MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ GARY MATUSAVIGE AND REBECCA PASKE, BOTH OF MEHSOPPEN.

■ DENNIS NAGY AND NADINE PALMER, BOTH OF HALLSTEAD.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

■ David Hoexter to Edmund and Cheryl Jaeger, a property in Herrick Twp. for $89,000.

ESTATE NOTICES

■ Gerald Tusveld, SR 11, Box 184, Hop Bottom; letters testamentary to Doughlas and Vivyenne Pascoe, 2049 SR 2009, Hop Bottom.

■ Kevin Bialy, 830 W. Lenox Church Road., Kingsley; letters testamentary to Christina Marinelli, 211 Outboard Ave., Manahawken, N.J.

A Scranton man faces federal bank robbery charges for one successful robbery and multiple attempted robberies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Francis McBride, 27, faces 16 counts, including bank robbery, attempted bank robbery and interference with commerce by threats or violence, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith.

Mr. McBride also robbed gas stations and convenience stores in Scranton and Moosic, the release states. The robberies stretch from March, when Mr. McBride tried to take $200 from the Tobacco Shop in Scranton, through August, authorities said. He attempted to rob the Citizens Savings Bank in Scranton, the PNC Bank branch in Throop and an NBT Bank in Mayfield on July 8.

His only successful bank robbery was in Netcong, New Jersey, where he stole $5,318 from Fulton Bank, according to court documents.

On Aug. 1, he tried to rob two banks in Port Jervis, New York. All together, he attempted to rob 10 banks and stores in Lackawanna County and three in Luzerne County, authorities said.

He is being held in Pike County Correctional Facility.

Contact the writers:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

lranker@timesshamrock.com, @lrankerNEWS on Twitter

SCRANTON — Police are searching for a specific type of vehicle involved in Wednesday night’s hit-and-run on South Main Avenue that critically injured a pedestrian.

The car that hit Betty Sawkulich, 32, might have been a four-door Hyundai Sonata, Lt. Martin Crofton said. The car is either white or light-colored and made between 2010 and 2013.

There probably is front-end damage to the car and windshield on the driver’s side. It is also probably missing a wiper blade.

Ms. Sawkulich remained in critical condition Thursday at Geisinger Community Medical Center, spokeswoman Westyn Hinchey said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 570-348-4134.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

Hugo Selenski's defense began Thursday morning, but somehow jurors still ended up hearing a recording of Hugo Selenski saying "who gives a (expletive)" if he did murder two people.

The defense called Selenski's brother, Ronald Selenski, to the stand during the 11th day of the capital murder trial to show there was a reasonable explanation for the tools at Selenski's house in Kingston Township — he was clearing trails for all-terrain vehicles — and that he had in fact sought library access to help a friend with his legal troubles.

Jurors previously heard testimony that Selenski repeatedly sought money from the parents of pharmacist Michael Kerkowski for his legal defense after Kerkowski and his girlfriend Tammy Fassett disappeared in May 2002.

• ARCHIVE: Who is Hugo Selenski?
• DAY 10: Witness: Selenski used flex ties to rob me
• COMPLETE TRIAL COVERAGE

But during cross-examination, Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Ferentino changed the tone of the testimony when he asked Ronald Selenski if he ever heard his brother say, "who gives a (expletive) if I did do it?"

"No," Ronald Selenski said.

Ferentino requested permission to play a jailhouse recording of Selenski talking, a request that landed the lawyers in an extended side-bar conversation with Luzerne County Judge Fred A. Pierantoni III. When it was over, jurors got an earful.

"I absolutely denied all charges, but if I did do it, who gives a (expletive)?" Selenski is heard saying.

His brother claimed he didn't recall the conversation.

The testimony came after a series of rapid-fire witnesses seeking to show that many people had unrestricted access to his Kingston Township house — and the yard where two bodies were later discovered.

Selenski, 41, is facing the death penalty if convicted of murdering pharmacist Michael Kerkowski and his girlfriend Tammy Fassett. Prosecutors say Selenski and his accomplice, Paul Weakley, 45, tortured and strangled the couple with flex ties in May 2002 to steal money Kerkowski made by illegally selling prescription painkillers.

Their bodies were found buried near a well at Selenski's house at 479 Mount Olivet Road in June 2003.

