Welcome back to Murder Monday, ya’ll. Hope you all got a chance to read our founder Jen’s two part post on the Martha Moxley case – if you haven’t, head back to our True Crime section and check it out.

This week I am tackling one that I feel like you’ve all been waiting for…

The Bucks County Killings ( 2017 )

Now, usually in cases that are close to home I try to remain neutral with my opinions towards the suspects and victims. I do this in case any family or friends of those involved may happen to stumble upon these posts, I’m not trying to pour salt in anyone’s wounds here. But in this case, I will not hold my opinion back. Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz are mindless, sociopathic, conniving, cold blooded murderers. They are a prime example of the argument of nature vs. nurture, considering they chose the path that they did at such a young age, I am convinced that they were just bad seeds from the start. These two kids are actual pieces of garbage, and here’s why –

July 2017

Between July 5th and July 7th, 2017, four young men were reported missing. The victims Jimi Taro Patrick, Dean Finocchiaro, Mark Sturgis, and Thomas Meo, were subsequently found murdered shortly after their disappearance. They were between the ages of 19 – and 22.

The victims

Jimi Taro Patrick, age 19

Taro Patrick was last seen around 6pm on July 5th in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He was a rising sophomore majoring in business at Loyola University in Maryland. He failed to show up for work the following day, after allegedly meeting Cosmo DiNardo to buy marijuana that night. Taro Patrick was shot in the back, and thrown in a hole.

Dean Finocchiaro, age 19

Finocchiaro was last seen around 6:30pm on July 7, when he was being picked up by an unknown driver. His remains were found in a common grave on July 12. He was shot numerous times by both DiNardo and Kratz, and placed in a metal oil tank that had been converted to a pork roaster.

Mark Sturgis, age 22

Thomas Meo, age 21

Mark Sturgis drove to meet his friend Thomas Meo around 6pm on July 7th. They went to meet DiNardo at a church to buy marijuana, and they were both shot upon exiting their vehicle during the meet up. DiNardo ran out of ammunition, and continued to drive over a still breathing Thomas Meo with a backhoe until he died, he then threw both bodies in the common grave tank where Finocchiaro’s body had been placed.

The Culprits

Cosmo DiNardo, age 20

Cosmo DiNardo was a troubled kid who was already known by local authorities. He was a violent, drug-abusing, diagnosed schizophrenic who had over 30 run-ins with local police, but he had never been convicted of a crime (he’s got rich parents – DUH!) In 2016 DiNardo was banned from Arcadia University’s campus after dropping out and lingering on school grounds, making students “uncomfortable”. On February 9, 2016 he was found with a Savage Arms 20-gauge shotgun and ammunition, but he charge was dismissed because his mental health commitment order was “not in proper format” (fuck you, District Judge Michael W. Gallagher). Bensalem police had records of 88 incidents involving the DiNardo family or calls to their household since 1998.

Months before the murders, DiNardo was stranded for more than a day in the woods with a brain injury after a quad biking accident (shocker).

He also had a startling internet presence that worsened quickly prior to his crime spree.

“I am a savage no explanation needed”
Was posted on his Facebook account on December 27th of the following year.

He also posted public pleas for “new women” and “intercourse” – because, you know, that’s how you get yourself a girlfriend apparently.

He also started posting about new jobs and ideas he had. These grand ideas and unrealistic schemes are a critical sign of mental illness and mania.

“Here is how I plan to make my dreams come true. First I am going to go to Montana to do taxidermy school for six months. My second step will be to open a butcher shop in New Hope. After the butcher shop I will use funds to acquire equipment and a building to make an archery range and paintball course.”

He continued to say profits from this venture would go toward buying land out west, in Florida and in South Africa to lead guided hunts and possibly to get his own reality show (what in the actual fuck).

Neighbors have been quoted saying that DiNardo was “pretty nutty” – and he apparently had bragged before about “having someone killed over a debt”.

He was the heir to a family with sizable real estate holdings. His family had a 68-acre farm that cost 5.4$ Million when purchased in 2005. Their fortune stemmed from trucking and concrete services. In December of 2008 the family purchased another adjacent property for $450,000.

Sean Kratz, age 20

Known for stealing jewelry, leaf blowers and tools, among many other things, Kratz definitely had a criminal past. His former girlfriend’s mother was also quoted saying she was certain he had stolen her dog (as if I needed another reason to hope you get shanked in prison.) Neighbors of his former girlfriend said he “Literally tormented the block.” Residents here had reported multiple break ins, and said he had tried to steal appliances from the neighborhood on numerous occasions. He was repeatedly busted for selling these items at resale shops, and had a short stint in jail prior to his final acts with DiNardo. In March of 2017, he was shot 19 times during a robbery, which probably made him feel like he had gained at least a little street cred.

