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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; County prosecutors Wednesday challenged an accused killer&#8217;s allegation his confession was taken under pretenses that violated his rights.</p><p>Daniel Holtslander, 38, of Wilkes-Barre, is charged with the fatal stabbing of Kurt Swan, a 49-year-old local homeless man whose body was found over the summer in a wooded area behind Kmart in Edwardsville.</p><p>Holtslander&#8217;s attorney, John Pike, argued in a series of motions filed last month that an alleged confession Holtslander made to police the day he was charged was &#8220;not voluntary&#8221; or &#8220;a product of his rational intellect.&#8221; Pike had further claimed Holtslander was questioned without first being read his rights.</p><p>Prosecutors, however, challenged that claim Wednesday in a response filed in Luzerne County Court. In it, they argue Holtslander was not only made aware of his rights, but was provided them orally and in writing.</p><p>&#8220;(Holtslander) knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waived his right to remain silent and spoke with the investigators on July 7, 2016,&#8221; assistant district attorneys Jarrett Ferentino and Mamie Phillips wrote. They asked a judge to dismiss Pike&#8217;s motion to suppress the statement. A ruling is expected at a later date.</p><p>The prosecutors also challenged a claim evidence was collected from Holtslander&#8217;s home without his consent, arguing a valid search warrant containing probable cause was signed by a judge prior to being executed.</p><p>Photographs and videos of the victim used at trial, which Pike sought to prohibit, have yet to be determined by prosecutors and a ruling on whether they&#8217;re allowed should be held until the evidence is chosen, they argued.</p><p>Holtslander remains jailed without bail ahead of a March 29 trial date.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_web1_web1_image201678238136-1-2-2.jpeg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_web1_web1_image201678238136CMYK-1.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Holtslander </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_web1_web1_image201678238136CMYK-1.jpeg</photo1><caption1>Holtslander </caption1><photoCredit1>Times Leader file </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Prosecutors: Holtslander’s confession is valid