Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A Buffalo man has been found guilty of second degree murder in the death of his girlfriend. 33-year-old Frank J. Bredt, Jr. set fire to his girlfriend in 2018.
Bredt was convicted of pouring an accelerant onto his girlfriend, 28 year old Elisabeth Bell, setting her on fire inside their Manhattan Avenue home in January 2018. Bredt ended up setting himself and the home on fire in the process.
Bell was found on the second floor of the home. 5 other people were able to escape the blaze, including Bell's 7-year-old daughter who suffered burns to her feet. Bredt ran out of the house and attempted to hide. He was located a short time later in a nearby home with severe burns to his body and taken to ECMC where he remained hospitalized for over a year in the Burn Treatment Center.
"This is one of the most horrific domestic violence homicide cases that has been prosecuted by my office," says Erie County DA John Flynn. "This defendant intentionally killed his girlfriend by burning her alive in her bedroom. I hope this defendant understands the excruciating pain that he caused this young mother after being severely burned as a result of his murderous actions. The family of Elisabeth Bell has waited a long time for justice and I hope they feel that justice has been served,”
Bredt faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 2.