SCRANTON, PA — A Taylor man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the violent murder of his girlfriend two years ago. On Tuesday, Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse handed down a mandatory life sentence to 57-year-old Donnell Brunson.
The sentencing follows Brunson’s guilty plea in September to first-degree murder. Under Pennsylvania law, a first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The charges stem from a gruesome incident in November 2023 at a residence on Luke Avenue in Scranton. Authorities stated that Brunson brutally beat Danielle Barbuti, inflicting severe head trauma in what investigators described as a violent attack.
Following the sentencing, Brunson was transported back to the Lackawanna County Prison, where he has remained in custody since his arrest.