Bedvelt Recovering As Police Continue Investigating Home Invasion

Actor in serious but stable condition


FEARNDALE, POG--Academy-award winning actor Peter Bedvelt is recovering in the hospital as police continue to investigate the brutal home invasion that left his wife dead and the 71-year-old Bedvelt seriously injured.

Police told the NPF Thursday that Mr. Bedvelt and his wife, 69-year-old Jane, were sleeping at their home in the affluent suburb of Fearndale, southeast of Lansdale, when someone broke into their house around 11:45 pm, tied them up, and brutally attacked them.

A neighbor called 911 after seeing the gate to the couple's driveway open, as well as the front door to the home.

According to police, Jane Bedvelt was tied to a chair and repeatedly stabbed in the back and neck, after being being shot in the head. The shot to her head was non-lethal, however.

Peter Bedvelt was tied to a chair as well, and investigators believe he witnessed his wife's execution, but they are unsure, since Bedvelt has yet to regain consciousness since the attack. He was rushed to Mount Sycamore Medical Center in Lansdale, and was immediately placed in a medically-induced coma. His injuries include a gun shot wound to the shoulder, and a severe head injury. He was placed in a medically-induced coma to alleviate brain swelling, doctors said.

Mrs. Bedvelt was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Police are still investigating the unusual crime, which happened in the posh south hills area of Lansdale. According to authorities, some valuables were taken, including a painting, a gun, jewelry, and some artifacts and collectibles in the couple's home. Cash, the couple's credit cards, and other valuables, such as electronics and cars, were not taken, however.

"At this point, we do not know if the motive was theft, or burglary, or if this was a coordinated attack. We simply don't know," Fearndale Police Chief Jim Sullens told the NPF. "We are investigating every possibility at this point.

"It's possible the person or people that did this knew the Bedvelts personally. It's possible it was a random thing. It's possible they saw the nice house and the nice cars and thought, 'that'd be a good place to break in.' But that's unlikely, given that they did not take a lot of valuables inside the home," Sullens said.

Because the attack happened at night, police say witnesses are unlikely to have seen much. Some neighbors said they heard small "popping" noises, but no witnesses have come forward seeing anything at the residence or anything out of the ordinary in the area.

Police have interviewed the Bedvelt's children and other family members, as well as friends and neighbors. They are hoping to interview the actor himself when he is conscious again.

Peter Bedvelt is a house-hold name in Grassadellian acting circles. Appearing in more than 60 films in his 47 year career, he is perhaps best known for his performance in the 1969 film Dance The Night Away, for which he won an Academy Award, and the 1974 film I'm Talking To You, which earned him a Silver Stone Award. In later years, he performed in movies such as The Girl From Lattimore (1987) and Cosmic Rebels (1991). More recently, he appeared in Big Talkers (2002) and the comedy Who's Your Daddy? (2007).

Last year, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for which he said he was "deeply honored."

Bedvelt was also inducted last year into the Hall of Fame at the Royal Theatre of Scottsboro in Grassadellia City, and became an executive board member of the Walkean Theatre for Classical Arts in Mavocke.