BROOKVILLE, PA – A Jefferson County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his pregnant girlfriend, an attack that also took the life of her unborn child, according to court officials.
Dakota Greeley, 23, entered guilty pleas on July 1 to first-degree murder and murder of an unborn child. Despite the plea, a Jefferson County judge on Thursday sentenced Greeley to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The sentencing came more than eight months after police say Greeley fatally shot Trisha Renee Cole, 25, in November 2023, and then used his pickup truck to run over her body in Corsica, a small community about 76 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Cole was several weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
Prosecutors agreed to drop several other charges in exchange for Greeley’s plea, including criminal homicide, third-degree murder of an unborn child, making terroristic threats, and abuse of a corpse. Pennsylvania remains one of only a few states where third-degree murder is recognized separately in criminal law.
Investigators say that tensions between Greeley and Cole escalated in the days before the killing. According to court testimony, Greeley reacted negatively after learning Cole was pregnant, allegedly remarking to others that the pregnancy “ruined his life” and expressing violent intentions toward the unborn child.
Authorities stated that Cole had recently attended a medical appointment in late October 2023, after which Greeley allegedly made concerning comments. On Nov. 9, police say he confronted Cole with a 30/30 rifle, shot her in the head, and attempted to conceal the crime by discarding her body.
Cole’s body was discovered more than a month later on Coyote Drive, bearing evidence that she had been run over by a vehicle. Medical examiners confirmed that Cole was carrying a viable fetus.
In December, Greeley was arrested following a tense standoff and attempted escape from authorities. Family members alerted police that Greeley was suicidal and had expressed wishes to die in a confrontation with law enforcement. During his arrest, Greeley exchanged gunfire with officers and fled in a Ford truck before crashing in a wooded area nearby. He was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and reportedly threatened emergency medical workers at the scene.
During police interviews, Greeley admitted to shooting Cole, providing details about the crime and referencing the murder weapon. Authorities later recovered the firearm used in the slaying.
Cole, remembered by loved ones for her compassion and devotion to family and animals, had been looking forward to the birth of her child and had begun considering baby names, according to those close to her.
With Thursday’s sentencing, Greeley will spend the remainder of his life behind bars, with no chance of release.