Alec Paul Rhoads: Man responsible for fatal crossbow attack in the presence of victim's girlfriend receives sentencing

A 27-year-old man from Pennsylvania has been sentenced to over a year in prison for the tragic killing of his friend. He fatally shot his friend in the neck with a crossbow bolt, and shockingly, he fled the scene without attempting to help his victim while the victim's girlfriend looked on in horror.

On Friday, Common Pleas Judge Travis Livengood handed down a sentence of five years in a state correctional facility for Alec Paul Rhoads, with the possibility of parole after 15 months, based on court records reviewed by Law&Crime. This sentence is in connection with the 2021 slaying of Daren Lingenfelter.

Back in August, Rhoads entered a plea of no contest to one count of involuntary manslaughter in the gruesome incident. Initially, he faced charges of criminal homicide, third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. However, a deal was struck with prosecutors, leading to the manslaughter plea.

Rhoads' sentence will run concurrently with his ongoing state prison sentence of six to 12 years due to his conviction on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Furthermore, the judge ordered Rhoads to pay a fine of $15,000 and provide $6,716 in restitution to the Greensburg crime laboratory.

According to information released by the Pennsylvania State Police Bedford Division, troopers responded to a call for medical assistance at a residence on Railroad Avenue in Liberty Township at around 10:30 a.m. on May 23, 2021. When first responders arrived, they found Lingenfelter deceased with a crossbow arrow bolt lodged in his body.

The victim's girlfriend, a witness to the incident, informed investigators that Rhoads had taken the crossbow from a bedroom and mentioned wanting to shoot it. He discharged the crossbow, striking Lingenfelter in the neck. 

Rhoads attempted to mislead her by claiming that Lingenfelter was playing with the crossbow and accidentally shot himself. However, the witness, who was present at the time, refuted this, stating that Lingenfelter was not near the crossbow when he was fatally struck.

After the shooting, Rhoads failed to render aid and instead chose to flee the scene. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators corroborated his hasty departure.

Rhoads was apprehended at a residence in James Creek, Pennsylvania, on the same day. Initially, he denied any involvement, claiming he was mowing grass in another county when the shooting occurred.

Rhoads' prior felony conviction stemmed from a guilty plea in 2017 for possessing a controlled substance, which legally barred him from owning a firearm.

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