Ed Lewis from the Times Leader reports that it was more than two years ago – January 24, 2007 – when Dallas Township firefighters found the body of Bryan Kocis inside his burned-out Midland Drive home.
An autopsy showed Kocis, 44, suffered a slashed neck that nearly decapitated him. After he was killed, Kocis was stabbed more than 30 times in the torso and legs, the autopsy revealed.
Investigators immediately determined the fire was intentionally set to cover up the homicide.
After Kocis’ body was found, authorities began a time-consuming investigation that took them to three states interviewing witnesses and following two men: Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes. .
Cuadra, 27, and Kerekes, 35, both from Virginia Beach, Va., were charged in May 2007 with killing Kocis, whom they considered their main rival in the gay pornography movie industry. Kocis operated Cobra Video, and Cuadra and Kerekes produced Internet-based movies.
Kerekes pleaded guilty in December for his alleged role in Kocis’ murder, and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.
The more than two-year investigation is nearing an end as the capital murder trial of Cuadra begins Tuesday with jury selection.
Recently filed court records indicate the trial before Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. is scheduled to last until March 13.
A number of witnesses from across the country received subpoenas from the district attorney’s office to testify during the trial. Among them are porn industry figures Grant Roy and Sean Lockhart of San Diego, Calif., and Renee Martin of Fort Worth, Texas, described by prosecutors as a business associate of Cuadra and Kerekes. They are considered key witnesses for prosecutors as they attempt to show the motive behind Kocis’ killing.
Assistant district attorneys Michael Melnick, Shannon Crake and Allyson Kacmanski are expected to play to the jury recorded conversations Cuadra and Kerekes had with Roy and Lockhart, and recorded jailhouse phone calls between the two men and Martin.
At least two conversations were recorded by investigators in San Diego where Cuadra, Kerekes, Roy and Lockhart talked about payments “under the table” to avoid paying Cobra Video.
A federal civil lawsuit Kocis filed against Roy, Lockhart and their production company, LSG Media, was settled out of court days before Kocis was killed. The settlement required Cobra Video to receive 20 percent of revenue earned from sales involving movies involving Lockhart, who formerly worked for Kocis’ company.
During a pre-trial hearing in July, Crake said the “ultimate motive” to Kocis’ homicide was Cuadra and Kerekes wanted to produce movies with Lockhart, but the civil settlement stood in their way.
After Cuadra and Kerekes were arrested and jailed in May 2007, they had three-way telephone conversations with Martin, according to court records.
Transcripts of the recorded jailhouse phone calls, which were filed in court, revealed the three made up an alibi story that they called Plan B.
Plan B consisted of Kerekes, rooming at the Fox Ridge Inn in Plains Township and composing an e-mail to an escort client while Cuadra traveled to Kocis’ home under the premise he was auditioning to become a Cobra Video model. Cuadra was to claim he fled the Midland Drive home after smelling smoke and seeing a body inside the residence, according to court records.
Prosecutors alleged in court records the three formed plan B as an alternative to other alibi stories that also were false. Court records say investigators also intercepted several e-mails from Cuadra and Kerekes that sought help from clients in their male escort business, asking their clients to tell investigators that they were performing services in Virginia Beach hotels.
Mitch Halford, a long-standing escort client residing in Atlanta, Ga. who received a subpoena, told investigators that he was with Cuadra the night Kocis was killed, according to court records, but later recanted, saying he saw Cuadra once during a two-week span in late January 2007.
Prosecutors and Cuadra’s attorneys, Joseph D’Andrea and Paul Walker, will pick the jury pool individually, meaning, each potential juror will be asked a series of questions about their opinions on the death penalty and homosexuality. Both sides will have several opportunities to challenge when a juror is selected.
Four days is scheduled for jury selection.
KOCIS CASE TIMELINE
Jan. 24, 2007: Prosecutors say Bryan Kocis, 44, was killed inside his Dallas Township home that was then set on fire.
Feb. 2, 2007: Investigators release photo of a man known as Drake, which later turned out to be Harlow Cuadra.
April 2007: Investigators intercept conversations between Cuadra, Joseph Kerekes, Grant Roy and Sean Lockhart in San Diego, Calif. It was during these conversations where Cuadra and Kerekes discuss the Kocis murder, prosecutors say.
May 15, 2007: Investigators charge Cuadra and Kerekes with Kocis’ homicide. They are arrested in Virginia Beach, Va.
July 17, 2007: Cuadra and Kerekes are transferred from Virginia Beach to Luzerne County to face criminal homicide charges.
July 18, 2007: During a jailhouse interview, Kerekes says Cuadra was at Kocis’ home, but denies they took part in the homicide.
Oct. 1, 2007: Prosecutors file notice they intend to seek the death penalty for Cuadra and Kerekes.
Dec. 16, 2008: Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. allows attorneys Michael Senape and Stephen Menn to withdraw from representing Cuadra; they are replaced by attorneys Joseph D’Andrea and Paul Walker.
Dec. 18, 2008: Kerekes pleads guilty to second degree murder, and is sentenced to life in prison without parole.
