In February, 15-year-old Jamie Silvonek pleaded guilty to killing her mother, Cheryl Silvonek, a Jim Thorpe native. The teenage girl's guilty plea set the stage for a trial in August where her then-boyfriend, former Army Spc. Caleb Barnes, 21, was also found guilty of homicide.

During Barnes' weeklong trial in Lehigh County, prosecutors argued that Barnes, who had been stationed in Maryland and working with the NSA, killed Cheryl Silvonek to cover up his sexual relationship with her daughter, who was 14 at the time.Cheryl Silvonek's body was discovered in a shallow grave near the Jordan Creek just a few hours after the incident occurred on March 15, 2015. Her car was found nearby. When police went to the Silvonek home to investigate the incident, they found the couple in Jamie Silvonek's bed.Prosecutors said that the two allegedly ambushed Cheryl Silvonek while she sat behind the wheel of her car in her own driveway. Neighbors recalled hearing intermittent blasts of Cheryl Silvonek's horn during the approximately 25-minute attack. Cheryl Silvonek's husband said he slept through the scary attack.Silvonek testified during her former boyfriend's trial, saying that she saw Barnes, who was a collector of knives, wield the blade that killed Cheryl Silvonek. A knife with Cheryl Silvonek's blood was found in the backyard of the Silvonek home the day after the murder.Barnes was sentenced to life, plus 22-44 years in prison. Jamie Silvonek is serving 35 years.