A Laurel Mountain man admitted to bludgeoning his girlfriend to death, one of his confidants at the Westmoreland County Prison testified Friday during a second preliminary hearing in the case.

Gregory R. Randall, 57, claimed Angela Cavalero, 52, hit him in the face with a frozen TV dinner during an argument in May at his home, and he began hitting her, Carl E. Short testified.

“He said he took a gallon bottle of wine and started beating her with it,” Short said. “He said he took a hammer and kept beating, beating and beating her.”

Penn Township District Judge Helen Kistler held Randall for trial on a criminal homicide charge.

Kistler presided after Unity District Judge Michael Mahady tossed the charges in August after a previous hearing. At the time, Mahady said, he didn't believe District Attorney John Peck presented sufficient evidence to link Randall to the crime.

Detectives immediately refiled the charges, citing Randall's conversation with Short.

Cavalero died after being repeatedly struck with a wine bottle and hammer, investigators said. She suffered 29 lacerations to her face and scalp, according to autopsy results.

Her body was discovered in a laundry room May 9, several days after authorities believe she was killed in Randall's house on Locust Road.

Short, 51, was the only new witness offering testimony since the previous hearing.

Short testified he spoke with Randall in Block F in June, when Short was awaiting trial on assault charges.

Randall began their conversation by saying, “‘I'm not here for child molestation or beating old women,'” Short recalled.

Randall explained he is Christian; Short testified he is, too.

“He told me he brutally beat his girlfriend to death. ... He didn't give me any names,” Short testified.

Short said Randall was like an excited child on Christmas Day.

“He was like, ‘Wow.' That's how he was,” Short said.

Short admitted during questioning by defense attorney Brian Aston that public defenders sought a mental health evaluation of him after he was charged with cutting a relative's chin with a knife in Greensburg. Short indicated he was evaluated after he was released on $10,000 bond.

Short said he wrote two letters — one to a prison deputy and the other to his caseworker — about his conversation with Randall.

Short then discussed the conversation with the District Attorney's Office.

He testified he is a pastor with the Christian National Church of America and was ordained April 14.

Short said he had a brief exchange with Randall prior to testifying Friday. “Why are you doing this to me?” Short recounted Randall saying.

Five other witnesses who took the stand testified during the earlier hearing.

Detective Ray Dupilka, who works for the county crime scene unit, testified he analyzed a hand print, left in blood on a wall above Cavalero's body, and it “matched his (Randall's) left palm print.”

DNA testing has not been completed on numerous blood samples taken from the home, he said.

Dupilka said he confiscated a wine bottle and hammer, both of which had blood and human hair on them.

Ligonier Borough Patrolman William Nicol said he followed a “blood trail” to the victim's body after he entered the Laurel Mountain home May 9. He was checking on Cavalero's welfare after receiving calls from her family.

Clothing and other objects were strewn all over the house, Nicol said.

Timothy Cairns, a friend of Randall's since high school, testified Randall told him Cavalero struck him numerous times since she moved into his home in June 2013. Randall questioned how he could remove Cavalero, Cairns said. He suggested Randall contact police.

Randall remains jailed without bond.

Bob Stiles is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-836-6622.

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