BEAVER, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania judge has declared a mistrial in the death penalty trial of two stepbrothers accused of having killed an elderly man who authorities say was tied up and beaten during a robbery.
The Beaver County Times (https://bit.ly/1hS4osD ) reports that President Judge John McBride ruled Thursday that some testimony had been inappropriate without going into specifics. A new trial will be scheduled.
Twenty-six-year-old Joseph Arlott and 23-year-old Beau Chermer, both of McKees Rocks, are charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and robbery.
Eighty-two-year-old Daniel Santia died weeks after he was released from the hospital and taken to a rehab facility following the April 2012 break-in at his Hopewell Township home.
The defense has argued that Santia’s injuries were superficial and he died of unrelated health issues.
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Information from: Beaver County Times, https://www.timesonline.com/
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