Prosecutors offered testimony from several witnesses that Selenski had warned them to stay away from the well area before the bodies were found. But the defense set out to show many people had access to the property and that he didn't try to keep people away.

Selenski's younger sister, Brooke Selenski, was 11 at the time of the murders and told jurors she would frequently visit the house, along with other kids from the neighborhood.

"We loved going over there actually," said Brooke Selenski, now 24. They would ride all-terrain vehicles, swim in a pool and explore the woods freely, she said.

"There were no restrictions, just make sure your wore a helmet when you rode the quads," she said.

Selenski's former neighbor, Matt Hufford, testified that he helped Selenski with major renovations at the house after Selenski moved in during May 2002, and that he received an ATV as payment for his work. He was free to come over as much as he wanted and could roam the property freely, he said.

He would even take care of Selenski's three dogs while he took trips to Atlantic City, he said. He was friends with Selenski, who once paid for a trip to Atlantic City for Hufford and his parents, Hufford said during cross-examination by First Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.

Hufford's mother, Nancy Hufford, also testified that she had seen construction at the house at the time. Neighbor Charles Brokenshire testified he had seen remodeling and landscaping work being done at Selenski's house.

During opening statements, defense attorney Bernard Brown told jurors Weakley was jealous of Selenski and Selenski's relationship with his girlfriend, Christina Strom. Weakley, he alleged, is trying to frame Selenski for murder.

The defense also sought Thursday to raise some doubt about Weakley's account that he and Selenski arrived at Kerkowski's house in Hunlock Creek on the day of the murders in a car.

Kerkowski's former neighbor, Gloria Kremski, said she saw a white van at his house the day the couple disappeared. It appeared to be an industrial van that had the word "Sparkle" written on it, she said.

But under cross-examination by Sanguedolce, Kremski admitted she had seen "quite a few" photos of company vans from businesses including Sparkle Cleaning Co. and Sparkling Pure Water Co., but she was never able to identify the van.

Testimony is continuing, with Selenski's brother Ronnie Selenski standing by in the hallway.

SCRANTON — The Times-Tribune has created a database to show SAT scores from all public high schools in Pennsylvania.

Of 653 schools, Abington Heights High School ranks the highest in the region at 50th, with an average of 1,085 on the math and reading portions of the SAT.

To see scores and compare schools, visit thetimes-tribune.com/sat2014.

— SARAH HOFIUS HALL

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Lawyers for Penn State, the NCAA and the family of Joe Paterno are heading to a central Pennsylvania courtroom to argue before a judge about unresolved issues in the Paterno family's lawsuit over the 2012 consent decree between the university and the NCAA.

The hearing Friday at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte comes amid battles in the case over confidentiality in the discovery process, and whether the lawsuit should include a breach of contract claim.

The plaintiffs once included former players and trustees, but the case has been narrowed and is now being pursued by Paterno's family, his son and former assistant Jay Paterno, former assistant Bill Kenney and former trustee Al Clemens. The defendants are the NCAA, NCAA officials Mark Emmert and Ed Ray, and Penn State.

The NCAA announced last month it had agreed to restore to Penn State 112 football wins from Paterno's later years that had been voided by the consent decree, and to allow a $60 million fine to be spent entirely within Pennsylvania to address child abuse issues.

NCAA had previously restored the Nittany Lions' full complement of football scholarships and allowed it to participate in post-season play.

The consent decree was entered into in July 2012, shortly after former Paterno assistant Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and sentenced to 30-to-60 years in state prison. Sandusky's appeals have so far failed, but he maintains his innocence.

The Abington Heights School Interact Club will collect donations for the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

Interact Club volunteers will collect donations off of front porches in the school district on Saturday, but donations can also be dropped off at the high school. The shelter, which houses dogs, cats and other animals, needs pet food and other supplies, like blankets, cleaning supplies and trash bags.

Checks and cash donations can be made out to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and can be sent to Abington Heights High School, 222 Noble Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411, Attn: Interact Club.

WILKES-BARRE — Two local philanthropists have pledged $100,000 to the campaign for the Center for Jewish Life, a proposed new community center in the vacant Kingston Plaza.

Max Bartikowsky and Anna Cervenak, a couple who have been together for 50 years and have a long history of philanthropic involvement, made the donation recently, according to the Jewish Community Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The money will go toward building the proposed community center, now in the planning stages. The JCC of Wyoming of Wyoming Valley held brainstorming sessions last fall to gather input on ideas for the project.

Mr. Bartikowsky is well-known in the region as the third-generation owner of Bartikowsky Jewelers, which closed in 2013. Ms. Cervenak holds a master’s degree in social work and retired in 2007 as the director of community relations and external affairs at Verizon.

The Woodlands will keep its liquor license.

Three Commonwealth Court judges affirmed a decision made by the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County to renew the liquor license for the establishment in Plains Township.

The Commonwealth Court judges, however, disagreed with county court’s decision to throw out an agreement between The Woodlands and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. That contract, known as a conditional licensing agreement, will remain in effect.

The decision is the latest in a legal dispute between S&B Restaurant Inc., doing business as The Woodlands, and The state Liquor Control Board. The board thinks The Woodlands should not have a liquor license. The Woodlands disagrees.

The liquor control board made an agreement with The Woodlands after the board objected to a license renewal in 2010. The agreement imposed several conditions on The Woodlands. The conditions stipulated that the establishment must install a camera surveillance system, adequate lighting and adequate security.

When The Woodlands applied to renew its liquor license for a two-year period starting Sept. 1, 2012, the board objected.

Citing ten objections issued between 1987 and 2010 and more than 40 reported incidents of disturbance, the licensing bureau objected to a renewal, saying those transgressions broke the agreement.

The Woodlands appealed to county court. Woodlands officials described security measures the club takes, such as employing security, using a metal detector wand on patrons and a dress code. Plains Township Police Officer Richard Lussi said The Woodlands is very cooperative with township police and has been proactive in trying to curb problems. Township Commissioner Ronald Filippini said The Woodlands is one of the largest employers in the township and that he’s not aware of any complaints against the establishment.

The county court hearing finished in favor of The Woodlands. The Liquor Control Board appealed.

The board said the disturbances did in fact establish a pattern of misconduct sufficient to warrant nonrenewal of the license and that The Woodlands did not do enough to address violations. That broke the agreement between the board and The Woodlands, the argument went.

Commonwealth Court judges decided the common pleas court did not abuse its discretion in granting the license.

The incidents at The Woodlands involved different individuals, no incidents involved gangs and few, if any, incidents resulted in serious injuries to the parties involved, Judge Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter wrote in an opinion.

Common pleas court found the number of incidents on the premises was not outlandish, a drain on police resources or disproportionate to other businesses.

“As there is substantial support in the record for the court’s findings and its conclusions are rationally based, we discern no abuse of discretion,” the opinion read.

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillW

TUNKHANNOCK — Prosecutors withdrew a felony charge of aggravated assault against a man accused of assaulting his brother in Laceyville nearly a year ago.

David Michael Yates, 46, of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday in Tunkhannock. Wyoming County district attorney Jeff Mitchell withdrew the lone felony charge, but misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment and a summary charge of harassment will be sent to trial.

Investigators said Mr. Yates assaulted his younger brother, Richard, during an altercation following a memorial service for a family friend March 30.

Another brother, Thomas Yates, who had cerebral palsy and was walking toward the Laceyville bridge where his brothers were fighting, disappeared.

Their stepmother, Lily Yates of Bradenton, Florida, said last spring that she was told that when they looked back to where they thought Thomas was, they discovered he was gone.

The older son maintained that Thomas Yates fell over the bridge into the icy Susquehanna River. His body was recovered a little over four weeks later about 10 miles downstream in Meshoppen.

David Yates remains free on $50,000 bail.

SCRANTON — A city man had repeated sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl when he was 18 years old, police said.

Police said Thomas Abbott, now 19, 118 Morris Ave., admitted to the conduct when they interviewed him. He said he knew the girl was 13 but nonetheless had sexual intercourse with her on four occasions, police said. He is facing charges of statutory sexual assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Mr. Abbott is free on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

An 80-year-old Scott Twp. widow who refused to pay almost $2,200 in township sewer user fees for a building that had no water service or fixtures won her case in court Friday.

After a one-day nonjury trial Jan. 29, Judge Terrence R. Nealon ruled the township sewer and water authority could not force Regina S. Tellip to pay the fees for a storage building that is not connected to the sewer system, has no shower, toilet, sinks or functioning water service and cannot discharge sewage to either the township system or an inoperable septic system.

Mrs. Tellip lives in a home on Marjean Street. The storage building is on adjacent property on Lakeland Drive. Mrs. Tellip’s son, Theodore, uses it to store excavating and lawn service equipment. Water pipes in it froze and burst in 2005, extensively damaging the ceiling. The sinks, shower and toilet were removed, and the structure has no functioning water service.

That did not stop the township sewer authority’s collection agency, Portnoff Law Offices of Norristown, from trying to collect $2,168.68 and penalties for unpaid fees from 2011 onward through a “municipal claim” on Aug. 27, 2013. An arbitration board that rules on fee disputes ruled in the township’s favor, but Mrs. Tellip appealed to the county court.

Trial testimony by township code enforcement officer Carl Ferraro showed the sewer authority excused a Green Grove Road building owned by John Grabowski Jr. that once housed the Hubbard Bike Club from paying sewer fees once he determined the shower, sinks and toilets were removed.

Judge Nealon also brought up an earlier case involving the sewer authority brought against Edward Kashuba for refusing to pay $2,233.58 in fees and penalties on a Layton Road building where he stores products for his Corky’s Garden Path Greenhouse business.

Although the Kashuba building has water service, Mr. Kashuba argued the water was only for his water heaters and for watering plants. Like the bike club, its water fixtures were removed and the building could not discharge sewage. That case wound up before Judge Vito P. Geroulo, who ruled in Mr. Kashuba’s favor once Mr. Ferraro testified Mr. Kashuba’s case was the same as Mr. Grabowski’s.

Judge Nealon asked Mr. Ferraro if he would still act against Mrs. Tellip based on the Kashuba case’s outcome.

“No,” Mr. Ferraro replied.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com

The state attorney general’s office charged a 36-year-old Scranton man Friday after he admitted he’s been watching child pornography on and off for 20 years.

Richard Edwards Jr., 630 Orchard St., downloaded a video on a file-sharing program of a young girl performing sex acts, according to a criminal complaint.

However, downloading from a file-sharing program means he also made the video available for download. Agents were able to trace the sharing to his Internet protocol address and his city address.

Mr. Edwards admitted he’s been viewing child pornography for years and has watched video of children as young as 5 or 6 years old.

Police were able to find nine pictures and one video of apparent child pornography on his devices, they wrote.

He was charged with possessing child pornography, disseminating child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.

Mr. Edwards is in custody at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Contact the writer:

jkohut@timesshamrock.com,

@jkohutTT on Twitter

MARRIAGE LICENSE

Danney Lamar Foster, Scranton, and Crystal Dupont, Taylor.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Shirley D. Watson, Scranton, to Anthony J. Gigliotti, Scranton; a property at 701 Green Ridge St., Scranton, for $145,000.

Ronald C. Nitch and Karen A. Boruta, Gouldsboro, to James J. and Michael J. Gaughan, Taylor; a property at 105 Middle St., Taylor, for $25,000.

George J. Jr. and Marijayne Wallis, Carbondale, to Pleasant Mount Welders Inc., Carbondale; a property at West Dundaff St., Carbondale, for $298,000.

Donna M. Salko, Carbondale, to Jade Elizabeth Mark, Carbondale; a property at 69 Honesdale Road, Carbondale, for $44,500.

The Bank of New York Mellon, Coral Gables, Fla., to Carbondale-Woolworth LLC, Waymart; a property at 49 Laurel St., Carbondale, for $30,000.

Lillian M. and Vincent F. Catagnus to Sanctuary Properties LLC; a property at 40 Lake Drive West, Clifton Twp., for $445,000.

Richard Budzinski, Jefferson Twp., to Jon G. and Sara A. Celli, Cannonsburg; a property in Jefferson Twp., for $256,000.

Thomas J. and Carol L. Malone, Olyphant, to Lolajt LLC, Scranton; a property at 123-125 Delaware Ave., Olyphant, for $40,000.

