Accused Upper Burrell bar shooter competent for trial

A Westmoreland County judge ruled Tuesday that a man charged in connection with a fatal shooting in an Upper Burrell bar nearly two years ago is competent to stand trial.

Police claim Daniel Moles, 77, of Lower Burrell shot and killed 31-year-old Randy Jenereaux at Woodpeckers Pub & Grub tavern on Nov. 13, 2021. Moles was charged with criminal homicide, first-degree murder and attempted murder. He has been in custody since his arrest following the fatal shooting.

Moles has intermittently been in mental health treatment for more than a year. He originally was declared competent to stand trial in January 2022, but 13 months later concerns again surfaced about his mental health. In February, the judge ordered Moles to be reevaluated to determine whether he was competent to stand trial.

That evaluation was completed recently, and a report was submitted to the judge that concluded Moles is competent to stand trial, according to Westmoreland County public defender Wayne McGrew.

“He has a history of mental health issues,” McGrew said.

McGrew previously suggested mental health concerns likely will be part of Moles’ defense at trial.

Moles, described by witnesses as a regular customer at Woodpeckers, is accused of firing two shots from a .45-caliber gun at Jenereaux and his twin brother. Police said Moles had no prior contact with the Jenereauxs before the shooting.

Moles is being held in the Westmoreland County jail without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing in September with a tentative trial date set for October.