May 15, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Steven M. Rosa, 32, of Allentown has been convicted of first-degree criminal homicide in the 2022 shooting death of Tywon Deleva Abner, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a press release today.
“A conviction for First-Degree Murder in Pennsylvania requires a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole,” according to Holihan’s statement.
Rosa shot the 33-year-old on July 28, 2022, in the 500 block of West Allen Street. Rosa is already in prison after a conviction for a robbery that occurred after the killing, Holihan said.
Holihan credited “the persistence and dedication of the detectives and prosecutors who worked on this case for years to bring it to a successful conclusion.”
He singled out Allentown Police Department retiree Miguel Villa, “who maintained his involvement as a vital part of this prosecution even after his retirement.”
Here’s the statement from Holihan:
May 15, 2026
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announces a jury has convicted a man of murder in a 2022 killing that occurred in Allentown.
Steven M. Rosa, DOB 1/28/1994, of Allentown, was convicted of First-Degree Criminal Homicide and carrying a Firearm without a License.
A conviction for First-Degree Murder in Pennsylvania requires a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In a separate case tried together with the homicide, Rosa was convicted of felony counts of Witness Intimidation and Criminal Use of a Communications Facility. That case arose out of Rosa’s efforts to intimidate a person who had information about the homicide. While in Lehigh County Jail, Rosa used a computer tablet in an effort to convince the witness not to testify.
Rosa is also serving a state prison sentence following a conviction for a robbery which occurred after the murder.
The jury convicted Rosa in the killing of Tywon Deleva Abner, 33, of Allentown. Abner was shot and killed July 28, 2022 in the 500 block of West Allen Street.
That night around 11 p.m., Allentown police responded to reports of a shooting and found Abner with a gunshot wound. Police and paramedics administered emergency aid, but Abner died at a local hospital.
The Lehigh County coroner ruled that Abner died from a gunshot wound to the chest and his death was ruled a homicide.
The jury trial began May 12, 2026 before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. The jury returned the verdict May 14th.
Rosa remains in Lehigh County Jail with no bail on the homicide case.The case was investigated by Lehigh County’s 12th Investigating Grand Jury and investigated by Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Task Force Detective Kevin Mriss and Allentown Police Detective Miguel Villa (retired).
The investigation was also assisted by the Lehigh County’s Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center.
This case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorneys Bethany S. Zampogna and Gregory R. Englert.
District Attorney Holihan credited the persistence and dedication of the detectives and prosecutors who worked on this case for years to bring it to a successful conclusion. Specifically Miguel Villa who maintained his involvement as a vital part of this prosecution even after his retirement from the Allentown police Department.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 