A man and woman have been ordered to stand trial in the shooting deaths of a father and son in the victims' northeastern Pennsylvania home last spring that police allege were triggered by a character in a movie.
James Roche, 32, and Holly Ann Crawford, 39, are charged in Luzerne County in the April deaths of 73-year-old Ronald Evans and 43-year-old Jeffrey Evans in Hunlock Township.
State police on Thursday read a letter of apology that authorities said was written by Roche, who investigators said was jealous of Crawford's previous relationship with the elder Evans, known to friends as "Barney."
"I only wanted to fight Barney because he always caused problems between me and Holly.... If I can, I would turn back time and never go to Barney's looking for a fight,'' the letter said, according to police.
Police allege in the arrest affidavit that the defendants told them they were home watching "The Boondock Saints'' at Crawford's residence when Roche became agitated because a character in the movie reminded him of Ronald Evans. Authorities allege that Roche then stood up saying, ``He needs to go," referring to the elder Evans.
Roche's attorney, Paul Galante, elicited testimony that Roche had been drinking before the murders and before he was interviewed.
Public defenders representing Crawford unsuccessfully sought dismissal of a murder charge against her, saying no one had accused her of shooting and the slayings hadn't occurred during commission of a felony. The judge rejected that idea but did dismiss two harassment counts.
