Ballistics evidence became a key part of the case against Isaac Smith in the killing of Karli Short.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A revolver prosecutors said Isaac Smith pawned after Karli Short was shot became a central piece of evidence in the McKeesport murder case that ended with Smith serving life without parole.
The gun evidence gave jurors a physical link in a case that also included phone records, video timing, witness accounts and Smith’s own police interview. Smith, 30, was convicted May 29 of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Short, 26, and her unborn child. Four days later, an Allegheny County judge sentenced him to two consecutive life terms. Prosecutors said Smith killed Short because he believed she was carrying his child and feared her pregnancy would expose a relationship he had kept from his longtime girlfriend.
Short died in the early morning hours of Sept. 13, 2021, in the rear yard of a home near Furnace Alley in McKeesport. She had been staying with her uncle and was pregnant. Investigators said she left the house after speaking by phone with someone shortly before the shooting. A home surveillance camera showed her walking out the back door at 12:22 a.m., and a gunfire alert followed about one minute later. A neighbor found her body later that morning near the alley. Police later said Smith had owned firearms, including a Smith & Wesson revolver. During the investigation, authorities learned that Smith pawned a revolver about two weeks after Short was killed. Ballistic testing connected that gun to the fatal bullet, according to evidence described in court. The prosecution used that finding to answer one of the defense’s strongest arguments, which was that Smith had spoken freely to detectives on the day of the killing and denied involvement while appearing calm and cooperative.
The first police interview had looked different to investigators at the time. Smith arrived at Allegheny County Police headquarters hours after Short’s body was found and told detectives he wanted to clear up rumors linking his name to the killing. He acknowledged that he and Short had been intimate and that she thought the baby might be his. He said he would be part of the child’s life if testing proved paternity. “I was trying to handle it the best I could because I had never been in a position like this,” Smith said in the interview, according to testimony.
That interview later became evidence for both sides. Prosecutors said Smith’s words showed he knew Short’s pregnancy could disrupt his life. They also pointed to his statement that he had not told his girlfriend about the pregnancy. Defense lawyers said the same interview showed a man who came forward on his own, answered questions and did not sound like someone trying to hide a killing. Detective Mark Restori testified that police initially believed Smith. “We totally believed he was telling the truth,” Restori said.
Prosecutors told jurors the investigation changed after police examined records, timing and the firearm evidence. They said Short had contacted Smith about money and about a gender reveal party two days before she was killed. They argued that Smith believed the child was his and that he feared the pregnancy would harm his standing with his girlfriend and family. Deputy District Attorney Ryan Kiray told jurors Smith did not know then what DNA testing later showed. The later test found Smith was not the father of the unborn child.
Smith’s lawyers argued that the DNA result mattered because it weakened the idea that Smith had a reason to kill Short. They told jurors the prosecution had not shown a clear motive and had placed too much weight on a theory about fear and embarrassment. They also stressed that Smith had said he would support the child if he was the father. The defense asked jurors to view the evidence carefully and not treat Smith’s personal life as proof of murder.
The jury rejected that argument after about two hours of deliberation. The guilty verdict covered Short’s death and the death of her unborn child. First Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Spangler said after the verdict that prosecutors were grateful to bring some measure of justice to Short and her family. Smith’s attorney Thomas N. Farrell said the defense was disappointed and would look at what steps to take next. Smith made no statement at sentencing.
The case was also marked by the pain of Short’s family in the courtroom. Her father, Brandon Short, a former Penn State and NFL player, attended proceedings and spoke at sentencing about his daughter’s excitement for motherhood. He said the DNA result brought one small comfort because it showed the unborn child had not been killed by her father. Short’s relatives said they wanted her remembered for her life, her personality and her plans, not only for the violence that ended them.
Allegheny County prosecutors had once filed notice that they would seek the death penalty, but they withdrew that plan before trial. The removal of the death penalty did not reduce the seriousness of the charges. A first-degree murder conviction in Pennsylvania carries life imprisonment without parole. The judge imposed two life sentences and ordered them served consecutively, one for Short and one for her unborn child.
The case could continue through post-trial filings or an appeal, but no new trial date or appellate ruling has been announced. Smith remains under a life sentence as of June 19, 2026.
Author note: Last updated June 19, 2026.