Family Of 1975 Murder Victim Fights Against Killer's Clemency Request

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Pittsburgh family has a desperate plea for Governor Tom Wolf. A man imprisoned for murdering their loved one more than 40 years ago may be granted clemency.

Nick Morena was shot and killed during a robbery in 1975. He was meeting up with a man he did not know to buy ten colored televisions for $800. When he went to the back of the man's truck, he was met by three men who had their guns drawn.

Morena tried running away when Robert Wideman ordered one of the men to shoot.

"Whenever Robert said 'get him' to an armed man, he sentenced my brother to death," said Chris Morena, sister.

Morena died shortly after at a nearby hospital.

Wideman, Cecil Rice and Michael Dukes were arrested months after the November 1975 murder.

Wideman and Dukes were both convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

Dukes was convicted for pulling the trigger, and Wideman for ordering him to.

Almost 44 years later, the State Board of Pardons recommended clemency for Wideman.

The Morena family went before the board to block his release and submitted a petition with more than 600 signatures.

The board voted unanimously for Wideman's leniency.

It is now up to Gov. Tom Wolf to make the final decision.

It is unclear when he will decide, but he is expected to review each clemency request individually.

The Morena family hopes to keep Wideman behind bars.

"It's like a stab in the heart. I mean my mom and dad fought all their lives for him to remain in prison, you know. They really need to consider the victim's families and what they lived through throughout these years and if a person gets out, then what," said Chris Morena.