WILKES-BARRE — A man from Kingston pled guilty to dragging an unresponsive man from an apartment building known as the Cottage Hotel in Freeland in October 2022.
Joseph Patrick Siko, 61, address listed as West Market Street, was charged by Freeland police with dragging Matthew Tanner outside the building without calling 911 or rendering aid on Oct. 13, 2022, according to court records.
Tanner was found unresponsive and face down outside the apartment building on Washington Street. Tanner was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton, where he was pronounced dead.
The condition of Tanner’s body when found outside the building showed lividity that suggested he died some time prior to emergency medical technicians arriving at the scene, court records say.
Freeland police obtained a search warrant for video footage from the Cottage Hotel, court records say, which showed Siko dragging Tanner down a hallway and stairs and placing the body outside on a sidewalk.
Siko pled guilty to abuse of corpse and tampering with evidence before Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael T. Vough.
Siko is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 13.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.