Jurors in the murder trial of a Pennsylvania gay-porn producer heard last week from the porn star investigators say was at the center of the defendant’s motive.
Sean Lockhart, who goes by the name Brent Corrigan in porn films, testified Feb. 27 during the murder trial of Harlow Cuadra, 27, accused of killing Bryan Kocis, the Dallas Township owner of Cobra Video, on Jan. 24, 2007. Prosecutors allege that Cuadra stabbed Kocis nearly 30 times and then set his house on fire to cover the evidence. If convicted, Cuadra could face the death penalty.
Cuadra’s partner, Joseph Kerekes, 35, was also arrested for the murder, but pleaded guilty in December and is serving a life sentence.
Prosecutors argued that Cuadra and Kerekes plotted to kill Kocis so they could obtain the rights to work with Lockhart, who was locked in a legal battle with Cobra over the trademark of the Corrigan name.
During the fourth day of the trial, Lockhart, 22, told the jury, and a standing-room-only crowd in the courtroom, that Cuadra and Kerekes repeatedly pressured him to work for their company. Lockhart testified that he and his romantic and business partner, Grant Roy, invited Kerekes and Cuadra to the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas in January 2007.
Lockhart said that during dinner, the four were discussing the legal dispute between the actor and Kocis when Cuadra posited the question, “What if [Kocis] goes to Canada?” Lockhart went on to testify that Kerekes said, “Harlow has this guy who will do anything for him.”
Lockhart said he and Roy settled the $1-million suit with Kocis during a verbal agreement that took place at the expo.
“When I left, I thought everything was fine,” Lockhart said during his nearly three hours of testimony. “I had no thoughts in my mind that these two individuals were a little askew.”
Lockhart said Cuadra called him Jan. 25, the day after the murder, and directed him to a local news Web site carrying the story of the killing.
“I clicked on the story and it said a fire at 60 Midland Drive. I got that feeling in my stomach. Harlow said, ‘I guess my guy went overboard.’”
Other models who worked with Cuadra and Kerekes testified last week that the pair thought they could make more than $1 million through a partnership with Lockhart.
While Lockhart was on the stand, Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski halted testimony for several minutes and excused the jury after Lockhart admitted he had been under 18 when he began working for Kocis.
Lockhart waived his right to an attorney.
Both Lockhart and Roy, who took the stand March 2, testified that they cooperated with Pennsylvania State Police, who fitted Roy with recording devices during two April 2007 meetings with Cuadra and Kerekes.
Jurors listened to the entire transcript from an April 27 dinner and hours of tape of the four during an outing to a nude beach in San Diego.
Lockhart said Cuadra pulled him aside on the beach and told him, “Don’t worry, it was quick. He went quick.” The alleged remarks were not caught on tape.
Roy admitted on the stand that he hated Kocis and said he and Lockhart were afraid that investigators were going to suspect them of the crime.
Prosecutors also called Renee Martin, an acquaintance of the defendant, to testify March 4 about hundreds of calls she received from Cuadra and Kerekes after their arrests, during which they allegedly discussed potential alibis, as well as a letter Cuadra sent her in October 2007.
In the letter, Cuadra outlined what he called “The Plan,” which included details about how he could sway a jury in his favor.
Cuadra wrote that he needed to obtain “the means to hire attorneys that can tell a good story. That’s all this comes down to.”
The trial was postponed for several months after Cuadra changed attorneys numerous times.
Cuadra also stated in the letter that he needed nice clothing to wear in the courtroom.
“A good-looking defendant is harder to sentence. That business look with contrasting happy ties would be just right,” he wrote, adding that dark-colored suits are a “no, no.”
Cuadra also wrote that Kerekes’ online bog needed to be “cleaned up a lot” and “positive spin needs to be turned on.”
Cuadra noted that he had also been in contact with some of his “pen pals,” whom he advised to wear a “‘Free Harlow’ T-shirt to court.”
The trial is expected to last at least one more week.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].