News

February 27, 2008

Handwriting samples sought from Cuadra, Kerekes

Times Leader staff

WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County prosecutors say they have received various letters they believe were written by homicide suspects Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes.

Now, they want to compare the writing in those letters to the writing of Cuadra and Kerekes.

But they need a judge to order the suspects to give up a handwriting sample.

Late Monday, prosecutors filed paperwork asking a judge to do that.

The prosecutors said they recently received the documents relative to the Bryan Kocis homicide from the FBI.

“The documents indicate that both defendants had written the letters which contain material information relative to the ... case,” the prosecutors wrote in their request.

Cuadra and Kerekes are awaiting trial on homicide and other charges in the January 2007 slaying of Kocis inside his Dallas Township home. Police said the two Virginia men killed Kocis, their rival in the gay porn industry, and set the home on fire.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both suspects.

Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. will rule on the request.

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