News

October 2, 2007

Prosecutors will seek death penalty in Kocis case

WILKES-BARRE – As one death penalty case wrapped up, Luzerne County prosecutors on Monday started another one.

A team of assistant district attorneys filed notice they will seek the death penalty for homicide suspects Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes in the January slaying of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis.

Prosecutors said they have two legal reasons to put the two Virginia Beach, Va., men to death in the slaying.

One, they said, is the men killed Kocis while perpetrating another felony. In this case, the other felonies are robbery, arson, theft and criminal conspiracy, the prosecutors said.

Two, they said, is that the men created a grave risk to other people while committing the killing.

Investigators claim Cuadra, 26, and Kerekes, 33, killed Kocis, whom they considered their rival in the gay porn industry, inside his Dallas Township home and then set the home on fire.

Kocis, 44, was found dead by the firefighters who responded to a report of a house fire at the Midland Drive home on Jan. 24.

Kocis died from a slash to the throat that also severed his carotid artery and windpipe.

Cuadra and Kerekes, male escorts who produced gay pornographic movies they sold on the Internet, wanted to work with Sean Lockhart, a model who was under contract with Kocis’ company, Cobra Video.

The death-penalty notice was filed late Monday afternoon.

Attorneys for the men could not be reached.

Assistant District Attorney Tim Doherty offered no additional comment on the notice.

Cuadra and Kerekes are scheduled to be formally arraigned on the homicide and other charges before Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. on Thursday

Prosecutors had to file the notice by that arraignment.

If the men are convicted of first-degree murder in the death, a jury will then hear additional testimony in what’s called the penalty phase.

Prosecutors will present testimony to support their two factors of why they think the men should get death. Defense attorneys will present testimony to show why a sentence of life in prison would be more appropriate.

The jury must be unanimous in its decision, or a judge will impose a sentence of life.

Prosecutors said they have two legal reasons to put the two Virginia Beach, Va., men to death in the slaying.

David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7397.

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