Bernard Geisel: Handcuffed Pennsylvania homicide accused falls to death from building while being arrested

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA: Bernard Geisel, a 42-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of committing homicide, met an untimely demise after he jumped through a window shortly after being taken into police custody.

The incident occurred on December 29 when Geisel was reportedly trespassing in a vacant building in Connellsville, prompting concerned residents to alert the Connellsville Police Department.

Suspect throws himself through a window to his death

Disturbing footage captured the moment Geisel, still in handcuffs and unaccompanied by officers, walked down the stairs of the building. As he approached a window, he leaped headfirst, executing two flips in the air before landing on the sidewalk beside a police car.

Geisel sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to them at a hospital, as confirmed by state police.

Trooper Kalee Barnhart informed CBS that officers located Geisel on the fourth floor of the building during their search. Despite being transported to Highlands Hospital and later to Frick Hospital, Geisel was pronounced deceased, as per Daily Mail.

Bernard Geisel's troubling history

Geisel had a previous charge of homicide, stemming from a December 2023 incident at a Sheetz store in Redstone Township. Reports indicated that the suspect and the victim had a past connection, having dated the same woman.

During the confrontation, Geisel, armed with a crowbar, attacked the victim as he exited the convenience store, prompting the Sheetz staff to call the police. Witnesses reported Geisel getting back into his car and intentionally running over the victim, causing severe injuries. Despite the ongoing investigation, Geisel fled the scene.

Neighbor Bonnie Ray, who witnessed the footage, expressed deep distress, stating, "Watching that video, it was so upsetting. I don't know what he was thinking, what was going on, why he would plunge himself through that window. It's very sad. I feel bad for his parents, if he had kids, brothers, sisters."