Kenneth Ward Pickell, 31, was shot and killed on February 23, 2021, in the garage of neighbor Joshua Leone’s home on Clifton Avenue in Bethlehem Township. Kenneth, described as agitated, stripped to the waist to show abdominal scars from a prior stabbing; his girlfriend later testified this was his way of demonstrating he wasn’t frightened. The dispute escalated when Kenneth entered the garage. Leone picked up a shotgun and fired when Kenneth picked up a three-foot ax and was turning to throw it.

Leone, then 36, was charged with criminal homicide but maintained he fired in self-defense because he felt threatened by Kenneth’s approach. The case went to trial and a Northampton County jury acquitted Leone on February 7, 2023, finding his actions justified. Kenneth is survived by his parents, his son Kane David Pickell, his sister Nicole Pickell, and other family. Kenneth was born May 31, 1989, in Rumford, Maine, and had graduated from Phillipsburg High School; he enjoyed fishing, traveling, and spending time with family.

Are there readers who knew Kenneth or who have additional details about what happened that day?