Man accused of killing wife, 3 family members in Butler Co. begins new trial

A man accused of murdering his wife and three other family members in West Chester in 2019 will begin his new trial on Monday.

Gurpreet Singh first stood trial in October 2022 where he faced four counts of aggravated murder in connection to the deaths of his wife, 39-year-old Shalinderjit Kaur; her parents, 59-year-old Hakiakat Singh Pannag and 62-year-old Parmjit Kaur; and Parmjit’s sister, 58-year-old Amarjit Kaur.

The jury was not able to come to a unanimous decision, leading to a hung jury after more than 14 hours of deliberation.

During the October 2022 trial, prosecutors spent 10 days trying to convince jurors Singh pulled the trigger, while Singh’s defense called just one witness to testify Wednesday morning.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Butler Co. quadruple murder trial ends in hung jury; Prosecution plans for retrial

Defense lawyers had cited the lack of blood found on Singh’s clothing, arguing there were other suspects that authorities had not fully investigated. Prosecutors had said Singh was motivated by financial issues, an extramarital affair, and hatred toward his father-in-law.

Singh’s new trial will have one big difference — there will be no jury, our news partners at WCPO report .

In November 2023, Singh waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead for a three-judge panel to decide his fate — which could include the death penalty.

Just as in a jury trial, the verdict by a three-judge panel in the guilt phase must be unanimous.

Singh has been housed in the Butler County jail without bond since his arrest months after the murders took place.