Woman Found Dead In W-b Motel Room

Alice M. (boone) Kiesinger

By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@leader.net
 Wednesday, January 08, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





LEHMAN TWP. - The man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend had been
in and out of mental institutions for years as his parents tried to help him
overcome personal troubles and drug use, the family's pastor said Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Matthew Bullock has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said the Rev.
Dennis Gray, and his parents, Robert and Phyllis, are ``beside themselves''
with grief for their son and for the family of the victim, Lisa Hargrave. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``They had paid for him to get help several times. To do this type of
crime, after all they've done for him, it's just devastating to the whole
family,'' said Gray, pastor of Huntsville Christian Church in Dallas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gray described the Bullocks as ``very good people'' who are actively
involved in the church. He spoke with the couple Monday night at their
Overbrook Road home in Lehman Township and they asked him to act as the
family's spokesman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gray said the couple had met Hargrave, 33, and found her to be ``very
loving and sweet.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``They were looking forward to Matt even marrying this girl. They loved her
and got along very well with her. They were looking forward to her being part
of the family,'' he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police say that hope ended early New Year's Day, when the 25-year-old
Bullock strangled Hargrave, who was reportedly six months pregnant, after a
violent argument inside the Sheridan Manor apartment they shared in
Wilkes-Barre. He hid the body in a closet for six days before turning himself
in on Monday, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gray said Bullock went to police at the urging of his father, who learned
of the death when Matthew Bullock phoned him Monday morning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Matthew Bullock has had multiple run-ins with the law dating back to 1995,
including burglary and theft charges. Gray said the family linked most of his
problems to drug use and his mental illness. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``With his mental history and drug history, that is not a good
combination,'' Gray said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police have said Matthew Bullock told officers he was fighting with
Hargrave because he was upset that, with her pregnancy, she used alcohol and
cocaine with him at a New Year's Eve party. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gray said Robert Bullock accompanied his son to the police station when he
reported the death. He said Robert Bullock noted Matthew's story changed
several times during the interview. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``His story at the Police Department kept conflicting if he was on drugs.
He mentioned the possibility of a blackout. He did not know all the details of
what happened,'' Gray said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Luzerne County Coroner Dr. George Hudock has ruled Hargrave's death a
homicide based on preliminary evidence and interviews with police. But he was
unable to determine a cause of death after an autopsy Monday night, said Chief
Deputy Coroner William Lisman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lisman said Hudock was hindered by the body's state of decomposition and
needs to do further analysis, including toxicology reports, before he can make
a ruling. Lisman said he expects the ruling within several days. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lisman said Hudock confirmed Hargrave was pregnant, but has not yet
determined the gestation of the fetus. Authorities have not determined if
Bullock was the father, but Hargrave's family has said she told them the child
was his. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bullock has been charged with one count of criminal homicide. District
Attorney David Lupas said Tuesday he has not decided if he will charge Bullock
for the death of the fetus. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``That will be determined once we get all the facts,'' Lupas said.
``There's a lot of investigative work that needs to be done.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bullock is being held in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without
bail. Gray said Bullock's family is continuing to struggle with their
emotions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``They are kind of beside themselves right now. They still love him and
they're going to be by his side. But they in no way condone what he did.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He said the family also feels deeply for Hargrave's family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Let them know they are praying for their family and would like to do
whatever they can to help them in the grieving process,'' he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pastor: Struggles Fill Past Of Suspect 
Stays In Mental Institutions, Drug Problems And Run-ins With The Law Are Among
Problems That Have Plagued Matthew Bullock, Family Says.

Pastor: Struggles Fill Past Of Suspect Stays In Mental Institutions, Drug Problems And Run-ins With The Law Are Among Problems That Have Plagued Matthew Bullock, Family Says.