HEMPFIELD THOWNSHIP, PA- On Dec. 31, 2025, Robert D. Naugle walked into the home of his estranged wife and shot her dinner date to death, police reported. James Thomas died after Naugle opened fire on him as the couple was having dinner, Law & Crime reports. Naugle was charged with criminal homicide.
According to Naugle’s estranged wife, Naugle filed for divorce in November 2025 and moved out of the home two days prior. Naugle had made New Year’s Eve plans with his estranged wife, but those plans were canceled.
When Naugle arrived at his former home despite the canceled plans, he saw Thomas, a firefighter, having dinner with his estranged wife. He fired an estimated ten shots at Thomas, killing him. He then called 911 and told dispatchers, “I walked in on my wife with another man, and I killed him.”
When the troopers arrived at the home, Naugle was completely cooperative. He told troopers that when he saw someone else’s car in the driveway, he entered the home via the basement. Naugle claimed that after he shot him ten times, he checked Thomas for a pulse before calling the authorities. He admitted that he intended to kill Thomas when he shot him.
WPXI 11 News reported that there were children in the house when the murder occurred.
“There were four kids in the house total, an infant and three sleeping upstairs. For this to happen, and for it to happen when it happened...I can only imagine how traumatic it is for the family,” said Trooper Steve Limani. The baby was in a crib in the same room where the shots were fired, investigators said.
“It could have been someone working on the house. The fact that it was just a person sitting there eating food,” Limani added.
Thomas was a longtime member of the Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department in Bradenville. Fire Chief Mark Piantine was overcome with emotion when talking about the son Thomas left behind.
“He grew up here,” the chief said. “He is a young kid, and he has come to a call with his dad, and his hope was to follow in his dad’s steps. I guess it’s up to us to take in Landon for his dad. Landon is 12 years old.
The fire department was scheduled to have a memorial service for Thomas on Tuesday.
“In one fell swoop, Mr. Naugle makes it so there is [sic] two families now...one doesn’t have a father, and the other is going to be locked up in Westmoreland County Jail,’ Limani said.
Naugle is set for a January 14 court appearance and is being held without bond.
Comments
2026-01-09T16:47-0500 | Comment by: Sher
Cops and fire fighters know each other in the community, and for someone who had just split the sheets, the estranged wife, and the other fire fighter, took the worst chance they could take.