Bryan Kocis Murder Trial Update: Former gay porn employee testifies

Wilkes Barre, Pa- A former employee of Harlow Cuadra's pictured] gay pornography company testified Tuesday afternoon in Cuadra's capital homicide trial.

Andrew Joseph Shunk started working for Cuadra in September 2006, about five months before Bryan Charles Kocis was stabbed to death at his Back Mountain home.

Cuadra was very interested in hiring Brent Corrigan, who had a contract with Kocis at the time, Shunk said. Cuadra, along with Joseph Kerekes, owned gay pornography and prostitution businesses in Virginia Beach, Va.

"They thought bringing in Brent Corrigan would bring in a six-figure profit to the company," Shunk said.

Corrigan, the stage name for Sean Lockhart, was considered the "Tom Cruise" of the type of pornography Cuadra and Kocis produced, Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick said.

Shunk said the plan was to hire Corrigan away from Kocis and pay him directly for a couple of scenes with Cuadra. Because Corrigan had a deal with Kocis, that wasn't possible at the time, Shunk said.

Shunk was the prosecution's eighth witness Tuesday. Cuadra, 27, is accused of killing Kocis, 44, at his Dallas Township home in January 2007, because Kocis was a rival producer of gay pornography films.

Kocis was “nearly completely decapitated in one fell sweep, and his body was so badly burned that any DNA evidence was annihilated in a fierce blaze” that destroyed his Midland Drive home on Jan. 24, 2007, Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick told jurors this morning.

“These were the horror and heavy tidings given to the Kocis family in the new year,” Melnick said pointing to Cuadra, who could face the death penalty if found guilty of first-degree homicide.

Melnick’s opening statement today revealed the scope of the prosecution’s case, which they hope will prove Cuadra killed 44-year-old Kocis. During his one-hour and 24-minute opening statement, Melnick cited numerous pieces of the prosecution’s evidence and the three-month investigation that led to the arrest of Cuadra and his partner Joseph Kerekes.

“This is a case that went from the waters of the Atlantic (Ocean) to the sands of the Pacific,” Melnick said.

Cuadra’s defense team of attorneys Joseph D’Andrea of Dunmore and Paul J. Walker of Scranton, are taking a different approach to the case.

“Our presentation and our theory is very simple and very precise,” D’Andrea said during his opening statement. “Harlow didn’t do it. This young man didn’t slash anyone’s throat, stab him 28 times or set his house on fire.”

D’Andrea called his client innocent and said that he was under a spell of Kerekes at the time of Kocis’ death. Kerekes, 35, co-owned a gay pornography and prostitution business with Cuadra in Virgina Beach, Va. Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree homicide in December and said he will not testify in this case.

“Joe was the dominant partner,” D’Andrea said. “Joe was controlling and he controlled Harlow, both on the personal and professional side… Joe Kerekes cared about one thing, getting ahead, and that meant money…He prostituted his own lover, Harlow, to make money.”

D’Andrea, whose opening statement only lasted 15 minutes, urged jurors to not judge the case by the number of witnesses or the length of their testimony. Instead, he said, look at the credibility of the case and for any potential doubt and who had the greater motive and ability to commit the crime, which he suggested was Kerekes.

“I will tell you right now the commonwealth will have many more witnesses,” D’Andrea said. “This is not a case that will be judged by the number of witnesses or the length they testify.”

Computer evidence will show that Cuadra pretended to be a potential new gay pornography star named Danny Moilan in order to gain entrance to Kocis’ home, Melnick said.

Kocis was very private and didn’t let his own family visit him without an appointment, Melnick said. But Cuadra was able to gain access to the home, because he sent photos and e-mails to Kocis, claiming he was a young man from King of Prussia, who wanted to start acting in pornography , Melnick said.

Cuadra killed Kocis, Melnick said, in order to lure the “Tom Cruise of that type of gay porn,” Sean Lockhart, to his business. Lockhart was under contract with Kocis at the time, Melnick said. During a dinner in early January in Las Vegas with Cuadra, Kerekes, Lockhart and his business partner Grant Roy, Cuadra hinted at Kocis’ demise, Melnick said.

Cuadra told Roy that “If you’re going to do that, then maybe I can have Bryan Kocis go to Canada,” Melnick said during his opening statement.

Melnick also read from wiretapped conversations Cuadra allegedly had with Lockhart and Roy in April 2007 at a nude beach in the La Jolla section of San Diego.

Melnick read from the transcribed tape, telling jurors Cuadra said:

“It was quick, he never saw it coming…Actually seeing (Kocis) going down, made me feel better inside.”

The prosecution's first three witnesses —County Chief Deputy Coroner William Lisman, state police Corporal Thomas S. Wall and dentist Dr. John G. Evans—primarily testified to forensic evidence at the crime scene, particularly related to dental records that verified the body found inside the charred Midland Drive home was Kocis.

Shannon Crake, who along with fellow assistant district attorney Allyson Kacmarski is prosecuting the case with Melnick, examined Lisman during his testimony.