NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Montgomery County jury on Wednesday found a 50-year-old Perkiomen Township man guilty of murdering his mother and brother last year.
Aaron DeShong showed no emotion as the jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Prosecutor Tom McGoldrick told jurors in his closing argument that Aaron DeShong’s shooting of his mother, 74-year-old Wanda DeShong, and his brother, 53-year-old Adam DeShong, was willful, deliberate and intentional.
“His animosity towards his mother and brother had existed for many, many years," McGoldrick said.
McGoldrick said after Aaron’s father, Nelson, had a stroke, much of his round-the-clock care fell on Aaron for years. He said Aaron disagreed with his mother and brother when they followed Nelson’s living will in 2021 to keep him off life support.
McGoldrick also said Aaron was jealous of his brother Adam — of his career, his wife and his family. That resentment and jealousy peaked on Sept. 24, 2023, when Aaron took a gun from his bedroom closet, walked up the steps to the kitchen, and shot his mother and brother at close range, with no signs of struggle.
McGoldrick described the recorded phone calls DeShong made to the FBI after the shooting as “creepy.” He said DeShong’s voice was cold; he was not upset or crying. DeShong said on the call that he had been “living on the edge” since his father died.
And, McGoldrick said, Aaron evasively replied, “That’s a good question,” when asked if he hurt his mother and brother, and if they were still alive.
State police arrived at the home while Aaron was on the phone with the FBI and took him into custody. The bodies of his mother and brother were found in the kitchen.
Aaron’s lawyer argued prosecutors failed to meet their burden of proof, as there are no eyewitnesses and a lot of what he believes is reasonable doubt.