Justice has begun to be dished out in the case of the arsonists that destroyed the Erie-area landmark, the Gudgeonville Bridge. As touched upon in a Spectator article dated April 20 (concerning a benefit that was attempted to raise funds to resurrect it), the bridge, which had stood steadily for more than 150 years, was burned to a smoking crisp in November 2008.
Jeffrey Gleason, a 24-year-old from Conneautville, was the first of the two defendants to be prosecuted. In August, he was sentenced to up to 10 years for his part in the crime.
Not only was he partially responsible for the monument's ruin, but he also shot at an occupied house and a moving car only weeks later. Erie County Judge Ernest J. DiSantis Jr. handed out a sentence of 5 to 10 years in state prison for Gleason.
Gleason, when questioned about his motives for the tragic crime, relied on the excuse of drunkenness.
Joshua Bell, a 21-year-old hailing from nearby Albion, pled guilty to the crime just this past Thursday, Sept. 10. He faced aggravated assault charges, along with arson charges, because of the shootings at the house and car.
Bell's possible outcome seems a little bit worse than his cohort's. The maximum punishment awaiting him could be 41 years behind bars.
For many residents of Erie County and the surrounding area, people that grew up with the bridge as a character in their lives, the legal retribution feels justified. As does a sort of respect for the honesty of the accused.
A.J. Detisch, a student at Baylor University and the creator of the Facebook group "We'll Never Forget the Gudgeonville Bridge," spoke of his feelings surrounding the proceedings.
"Burning down a priceless piece of Pennsylvanian history, shooting into an occupied car and whatever else they did is plain reckless," he said via email. "They must have been a couple of angry young guys with a lot to prove and I hope this changes their outlook. I thought Gleason got a just punishment and I was glad to see him admit to everything-that was admirable. We'll see what happens with his partner."
As for the memory of the Gudgeonville Bridge itself, it still burns strong in the hearts of many of the region. In June, a temporary bridge was installed over the waters of Elk Creek, in place of the burned bridge.
Ryan Bartosek, who tried to "rock" the bridge with a benefit this past spring, had this to say about the outcome:
"I guess all I can really say about the arsonist's convictions is that with such harsh penalties it seems as though justice was served in a way, and from what I have read in the news, a lot of other potential crimes have been prevented by getting these two criminals off of the streets. However, locking them away and making them serve lengthy jail terms doesn't bring the Gudgeonville Bridge back."
The benefit for the bridge ended up being canceled.
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