Kerekes Pleads Guilty
A suspect in the slaying of a gay porn producer says he will not turn against his accomplice. Joseph Kerekes admitted today to his involvement in the brutal murder two years ago. By pleading guilty to second degree murder, Kerekes avoids the death penalty but is sentenced to life in prison. He did not get any other deal from the DA’s office for testifying against his partner, Harlow Caudra
He adamantly told the press he will not take the stand. Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Kerekes, 34, to the mandatory life sentence plus a combined 56 to 112 months in state prison, and 24 months probation to be served consecutively to the life sentence.
“I will not testify for the state against Harlow." Those are Joseph Kerekes last words before being hauled away to begin serving a life sentence. On Monday, Kerekes pleaded guilty to second degree murder for his role in the death of Bryan Kocis, owner of Cobra video.
Kerekes told the court he and his partner Harlow Cuadra drove from Virginia Beach to kill Kocis in January 2007. He claimed Cuadra slashed Kocis' throat, stabbed him 28 times, robbed the Dallas Township house and set it on fire. Investigators claim Cuadra and Kerekes wanted to erase their main rival in the porn industry and cash in by using one of his former lead porn stars, Brent Corrigan.
Attorneys were ordered not to talk Monday, but last year prosecutors described the crime. Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Tom Doherty said in July 2007, "this was well organized, planned, willful and they knew what they were doing every step of the way."
Kerekes didn't admit to actually using the knife or torching the house, but said he knew what Cuadra had planned. According to police, Cuadra used an alias to plan a business meeting with Kocis the night he was killed. Kerekes says they did surveillance of the house the night before and bought a gun, knife and lighter fluid.
By pleading guilty Kerekes avoids the death penalty. He did not strike a deal with prosecutors for testimony against Cuadra who is expected to face trial next month.
Kocis' father did speak in court before Kerekes was sentenced. He said he will never forget or forgive him for what he did. To that Kerekes said “I'm sorry.”
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Harlow Cuadra testified yesterday in his capital homicide trial and has said that his lover and business partner Joseph Kerekes murdered Bryan Kocis. Harlow related in his testimony that on the coaching of Joe he went there to Kocis' private home to discuss being a model in a Cobra Video production.
Today is the 11th day of this ongoing trial and going against the advise of his attorneys Harlow described how after he arrived at the Kocis house Joe rapped on the door while he was inside and a fight between Joe and Kocis ensued and further testified "Joseph reaches in his pocket and pulls out a knife and slashed Bryan's throat. I yelled, "Joe, what are you doing, he said to get the fuck out."
In further testimony by Harlow this afternoon he testifed that he ran and hid in the back seat of a rental car Joe had driven to take him to Bryan Kocis home in Dallas Township, Pennsylvania after Joe became violent. He went on to detail how the two of them were afraid and traveled to South Beach, Florida where they lived in a motel room for several months before returning to their home in Virginia Beach.
Harlow explained in his testimony how he was sexually abused as a child, broke relationships with his family because he was gay and how Joe's family took him in and showed him love. He alluded to Joe being the dominate one in the relationship and described how Joe managed all the business affairs and Harlow described under oath. "I can't even go to the store to buy toilet paper without him."
Harlow testified about his life in Florida, how he enlisted in the Navy in late 1999, how he fell in love with an naval officer who was later transferred to San Diego.
Harlow said after his lover (naval officer) was transferred, he felt alone and met Joe at a shopping mall after talking with him in a chat room online. He described how his relationship with Joe grew into the escort and gay film production business it was prior to the couple's arrest for the murders. Harlow said, "(Joe) was always with me, everywhere I went, he was with me."
At the opening of this morning's session of court Joe Kerekes, (now 35 years old) refused to testify for Harlow.
Joe dressed in a white shirt with the letters "DOC" on the back, and brown pants, walked into the courtroom with Harlow staring at him. Joe didn't appear to look at Harlow who was sitting at what reporters descibe as "just 15 feet away from the witness stand."
Harlow's attorney Joseph D'Andrea questioned Joe about the few times he visited him at the state prison after Joe pleaded guilty for the murder after a December 2008 court hearing when was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Joe said on the stand, "I've been thinking a lot about my parents, I think it will destroy them to say something that I didn't do, what I told you (D'Andrea) is untrue." Following that, Joe was whisked out of the courtroom and is being held in custody in the county jail pending further needs from the court. Throughout the prosecution's case, Harlow's attorneys have attempted to blame the murder on Joe, claiming Joe was the more dominant person in the relationship.
For Up-To-The Minute Reporting On The Trial Visit Our Network Blog Partner, Harlow & Joe On Trial
If convicted for this brutal murder Harlow could join the likes of other well known gay killers like John Wayne Gacy and Jeffery Dahmer. Closing statements are expected to reveal how Harlow suffered from extraordinary pressures akin to the Stockholm Syndrome effects suffered by abused children having been sexually abused in their childhood, battered women, prisoners of war, cult members, incest victims, criminal hostages. It seems pretty clear by me that the trial thus far has painted a perfect picture to the jury of Joe being the controlling and often intimidating factor in the entire course of events leading up to and beyond the murder of gay bareback porn producer, Bryan Kocis.
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