Born on December 14, 1927, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[1] Bechtle was in the United States Army from 1946 to 1947, then received a Bachelor of Science degree from Temple University in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1954.

[2] On February 14, 1972, Bechtle was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge John W. Lord Jr. Bechtle was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 2, 1972, and received his commission on March 7, 1972.

He served as Chief Judge from 1990 to 1993, assuming senior status on April 30, 1993, and retiring from the bench entirely on June 30, 2001.

[2] Bechtle had two wives that predeceased him: Helen O’Donnell and Margaret Beck.

Bechtle died in an assisted living facility in Audubon, Pennsylvania, on December 22, 2024, at the age of 97.