Man Resentenced In Brutal Murder Of Teenage Girl

A 56-year-old man who took part of the murder of a female friend from high school 38 years ago in Middletown was resentenced Thursday in Doylestown.

John Lekka, who was 17 when the crime happened, was resentenced due to recent state and federal court decisions that overturned life sentences for those who were juveniles when they came before a judge.

Lekka and his friend Robert Buli took part in the November 13, 1978 killing of 17-year-old Diane Goeke in the woods off Woodbourne Road in Levittown. They beat the 17-year-old, who formerly dated Buli, with a two-by-four board and metal pipes. They left the teenager for dead in a small fort underground, only to find her clinging to life hours later. The final blow to Goeke was when Lekka and Buli returned and dropped a 220-pound piece of concrete on her head.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said Lekka and Buli pleaded guilty to a” general charge of homicide, and were convicted of first-degree murder at a degree-of-guilt hearing. Both received  mandatory life sentences without parole, plus a consecutive five to 10 years for conspiracy.”

County Judge Rea Boylan resentenced Lekka to 45 years to life in state prison Thursday. However, he will be eligible for parole in six years after serving nearly four decades behind bars.

The judge called the crime “the most brutal of murders.”

Boylan said Lekka did “extremely well” in prison and worked to turn his life around. She also pointed to testimony that there is little chance Lekka will offend again if he is released.

Lekka expressed guilt for what happened but was not able to offer a full explanation of why it  happened. Defense attorney Stuart Wilder told the court domestic violence in his home growing up played a role in his life. His father abandoned the family when Lekka was a boy.

“The only explanation I can think of, and I’ve thought about it for about 40 years, is that I didn’t want [Buli] to go through with his family what I went through with my family. But the way it turned out was 1,000 times worse,” Lekka said.

Goeke’s body was found the day after the murder by school kids gathering fall leaves.

In the months leading up to the heinous murder, Goeke had birthed a daughter fathered by Buli. While the baby was placed up for adoption, Buli was punished by his family. Two weeks before the killing, Goeke told Buli she might be pregnant again and said she would tell his parents.

Lekka testified that Buli concocted a plan to murder his former girlfriend, but he did not take him seriously until the violent attack began.

Following beating her within inches of her life, the teens purchased a birthday card for Lekka’s sister and attended a girls’ gymnastics meet before returning to the site of the killing and discovering Goeke still alive. Lekka’s sister’s boyfriend was with them the second time and helped them move the 220-pound concrete piece that fell on Goeke’s head. While the third teen was there, he was not charged.

Wilder said Lekka was a model inmate and “unique among inmates in the state system.” The defense attorney said Lekka stayed put in his cell during the Camp Hill prison riots in the 1980s while other inmate rose against corrections officials.

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Schorn was not pleased that Lekka had never offered a solid explanation of why he helped kill the teen.

“It is hard to imagine an offense more grave,” Schorn said.

The courtroom was filled with Goeke’s friends and family, some wearing shirts with her photo.

“The 56-year-old who stands here today is not the same as the 17-year-old who functioned on the level of a 12-year-old,” Lekka told the judge. “I humbly ask you to give me this chance, knowing I am a different person.”

After Boylan handed down her new sentence, Lekka and Wilder said they were not happy with the new sentence and will discuss filing a motion for reconsideration.

Buli has not yet been resentenced but will be at a later date.