Jonathan Glennon found guilty of second-degree murder and kidnapping one

— Victim’s father reacts to verdict —

By Wendy Post —

On Feb. 20, 2026, the family of 34-year-old Thomas Rath received a bit more closure as the third defendant in the case involving his kidnapping, torture, and eventual murder was found guilty of second-degree murder in the case and first-degree kidnapping.

Jonathan Glennon, one of three charged with murder one, was defended by Luke Fenchel and his team from Ithaca, New York, while the case was prosecuted by Tioga County, New York, District Attorney Kirk Martin and his assistant district attorney, Lillian Reardon. The Honorable Judge Adam Schumacher presided over the case.

The trial in this matter began in mid-January, with weeks of prosecution witness testimony, forensic evidence, DNA analysis, videos, photos, and voice recordings entered into evidence, items that the district attorney had hoped would prove that the defendant, Glennon, was guilty of the crimes charged.

The defense in the matter spent great portions of time trying to connect the offenses to someone else. He spent many hours poking holes in the prosecution’s theory, so much so that he was able to raise doubt in regards to the Murder One charge that was on the table.

But in the end, and after approximately six hours of jury deliberations that began at 2:37 p.m. on Thursday, the members of the jury notified the court at 1:35 p.m. on Friday that they had reached a verdict in this case.

Lunch had just ended, so it took a few minutes as people hurried back into the court, including the judge and the three alternate jurors, who sat ready to serve throughout the entire trial.

As the jury’s foreman stood in place, the judge asked, “Have you reached a verdict.”

“Yes, we have, Your Honor,” the foreman replied.

In the meantime, tensions remained high as the family looked at the jury, arms crossed; the defendant remained very still throughout the verdict and never expressed much; he kept his head up most of the time.

On the charges, the jury found the defendant, Jonathan Glennon, not guilty of first-degree murder.

For the second-degree murder charge, the jury found Jonathan Glennon guilty by all accounts.

For kidnapping, which carries a hefty penalty along with it, Jonathan Glennon was found guilty as charged.

In New York State, second-degree murder, a Class A-I felony, carries a severe penalty. Upon sentencing, Glennon can face either 15 or 25 years to life on the charge, with different aspects of the crime affecting the sentence, such as depraved indifference. The first-degree charge would have carried a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

For the first-degree kidnapping charge, the sentence carries severe penalties as well. Sentencing for this charge can range from a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

It is not clear yet if sentences will run consecutively or concurrently in Glennon’s case. Pre-sentencing investigations will pave the way for that.

Following the verdict, Judge Schumacher thanked the jury for their time and patience, and they were dismissed.

The judge then revoked the bond for Glennon, which was previously set at $200,000 cash or bond, or a $2,000,000 partially secured property bond. Sentencing was then scheduled for April 27 at 1:30 p.m. and the court was dismissed.

Consistent, the defendant remained emotionless as he was once again shackled and led from the court.

As for the Rath family, the father of the same name, Thomas Rath, was a little disappointed that the Murder One charge didn’t stick but was happy with the outcome.

“It’s finally the last one,” said the grieving father of the victim, who has had to endure three murder trials.

But his next statement revealed his real relief; his son’s ashes had finally returned home.

The elder Thomas Rath explained that, because of the investigation, it took 933 days to get the remains of his son; a task that he said District Attorney Kirk Martin helped with.

Then the elder Rath displayed a leather-braided wristband made from fine material; it had a prominent silver ring connecting the two ends of the band. Inside, he noted, are the ashes of his son, 34-year old Thomas Rath.