Pocono News Section

Monroe County Man Convicted of Murder

Monroe County Man Convicted of Murder - Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 2:58PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009 @ 02:58pm EDT
STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY - A Monroe County man gambled his life and lost. Jason Koehler, 26, will spend the rest of his life behind bars or be put to death.

Several years ago Koehler plead guilty to killing two people. A judge sentenced him to 40 to 80 years behind bars. Koehler appealed that decision and won a new trial. But the new trial ended with worse consequences than the original sentence.

When the jury foreman said "guilty" Jennifer Cullinans family gasped, burst into tears and hugged each other. Five years after Cullinan's murder, they finally got justice.

A jury convicted Jason Koehler of several serious crimes.

- First degree murder for shooting Cullinan. First degree murder is the most serious form of the crime. It means the murderer had specific intent to kill.

- Third degree murder for killing his drug dealer Jason Gray. Third degree murder means he killed with malice.

- Attempted murder for shooting Gray's friend Jose Joubert.

- Theft for emptying his victims pockets.

These convictions all come from a 2004 incident in Polk Township, Monroe County. According to testimony, Koehler was high when he went to Cullinan's home early one morning. He shot all three victims, emptied their pockets, ransacked the home and dumped their bodies down a flight of stairs.

Koehler claimed he killed in self defense but the jury didn't buy that story and decided he should be punished.

The jury will be back at the courthouse Thursday morning. That's when jurors will decide whether Jason Koehler lives or dies.

If Koehler gets the death penalty it will be the first death penalty sentence in Monroe County in more than six years.

In January of 2003 a jury convicted Manuel Sepulveda in the brutal murders of two people. He was supposed to be put to death three years ago but he appealed and his death has been stayed.