[PC Notes: Kerekes pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2008... not Dec. 18, 2008 as reported by the Times Leader.]
An autopsy showed Kocis, 44, suffered a slashed neck that nearly decapitated him. After he was killed, Kocis was stabbed more than 30 times in the torso and legs, the autopsy revealed.
Investigators immediately determined the fire was intentionally set to cover up the homicide.
After Kocis’ body was found, authorities began a time-consuming investigation that took them to three states interviewing witnesses and following two men: Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes. .
Cuadra, 27, and Kerekes, 35, both from Virginia Beach, Va., were charged in May 2007 with killing Kocis, whom they considered their main rival in the gay pornography movie industry. Kocis operated Cobra Video, and Cuadra and Kerekes produced Internet-based movies.
Kerekes pleaded guilty in December for his alleged role in Kocis’ murder, and was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole.
The more than two-year investigation is nearing an end as the capital murder trial of Cuadra begins Tuesday with jury selection.
Recently filed court records indicate the trial before Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. is scheduled to last until March 13.
A number of witnesses from across the country received subpoenas from the district attorney’s office to testify during the trial. Among them are porn industry figures Grant Roy and Sean Lockhart of San Diego, Calif., and Renee Martin of Fort Worth, Texas, described by prosecutors as a business associate of Cuadra and Kerekes. They are considered key witnesses for prosecutors as they attempt to show the motive behind Kocis’ killing.
Assistant district attorneys Michael Melnick, Shannon Crake and Allyson Kacmanski are expected to play to the jury recorded conversations Cuadra and Kerekes had with Roy and Lockhart, and recorded jailhouse phone calls between the two men and Martin.
At least two conversations were recorded by investigators in San Diego where Cuadra, Kerekes, Roy and Lockhart talked about payments “under the table” to avoid paying Cobra Video.
A federal civil lawsuit Kocis filed against Roy, Lockhart and their production company, LSG Media, was settled out of court days before Kocis was killed. The settlement required Cobra Video to receive 20 percent of revenue earned from sales involving movies involving Lockhart, who formerly worked for Kocis’ company.
During a pre-trial hearing in July, Crake said the “ultimate motive” to Kocis’ homicide was Cuadra and Kerekes wanted to produce movies with Lockhart, but the civil settlement stood in their way.
After Cuadra and Kerekes were arrested and jailed in May 2007, they had three-way telephone conversations with Martin, according to court records.
Transcripts of the recorded jailhouse phone calls, which were filed in court, revealed the three made up an alibi story that they called Plan B.
Plan B consisted of Kerekes, rooming at the Fox Ridge Inn in Plains Township and composing an e-mail to an escort client while Cuadra traveled to Kocis’ home under the premise he was auditioning to become a Cobra Video model. Cuadra was to claim he fled the Midland Drive home after smelling smoke and seeing a body inside the residence, according to court records.
Prosecutors alleged in court records the three formed plan B as an alternative to other alibi stories that also were false. Court records say investigators also intercepted several e-mails from Cuadra and Kerekes that sought help from clients in their male escort business, asking their clients to tell investigators that they were performing services in Virginia Beach hotels.
Mitch Halford, a long-standing escort client residing in Atlanta, Ga. who received a subpoena, told investigators that he was with Cuadra the night Kocis was killed, according to court records, but later recanted, saying he saw Cuadra once during a two-week span in late January 2007.
Prosecutors and Cuadra’s attorneys, Joseph D’Andrea and Paul Walker, will pick the jury pool individually, meaning, each potential juror will be asked a series of questions about their opinions on the death penalty and homosexuality. Both sides will have several opportunities to challenge when a juror is selected.
Four days is scheduled for jury selection.
KOCIS CASE TIMELINE
Jan. 24, 2007: Prosecutors say Bryan Kocis, 44, was killed inside his Dallas Township home that was then set on fire.
Feb. 2, 2007: Investigators release photo of a man known as Drake, which later turned out to be Harlow Cuadra.
April 2007: Investigators intercept conversations between Cuadra, Joseph Kerekes, Grant Roy and Sean Lockhart in San Diego, Calif. It was during these conversations where Cuadra and Kerekes discuss the Kocis murder, prosecutors say.
May 15, 2007: Investigators charge Cuadra and Kerekes with Kocis’ homicide. They are arrested in Virginia Beach, Va.
July 17, 2007: Cuadra and Kerekes are transferred from Virginia Beach to Luzerne County to face criminal homicide charges.
July 18, 2007: During a jailhouse interview, Kerekes says Cuadra was at Kocis’ home, but denies they took part in the homicide.
Oct. 1, 2007: Prosecutors file notice they intend to seek the death penalty for Cuadra and Kerekes.
Dec. 16, 2008: Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. allows attorneys Michael Senape and Stephen Menn to withdraw from representing Cuadra; they are replaced by attorneys Joseph D’Andrea and Paul Walker.
Dec. 18, 2008: Kerekes pleads guilty to second degree murder, and is sentenced to life in prison without parole.
[PC Notes: Kerekes pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2008... not Dec. 18, 2008 as reported by the Times Leader.]
