Estate of slain Uniontown woman sues husband for wrongful death
Guty had $135k in cash when arrested at Las Vegas resort
The estate of the Uniontown woman murdered by her husband in December 2023 is suing him for wrongful death in the hopes of getting a chunk of the more than $135,000 in cash he had in his possession when he fled to Las Vegas after shooting her in the head.
Attorneys for the estate of Franyerlys Nicold Zambrano Briceno filed the lawsuit Thursday in Fayette County Court of Common Pleas against Arthur Guty, who was convicted of first-degree murder in October and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The 13-page lawsuit is demanding a jury trial on three counts that cite Survival Action, Wrongful Death and the Slayer’s Act, with each count asking for in excess of $50,000 in damages plus associated legal fees.
The lawsuit asks for damages for pain and suffering along with lost wages, funeral expenses and costs incurred by the estate following Zambrano Briceno’s death. In addition, the lawsuit argues the Slayer’s Act requires any property and funds from the convicted to be passed along to the victim’s estate.
Zambrano Briceno was working at Nemacolin Resort at the time of her death, according to the lawsuit. Her only two surviving relatives are her parents, Guiasmely Del Carmen Briceno and Juan Carlos Zambrano Mirbal, although the lawsuit does not indicate where they live.
Guty killed Zambrano Briceno with a .357-magnum revolver, shooting her once in the head in the late hours of Dec. 26 or early morning of Dec. 27 in 2023 while inside their Bierer Street home in Uniontown, according to investigators. City police discovered the 26-year-old’s body in an upstairs bedroom on New Year’s Day in 2024 after people who knew Zambrano Briceno had become concerned about her well-being and asked officers to perform a wellness check.
After killing Zambrano Briceno, Guty drove to Maryland and discarded her cellphone along the side of the road. Guty then drove across the country to Las Vegas where he was arrested by authorities there while at a casino resort.
Upon arresting Guty, Las Vegas Metro police found $4,329 in cash in his possession and another $131,170 in currency lying on the bed in his hotel room. He apparently had plans of eventually fleeing to Mexico. Guty waived extradition and was returned to Fayette County to face trial.
A Fayette County jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before convicting Guty, 58, on all charges including first-degree murder following a four-day trial in late October. Judge Mark Mehalov sentenced Guty on Oct. 23 to serve the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The more than $135,000 in cash is being held at the Fayette County district attorney’s office, although Guty attempted to have the money returned to him before trial. Mehalov denied that request and the assets have been frozen since his arrest.
Uniontown attorney Jeremy Davis, who is representing Zambrano Briceno’s estate administrator Michael Mays, did not return a phone call seeking comment on the lawsuit. Mays was appointed to administer the estate by the county register of wills office, and is an attorney for Davis & Davis in Uniontown where Davis also works.
Guty is serving his life sentence at SCI-Camp Hill state prison in Cumberland County. His brother, Michael Guty, is serving as power of attorney and could not be reached for comment.