Trial begins for teenager accused of murdering ex-girlfriend at Montco train station
Authorities said Gilbert Newton stabbed Morgan McCaffery at the Meadowbrook Train Station in July 2020.
ABINGTON TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The trial for a teenager accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend by stabbing her over 30 times begins Monday in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Gilbert Newton III of Philadelphia, 19, is facing charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime.
Authorities said he stabbed 18-year-old Morgan McCaffery of Abington Township at the Meadowbrook Train Station in July 2020.
McCaffery was found dead next to her running car at the train station.
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Investigators said McCaffery had recently broken off a yearlong relationship with Newton, who was 18 at the time.
Officers went to Newton's home in Philadelphia later that morning where authorities said he was found sitting in bloody clothing.
"A young woman with her whole life ahead of her, just graduated from high school, was brutally stabbed to death," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said at the time. "This murder is a tragedy for her family, her friends and everyone who loved her. Sadly, we are seeing relationship violence and domestic violence far too often during this pandemic."
An autopsy revealed that McCaffery died after suffering more than 30 stab and slash wounds.
Days later, family and friends remembered McCaffery at a neighborhood vigil. They said she was planning to attend Manor College and was someone who always put others first.
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Her high school, Nazareth Academy, highlighted her generous spirit in a Facebook message days after her killing.
"Morgan was a light to those whom she encountered. Just recently, during the opening weeks of the pandemic, Morgan organized, assembled, and distributed care packages to nurses at Abington Hospital," the school said.
This past July, they remembered McCaffery on the anniversary of her passing.
"On this most difficult day, let us remember her vibrant personality, the love we have for her, and the many happy memories," the post read.
