The latest request for relief from a Manheim man serving a life sentence for killing his pregnant girlfriend was denied this week by the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

Matthew Scott Becker was convicted in 2013 of first-degree murder and murder of an unborn child for shooting 21-year-old Allison Walsh in the head at his parents’ home on North Colebrook Road two years earlier.

Becker, now 29, was sentenced to life in prison, plus 20 to 40 years.

Becker’s requests for relief are based on allegations that his trial lawyers were ineffective in providing a defense.

His initial filing, to a Lancaster County judge, was denied in April 2017. In turn, Becker filed to the state court in appeal of that denial.

Specifically, Becker claimed the following improprieties:

- His lawyers should have raised additional challenges to the admissibility of Becker’s statements to police;

- His lawyers should have called an attorney (Bacher), involved in the early stages of the case, as a suppression and trial witness;

- His lawyers should have objected to a state trooper’s testimony that Becker’s statement was voluntary;

- His lawyers should requested a pair of instruction readings to the jury.

The Superior Court, in denial of appeal, found:

- Becker’s voluntary waiver of Miranda Rights prior to giving statements to police was appropriate, thus the statements were fair game at trial.

- There was nothing inappropriate about Attorney Bacher not being allowed into the police interview room mid-interrogation;

- There was nothing inappropriate about defense counsel not objecting to the trooper’s testimony regarding Becker’s voluntary statement.

- Regarding the jury readings: One of them did not apply; the other was applicable, but likely would not have changed the jury’s verdict. The appellate court points to “overwhelming evidence of (Becker’s) malice and specific intent” to kill, to include: his pointing a loaded gun at his pregnant girlfriend, and his failure to call 911 or try to resuscitate Walsh.

Becker’s “conduct following the shooting was consistent with a person who had intentionally killed another,” the state court wrote in its 37-page opinion.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman won the trial conviction.

Assistant District Attorney Travis S. Anderson represents the Commonwealth in the post-conviction proceedings.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright