Wilkes, Scranton Face Formidable Foes

Albert Grabski 
Feb. 19, 1995 
Albert Grabski, 79, Of East Washington Street, Nanticoke, Died Sunday At Mercy 
Hospital, Wilkes-barre.

By JEFF WALSH; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, February 22, 1995 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE -- Two employees of a local cellular phone provider testified
Tuesday that they saw Derrick Lawrence the day Anthony Kevin Barnes was
killed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Barbara Lavelle, market sales manager of Cellular One, Wilkes-Barre, and
Kimberly Ann Hayward, who sells phones to its walk-in customers, both said
Lawrence was a customer at their Mundy Street office on July 25, 1994. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In his opening statement, defense attorney Charles Ross said his client was
in Bronx, N.Y., that day, when Barnes was shot in his in Wilkes-Barre
apartment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lavelle said she and Lawrence exchanged greetings as she was exiting the
building for her lunch break. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She said he was wearing a long olive-green trench coat in temperatures over
80 degrees. She said she wondered why he was dressed so warmly that day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lavelle called Cellular One's legal department after seeing Lawrence's
picture used in television and newspaper reports. They told her to call the
police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On cross-examination, Lavelle rejected defense questions that she saw a man
at the business that day, but not specifically Lawrence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I saw him in our store without a doubt," Lavelle said, adding that as
sales manager it is her job to remember people. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hayward testified she saw Lawrence twice that day. She first saw him in the
early afternoon when he said he wanted to buy a phone, but he was in a hurry
and would come back later to complete the paperwork. He returned at
approximately 4:30 p.m., to find his credit had not been approved because of a
problem with his Social Security number. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hayward was the last witness to testify Tuesday, and her cross-examination
will resume at 10 a.m. today. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The case in front of Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Ann Lokuta
will not be heard Thursday and Friday because Lokuta will be attending a
conference. The trial will resume Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Earlier Tuesday, Wilkes-Barre Police Department detective Alan Bogdon was
on the stand. Bogdon processed the scene at the Hazle Street apartment by
securing and photographing evidence, and taking measurements and pictures of
the apartment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bogdon arrived at the scene after Barnes' body had been removed, so the
prosecution was not able to use Bogdon to enter certain evidence. Barnes'
clothing and a rug that Barnes fell onto after being shot were not admitted
into evidence Tuesday because Bogdon was not there while Barnes was on the rug
and wearing the clothing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During Bogdon's time on the stand, a bullet and three shell casings found
in the apartment were admitted into evidence, as well as pictures of their
locations in the apartment. The other two bullets, removed from Barnes' body
during the autopsy also were entered as evidence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On cross-examination, the defense highlighted Bogdon's testimony that no
fingerprints were found linking Lawrence to the scene. A phone, answering
machine and ax handle were all dusted for prints. When asked, Bogdon said the
shell casings were not dusted for prints. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lawrence is being held in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without
bail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Witnesses Counter Alibi Of Suspect