A Dauphin County jury convicted Wisly Oxceva, age 41, of of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. Detective Jason Brinker of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police charged Oxceva with the assault offenses for burning his girlfriend in June of 2019. At trial, the victim testified that she told the defendant that their relationship was and that she would be leaving him the following morning.  She was in the bed, attempting to fall asleep, when the defendant poured a pot of boiling water over her. During emotional testimony, the victim said that she “felt like her skin was melting off.” She described the excruciating pain and explained how the burns incapacitated her. 

She begged the defendant to take her to the hospital, but he refused and tried to care for the burns himself over the next two days by “popping the blisters” and applying cold water and ointment. The prosecutor, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle, argued that Oxceva acted, not out of empathy for the victim, but to cover up his crime. The victim’s grandmother testified that she went to the residence looking for the victim the morning after the assault.  Oxceva lied and told her that the victim was not there. Two days after the assault, the defendant finally agreed to take her to the Harrisburg Hospital. The victim was immediately intubated and flown to the Lehigh Valley Burn Center where she was treated for second degree burns over 23 % of her body.

During the trial, the defendant argued that he did not know what happened to the victim because of his mental state and that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle credited the efforts of the jury. “The jury listened to very graphic details of a horrific assault and a pattern of violence in this household. The victim was extremely brave in facing the man that caused her lifelong scars across her body. We appreciate the work of the jury to see through the excuses offered by the defense in this case—and to be able to see this man for the monster that he was on June 5, 2019.”

Judge William T. Tully scheduled sentencing in the case for October 21, 2024. Judge Tully ordered a presentence investigation to be conducted in the time before sentencing.