HARRISBURG, PA — A Pennsylvania man is accused of killing his wife, a UPMC doctor, before setting her body on fire inside the couple’s home, according to Harrisburg police. Authorities identified the suspect as 41-year-old Jonathan Gatto of Dauphin County.
Police said emergency crews responded Saturday morning, Oct. 10, after a fire was reported at the Harrisburg residence. Firefighters found light smoke coming from the home and later discovered Julia Pederson in a first-floor bedroom. She was taken to Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Fire crews found smoke and a small blaze inside the home
Investigators described the fire as very small, but a Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal later determined it had been intentionally set, according to court documents. That finding became a key part of the homicide investigation.
Police said first responders tried CPR before Pederson was transported for treatment. Harrisburg is the state capital and sits outside Hershey in south-central Pennsylvania, where the couple lived with their 7-year-old daughter.
The child was asleep in an upstairs bedroom when the fire broke out, according to investigators. Police said that detail was important in the charges filed against Gatto, including endangering the welfare of a child.
Autopsy determined Pederson died before the fire was set
An autopsy conducted Oct. 13 determined that Pederson died from multiple traumatic injuries before the fire was started. Police ruled her death a homicide after reviewing the medical examiner’s findings.
Investigators said Gatto strangled Pederson before setting her body on fire inside the house. The timeline of her death and the fire became central to the criminal complaint filed by police.
Authorities have not publicly detailed every injury listed in the autopsy, but they said the evidence showed she was already dead when the blaze was intentionally started. That conclusion shifted the case from a house fire investigation to a homicide probe.
Police say the couple had been planning a separation
During an interview at the Harrisburg police station, Gatto told investigators that his marriage to Pederson was “not good,” according to the affidavit. Police said he explained that the couple was getting separated and trying to figure out how to tell their daughter.
Investigators also said Gatto told them Pederson had not been feeling well after recently starting medication for migraines. He said he heard a loud noise around 11 p.m. or midnight that sounded like someone falling down the stairs.
According to the affidavit, Gatto said he set an alarm for 2 a.m. to bring her ibuprofen, but she told him she did not need anything. He later said he woke up to smoke detectors, took the child outside and called 911.
Suspect says he reentered the house before waiting for help
Gatto told police he went back inside and tried to reach Pederson after the alarm sounded, but burned his hand when he opened her bedroom door, according to court documents. He then returned outside and waited for emergency crews.
Police have not released additional details about what investigators believe happened inside the home before the fire call. The affidavit, however, says authorities concluded the fire was not accidental.
The case documents and autopsy findings led detectives to charge Gatto with first-degree murder, arson involving danger of death or bodily injury, and aggravated arson involving a person inside the property, among other counts.
UPMC remembers Pederson as a beloved pediatrician
UPMC said Pederson was a doctor on its UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics team and called her a beloved pediatrician and valued colleague. In a statement shared with WGAL, the health system said she devoted her career to caring for children and supporting families.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Dr. Julia Pederson,” the statement said. UPMC said her loss was being felt by colleagues, patients and the communities she served, and asked that her family’s privacy be respected.
Gatto was denied bail and remains in Dauphin County Prison. In addition to murder and arson charges, he faces counts including abuse of a corpse, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and endangering the welfare of a child.
