Bucks County man found guilty, but mentally ill, of 3rd-degree murder

HAZLE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Bucks County man has been found guilty, but mentally ill, of third-degree murder in Luzerne County.

Joseph Sarmiento was charged back in June of 2021 after police said they found 38-year-old Helena Johnson dead in a Hazle Township motel room.

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Police say Johnson was hit, strangled, and found in the bathtub.

Investigators found the only person to enter and exit that room was Sarmiento.

The mentally ill charge will hold the same sentencing guidelines but will allow Sarmiento to receive mental health treatment during incarceration.