PLAINS TWP. - A monthslong, high-tech investigation that included surveillance video analysis and extensive crash reconstruction culminated Friday with the arrest of a township man who police say hit and killed 5-year-old Kevin Miller in December.
Thomas W. Letteer Jr., 23, is facing a single charge of felony accidents involving death or injury that alleges he fled the scene of the crash that killed Kevin as the boy and his family left a Christmas party. If convicted, Mr. Letteer faces at least one year in prison.
Authorities said Mr. Letteer initially spoke with police, but as the months wore on, he became increasingly uncooperative.
"There seems to be no sympathy," Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said Friday. "There seems to be no remorse in his involvement in this and it's very sad, especially in a case like this."
Wearing torn plaid pajama pants, flip-flops and a black T-shirt, Mr. Letteer appeared before Magisterial District Judge Diana Malast for an arraignment Friday morning.
Mr. Letteer declined to comment to reporters, hiding his head in his shirt as detectives escorted him to and from the courtroom.
Mr. Letteer was named early on a "person of interest" in Kevin's death, but it took nearly four months to charge him because investigators wanted to be sure they had a solid case before moving forward, Ms. Salavantis said.
Mr. Letteer was being held at the Luzerne County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail. A preliminary hearing has been set for Thursday at 10 a.m.
Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com