John Matechak and Gloria Martin, co-executors of the estate of Honora Matechak, Old Forge, to Felicia DeSanto, Old Forge; a property at 709 Oak St., Old Forge, for $75,000.

Fannie Mae to Cheryl M. Morgan; a property at 458 S. Main St., Moscow, for $55,126.

Joseph and Leslie A. Goleneski, Dupont, and John and Janet Goleneski, Avoca, to Stacey Reviello, Old Forge; a property at 1018 Spring St., Old Forge, for $77,000.

Rosemary A. Ivanoff by her agent, Denise Ivanoff, Roaring Brook Twp., to Holley L. Jones, Scranton; a property at Homestead Drive, Roaring Brook Twp., for $159,000.

Mary Boyd, executrix of the estate of Romaine Quinlan, Moosic, to Jonah Fanucci, Royersford; a property at 613 Boies St., Moosic, for $69,000.

Nicholas Jr. and Barbara Urnoski and Gary Urnoski to Richard Budzinski; a property at 447 Second St., Blakely, for $150,000.

Jessup LP, Chicago, Ill., to Corridors Portfolio LP, Bala Cynwyd; a property at Alberigi Drive, Jessup, for $11,005,434.79.

ESTATES FILED

Paula C. Kalinoski, 410 George St., Throop, letters of administration to Kayla Angela Griffith, same address.

Holden Wayman, 241 Ash Boulevard, Vandling, letters of administration to Amy Wayman, 64 Johnson Road, Suite 1, Scott Twp.

Beverley L. Hicks, 17 Hammond Ave., Carbondale, letters testamentary to Alice Manley, 1014 Westwood Drive, South Abington Twp.

Joseph M. Gambo, 324 Oak St., Dunmore, letters testamentary to Angela Yunko, 210 Swinick Drive, Dunmore.

Glen E. Evans, 102 Parkdale Place, Dickson City, letters testamentary to Leonard W. Gilpin Jr., 49 Crestmont Drive, Newfoundland.

Gertrude M. Kuplinski, 417 Cayuga St., Scranton, letters testamentary to Judith Ann Drazba, 4214 Bushnell Road, University Heights, Ohio.

LAWSUITS

Jeff Allen, 101 the Hideout, Lake Ariel, v. James F. Serino, individually and doing business as R&S Enterprises, 1012 Wood St., Old Forge, William J. Reviello, individually and doing business as R&S Enterprises, 984 Wood St., Old Forge, Catherine T. Serino, 1012 Wood St., Old Forge, Venice M. Reviello, 984 Wood St., Old Forge, and R&S Enterprises, 984 Wood St., Old Forge, seeking in excess of $50,000 on five counts, for injuries suffered in a slip and fall at 894 Sibley Ave., Old Forge, on Dec. 21, 2013; Daniel F. Mitsakos, attorney.

Frank S. Balchune Jr., 637 Rear Miller St., Luzerne, v. Herbert N. Hancock, 21A Rosemont Court, Easton, seeking in excess of $50,000 on one count, for injuries suffered in an automobile crash at State Route 11, Moosic, on March 4, 2013; Louis S. Sciandra, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

Joseph S. Domiano v. Amy Jo Domiano.

Kristina Krukowski v. Heather Krukowski.

Tracy Truncali v. Joseph Truncali.

BENCH WARRANTS

The following warrants have been issued by Judge Trish Corbett for failure to appear for child support contempt hearings:

Frank J. Ciesielski, 1173 Belmont St., Carbondale; $1,936.63.

Sean Coleman Sr., Apt. 2, 914 W. Lackawanna Ave., Scranton; $662.14.

Kara Cosgrove, 1126 Meadow Ave., Scranton; $353.74.

Jason Cotter, 1902 Prospect Ave., first floor rear, Scranton; $2,386.71.

Armanda L. Dixon, 1828 Lafayette St., Scranton; $2,411.13.

Scott A. Edwards, 200 Kennedy Drive, Eynon; $4,311.41.

Anyone with any information on the above is asked to call the child support hotline at 570-963-6721, ext. 8160.

ONLINE:

thetimestribune.com/courts

OLYPHANT — Lackawanna County detectives charged a 26-year-old Olyphant man with child pornography possession after tracing to his computer a video found online.

