A man accused of murdering a rival gay-porn producer is seeking a new trial.
An attorney for Harlow Cuadra argued Jan. 3 that his client’s trial attorneys were ill-prepared, which contributed to Cuadra’s being found guilty. Cuadra originally filed the request for a new trial in 2012.
Cuadra, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2009 and sentenced to two life sentences without parole for his role in the January 2007 murder of Bryan Kocis.
Prosecutors say Cuadra and then-boyfriend Joseph Kerekes stabbed Kocis nearly 30 times and set his Luzerne County house on fire because they saw Kocis’ gay-porn company as a threat to their own Virginia-based escort and porn business.
In addition to murder, the pair was charged with conspiracy, robbery, theft, abuse of corpse and related charges.
Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is serving a life sentence without parole.
Cuadra’s case instead went to trial, but attorney Demetrius Fannick argued last week in a Post-Conviction Relief Act hearing before Judge Fred Pierantoni that former attorneys Joseph D’Andrea and Paul Walker were ineffective.
Fannick contended the defense suffered from the denial of a time extension and argued that D’Andrea and Walker should have raised a “duress” defense for Cuadra, alleging Kerekes coerced Cuadra into the crimes.
D’Andrea and Walker noted that duress defenses are relied upon to explain why someone committed a crime; they, however, presented the notion that Kerekes committed the actual murder, not Cuadra.
Fannick has until Jan. 20 to submit a supplemental brief, and the prosecution will then have 10 days to respond before the judge renders a decision.