Pocono News Section

Emotional Day of Testimony in Triple Murder Trial

Emotional Day of Testimony in Triple Murder Trial - Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 9:18PM EST

TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY- Day 2 of testimony has wrapped up in the Steven Colegrove murder trial. Two of Colegrove's ex-girlfriend's were forced to take the stand against him, and it was too emotional for one of them.
One of those ex-girlfriends broke down in tears - she started sobbing - and the court had to take a recess. The other helped to prove prosecutors case, by saying Colegrove hated certain members of his family.

Konni Warner of Deposit, New York dated Steven Colegrove for two years. They were engaged and she said he rarely, if ever, had anything nice to say about his family.

The family he was involved with in New York never met Pennsylvania relatives. He expressed distaste towards his family, except for his father," said District Attorney Dan Barrett.

The other key part of Warner's testimony took place in the hours right before the murders inside the Tuscarora Township home. She talked with Colegrove on the phone and she said it sounded like he was driving.

Prosecutors speculate he was on the road to murder. “He was making phone calls that night. This is one that the jury gets to know about. They will hear about others," added Barrett.

Katherine Rutkowski, another ex-girlfriend, left court emotional after breaking down on the stand. She said Colegrove had the motive to murder, because he stood to gain money because of a family will.

There was also concern over one juror on Wednesday and what the juror "may" or "may not" have seen in the prosecutions files. It turned out not to be an issue. “I think somebody misread an expression of a juror and became appropriately cautious. But as it turned out, nothing happened," said Barrett.