Zachary E. Zbegner, 313 Mooney St., initially denied viewing child porn when detectives interviewed him, then admitted he watches child pornography once a week or more, detectives said.

However, he said he wanted a fresh start and does not want to “mess” with that “stuff” any longer, police said.

Mr. Zbegner was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is set for April 11.

— JOSEPH KOHUT

On Uber’s first night in Scranton, I took a ride with the popular app-based taxi service and compared it to a similar journey with McCarthy Flowered Cabs.

To use Uber, I opened the app on my smartphone. Using the built-in map and GPS, I found my location and selected “Request UberX.” I then typed in my destination, Scranton High School, and almost immediately the app told me Marco in a Pontiac Grand Prix was on his way. Before I was able to close the app, Marco Pardo phoned to tell me he was outside waiting.

In the car, he told me I was the first customer of the night. He expected business to pick up when the bars begin to close between 1 and 3 a.m. The car was well-kept, and I felt bad about knocking snow onto what looked like a freshly vacuumed floor. Mr. Pardo told me he lives in Old Forge and has been driving to Philadelphia on the weekends to work for Uber since December.

Within five minutes, we arrived at the high school.

The app requires users to submit a credit or debit card, so I was billed immediately after the ride was over, with no cash exchanged. As a promotion through Feb. 16, Uber is giving riders in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area their first two rides free, but the lift to the high school would have cost $6.36.

Almost as soon as I got out of the Uber car, I called McCarthy Flowered Cabs to pick me up. The first time I called, at about 8:34 p.m., it rang with no answer. A few minutes later, I tried again, and was told it would be 20 to 30 minutes before the taxi would arrive. After a 25-minute wait, I phoned again to check in. This time it took three calls before I connected with someone and was told it would be “just a few minutes.” I waited a total of 45 minutes for the cab to show up. The car was clean, but not as clean as Mr. Pardo’s.

The ride back was equally as quick as Uber. But even though I had phoned before 9 p.m., I was charged an extra dollar because the cab picked me up after 9. The total was $6.40, 4 cents more expensive than Uber.

Contact the writer:

lranker@timesshamrock.com, @lrankerNEWS

He pleaded the fifth.

Facing the death penalty if convicted of murdering two people, Hugo Selenski on Friday opted not to take the stand on his own behalf, prompting his defense to rest on Day 12 of the trial.

Afterward, as deputies led him from the courthouse, Mr. Selenski, 41, said he would not comment until the trial is over.

“I’m always confident,” he added on his way out the door.

With no rebuttal witnesses scheduled, Luzerne County Judge Fred A. Pierantoni III set closing arguments to begin at 10 a.m. Monday. Jurors will then begin deliberations to decide whether they think Mr. Selenski is guilty of the flex-tie strangulations of pharmacist Michael J. Kerkowski and his girlfriend, Tammy Fassett.

The jury heard from 30 prosecution witnesses over the first 10 days of trial and 13 defense witnesses in the last two days. Prosecutors say Mr. Selenski and accomplice Paul Weakley, 45, conspired to torture and murder Mr. Kerkowski for drug money he made illegally selling prescription painkillers.

Ms. Fassett was collateral damage — she was simply in the wrong place the afternoon of May 3, 2002, according to testimony from Mr. Weakley, who has already pleaded guilty to the murders and is serving life in prison.

Mr. Selenski’s defense countered that Mr. Weakley is a liar who was jealous of Mr. Selenski and is trying to frame him, in part by burying the bodies by a well in Mr. Selenski’s backyard.

A seed of doubt?

During testimony Friday, Mr. Selenski’s defense sought to plant the seed of doubt in the jury’s mind, offering testimony from lawmen who recovered digging tools from Mr. Weakley’s van and saw another man digging in Mr. Selenski’s backyard the same day the couple’s bodies were discovered.

As investigators prepared to close in on the house at 479 Mount Olivet Road, Kingston Twp, on June 5, 2003, state Trooper Christopher O’Brien, now retired, crept through the woods to conduct surveillance of the property. He took the stand Friday and testified he saw a man digging in an area near a pool on the property and pushing around a wheelbarrow before police moved in.

That man, he testified, was Patrick Russin, who was convicted of being an accomplice to third-degree murder in another double homicide in which Mr. Selenski was acquitted. In that case, Mr. Selenski also decided not to testify.

