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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Prosecutors want a judge to allow hearsay statements in support of pending conspiracy charges at a woman&#8217;s upcoming double-homicide trial.</p><p>A motion filed Monday in Luzerne County Court argues a pair of homicide suspect Holly Ann Crawford&#8217;s relatives should be allowed to testify to statements Crawford&#8217;s boyfriend and co-defendant James Edward Roche allegedly made in their presence &#8220;during and in furtherance&#8221; of the couple&#8217;s alleged conspiracy to kill two men.</p><p>Prosecutors argue the statements from Moya Lynn Linde and Alexa Balma, Crawford&#8217;s mother and daughter, meet the requirements for an exception under state law that allows for the introduction of hearsay statements. Courts often do not allow testimony from witnesses concerning another person&#8217;s statements, but exceptions exist.</p><p>Crawford, 40, and Roche, 33, both of Sweet Valley, face a pair of open counts of criminal homicide.</p><p>Prosecutors are scheduled to argue at a hearing Thursday for the addition of conspiracy charges against the couple.</p><p>Crawford and Roche are being tried separately in the April 21, 2014, fatal shooting of Ronald &#8220;Barney&#8221; Evans, 73, and his son Jeffrey Evans, 43, at the elder man&#8217;s Hunlock Township home.</p><p>According to police, the couple drove to the Sunset Lake Road residence after a character in the film &#8220;Boondock Saints&#8221; reminded Roche of Ronald Evans.</p><p>Upon arrival at the residence, Crawford went to the door to lure Evans out. In a recording of his statement to police, Roche can be heard saying he did not intend to kill Evans, but fired on him with a .22-caliber rifle because he was brandishing a pistol.</p><p>In the same recording, Roche also tells police he shot Jeffrey Evans, 43, out of fear he, too, was armed.</p><p>Crawford can be heard in another recording also admitting to the crime.</p><p>Defense attorneys moved earlier this year to suppress the statements and argued against their admission at a pair of hearings in late February.</p><p>Judge Fred A. Pierantoni denied the motion.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL022715crawford11.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Roche </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL022715crawford11.jpg</photo0><caption0>Roche </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL022715crawford21.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crawford </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL022715crawford21.jpg</photo1><caption1>Crawford </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By James O&#8217;Malley</p><p>jomalley@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach James O&#8217;Malley at 570-991-6390 or on Twitter @TL_omalley.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County prosecutors move to admit co-defendant’s statements at homicide trial