Jackson Township, PA – A Pennsylvania landlord has been sentenced for the murder of his tenant, who died from injuries sustained during an altercation. Zachary Neiman, 37, pleaded no contest to third-degree murder in the death of 42-year-old Michael Byers.
Neiman received a prison term of 8 to 16 years on October 27. A charge of involuntary manslaughter was dropped as part of a plea deal.
Byers resided in a detached apartment on Neiman’s property prior to his death. On April 29, neighbors reported hearing a verbal confrontation between the two men near a firepit on Neiman’s property.
Following the argument, Neiman told neighbors he had assaulted Byers. Witnesses claimed they heard Neiman continue to attack Byers around 10 p.m.
The next morning, Neiman called 911 after finding Byers deceased outside his home, partially covered in mud. First responders arrived and found Neiman administering chest compressions, but Byers was already cold to the touch.
Neiman informed police he could not recall events from the previous night due to alcohol consumption and stated he went to bed around 11:30 p.m.
An autopsy revealed Byers’ cause of death as blunt-force injuries complicated by ethanol intoxication. Charges against Neiman were filed in November 2023, leading to the current sentencing.