A man charged in a slaying at an Easton hotel wants to be tried separately on homicide and terroristic threats charges.
Jeffrey Knoble, 25, of Easton was charged in Northampton County in the March 11 death of Andrew "Beep" White, 32, at the Quality Inn. Authorities have characterized White as a "good Samaritan" who rented a room for Knoble because he had no place to stay.
Knoble was originally arrested on a terroristic threats charge after his mother alleged he threatened to kill police. He also allegedly showed his mother cellphone video of the victim.
"He indicated he assaulted or killed someone" and also said he was going to shoot some police officers, said Easton Lt. Matt Gerould, describing what the defendant's mother told police.
At a hearing Tuesday on motions in the case, Knoble's attorney, Robert Eyer, argued that trying the charges together would be unfair to Knoble. He called the threat charges "irrelevant and inflammatory," and said they would cast his client in a negative light to the jury.
But First Deputy District Attorney Terence Houck said the charges are interrelated and parts of the same series of criminal behavior.
Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if Knoble is convicted of first-degree murder.
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Eyer and defense attorney Matthew Goodrich said they could offer a mental health defense at trial, including the possibility that their client was insane or operating under diminished capacity at the time. Knoble is being evaluated by a forensic psychologist.
The trial has been scheduled for February.
