Schultz found guilty of murder

The jury in a Taylor County murder case that began March 14 in Taylor County District Court, found a Bedford man guilty of first degree murder. According to the The Bedford Times-Press, Alan J. Schultz, 37, of Bedford, was convicted of the July 4, 2024, murder of 19-year old Colby Nelson of Lenox, who was found dead on a Clearfield street.

At approximately 3:19 a.m., July 4, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center received reports of a shooting at Bootleggers Bar and Grill. When deputies arrived, they found Nelson unresponsive with a gunshot wound laying on Broadway Street.

Schultz was standing against an SUV near Nelson’s body. Deputies asked him if he was the shooter and he responded he was. Schultz was taken into custody without further incident and subsequently charged with murder in the first degree.

An investigation revealed Nelson and Schultz had a disagreement inside the bar earlier in the night and another outside of the bar when Schultz was leaving. Schultz left on his motorcycle and went to his Bedford home where he retrieved a loaded handgun. He changed vehicles and drove back to the bar, exited his vehicle without the gun and confronted Nelson and several others outside.

Schultz reportedly walked back to his vehicle, grabbed the handgun from the passenger seat, walked back to Nelson, pointed the gun and fired one round, striking Nelson in the face.

Schultz unloaded the weapon, laid it on the ground and waited for law enforcement to arrive.

The jury, selected March 12, took approximately 40 minutes to deliberate and return the guilty verdict after the trial ended shortly before noon on Monday. Schultz will be sentenced April 8.