UPDATE 6/5/2025: 

Murrysville, PA – The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office and Westmoreland County Detective Bureau are issuing an update on the criminal case against Robert C. Klingensmith.

Westmoreland County Detectives filed charges against Klingensmith, 61, on May 29, 2025 for theft and financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person.

Klingensmith was accused of taking more than $311,000 from a local woman’s estate after being retained by the victim prior to her passing.

An arrest warrant for Klingensmith was issued by county detectives as a result of charges being filed on May 29, 2025.

County Detectives, Murrysville Police, and the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office attempted to execute a search warrant at Klingensmith’s law office in Murrysville on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

While attempting to make entrance into the office, responding officers heard a single gunshot from inside the building.

After a brief standoff, Klingensmith exited the office with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and refused to respond to commands from surrounding police officers. Klingensmith was tased and transported to a local trauma hospital.

On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Klingensmith died due to his injuries.

County Detectives have identified several other victims who have come forward with similar allegations against Klingensmith.

As a result of his death, the criminal prosecution against Klingensmith has ended and the case is closed.

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Murrysville, PA -- Westmoreland County Detective Bureau filed charges against a Murrysville man accused of misappropriating more than $300,000 from a local woman's estate. 

Robert Klingensmith, 61, is facing charges of theft, financial exploitation of older adult or care dependent person, theft by failure to make required payment or disposition of funds. 

Detectives were alerted to the theft and misappropriation of entrusted funds by the disciplinary board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 

An investigator with the disciplinary board received a referral in regard to suspicious activity involving Klingensmith's iolta account and turned it over to the Westmoreland County Detective Bureau. 

An iolta account is a trust account used by attorneys to hold a client's funds separate from a business/professional account. 

Detectives were provided copies of financial accounts and documents related to the handling of a local woman's estate. 

According to detectives, Klingensmith was hired in September of 2021 and gained access and control of the victim's financial accounts.

The victim passed away on April 5, 2022. 

County detectives reviewed financial activity from August of 2021 to March of 2024 and discovered more than $311,000, in total, was misappropriated through a series of bank transactions from the victim's account to Klingensmith's account or through ATM withdrawals and/or checks. 

Detectives allege Klingensmith failed to meet his fiduciary obligations as the victim's attorney, agent for her power of attorney, and executor of her estate. 

Investigators also determined Klingensmith failed to file an inheritance tax return, failed to make inheritance tax payments, and failed to make any disbursements to the victim's four heirs. 

Disclaimer: To the extent that pending criminal matters are discussed, all such charges are merely accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.