During cross-examination, First Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce asked the retired trooper to point to the area where Mr. Russin was digging on a photo of the property. The area he indicated was “nowhere near the grave site,” Mr. Sanguedolce noted, drawing a defense objection.

Kingston police Sgt. Sam Blaski also testified that when he arrested Mr. Weakley on a warrant Feb. 2, 2003, the van Mr. Weakley was in contained $2,720 in cash along with a sledgehammer, rake, shovel, pickax and other items. Mr. Weakley also had some handcuff keys “in his buttocks area,” Mr. Blaski said.

Mr. Sanguedolce noted those items were recovered eight months after the alleged burial took place.

As testimony drew to a close Friday, the defense targeted the credibility of Mr. Weakley, a career criminal and admitted liar. Mr. Weakley’s former employer, Hi Tech Water Group owner Donald Chaump, told the jury during an extremely brief visit to the stand that Mr. Weakley had a “bad” reputation for truthfulness.

The defense also summoned the case’s lead investigator, Luzerne County Detective Lt. Richard Capitano, to discuss the massive case, which encompasses some 28,000 pages of discovery. Lt. Capitano interviewed “hundreds” of witnesses in the case, including Mr. Weakley about a dozen times, he said.

The detective acknowledged Mr. Weakley has lied about the case numerous times and that at times didn’t want to testify — last year Lt. Capitano had to fly to Arizona to encourage his participation, he said.

Still, “no promises were made” to get his testimony, and the final version of events Mr. Weakley told police was corroborated, Lt. Capitano said.

‘Looking for bodies’

Friday’s testimony capped off a dozen days of testimony from witnesses ranging from police and experts to family members of the victims and Mr. Selenski.

Jurors heard from Mr. Kerkowski’s mother, Geraldine Kerkowski, as well as testimony from his late father, Michael S. Kerkowski, that they went to his Hunlock Creek home the night of May 3, 2002, after getting a message that their son hadn’t picked up his children from day care.

Investigators testified that most people thought Mr. Kerkowski and Ms. Fassett had fled because just days later, he was slated to be sentenced on drug charges that would likely land him in prison. Prosecutors say he made more than $800,000 by selling hydrocodone and Oxycontin pills from his business, the Medicine Shoppe on Route 29, Eaton Twp., Wyoming County.

In the months after Mr. Kerkowski’s disappearance, Mr. Selenski began approaching Mr. Kerkowski’s parents seeking cash, according to their testimony. Their son had told them to trust Mr. Selenski, who was supposedly helping with his drug case, and Mr. Selenski knew about the $60,000 Mr. Kerkowski had hidden in his parents’ basement.

Mr. Selenski’s sister, Mary Ann Selenski Ellis, testified that Mr. Selenski was shocked when police arrived to search his property.

“He immediately looked at me and said, ‘Oh my God, they’re looking for bodies,’” Ms. Ellis said.

A deadly plot

Mr. Weakley, however, told jurors Mr. Selenski had no reason at all the be surprised — it was his idea to bury the bodies there. Mr. Weakley offered a dramatic account of the murders, saying Mr. Selenski “hated” Mr. Kerkowski and was only using him for money.

With Mr. Kerkowski’s prison sentence looming, Mr. Selenski saw the perfect opportunity to rob and murder him for what Mr. Selenski believed was millions of dollars Mr. Kerkowski had hidden away, Mr. Weakley said.

They arrived at his home on Prichards Road in Hunlock Creek on May 2, 2003, and unexpectedly found Ms. Fassett there doing yard work with Mr. Kerkowski, he said. Mr. Selenski and Mr. Weakley quickly decided to incorporate her into their plan, he said.

Uber, a technology company that connects riders and drivers through a mobile app, launched in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area Friday night.

The international company, valued at more than $40 billion and headquartered in San Francisco, began operating at 5 p.m., Jon Feldman, general manager for Uber Technologies in Pennsylvania, announced during a conference call Friday morning.

The company will offer two free trips as part of the launch, expiring at the end of the day Feb. 16, he said.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission granted Uber a two-year experimental license last week to offer service anywhere in Pennsylvania effective immediately, excluding Philadelphia, where transportation is governed by a different body.

