Johnstown Woman Admits Role in Gruesome Murder
Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi announced Friday that 20-year-old Taylyn Edwards of Johnstown pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the October 2022 kidnapping and murder of 19-year-old Hayden Garreffa.
Autistic Victim Taken from Home
According to Trooper Cliff Greenfield, Garreffa, who suffered from autism, was abducted from a relative’s home in Buffington Township. He was taken in a minivan without his phone or medication, essentials he “never would have left behind.” Garreffa’s body was discovered two days later in Brush Valley Township, bearing signs of stab wounds and blunt force trauma.
Multiple Arrests Made
Edwards is one of eight individuals arrested in connection with the case. Four men, two other women, and a 14-year-old girl were also apprehended. District Attorney Manzi anticipates a “long and arduous prosecution” for the remaining adults. The juvenile’s case was initially treated as an adult case but has since been transferred to juvenile court.
Motive Believed to be Prior Dispute
Investigators suspect the murder stemmed from a previous disagreement between Garreffa and another suspect. Garreffa’s mother spoke to the Tribune-Democrat after a hearing in January 2023, describing her son as severely autistic and trusting to a fault.
