WILKES-BARRE — A botched drug deal led to an impromptu plan to “scare” Scott Edward Knox with no intention of killing him, murder suspect Fernando Bracero’s legal professional stated on the primary day of his Luzerne County jury trial earlier than Court of Common Pleas Judge David W. Lupas on Tuesday.
Prosecutors contend Bracero, 37, together with three different males, retaliated over the dangerous drug deal and ambushed Knox, 33, by attacking and stabbing him to demise in an alley behind the Mofon Lounge on Academy Street, Wilkes-Barre, on May 7, 2024.
First Assistant District Attorney Anthony Ross and Assistant District Attorney Julian Truskowski wasted no time in presenting their case-in-chief by enjoying Knox’s name to 911, and displaying bloody crime scene pictures taken by Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Luke Jolley, a member of the Troop P Forensic Services Unit.
The 911 recording had Knox asking for assist, responding to the call-taker that he was on West River Street and was bleeding to demise. The recording additionally had Knox groaning in ache and gasping for air.
Wilkes-Barre City Patrolman James Verdekl responded to the 911 name and ultimately discovered a blood-covered Knox behind a double block home on South River Street. Verdekl stated he, together with different officers, adopted a blood path behind the Mofon Lounge, and obtained video footage of a white Ford pickup truck touring on South River Street.
The truck was ultimately discovered parked lower than a block away on South Franklin and Academy streets, Verdekl stated.
Ross and Truskowski displayed a number of crime scene pictures taken by Jolley to the jury, displaying swimming pools of blood in a number of areas and Knox’s blood-soaked clothes.
Court information say Knox was assaulted and stabbed by Bracero, Justice Supreme Flenory, 25, Jaime Knights, 65, and Jary Javier Fortuna, 33, behind the lounge. During the assault, Knox broke free and ran, the place he was discovered behind the double block home on South River Street.
During opening statements to the jury, Bracero’s legal professional, Andrew B. Bigda, stated Knox and Charles Dennis arrived at Knight’s condominium on West River Street to purchase crack cocaine from Fortuna. Dennis was the client however needed to do a “switcheroo” by having faux crack cocaine he supposed to secretly swap throughout the deal, Bigda stated.
Fortuna realized he was about to get ripped off, Bigda stated, and assaulted Dennis behind Knox’s truck, the place Knights found a regulation enforcement badge.
After Knox and Dennis left, Bigda stated Fortuna and Knights mentioned retaliating for the rip-off try and focused Knox slightly than Dennis.
Bigda stated that Knights referred to as Flenory, who discovered Knox at an condominium and drove him to the Mofon Lounge, the place he was overwhelmed and stabbed.
“This was a plan to scare a guy; this was not a plan to rob Knox,” Bigda stated, including that prosecutors are “trying to ram a square peg in a round hole and it’s not going to fit.”
Ross and Truskowski argued Bracero was the suspect who lunged at Knox, who suffered three stab wounds.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross (now retired) testified that two of the three stab wounds would have been deadly. One stab wound lacerated the femoral artery in Knox’s higher proper thigh, and the opposite lacerated the brachial artery within the higher proper arm.
Knights beforehand pled no contest to third-degree homicide. He has not been sentenced.
Criminal murder trials for Flenory and Fortuna are scheduled for later in 2026.