people at the party saw Hahn leave.
Snyder said he knew Sullivan for about a year and Hahn for eight years. He said Sullivan lived at the house previously and stopped by that day to get some clothing.
"I saw him at the house. He came in to say 'hi,' " Snyder said.
Snyder said whatever occurred was not the way Hahn deserved to die.
"I've lost two friends in this whole thing," he said.