Pocono News Section

Jury Finds Cuadra Guilty

Jury Finds Cuadra Guilty - Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 5:48PM EST

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- After more than two weeks of testimony from close to 90 witnesses, it took a jury less than four hours to find Harlow Cuadra guilty of first degree murder in the January 2007stabbing death of Bryan Kocis.

The judge spent 90 minutes explaining the charges to the jury this morning. They came back less than two hours later, asking if they could find Cuadra guilty of first degree murder as an accomplice, not necessarily as the person who stabbed Kocis. The answer was yes, as long as the jury believed Cuadra promoted the murder of Kocis and somehow assisted admitted killer, Joseph Kerekes, in the act. The eight men and four women left the courtroom in silence. They, as well as the attorneys, are under a gag order through the penalty phase, which begins 8:30am Friday.

Family members avoided our cameras today, but they couldn't escape their emotions. Kocis's parents hugged one another from their seats after hearing the word "guilty." Cuadra's mother left the courthouse, crying out in Spanish and English, "My son is innocent. This can't be true." Loved ones are set to read victim impact statements to the jury as part of the penalty phase. Then, jurors will decide if 27-year-old Cuadra will spend his life behind bars or be put to death.