Uber’s service is currently available in 54 countries and 270 cities, including Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and State College, Mr. Feldman said.

App finds drivers

When people request rides, the app finds drivers. Riders can see them within minutes and track their location on a map. The driver’s name and car details appear in the app and the rider can message or call him or her.

The app will offer fares 15 percent lower than taxi companies, said Mr. Feldman and Kaitlin Durkosh, spokeswoman for Uber.

Robbie Burgit, owner of Burgit City Taxi in Wilkes-Barre, said he isn’t concerned about the competition.

“I really don’t think it will catch on in a small city,” Mr. Burgit said.

Burgit City Taxi has been in business for 38 years and offers service in 20 white Kia taxis. His taxis have security cameras and are replaced every three years, he said.

“We know some of these folks who we pick up all the time. We’re known to them and they’re known to us,” Mr. Burgit said. “With Uber, there’s no human touch, no human aspect. We know our customers.”

Taxi companies are strictly regulated by the Public Utility Commission, said Brian McCarthy, owner of McCarthy Flowered Cabs in Scranton. He would like to see how the commission is going to regulate Uber’s drivers. Independent contractors are not as easy to control, while taxi companies have lists of drivers, he said.

Both Mr. Burgit and Mr. McCarthy also raised concerns about safety.

“There’s a fear factor involved,” Mr. Burgit said. “You have to worry about who they’re going to send and if it’s going to be safe.”

Ms. Durkosh said all driver partners must undergo and pass federal, state and local background checks going back seven years before they are able to access the Uber platform and provide rides. She said the background checks Uber conducts are more stringent than those of taxi companies.

Uber has a $1 million insurance policy.

The Public Utility Commission requires Uber have active liability coverage starting when a driver opens the app to accept ride requests and finishing with the completion of a ride, said commission spokeswoman Robin Tilley.

“Assuming Uber continues to comply with PUC regulations and standards, passengers can rest assured they are riding in a properly insured and inspected car, with a well-vetted driver behind the wheel,” Ms. Tilley said.

Uber recently posted job openings on LinkedIn looking for part-time independent contractors in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. According to the ads, the jobs could pay people up to $20 an hour for driving their own cars and picking up riders to get fares.

Ready to launch

Hundreds have signed up and many were ready for the launch, Mr. Feldman and Ms. Durkosh said. Riders and drivers can contact each other through the app, and drivers never have the riders’ personal phone numbers. Payments are made through the app using credit cards or PayPal and no cash is exchanged, they said.

Uber adds to other services that offer rides in the area, such as barhoppersnepa.com and rides2work.com, a website started by Chris Hackett, president and chief executive of i2M in the Crestwood Industrial Park in Wright Twp., for people to coordinate transportation to and from their jobs.

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

A former University of Scranton employee tasked with investigating allegations of discrimination has filed a federal lawsuit against the college, accusing it of retaliation.

Rosette Adera, who headed the university’s office of equity and diversity, says she was fired in September 2013, because university officials objected to her findings that another employee was subjected to harassment in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ms. Adera, of Robinsville, New Jersey, began investigating complaints filed by the employee in October 2012, according to the lawsuit. She determined the employee’s allegations had merit and directed the university to make changes to accommodate the worker’s disability.

The suit claims university officials disagreed with her findings and hired an outside consultant to conduct another review. In June 2013, Ms. Adera was suspended and informed she was under investigation for the way she handled the other employee’s complaint.

Ms. Adera filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, alleging the university retaliated against her for supporting the other employee. The university rejected an offer to settle that complaint and instead fired her on Sept. 20, 2013, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Olugbenga O. Abiona of Philadelphia, seeks more than $100,000 in damages for retaliation and violations of the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law.

Stan Zygmunt, university spokesman, declined to comment on the suit.

Contact the writer:

tbesecker@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON — A barbershop will join Sole Providerz, dealer of limited-edition and collectible athletic footwear, in downtown Scranton.

Sole Providerz owner Zach Benishti said the barbershop, King of Fades, would bring traffic and give the space more of an “urban feel.”

He hopes the shop will open in March following state inspections. In July, Sole Providerz moved from a location on North Washington Avenue to 140 Penn Ave.