A Pennsylvania Man Grew Jealous of His Ex's New Love. So He Broke Into Her House and Killed Her Boyfriend.

A Pennsylvania man will spend decades behind bars after he pleaded guilty to breaking into his ex-girlfriend's residence and fatally shooting her new boyfriend, according to officials.

Around 11 p.m. on April 17, police responded to a reported shooting at an apartment complex in Lansdale, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

Once at the residence, officers found the victim, 21-year-old Wesley Smith, dead on the master bedroom floor, officials said.

Police also found 21-year-old Christopher Moore Jr. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was airlifted to a hospital in Philadelphia and survived, authorities said.

Investigators determined Smith and his girlfriend, Hailee Duerson Skeleton, were together in her apartment when Moore, the father of Duerson Skeleton’s children, broke in through the bathroom window, went into the bedroom and started shooting, according to officials.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Smith was shot in the face and armpit. Smith reportedly fired back multiple times with a legally owned gun.

Duerson Skeleton was not hurt during the incident and the couple’s children were not in the apartment at the time.

Detectives recovered two firearms and numerous cartridge casings from the scene, officials said.

An autopsy was conducted on Smith and determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide.

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At the time, Moore was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder, burglary, criminal trespass, and possessing an instrument of crime, officials said.

On Jan. 2, Moore pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree murder, just before his trial was scheduled to begin, according to The Reporter. The additional charges against Moore were dropped in exchange for his plea.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge William Carpenter sentenced Moore to serve 28 to 56 years in state prison, according to officials.

"We sought a significant sentence here to really encompass just how horrendous of a crime this was,” said William Highland III, who, along with Karla Pisarcik, prosecuted the case, The Reporter stated. "Mr. Smith was in there, he was innocent in all of this and unfortunately lost his life because of the jealousy of the defendant.”

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Moore broke into Duerson Skeleton’s home on April 16 and allegedly punched and strangled her. Moore reportedly showed her a gun and threatened to “pop” her and her new boyfriend before smashing her phone.

However, Duerson Skeleton didn’t report the incident to police because she was reportedly scared Moore would abuse her, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

According to investigators, police were dispatched to the apartment seven times for domestic incidents involving Moore and the mother of his children in the 11 months prior to the shooting.