(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) In less than four hours a jury of eight men and four women found 27 year old Harlow Cuadra guilty of first degree murder in the slaying of Cobra video owner Bryan Kocis in 2007.
Because it is a capital murder case, the jury tomorrow will deliberate whether Cuadra should receive the death sentence or life behind bars.
In addition to the murder conviction, the jury also found him guilty of 11 other counts including theft, robbery, arson and abuse of corpse.
Cuadra’s former lover and business partner, 35-year-old Joseph Kerekes, already is serving life after pleading guilty last December to second degree murder after making a deal with prosecutors.
The prosecution maintained that Kocis was murdered by Cuadra and Kerekes in a business rivalry over the lucrative gay porn industry. In closing arguments, defense attorney Joseph D’Andrea told the jury that Cuadra was guilty of nothing more than being at Kocis’ home during the murder and that it was Kerekes who committed the killing.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick, in his summation, told the court that he agreed that Kerekes is a murderer but that Cuadra played a “predominant role in this homicide.”
Prior to closing arguments, Melnick grilled Cuadra on the stand for two hours, attempting to pick apart his testimony that he is innocent. Step by step Melnick went over the evidence gathered in wiretaps and statements to police in which he discussed his involvement in the murder of the Cobra Video owner. Several times Cuadra broke down in tears, but stuck to his story that it was Kerekes not him who murdered Kocis.“He pleaded guilty to murder,” Cuadra said. “I did not. For two years, I have held on to my innocence.”
Kerekes was subpoenaed by the defense but refused to testify earlier this week.
Kocis’ body was discovered in his home by firefighters responding to a blaze in the rural house in January 2007. More than 80 percent of his body was covered by third-degree burns and police said the fire had been set deliberately to destroy evidence.
An autopsy found that Kocis died of massive blood loss after his head was nearly sliced off. He suffered between 28 and 29 post mortem stab wounds before his home was torched.
In addition to the murder conviction, the jury also found him guilty of 11 other counts including theft, robbery, arson and abuse of corpse.
Cuadra’s former lover and business partner, 35-year-old Joseph Kerekes, already is serving life after pleading guilty last December to second degree murder after making a deal with prosecutors.
The prosecution maintained that Kocis was murdered by Cuadra and Kerekes in a business rivalry over the lucrative gay porn industry. In closing arguments, defense attorney Joseph D’Andrea told the jury that Cuadra was guilty of nothing more than being at Kocis’ home during the murder and that it was Kerekes who committed the killing.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick, in his summation, told the court that he agreed that Kerekes is a murderer but that Cuadra played a “predominant role in this homicide.”
Prior to closing arguments, Melnick grilled Cuadra on the stand for two hours, attempting to pick apart his testimony that he is innocent. Step by step Melnick went over the evidence gathered in wiretaps and statements to police in which he discussed his involvement in the murder of the Cobra Video owner. Several times Cuadra broke down in tears, but stuck to his story that it was Kerekes not him who murdered Kocis.“He pleaded guilty to murder,” Cuadra said. “I did not. For two years, I have held on to my innocence.”
Kerekes was subpoenaed by the defense but refused to testify earlier this week.
Kocis’ body was discovered in his home by firefighters responding to a blaze in the rural house in January 2007. More than 80 percent of his body was covered by third-degree burns and police said the fire had been set deliberately to destroy evidence.
An autopsy found that Kocis died of massive blood loss after his head was nearly sliced off. He suffered between 28 and 29 post mortem stab wounds before his home was torched.
No comments:
Post a Comment