Dal;las Twp.,Pa- Luzerne County prosecutors will continue today to try to persuade a magisterial district judge that they have a strong case against two men charged in connection with the slaying of local gay film producer Bryan Kocis.
A state police computer forensic investigator is one of several witnesses that prosecutors expect to call to the stand when the preliminary hearing for Harlow Cuadra, 26, and Joseph Kerekes, 33, resumes before District Judge James E. Tupper in Kingston Township.
State police at Wyoming and Luzerne County detectives believe the two men from Virginia Beach, Va., killed Kocis inside Kocis’ Dallas Township home and then set the residence on fire to disguise the murder on Jan. 24.
Luzerne County Coroner Dr. Jack Consalvo testified during Monday’s hearing that Kocis died from a slashed throat that severed the carotid artery and trachea windpipe. Kocis also suffered 29 stab wounds, mostly to his chest, after he died, Consalvo said.
Investigators say Cuadra and Kerekes killed Kocis, whom they considered their main rival in the gay porn production business. Kocis owned Cobra Video, based at his home, while Cuadra and Kerekes maintained an Internet-based gay production company.
Justin Hainsley, a gay porn actor and male escort in Virginia Beach, testified Monday that Cuadra and Kerekes talked about Kocis being their main competitor. Hainsley lived and worked with the two men on several gay pornographic movies and their escort service, Norfolk Companions.
Consalvo and Hainsley were among 10 witnesses assistant district attorneys Michael Melnick and Tim Doherty called to the stand during Monday’s hearing.
Another key prosecution witness, state police deputy fire marshal Ron Jarocha, testified that the fire began behind a leather loveseat in the living room, where Kocis’ body was found lying on another couch by firefighters who responded to the home.
Jarocha said an open flame was used to ignite combustible material behind the loveseat. He said a knife was found in the living room, but prosecutors have yet to introduce any evidence linking the knife to the murder.
Cuadra’s co-defense lawyer, Thomas S. Cometa, aggressively questioned Jarocha for nearly an hour on Monday, getting Jarocha to admit that he didn’t take any samples from the hardwood floor in the living room.
Cometa, in an unrelated case, was successful in defending a man who was accused of setting a fire that killed his parents in Berks County. Cometa used samples of hardwood flooring from the Berks County home that had traces of leaded gasoline, which was used at that time to clean hardwood floors after construction. A dropped cigarette caused the Berks County fatal fire, according to published reports.
Kocis’ home was demolished last week. Cometa couldn’t be reached for comment to determine if any hardwood flooring from Kocis’ living room has been preserved.
Jarocha said he found no evidence that Kocis was a smoker.
Kerekes said after Monday’s hearing that he is confident with his lawyers, Frank Nocito and Joseph Nocito.