Stroudsburg, Monroe County, PA — An East Stroudsburg man is in Monroe County Prison without bail, charged with killing his 33-year-old girlfriend in December 2023 and staging her death to look like a suicide. A grand jury investigation, two autopsies, and more than two years of investigative work by the Monroe County District Attorney’s office unraveled what authorities say was a fabricated story about a woman hanging herself with a yoga scarf.

Jacob G. Nauman, 43, was arrested on April 8, 2026 — roughly 28 months after the death of Brittany Burgin at the home they shared at 242 Ranger Road in Middle Smithfield Township, near Marshalls Creek. He faces four charges: criminal homicide (F1), aggravated assault with extreme indifference to human life (F1), strangulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck (F2), and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (M2).

Magisterial District Judge Jamie Levy denied bail on April 8, citing capital offense — meaning the Commonwealth may seek a first-degree murder conviction, which under Pennsylvania law carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole or death. The case was immediately elevated: on April 9, Monroe County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jonathan Mark ordered the preliminary hearing moved to the county courthouse, scheduled for April 29 at 1:00 p.m.

Nauman is represented by Robert Allen Saurman of Saurman Law LLC in Stroudsburg.

The Night of December 3, 2023

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Monroe County DA investigator Robert K. Sebastianelli, Nauman called police on the night of December 3, 2023, reporting that his girlfriend was unresponsive and had hanged herself.

Pennsylvania State Police troopers responded to the Ranger Road residence. Nauman told a paramedic at the scene that he and Burgin had attended a Christmas party earlier that evening, that both had been drinking, and that they argued after arriving home before going to bed. He said he later found Burgin hanging from a yoga scarf, described her as being in a kneeling position on the floor with the scarf wrapped around her neck, and said he took her down and began CPR.

Emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, which failed. Burgin was pronounced dead.

But the paramedic told police that Nauman’s reaction was “very unusual.” He was described as very calm, showing no emotion throughout the entire incident. Even after a doctor ordered resuscitation efforts to stop, Nauman remained “stone-faced,” according to the affidavit.

Nauman also told the paramedic he had tried to call for help but his cell phone wasn’t working, so he went to a cousin’s house nearby — a detail that would become one of several points of inconsistency.

The Story Falls Apart

In subsequent interviews with PSP at the Stroudsburg barracks, authorities say Nauman’s account shifted. He was inconsistent about whether he and Burgin had been arguing, about their level of intoxication, and about the sequence of events that night.

Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso said the case was referred to a grand jury approximately one month after Burgin’s death, after autopsy results raised questions about the manner of death.

The first autopsy concluded that Burgin died of asphyxia but could not definitively rule out ligature and/or manual strangulation. The Monroe County Coroner’s office then requested a second autopsy by a forensic pathologist, who documented injuries and abnormalities that the first examination had not fully resolved. Those findings included multiple bruises on Burgin’s scalp — evidence of blunt force trauma — and circular pressure marks on her neck.

The forensic pathologist determined the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation and ruled the manner of death a homicide. Testifying before the grand jury, the pathologist said the injuries had been inflicted while Burgin was still alive. The injuries were not compatible with suicide by passive hanging, the pathologist concluded, but were instead consistent with strangulation by another person.

DA Mancuso told WFMZ that the Commonwealth’s position is that Burgin was struck repeatedly and strangled — probably manually, with external force — and that her death was staged to appear self-inflicted.

The Charges

Nauman faces four counts:

• Criminal Homicide (18 Pa.C.S. § 2501(a)) — Felony of the First Degree. Criminal homicide in Pennsylvania encompasses murder in all degrees and voluntary/involuntary manslaughter. The charge is filed generally; the degree of murder will be determined at trial or plea. Bail was denied as a capital offense, indicating the Commonwealth may pursue first-degree murder, which carries life imprisonment without parole.
• Aggravated Assault — Causing SBI With Extreme Indifference (18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(1)) — Felony of the First Degree. This charge alleges that Nauman attempted to cause or did cause serious bodily injury to Burgin under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.
• Strangulation — Applying Pressure to Throat or Neck (18 Pa.C.S. § 2718(a)(1)) — Felony of the Second Degree. Pennsylvania’s strangulation statute, which carries up to 10 years, specifically targets the application of pressure to the throat or neck that impedes breathing or circulation.
• Tampering With/Fabricating Physical Evidence (18 Pa.C.S. § 4910(1)) — Misdemeanor of the Second Degree. This charge relates to what authorities allege was Nauman’s staging of the scene to make Burgin’s death appear to be a suicide — specifically, the positioning of the yoga scarf and the arrangement of Burgin’s body.

All offenses are dated December 3, 2023.

28 Months Between Death and Arrest

Burgin died on December 3, 2023. Nauman was not arrested until April 8, 2026 — a span of more than 28 months. The gap reflects the complexity of the investigation: a grand jury proceeding, two separate autopsies, and what DA Mancuso has described as the process of building a case that could survive the standard of proof required for a homicide prosecution.

Nauman was not in custody during the interim. He continued to reside in East Stroudsburg. No public reporting on Burgin’s death appeared between December 2023 and the filing of charges in April 2026 — meaning the investigation proceeded entirely under seal until the criminal complaint was filed on April 7.

What Happens Next

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 29, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Monroe County Courthouse. The hearing was originally listed before MDJ Levy at 10:00 a.m. but was continued and moved to Common Pleas, where Judge Mark will preside — an unusual step that reflects the severity of the charges.

The Monroe County DA’s office is prosecuting. The arresting investigator is Detective Robert K. Sebastianelli.

Nauman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Case Reference

• MDJ Docket: MJ-43401-CR-0000079-2026
• CCP Docket: CP-45-MD-0000242-2026
• Defendant: Jacob G. Nauman, 43, of East Stroudsburg, PA (Monroe County)
• Victim: Brittany Burgin, 33
• OTN: L 1018367-0
• Incident No.: PA2023-1583003
• Arresting Agency: Monroe County District Attorney’s Office
• Investigating Officer: Detective Robert K. Sebastianelli
• Bail: Denied (capital offense, April 8, 2026)
• Confinement: Monroe County Prison (since April 8, 2026)
• Next Court Date: April 29, 2026, 1:00 p.m., Preliminary Hearing, Monroe County Courthouse (Judge Jonathan Mark)
• Defense Attorney: Robert Allen Saurman, Esq., Saurman Law LLC, Stroudsburg, PA
• Prosecuting: Monroe County District Attorney’s Office (DA Mike Mancuso)