April 23 date set for delayed DeSisti trial
Published: January 27, 2012
Barring further delays, the trial of John DeSisti will begin on April 23.
A motion for continuance of the trial was recently granted by Judge Maureen Beirne of the Bradford County Court of Common Pleas after the prosecution requested more time to prepare for the case, according to court information.
In addition, a pre-trial conference originally scheduled for Jan. 20 was pushed back to April 5, according to court information.
A motion to continue the trial until a later date was filed by senior deputy attorney general Joseph E. McGettigan III on Dec. 27. McGettigan, who was assigned to the DeSisti case in November, is the third prosecutor from the state attorney general's office to work on the case.
McGettigan requested that DeSisti's trial begin no sooner than April 2, according to the motion.
Originally scheduled for Jan. 3, the trial was delayed once before until Feb. 6 to allow the court time to hear a motion for reconsideration filed by DeSisti's attorney, Arthur T. Donato, Jr. of Media, Pa. A hearing on the matter, regarding whether statements made by several witnesses during a previous hearing may be admitted as evidence, was held Jan. 17 in county court.
DeSisti, 74, of Waverly, is charged with two counts of murder and one count of burglary relating to the November 2006 murders of his cousin, Carol Keeffe, and her husband David. The Keeffes were found shot to death at their home in Sayre. DeSisti awaits trial at the state correctional facility in Dallas.
Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.