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owledge of any plea that was made.testified at LackawannabeltMcKenna--(Continued from page one)Williams said that the rest of the time date of Oct. 30,1973 and the time 4:15 p.m.yesterday would be spent deciding which The amount of the money order was $40.oy both sides would be The sender was Mrs. Vera McKenna andnee the receiver was her son, Gerard, who wasintroducedadmissibleyoke to find him astride her, Mrs.irksnll said “I think I did.” She wasJudge Williams then said the trial would t0 call for it at the Martz Bus Station inFridayWilkes-Barre.nded a document by Attorney Walrath and t0id the jury that the Commonwealth Helen Yatsko of Luzerne, Pa., testifiedthat she is employed at the Martz Trailway office in Wilkes-Barre and is an agentid asked to read it to refresh herindicated its case-in-chief will beemory. Objections from Attorney Shu- concludedan followed and a recess was declared the defense has said it would be ready to there for Western Union. She identified ar a conference in Judge Williams’ cham- immediatelyOctrs.When the trial was resumed, Judge convened at 9:40 o’clock with the calling ofilliams declared that as a result of the §gt Francis Panuccio of the State PoliceThursday morning’s court session was receiving it at 4:58 p.m. She said that a m $40McKenna at 6:30 Octbeen agreed unjt at Wyoming by the Commonwealth to said that for identification, McKenna preen by the defense and the Common- the witness stand.?alth which he read. In the stipulation itagreedsented his Pennsylvania driver’s license bearing the numerals 124-234-89. ThereSgt. Panuccio said that he was serving with the Towanda detail in late 1973 and on was no cross-examination of the witness.en presented as a defense exhibit was a jsjov 5 0f that year was assigned to theSayretranscript dated Dec 73 in the case of the People of New York ainst Gerard McKenna in county court Lackawanna, N.Y., and that reference ade by the witness that the belt wasTrooperbeddidn’t have a loopedhis hand. This concluded the cross-amination of Mrs Hucksoll, but under -direct. Attorney Shuman asked her ‘‘Do u recall being asked (at the earlier New rk State hearing) about the belt?” andCoston case. He declared that on Nov. 5, said she and her husband operate a taxi1973, he went to the Lowery Funeral Home business in Waverly and its office is alsoin Athens with Lieut. Edward Bloomer of Western Lnion headquarters. She said thatshe was working there Nov. 1, 1973 whenMrs. Vera McKenna sent a money order at 10:10 a.m. in the sum of $25 to Chattanooga, Tenn., where it was to be picked up by Gerard McKenna.Under cross-examination, Mrs Camp-McDonaldTroopertory samples from Sharron’s body. Fromwehtpolice command post ition where Trooper IDoatthe samples in a sealed envelope. Theenvelope with the samples, Sgt. Panuccio e replied in the negative. Then he asked: said was brought on Nov. 5 to the stateWaverly indicate whether a money orderGerardOct)id McKenna have a belt in his hand in e form of a noose,” and she repliedfes.”police barracks here where until Nov. 9 it was locked up in safety On Nov. 9, Sgt.Panuccio said, he turned over the sealed Following Mrs. Hucksoll to the witness envelope with the samples to Trooperair was her 14-year-old brother. Conrad Michael Jordan who took them to the statepolice crime laboratory at Wyoming. Under cross-examination by AttorneyWalrath, Sgt. Panuccio was presented a document with a request fo read it and refresh his recollection. This brought on a side bar conference and at its conclusion.Octis living in the home of his mother atthebed‘ started to screa bedroom, turnedsaid she had no such record in her office but if there was one, it would be kept at St Louis, Mo., where all Western Unionrecords are maintained.Genevieve Herring of Chattanooga. Tenn., testified that she is a Western Unionoperator and that she received a moneyorder in the sum of $25 at 10:32a.m. Nov. 1, 1973. It was sent from Waverly by Mrs. Vera McKenna to her son, Gerard, the witness said. She said she handed the? light and saw a man hunched over her Attorney Walrath asked Sgt. Panuccio: money order to Gerard at 12:29 p.m. Nov.bed and seatedtheriach. The Do you have any recollection of the da\side of the nov 13 1973?” The witness replied Not•d, the man turned and looked and every hour” and he was handed a docu-nrad shouted W'hat are you doing ment with his signature on it This brought•re?” At this, the man ran out of the room on a Commonwealth objection and a conid down the stairs.Asked bv Attorney Shuman if he knewproducedlicenseaddressSavreassailantference in chambers. When the trial was ;new resumed at 10:30, the Court said it sus-an(* tained the Commonwealth objection to thisuld point him out in the courtroom. line of questioning. Attorney Walrath thennrad said that he could and then pointed asked of Sgt. Panuccio Is it true that fromthe defendant’s direction, He thenhat he had seen house for aboutassaults sister.There was no cross-examination uthNov 5, 1973 to Dec 27, 1973 you were a member of the investigative team assigned to the Coston case?” The officer replied that after his transfer to Wyoming Dec. 27.1973 he was no longer a member ofcross-examinawitnesstion ended at this point.Next witness was Lyle Jack White ofestify Thursday in the trial that got under Athens who works for the Valley CreditJudgenowprior to adjourningthan usual, JudgeBureau and is agent at the Sayre office of Western Union. He identified a copy of a Western Union money order bearing theThe next Commonwealth witness wasMrs. Ioretta Foley of New Orleans, La She said she was living there Nov. 2, 1973, her home being close to that of Gerard McKenna’s sister. Mrs. Vera Apken. She said she saw Gerard there on Nov. 2. 1973 and he appeared “messy and agitated.”She also stated that Gerard’s sister cameto her (Mrs Foley's) house to call her mother, Mrs. Vera McKenna, in Sayre. She stated that she saw Gerard at his sister’s home, stating that he arrived in a dark-colored station wagon which was parked in front of his sister’s residence inNew Orleans.Following Mrs. Foley to the stand was Mrs Kim Hucksoll whose testimony provided the dramatic high point of the Aria! Thursday
Newspaper Details
The Daily Review
Towanda, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Dec 06, 1974
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Jennifer K.
USA 05 May 2022
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