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Attorney: Hempfield man who fatally beat elderly father believed 92-year-old was a vampire

Tribune-Review - 7/3/2020

Jul. 2--Douglas Novak's mental illness was so pronounced that he beat his father to death and believed the 92-year-old Hempfield man was a vampire who needed to be staked through the heart to kill him, his attorney told a judge Thursday.

Novak was off his medication when he used the wooden arm of a dining room chair in December 2018 to beat his father Frank Novak to death at his Hempfield home, defense attorney Brian Aston said

"He believed what he was doing was killing a vampire. He lay next to (his father) for two days (after the beating) to kill him when he wakes up -- to put a stake through his heart -- because we all know that's how you kill a vampire," Aston said during Novak's sentencing hearing.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Novak, 42, to serve 10 to 30 years in prison. Novak pleaded guilty but mentally ill last November to the third-degree murder as well as counts of arson, reckless endangerment and risking a catastrophe.

Police said Novak fatally beat his father, dragged him under a shower, then to a bed. An autopsy determined the elder Novak died from complications of blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.

The Novaks were found two days later when police responded to a fire at the Courtview Drive home. Aston said the fire was caused when candles used as part of a vampire ritual burned to the floor.

Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro disputed the defense explanation for the killing and said Novak's confession to police included the real reason for the killing.

"The vampire story was just one piece of his statement. He also said that he beat his father because he was hiding his phone," Ciaramitaro said.

Novak's mental health has been an issue since his arrest.

He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and was treated for five months at Torrance State Hospital before he was found competent to stand trial last year.

In court on Thursday, Novak said he accidentally went off his medication and never intended to kill his father, who he described as his biggest supporter in his battle against mental illness.

"I loved my dad with all my heart. He was truly my hero," Novak said.

But his sister, Natale Shannon, told the judge Novak had a violent relationship with their parents and that he routinely would ignore medical advice pertaining to his mental health diagnosis. She said Novak should remain behind bars for life and asked to have no further contact with her brother.

Novak's friends asked for leniency, describing him as caring man who worked with children and supported his parents.

"I always thought of him as a gentle giant," said friend Shelley Millette.

Novak will be allowed to serve a portion of his sentence at a mental health facility and will be transferred to a state prison once he is cleared by medical professionals, Feliciani said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293, rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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