Wiles Barre, Pa- Police investigators in Pennsylvania are working to identify and locate a man for questioning in connection to the murder Bryan Charles Kocis, the owner of Cobra Video-one of the country’s largest producers of gay adult videos.
Investigators have released a photo of a man they say was scheduled to meet with Kocis the night he was found murdered in his burned-out Dallas Township home, reports Citizen’s Voice.
According to a state police statemen, Kocis emailed an associate before he died and mentioned he would be meeting with a prospective model at 7 p.m. on January 24., the night Kocis was killed. The police statement adds that he man’s last name might be “Drake” and is possibly from the Allentown or Philadelphia areas.
Citizen’s Voice reports that since Kocis was found dead, authorities have said his pornography business might be a key link in helping them solve the crime.
According to the Scranton Times-Tribune, two of Kocis’ associates are seeking a criminal lawyer before talking to police, an attorney for the men said Tuesday.
Sean Lockhart [aka Brent Corrigan] and Grant Roy, both of San Diego, have information about Drake, said John Yates, a Los Angles-based attorney representing the men in a civil dispute involving Kocis.
The Times-Tribune reports that men had been in a federal lawsuit over the ownership of the image of Lockhart, who works as an adult film actor and model under the stage name “Brent Corrigan.” A settlement to the federal suit was to be mailed to Kocis the day after he was found dead, Yates said.
At 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 24, firefighters were called to a blaze at Kocis’ home and found him dead on a couch. Luzerne County Coroner Dr. Jack Consalvo later ruled Kocis had been murdered before the fire. He was stabbed 28 times and his throat was violently slashed, severing his left carotid artery, left jugular vein, trachea and a bone in his neck, an autopsy revealed.
Police obtained a search warrant Friday to review Kocis’ telephone and Internet records. The Times-Tribune reports that police documents stated a “folding-style knife” was found near the victim’s body, which was burnt beyond recognition, forcing medical examiners to identify Kocis from dental records.
According to the police documents, the fire originated near the living room couch where investigators found Kocis’ body. Police said they saw no sign of struggle or forced entry. No accelerants were used to fuel the fire, Consalvo said Tuesday.