The Arrests

Sturgis’ unoccupied car had been found by police less than two miles away from Cosmo DiNardo’s family farm – shortly after, they found Meo’s car, which contained his diabetes kit. Without it, his family told police he would not survive.

One person in contact with DiNardo once the four had been reported missing texted him asking, “Aren’t you worried?” about “your buddy Dean” (Finocchiaro) DiNardo replied :

“I mean I know the kid but yeah I feel bad for his parents. He’s a pill-popping junky who has 2 DUIs… he prob just jumped on parole or probation.”

“I have no clue bro it’s weird people keep hitting me up I have no idea what’s up.”

That afternoon, DiNardo was arrested in Bensalem for a firearms charge that had been dismissed in May. At this point he was already a “person of interest”. Prosecutors persuaded a judge to set his bail at 1$ million, and the next day he posted bail with a $100,000 cashiers check from his father Antonio – and he walked free. The following day, police rearrested DiNardo for charges of stealing Meo’s 1996 Nissan Maxima – they said a man had reported DiNardo had tried to sell him the car for 500$ on Saturday. It was agreed that he was now considered a flight risk, and District Justice Maggie Snow set his bail at 5$ Million. They continued their search to the DiNardo family’s Solebury farm, where they unearthed a 12 1/2 foot grave. Inside were the remains of multiple bodies, but only Finocchiaro had been identified initially, as the bodies had been partially burned.

While in custody after these findings by police, DiNardo finally confessed to the four murders, and named Sean Kratz as his accomplice. He was told he would not receive the death penalty if he led police to the other bodies, and officials say without this deal they would not have been able to find them. Without the killer’s cooperation, they wouldn’t have been able to find the body of Taro Patrick, who had been killed and buried separately.

Both DiNardo and Kratz are charged with homicide, conspiracy, abuse of corpses, robbery, and possession of instruments of crime.

Just last week, breaking news came out about DiNardo’s released confession tape from July 13, 2017. In this tape, he explains in detail the crimes he committed in a cool and collected tone.

“I go, get the backhoe, dug the hole, said a prayer, put him in the hole.”

(DiNardo describing how he disposed of Taro Patrick’s body.)

The murder spree started on July 5, 2017 with Jimi Taro Patrick – a former classmate of DiNardo’s. Prior to meeting, DiNardo told Patrick to bring $8,000 for a marijuana deal, but Patrick only showed up with $800. For that amount of money, he said he could just sell him a gun instead of the pot. As Patrick went to try out the 12-gauge shot gun, DiNardo shot him in the back with another gun.

“I didn’t want the kid’s $800. I didn’t kill him over the $800. I wasn’t robbing him.”

He claimed he would have been shot if he showed up to his dealer without the money, as he was the middle man. He burned Patrick’s money, buried his body, and continued to his next business venture.

On July 7th, 2017, after buying 300$ worth of steaks and fish for his family, he went and picked up his cousin Sean Kratz. They proceeded to meet Dean Finocchiaro for a drug deal after dropping the food at their grandmother’s house. Their plan was simple this time – they were going to rob him, maybe even kill him. DiNardo told Kratz he had killed before, and told Kratz to rob and shoot Finocchiaro. Kratz was hesitant.

“I wanted to go home, but he just made it clear that he wasn’t taking me home.”

“He wanted me to rob him in the woods and shoot him, take his money.”

“I just couldn’t do it…”

(Kratz, in reference to the demands given to him by his cousin.)

The two picked up Finocchiaro in Bensalem and drove him to the DiNardo property in Solebury, where Patrick’s body was already buried. Once there, the three took four wheelers into the woods, where Kratz was supposed to shoot him. When he couldn’t shoot, DiNardo became angry. He led Kratz and Finocchiaro into a barn telling them he wanted to show them a Vespa. Once inside the barn, Kratz nervously lit a cigarette as Finocchiaro fiddled on his cell phone. DiNardo gave Kratz a shooting gun hand gesture.

“I kinda was hesitant. I pulled the gun out. I aimed it in the air, closed my eyes and fired a shot.”

DiNardo then took the gun from Kratz hand and continued to shoot the already lifeless body of Dean Finocchiaro.

“His head was split the hell open, half his brain was in the barn.” -DiNardo

They covered Finocchiaro’s body with a tarp after robbing his pockets. Then they rolled the body into a backhoe and lifted it into a pig roaster just outside of the barn.

Just after this, DiNardo’s father appeared. DiNardo claimed that his father had another woman with him who was not his mother. Kratz said DiNardo became angry, and swore to kill the both of them.

