Ex-boyfriend pleads guilty to brutal hammer attack that nearly killed McMurray woman
With large photographs showing her bloodied and battered face displayed in the courtroom, Jennifer Pardini spoke about her recovery from the brutal hammer attack by her ex-boyfriend that nearly killed her two years ago.
“I am strong. I am brave. And I will persevere,” Pardini said. “This has changed my life forever. But I have the rest of my life ahead of me.”
She recounted how William McCann Oberschelp came to her parents’ Peters Township home July 8, 2023, wielding a knife and lured her into the garage, where he found a hammer and bludgeoned her before leaving her for dead. Her father, Ron, found her on the garage floor surrounded in her own blood, and her mother, Greta, called 911 to get her life-saving medical care.
The assault fractured Pardini’s skull, injured her brain and left her with double vision and numerous traumatic wounds that she continues to recover from and rehabilitate. But she took the stand during Oberschelp’s plea hearing Thursday to thank those responsible for her medical care and describe the miraculous recovery when some did not expect she would ever be able to walk or talk again.
“And yet here I am today speaking to all of you,” she told the supporters who gathered at the Washington County Courthouse.
She then pointed to a tattoo on her arm she received after spending months recovering in the hospital that reads “And still I rise,” which is a daily reminder to her of what she has overcome.
“It reminds me every day of my inner strength,” Pardini said.
After Pardini spoke about her ordeal, Judge Valarie Costanzo called her an “inspiration” for others, including the dozens of supporters who packed into the courtroom in which there wasn’t an open seat left in the gallery.
“You really are courageous to come here to give that statement,” Costanzo said.
Moments later, Oberschelp formally pleaded guilty to felony charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and trespassing as part of an agreement with prosecutors, and Costanzo immediately sentenced him to serve 16 ½ to 33 years in prison, followed by a year on supervised release. She also ordered Oberschelp to pay nearly $28,000 in restitution as part of the plea agreement.
Oberschelp, 29, of McMurray, apologized to Pardini for what he called a “brutal, selfish” assault that he claimed was spurred by a psychiatric episode coupled with alcohol and drug abuse. After the attack, Oberschelp called Pardini’s cellphone and left a voicemail to apparently justify what he had done.
“I cannot imagine the hurt I caused or the amount of lives I affected,” he said.
But Pardini’s mother, Greta, disagreed with Oberschelp’s claim that mental health problems led to the attack.
“I don’t believe for one minute the defendant did not know what he was doing that night,” she said. “There is no doubt in my mind he knew right from wrong. What he did not know is what everyone in this courtroom knows: Jen is the strongest person I know. Her will to survive is absolutely miraculous.”
Pardini’s father, Ron, had even sterner words for Oberschelp, calling him a “coward and fraud” while also suggesting what life might ultimately look for him as he serves his sentence in a state prison.
“You have hurt more people than you’ll ever know in a way you can’t imagine,” he said before turning his comments toward his daughter. “God bless, Jen. She was absolutely strong before it. She’ll overcome it.”
After the hearing, Oberschelp – shackled and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit – was escorted from the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies and taken back to the Washington County jail, where he’s been held without bond since his arrest following the attack. Meanwhile, Pardini’s supporters milled about the courtroom and hugged her while chatting for a few minutes before the crowd filtered out.
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said afterward that Pardini’s recovery and her words in court Thursday were inspiring.
“She’s a wonderful person,” Walsh said.
As Pardini left the courthouse, she offered advice for other people in domestic violence situations and how they can find help.
“Talk to people. I found myself being more and more alone with him,” she said. “He was trying to isolate me.”
She then reflected on the attack and her recovery, while hoping Oberschelp’s plea and sentencing will allow her to move forward with her life.
“I feel so relieved and relaxed,” Pardini said. “I feel like I’m starting a new chapter.”