Man Charged in 1989 Killing in North Whitehall Township Found Not Guilty on All Charges

Oct. 10, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The man charged in the homicide of Rose Josephine Hnath, 78, in her North Whitehall Township home in 1989 has been found not guilty of all charges.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Pennsylvania State Police Captain Seth J. Kelly said in a statement today hat Michael Breisch, 66, “was acquitted by a jury of all charges.”

Here’s the statement from District Attorney Holihan and Captain Kelly:

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
LEHIGH COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Gavin P. Holihan
District Attorney
Oct. 10, 2025
455 WEST HAMILTON STREET
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 18101-1614

District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Capt. Seth J. Kelly, Pennsylvania State Police Troop M
Commanding Officer announce a man charged in a decades-old killing was acquitted by a jury of all charges.
Rose Josephine Hnath, 78, was murdered more than 36 years ago in her North Whitehall Township home.
After a weeklong trial that concluded today, a jury found Michael Breisch, DOB 10/10/1958, of Wind Gap, not guilty of charges that include Criminal Homicide, Burglary, Robbery – Inflict Serious Bodily Injury, and Aggravated Assault.
Rose Hnath was a widow who lived alone in her home at 2690 S. 2nd St. along the banks of the Lehigh River.
On Jan. 21, 1989 after she failed to appear at a local church service she regularly attended, family
members went to her home and found Hnath deceased. Her home had been ransacked.
Hnath died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma and her death was ruled a homicide by the Lehigh County Coroner.
The case was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police Troop M Criminal Investigation Unit and charges were filed by Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Jared Christman and Trooper Zachary McCornac and Lehigh County District Attorney Detectives Robert Egan and Joseph Vazquez. Also assisting with the investigation are the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Laboratory, the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Coshocton County (Ohio) prosector and sheriff offices. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Eric K. Dowdle.