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Decision soon on appealing restrictions placed on Louis DeNaples by PA Gaming Control Board

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Judge jails Kentucky clerk for refusing marriage licenses

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Two counts each of conspiracy now compound the list of charges facing accused killers Holly Ann Crawford and James Edward Roche.</p><p>Judge Fred A. Pierantoni III approved addition of the charges this morning during a hearing in Luzerne County Court.</p><p>Crawford is set to go to trial Sept. 14 on charges she and Roche, her boyfriend, shot and killed Ronald &#8220;Barney&#8221; Evans and his son Jeffrey Evans at the elder Evans&#8217;s Hunlock Township home.</p><p>Roche is scheduled to face the same charges at trial beginning Nov. 2.</p><p>The newly-added charges of conspiracy to commit criminal homicide hinge on allegations Crawford and Roche entered into an agreement to kill the father and son when they agreed to drive to Evans&#8217;s residence.</p><p>Police say a character in a movie reminded Roche of Ronald Evans, so he and Crawford drove to the 73-year-old&#8217;s home to confront him. Evans met Crawford at the door and was gunned down by Roche, police say. Roche then allegedly entered the home where he encountered and shot 43-year-old Jeffrey Evans.</p><p>Other issues addressed at the hearing included prosecutors&#8217; attempts to admit Roche&#8217;s statements to police at Crawford&#8217;s trial, on which Pierantoni said he would issue a ruling Sept. 10, allowing defense attorneys extra time to file arguments against such an admission.</p><p>Concerning a defense motion to preclude evidence of Crawford&#8217;s prior arrests and exposure to Miranda warnings, Pierantoni announced he would make a ruling at the time of trial.</p><p>Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the hearing&#8217;s final matter addressed the crime scene and autopsy photos prosecutors intend to introduce at trial. A judge can preclude prosecutors from displaying certain photographs to a jury should the judge find their inflammatory nature outweighs their probative value.</p><p>Defense attorney Jonathan Blum argued mostly against the admission of color photographs showing blood and entry wounds. He said the pictures likely would not add to the testimony of forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross, who Blum described as a capable and competent witness.</p><p>Pierantoni ruled only a few photos to be irrelevant, disallowing a pair of images depicting gratuitous blood and blood spatter. Others, he ruled, must be cropped, converted to black and white or both. He approved many other images to appear at trial without modification.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL022715crawford1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Roche </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL022715crawford1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Roche </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL022715crawford2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crawford </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL022715crawford2.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>

Conspiracy charges added against couple accused in Hunlock Twp. double homicide