Pa. man appeals conviction in porn rival murder
Posted: January 4, 2014 - 4:01am

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) -- A Virginia man convicted in the murder of a rival in the gay porn business in northeastern Pennsylvania is seeking a new trial, arguing that his attorneys weren't effective and claiming his co-defendant committed the murder. Thirty-two-year-old Harlow Cuadra of Virginia Beach, Va., was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2007 slaying of 44-year-old Bryan Kocis in his rural Dallas Township home. The (Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader (http://bit.ly/JzmnZn) said Cuadra's former attorneys testified Friday in Luzerne County Court that they made his case a priority and spent much time and effort preparing for trial. The attorneys also said Cuadra withheld information from them. Investigators said Cuadra and 26-year-old Joseph Kerekes killed the victim and set his house on fire. Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.