Man Charged in Throat Slashing Murder, Cop Dragging
Victim asked prosecutors to recommend drug rehab for man, rather than jail time in past case
NBCPhiladelphia.com
James Nicolai, 24, has been charged with murdering his neighbor Richard Porter and assaulting Philadelphia Police Officer Christopher Brennan by dragging him down the street.
A Montgomery County man charged with murdering his neighbor served jail time for previously breaking into the man's home.
James Nicolai, 24, of Wayne, Pa., allegedly slashed Richard Porter's throat inside the man's home along the 400 block of Woodhill Road in Upper Merion, Pa. Friday morning, according to authorities.
A bloody knife wrapped in a towel was recovered by authorities in Porter's bedroom and bloody sneaker prints were tracked through the living room, according to investigators.
Investigators say blood spatter findings also suggest Porter, 68, and the suspect struggled for some time before Porter succumbed to more than a dozen stab wounds to his face, neck, back and chest.
Nicolai's alleged invasion on Friday wasn't the first time the man had a confrontation with Porter.
Nicolai, a heroin addict, served two years in jail after admitting to breaking into Porter's home multiple times between November and December 2007, according to court documents.
Montgomery County D.A. Risa Vetri-Ferman says it was Porter who sympathized with Nicolai's drug problem and asked for prosecutors to recommend drug rehab over jail.
He was just released from a confined drug treatment program last Monday and only a few days later he "bolted" from an Upper Darby halfway house after meeting with a probation officer, investigators say.
Nicolai's mother says she begrudgingly gave her son a place to stay the night before the murder, according to an affidavit. The woman told authorities she made her son empty his pockets and that among the items was a 4-inch knife with a brown handle.
It is unclear whether that knife may have been used as the murder weapon.
Nicolai's absence at the halfway house prompted police to issue a bench warrant for his arrest Friday. But it seems it was too late.
Nicolai has been charged with 17 crimes including First, Second and Third Degree Murder, Robbery, and Burglary.
He's also been charged with aggravated assault for dragging Philadelphia Police Officer Christopher Brennan down Kensington Avenue after the officer tried to stop Nicolai.
Authorities say Nicolai was driving Porter's silver Chevy Tahoe at the time.
A second man who was riding in the SUV during the confrontation is still on the loose, but authorities don't believe he was involved in the murder.
Posted Monday, Mar 15, 2010 - 3:21 PM EST
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