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WILKES-BARRE — Nearly four years after Donald Bachman was killed in front of his Willow Street home, authorities on Wednesday arrested his stepdaughter on charges she planned the homicide.
Kendra L. Dias, 24, allegedly solicited several people to kill Bachman, 49, paying an unknown killer $1,500, court records say. She is charged with criminal solicitation to commit homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit homicide.
Detectives based the charges on interviews with two confidential witnesses whom Dias offered to pay $1,000 and Bachman’s Harley Davidson motorcycle in exchange for the slaying.
Dias admitted to detectives she spoke with the two witnesses about her intentions of wanting Bachman dead, court records say.
Bachman, a mechanic with Martz Trailways, was gunned down when he arrived home from work at about 3:30 a.m. on May 1, 2015.
Alleged motive
Detectives allege Dias was upset her stepfather was a community activist, often reporting criminal activities to city police.
At her arraignment before District Judge Richard Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre, Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino called the Bachman homicide an “execution-style hit.” Ferentino sought a higher than normal bail citing Dias as a “flight risk.”
Dias told Cronauer she is pregnant, has two children at home, and has been cooperative with detectives.
“I’m a mom, I have two kids, I’m pregnant with my third child. I have no criminal history whatsoever except for traffic violations,” Dias proclaimed. “I would have left months ago when they brought me in.”
Dias, of 114 Hemlock St., Sugar Notch, was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility when Cronauer set bail at $1 million.
Police describe incident
According to the criminal complaint:
Dias’ mother — Bachman’s widow Lori Bachman — told detectives she saw her husband pull into the driveway and heard a verbal altercation and gunshots. She was too afraid to look outside.
Police found Bachman lying in front of his home with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Six spent .22-caliber shell casings were recovered at the scene.
More than one year after the deadly shooting, detectives interviewed two people, identified as CW#1 and CW#2, in early May 2016.
CW#1 and CW#2 told detectives Dias requested a face-to-face meeting because she could not discuss the topic on the telephone. During the meeting, Dias asked CW#1 if they could help kill her stepfather.
Dias allegedly complained Bachman installed surveillance cameras at their house and routinely notified police of criminal activity in the South Wilkes-Barre neighborhood.
CW#1 refused to be the killer but called an “associate” asking how much it would cost to kill someone. CW#1 was told by the associate $5,000.
After CW#1 refused, Dias told the witness she knew people who would commit the killing.
CW#1 and CW#2 learned of Bachman’s slaying and visited Dias at the scene several days later.
Dias sat in their vehicle telling them, “her friend took care of it,” the complaint says.
CW#1 told detectives Dias claimed she has friends in street gangs and one of her friends was involved in the shooting and fled to New York.
CW#2 claimed when they asked Dias who killed Bachman, she replied: “I don’t know and you’re better off not knowing,” the complaint says.
In another visit with Dias, CW#1 and CW#2 were told by Dias her friends were upset because they had to wait to get paid. Dias asked CW#1 for help in selling a quantity of crack cocaine to raise money to pay the person who killed Bachman.
Dias asked CW#1 what was the best way to get rid of a firearm and Dias suggested she would throw it in the Susquehanna River.
Detectives questioned Dias in early June 2018.
During the interview, Dias admitted she had a vague conversation with CW#1 about killing Bachman inside an apartment in Nanticoke where CW#2 resided, the complaint says.
Dias allegedly told detectives she spoke to a third person about having Bachman killed, and told the third person she was not able to provide compensation until after Bachman’s death.
After Bachman was killed, detectives allege Dias acquired $1,500 of Bachman’s money that she used to pay the killer. When the killer was paid, the gunman hugged Dias and told her never to speak about the deadly shooting again.
DA’s Office speaks out
“We will not back down,” Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said Wednesday during a press conference about Dias’ arrest.
“This is a case that took nearly three-and-a-half years to get to the point where we are charging an individual for the murder of Donald Bachman,” Salavantis added.
“I want the community to know we will remain relentless in the pursuit of justice,” the DA said. “We are always working on these cases and look to make sure no stone is unturned.”
Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino said the case is still being investigated.
“We feel very strongly at this point that Miss Dias is sufficiently charged with the information we have,” Ferrentino said. “We feel very strongly going forward. There are still issues in this case that we are continuing to run down.”
Among those issues is trying to find the person that pulled the trigger.
“It’s ongoing,” he added. “We do have information. It’s a large investigation, but these things move at their own pace.”
Neither Salavantis or Ferentino could comment on Dias’ motive for allegedly seeking Bachman’s death.
Salavantis said there may be additional arrests related to the case, however.
“There is still an active investigation,” Salavantis added. “We are still looking for more information.”