DiNardo then received a phone call from Tom Meo to arrange a drug deal that same day, and he planned it to be another set up. They were going to rob him and let him go, but instead he showed up with Mark Sturgis – and the deal turned into a blood bath. Tom Meo and Mark Sturgis were shot repeatedly. While clinging to life, Tom Meo was repeatedly run over by DiNardo. Their bodies were thrown in the roaster with Finocchiaro’s body.

DiNardo drove to a gas station and bought Kratz $30 worth of root beer, cream soda, water, iced tea, and cigarettes. Kratz had refused to “smoke a dead man’s cigarettes.” Then they stopped for cheesesteaks – DiNardo said he didn’t eat his, he didn’t have an appetite. The two had a sleepover that night as the bodies were left burning.

They hand washed DiNardo’s truck and drove to Kratz’s Mother’s house in Northeast Philadelphia the next morning, where DiNardo hid the gun used to kill his victims. Then they visited Kratz’s sister and her newborn baby. While there, DiNardo reportedly made lewd comments to her (again, this was also his cousin…)

Then they continued on to a barber shop owned by Kratz’s uncle, where DiNardo got a haircut and a shave while Kratz tossed the victims’ IDs into a sewer out front. Then they went and got their car washed in Franklin Mills.

So basically DiNardo went and scattered the evidence in his own family members’ businesses and homes, as if he could get any worse.

On their way home, DiNardo’s mother called him in hysterics. Word had spread that her son was the last known to have seen Finocchiaro before his disappearance. Kratz asked to be taken home, but DiNardo took him back to the farm. DiNardo hurried to bury the burned remains left in the roaster. In this time, Kratz went and removed the hidden guns from his mother’s home. When asked why he did this, he stated, “The same reason that I shot Dean – I was scared he was going to harm not only myself, but I have a one-and-a-half-month-old nephew, got a little brother, a mother. He made it out like ‘You say anything and I’ll hurt you.’ After knowing what he’s capable of, I was scared for others.” He claims he never spoke to his cousin again.

At the end of the confession tape, DiNardo breaks down and claims:

“I threw my life away for nothing. All I’ve done is nothing… I ruined people’s families.”

Cosmo DiNardo is serving life in prison.

Now, Sean Kratz on the other hand…

Last week Sean Kratz was offered a plea deal for 59-118 years in prison for a third- degree murder and related charges – and he rejected it. He will now face trial, and prosecutors have put the death penalty back on the table for him. I’m sure we’ll keep you posted when the trial comes.

This story hits close to home for many of us in the area. These kids were the same age as my little brother, and what kid their age doesn’t try buying pot nowadays? It is truly sickening to know that these young men, practically still children, could go through with such gruesome acts. Keep an eye out for your friends, be weary of their troubled acquaintances. And please, for Christ’s sake, don’t be so trusting of those people. See you next week.

Sources:

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-sean-kratz-bucks-county-murders-20180516-story.html

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/In-Their-Own-Words-Bucks-County-Killers-Cosmo-DiNardo-Sean-Kratz-Confession-Tapes-Recordings-Murders–482717101.html

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/In-Their-Own-Words-Bucks-County-Killers-Cosmo-DiNardo-Sean-Kratz-Confession-Tapes-Recordings-Murders–482717101.html

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/He-lured-young-men-looking-for-weed-Their-bodies-turned-up-in-a-pig-roaster-_168385717

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2017_Pennsylvania_murders

Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz brutally murdered four young men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania last summer. The young men went to DiNardo’s 90-acre farm near New Hope to purchase marijuana. The young men, aged between 19 and 22 years old, were shot, doused with gasoline and burned in a pig roaster.

Today, DiNardo pled guilty to homicide and was sentenced to 4 consecutive life sentences. Kratz, DiNardo’s cousin, pled not guilty. The Bucks County District Attorney plans on seeking the death penalty for Kratz with the use of his recorded confession. To hear the confessions and to read more about this horrific case, head over to NBC Philadelphia.

So now that we understand the events surrounding the murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley, let’s dive into the charges, trial and recent overturned conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel.

Martha Moxley, photo courtesy of the Boston Herald

If you read part I, you’ll recall Michael changed his story from the original alibi he had given investigators back in 1975 that convinced them he couldn’t possibly be involved due to timing (he said he had gone to his cousin’s house with his brothers and had not returned until 11 p.m., but let’s be real — it seems the police were willing to use any excuse they could find not to look into the Skakel family). In his memoir years later, Michael revealed he had actually been on the Moxley property and even placed himself at the scene of the crime by admitting to masturbating in a pine tree (yes, you read that correctly) that matched the description of the tree Martha’s body was found under.

