A 70-year-old woman from Philadelphia has been accused of fatally stabbing a 31-year-old man with a knife concealed in her cane. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has charged Renee DiPietro with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and possession of a crime instrument. She received these charges for allegedly killing Michael Sides on June 10th in Ardmore. The incident occurred following an altercation between DiPietro’s son and Sides’ friend at a local bar.
On the day of Sides’ death, police responded to reports about a stabbing. They found Michael Sides unresponsive, and he was experiencing hemorrhaging in his upper torso. Investigators later discovered that the altercation at the bar had led to Sides expressing his intention to confront DiPietro’s son. Jason DiPietro, Renee’s son, reportedly called his mother in distress after the fight. Renee and her husband then drove to the area with her cane and a baseball bat. Surveillance footage captured Jason getting into his parents’ car later that evening, but Sides prevented him from entering. A fight ensued between Sides and Jason, during which Renee joined in to defend her son.
It was during this violent confrontation that Renee allegedly used her cane to strike Sides in the back, causing the sheath to come off and revealing a 16-inch blade. She then stabbed Sides with the blade, who fell to the ground. Renee allegedly struck him again before fleeing the scene with her family. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Sides was eventually pronounced dead.
The license plate on the DiPietro family’s car was found to be bent upward in an attempt to avoid identification. Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Gregory McDonald determined that Sides died from a single stab wound to the chest. This detail helped to rule his death as a homicide. Renee DiPietro was subsequently arrested and charged. Her bail was set at $50,000, or 10% of her total $500,000 bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on August 22nd for a preliminary hearing.
Michael Sides, the victim, was described as a kind-hearted individual who saw the good in everyone. His obituary highlighted his love for animals and willingness to help those in need.