Bucks Co. May Seek Death Penalty Against Arson Suspect: DA

BUCKINGHAM, PA — A Lackawanna County man could face the death penalty if convicted of homicide after a Buckingham house fire in December that killed an elderly man, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced.

Christopher Gillie, 61, was formally arraigned Friday morning — one day after the DA's office filed notice of aggravating circumstances in the homicide case against him.

He remains imprisoned in the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail, and was arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, theft by unlawful taking, aggravated arson, criminal mischief, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, persons not to possess firearms, two counts each of burglary and criminal trespassing, and three counts of arson endangering persons.

On Thursday, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office reserved its right to seek the death penalty against Gillie, listing three aggravating factors the Commonwealth would seek to prove should it choose to pursue the death penalty against him.

The factors prosecutors would seek to prove are:

• That the defendant committed the killing during the commission of a felony.
• That in the commission of the homicide the defendant knowingly created a grave risk of death to another person in addition to the victim of the homicide.
• That the defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to a person.

Christopher Gillie was arrested Dec. 5 in connection with a fire overnight at a Private Drive home.

Multiple neighbors called about the blaze around 3 a.m. that day, according to the Buckingham Township Police Department, saying they could hear screaming from inside the home and were concerned people might be trapped inside.

Julius and Phyllis Drelick, the elderly couple living there, were indeed trapped inside. Both had limited walking ability and used a chairlift to go up and down their stairs.

Phyllis, who was able to escape from the home, said she heard someone open their door and saw lights from a car entering and later leaving their driveway in the night, according to a criminal complaint. She then smelled smoke and heard their smoke detector going off.

Phyllis used the chairlift to get midway down the stairs before the lights, chairlift, and other electric systems in the house all turned off due to the blaze. She got the rest of the way downstairs to open the door as the house was filling with smoke and urged her husband to follow, saying she would come up and help him.

He said he didn't think he'd be able to and then stopped answering her; that's when she went to a neighbor's house to get help.

Fighting the fire proved difficult despite multiple fire departments on the scene, due to high heat and intense flames already engulfing the home, the DA's office said. Firefighters were unable to safely remain in the building, and required many thousands of gallons of water to eventually tamp down the fire.

Firefighters found Julius Drelick, 81, dead in the home. He had died from smoke and soot inhalation as well as thermal burns, according to the Bucks County Coroner's Office.

District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said investigators found five or six points of origin for the fire, including at the entrance and exit of the home. As part of the investigation, an accelerant detection K9 dog was brought to the scene, and detected an accelerant in three areas of the home's family room, authorities said.

Surveillance footage from a neighbor's home showed a light-colored sports utility vehicle traveling up the Drelicks' driveway at approximately 2:04 a.m., and driving away from the home at 2:53 a.m., according to a criminal complaint.

Coors Light beer cans were found on the back porch and on the roadway. Phyllis said she did not have that type of beer in their home.

Further investigation by the DA's office and Buckingham detectives led to Gillie, who resides with the Drelicks' daughter in Dunmore, Lackawanna County. Hours after the fire, he was stopped in Lackawanna County nearly two hours away by Dunmore Police. He was driving a Buick Encore, which belonged to the Drelicks' daughter and which he apparently took without her permission. She had reported the car missing, leading police to pull Gillie over, the DA's office said.

A strong odor of gasoline was emanating from Gillie, and a lighter was visible on the passenger's seat, according to police. He also admitted that he had been drinking, and had been seen drinking Coors Light previously, according to Weintraub.

He was then found to have the house keys to 5777 Private Drive in his pocket.

Furthermore, an older-style rifle was sitting in plain view on the rear seat of the car. Phyllis identified the rifle as belonging to her and her husband, and as normally hanging above the mantel in their family room.

Gillie had previously been to the Drelicks' home under legal, "friendly" terms, according to Weintraub.

Gillie had a prior arson conviction in 2013, according to court records.

This case was investigated by Detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Buckingham Township Police Department, with assistance from the Bucks County Fire Marshal, the Buckingham Township Fire Marshal, the Bristol Township Fire Marshal, the Bensalem Township Fire Marshal, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dunmore Police Department, the Solebury Township Police Department, the Midway Fire Company and the Bucks County Coroner's Office.

Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber and Assistant District Attorney Brittney Kern are assigned for prosecution.

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