The Moxley’s Belle Haven home, 1970s, photo courtesy of the Daily Beast

January 2000

And so, Michael essentially brought on his own demise by not being able to keep his mouth shut. He was charged with Martha’s murder on January 19, 2000, decades after her body was found. Later that day, Skakel, 39 at the time of the charge, turned himself into police and was released on $500,000 bond. Skakel returned to his home in Hobe Sound, Florida (which he shared with his now ex-wife who, ironically enough, was a professional golfer). Michael’s cousin, Douglas Kennedy, responded to the charges by saying, “Michael is one of the most honest people I know. He cares about people more than anybody I’ve ever met, and there is no possible way he’s involved in this.”

As I mentioned at the end of part I, Michael was originally charged as a juvenile because he was 15-years-old at the time the murder was committed. However, on January 31, 2001, Judge Maureen Dennis ruled that Michael should be tried as an adult and the case be transferred to the Superior Court.

2001 – 2006

On April 20, 2001, Superior Judge John Kavanewsky, Jr. ruled that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial and so, testimony began May 7, 2002. Exactly one month later, even with no forensic evidence or eye witnesses (even to this day), Skakel was convicted of murdering Martha Moxley. On August 29, 2002, Michael was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. At the sentencing, Michael tearfully maintained his innocence, saying, “I have been accused of a crime. I would love to be able to say that I did it, but I cannot do that.”

Michael and his defense team refused to let this be the end and continued to fight for his freedom, but they were continuously shut down by the State Supreme Court. In April of 2005, the team filed a petition for a new trial but the conviction was unanimously upheld by the State Supreme Court. In February 2006, Skakel’s team filed a motion asking the State Supreme Court to rehear arguments in Michael’s appeal but the request was denied.

Not willing to give up so easily, the team filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court in July of 2006 stating their cilent’s due process rights were violated by the State Superior Court decision. Not surprisingly, the prosecution filed a brief requesting that the justices reject Michael’s attempts at freedom, arguing that his due process rights were not violated.

This back-and-forth between the defense team and the court went on for years and years. Michael’s defense attorneys worked tirelessly to get the Supreme Court to agree to take another look at Michael’s conviction with their answer always the same: nope.

Michael Skakel, photo courtesy of the Connecticut Post

2013 – 2016

However, things started to look up for Michael when his conviction was overturned in 2013. According to Judge Thomas Bishop, Michael’s trial attorney, Michael Sherman, had botched his case. “The defense of a serious felony prosecution requires attention to detail, an energetic investigation and a coherent plan of defense capably executed. Trial counsel’s failures in each of these areas of representation were significant and, ultimately, fatal to a constitutionally adequate defense,” wrote Bishop in October of 2013.

On December 30, 2016, the Connecticut Supreme Court rejected the ruling that Sherman did not adequately represent Michael in a 4-3 decision. Still relentlessly pursuing Michael’s freedom (because they’re getting some nice paychecks courtesy of the Skakel family), his lawyers asked the State Supreme Court to reconsider the reinstatement of Michael’s conviction on January 9, 2017 (conveniently after the justice who wrote the 4-3 majority ruling left the court.)

May 2018

And finally, we arrive at the most recent addition to the timeline of this complex case. On May 4, 2018, in another 4-3 ruling, Connecticut Supreme Court vacated the murder conviction, stating Sherman failed to present evidence of an alibi. Hubert Santos, Michael’s attorney, told NBC Connecticut, “Today’s ruling makes clear that Michael Skakel spent 11-and-a-half years unjustly imprisoned in violation of the Constitution. To be absolutely clear: Michael Skakel is innocent of this crime. We are grateful to Judge Bishop and the Connecticut Supreme Court for correcting this miscarriage of justice.”

John Williams, New Haven Criminal Defense Attorney, is unsure if prosecutors will continue to pursue Michael’s case. According to Williams, “He did serve a pretty fair amount in prison before this habeas corpus petition was released. He did a lot of time and if he’s innocent, good lord… I think that a reasonable prosecutor could say, okay… it’s time to move on to other things, we have limited judicial resources. But who knows what they’re going to do. It would be an interesting trial if it happens though.”

Martha’s mother, Dorothy Moxley, photo courtesy of the New York Post

Just as Williams said, it is hard to tell how this case will end (if it ever ends), but my biggest hope is that, regardless of the outcome, justice is found for the poor teenage girl who had her life so violently stolen. Dorothy Moxley, Martha’s mother, still stands firm in her belief that Michael is responsible for her daughter’s murder. On the day the conviction was overturned, she told NBC Connecticut, “I was very surprised and I’m very disappointed. I have no doubt in my mind that Michael Skakel is the person who murdered my daughter… People have to be responsible for their actions. You can’t do things and expect you can just get away with it.”

Sources:

Featured image courtesy of ABC News

CNN

Greenwich Time

New York Post

People

Hartford Courant

NECN

New Haven Register