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KEREKES PLEADS GUILTY TO AVOID DEATH PENALTY IN KOCIS MURDER TRIAL
By: Keith Witchka, Staff Writer - 12-09-08 - 12:00 a.m. PDT
Defendant Joseph Kerekes has just pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Cobra Video producer Bryan Kocis. He was sentenced to a mandatory life in prison without the possibility parole.
The plea prevents Kerekes from facing the death penalty in this horrific crime.
In addition to the murder charge, Kerekes pleaded guilty to additional charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence, tampering with physical evidence, and theft.
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Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Kerekes yesterday who is now 34, to the mandatory life sentence plus a combined 56 to 112 months in state prison, and 24 months probation to be served consecutively.The additional time given to Kerekes is considered a formality in the event consideration for Kerekes's petition for a pardon at a future date.
Co-defendant Harlow Cuadra now 27, is scheduled to begin his trial on January 5, 2009.
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According to one media outlet, Kerekes made it perfectly clear that “Cuadra had murdered Bryan Kocis and set his home ablaze.”
But, here's a twist, upon entering his plea of Guilty to avoid the death penalty portion of his trial, Kerekes refused to testify against Cuadra. “I absolutely will not testify for the state case against Harlow,” he told the court.
Kerekes did make an attempt to apologize to the Kocis family but Michael Kocis, father of the victim stated publicity, “We will never forgive nor will we forget what Mr. Kerekes has done to this family.”
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Kerekes and Cuadra, both as both male escorts, gay adult producers and website entrepreneurs. They were both accused of stabbing Kocis to death in January 2007 and setting fire to his Dallas Township, Pa. home to cover up the crime.
They were arrested in May 2007 and formally charged 8 weeks later.
Police arrested the pair after allegedly discovering evidence on Kocis’ home computer that managed to survive the burning blaze.
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Emails presented as evidence, showed that Cuadra was a new model who arranged to meet Kocis the night of his murder, according to prosecutors exhibits.
Investigators say the motive for Kocis’ murder was that Kocis had attempted to block the workings between Cuadra and Kerekes working with popular gay star Brent Corrigan, who was under exclusive contract at the time.
Members of the defense and prosecution teams have not released any further statements to the media but when they do, JRL will bring them to you.
