Former Penn center Matt White had 13 points and 11 rebounds in Penn’s 1979 Final Four appearance.
On Monday, Maria Reyes Garcia-Pellon, charged with the stabbing of her husband, former Penn basketball center Matt White, was declared competent to stand trial and waived her preliminary hearing.
Garcia-Pellon, 52, is facing charges of first-degree murder and criminal homicide for allegedly killing her husband during his sleep on Feb. 11. White was a starter on Penn’s 1979 Final Four team.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Garcia-Pellon, who is currently being held without bail at the Delaware County jail, appeared in the Media District Court room wearing a red prison jumpsuit and shackles.
In her testimony to the police, Garcia-Pellon said she decided to kill her husband after she supposedly caught him watching pornography on his computer.
A friend of Garcia-Pellon called the police after Garcia-Pellon came to her house and told her what had happened.
The Inquirer also mentioned that Garcia-Pellon’s lawyer told the court she had been taken to the hospital by her husband the day before the slaying for a mental breakdown.
She was scheduled to meet with a psychiatrist the day after for follow-up treatment.
According to the Inquirer, defense lawyer Kathryn Labrum told Judge Stephanie Klein that her client had been examined and appeared competent to stand trial.
White played for the Quakers from 1976-79 and is first all-time for the Red and Blue in career field goal percentage (minimum 200 made) with .591 — including his final season, in which he shot .633 from the field, good for second all-time in the Penn record books.
The former center was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers, but chose to play professional basketball in Spain instead. There, he met and wed Garcia-Pellon before moving back to the US.
White also earned an MBA from the Wharton School in 1983 and most recently worked as a technical writer for a software company.
In an article from The Daily Pennsylvanian published on Feb. 13, many of White’s former teammate remembered him as a great player and true Penn sports fan.
His death left many in shock, and the truthfulness of the accusations put forward by Garcia-Pellon is being questioned by many of White’s former friends.
A memorial service for White will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at Trinity Episcopal Church in Swarthmore, Pa.
SEE ALSO
1979 Penn basketball center Matt White killed in sleep, wife is charged
1979 Penn basketball star Matthew White found dead
Matt White: A Penn basketball retrospective
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.