Teen pleads guilty in shooting death of Pottstown man

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The 16-year-old son of an advocate for the homeless in Pottstown has pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a man who was living in a tent encampment last year.

Thomas Niarhos pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, admitting he shot 39-year-old Jeremiah Hawkins in the face around noon on Nov. 22, 2023, near the Pottstown Train Station at Hanover and High streets. Hawkins had an apartment in Germantown but his family says he preferred to live with friends in an encampment in Pottstown.

After the shooting, witnesses said Niarhos yelled that Hawkins had raped a 14-year-old. Authorities said they had previously investigated those claims but the girl’s family did not want to pursue criminal charges.

In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Niarhos will be in a juvenile facility until he turns 21 in 2029. He’ll then go to an adult prison and serve a 10-to-20-year sentence, eligible for parole in 2039.

Prosecutor Lauren Marvel says the agreement offers Niarhos the treatment he needs, while also considering the effects the murder had on Hawkins’ family and the community.

“That really impacts not just this family that's lost someone that they absolutely loved, but it impacts the feeling of community safety, and Pottstown is a small community, and it impacts everyone there when there's a murder that's committed in broad daylight,” Marvel said.

Niarhos apologized for the pain he caused Hawkins’ family, saying he knows it won’t bring him back but hopes it will help ease their pain.

The gun Niarhos used belonged to his father, who runs a warming center for the homeless in Pottstown. He told police he kept it locked up and did not know his son had access to it.