Man Arrested in Killing of 87-Year-old South Whitehall Woman

A 29-year-old Harrisburg man has been arrested in the June 10 murder of 87-year-old Joyce Roth of South Whitehall.

DaJuan Anthony Porter is charged with murder, burglary, arson, two counts of intimidation of a victim or witness and two counts of retaliation against a victim or witness, according to a release from Dauphin County District Attorney Edward Marsico.

Roth, of Brickyard Road, was stabbed during a burglary at her son's home in Derry Township, near Harrisburg. She died later at a hospital.

She was in Derry Township to attend her great grandchild's high school graduation.

According to the release, Porter broke into the home intending to kill a Roth relative, who police allege Porter had previously sexually assaulted. That person had lived at the home.

Porter was attempting to hinder that sexual assault case against him and intimidate the witness, the release said.

He is also charged with trying to intimidate another victim in that sexual assault case by setting a fire at that victim's home in Lower Paxton Township, according to the release. No one was injured in that fire.

Porter allegedly used a blue truck to get to the homes where the murder and arsons occurred. The truck owner is cooperating with investigators, the release said. 

Porter was initially charged on June 11 with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Since then, he has been held in Dauphin County prison in lieu of $1 million bail.