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Key witnesses took the stand Tuesday in the trial for two teenagers charged in connection with a beating death in Schuylkill County.
It was a big day in the trial of two young men in Schuylkill County accused in a deadly beating.
Two key witnesses took the stand for the prosecution. They were the two other teens charged in the case besides Brandon Piekarski and Derrick Donchak. Those two witnesses testified against their friends.
Colin Walsh, 17, was supposed to be on trial too. He was facing third- degree murder charges in the case. Instead he made a deal. He pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges to avoid trial and agreed to testify against his friends.
Walsh is the first to get prison time for the death of Luiz Ramirez. He told jurors he faces nine years in prison but hopes to get only four by testifying.
So he did. He told jurors that Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarski did the most of the fighting, that they punched and kicked Luiz Ramirez, leading to the illegal immigrant's death.
Walsh admitted he threw a punch that knocked Ramirez to the ground last summer on Laurel Street in Shenandoah but, Walsh said, Piekarky delivered a powerful kick to the victim's head after Ramirez was unconscious. "I was shocked. I ran away. It wasn't really right what he did, to kick him when he was down," Walsh told the court.
He went on to testify that his friends first told police the fight was just between him and Ramirez, that his friends pinned the crime all on him. he said, "At that point I realized they were all telling on me. They were all putting it on me. I am just telling the truth. It's the truth."
He said after going along with the story for a while, he decided to tell the truth.
Also taking the stand was 18-year-old Brian Scully. He was charged as a juvenile in this case but he told jurors he was an instigator. He said he was the one who first yelled racial slurs at Ramirez. He hopes his testimony will also lead to lesser charges.
He said even after an initial fight ended he taunted Ramirez more, leading to the rest of the fight, the part that proved deadly.
Scully did say on the stand that Donchak and Piekarski did most of the fighting.
As Colin Walsh left the courthouse with his father he would not speak. His father said, "We're just trying to get this over. That's all." When asked how tough the last night months has been Mr. Walsh replied, "Very tough. Very hard."
It was a big day in the trial of two young men in Schuylkill County accused in a deadly beating.
 |
Colin Walsh, 17, was supposed to be on trial too. He was facing third- degree murder charges in the case. Instead he made a deal. He pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges to avoid trial and agreed to testify against his friends.
Walsh is the first to get prison time for the death of Luiz Ramirez. He told jurors he faces nine years in prison but hopes to get only four by testifying.
So he did. He told jurors that Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarski did the most of the fighting, that they punched and kicked Luiz Ramirez, leading to the illegal immigrant's death.
Walsh admitted he threw a punch that knocked Ramirez to the ground last summer on Laurel Street in Shenandoah but, Walsh said, Piekarky delivered a powerful kick to the victim's head after Ramirez was unconscious. "I was shocked. I ran away. It wasn't really right what he did, to kick him when he was down," Walsh told the court.
He went on to testify that his friends first told police the fight was just between him and Ramirez, that his friends pinned the crime all on him. he said, "At that point I realized they were all telling on me. They were all putting it on me. I am just telling the truth. It's the truth."
He said after going along with the story for a while, he decided to tell the truth.
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He said even after an initial fight ended he taunted Ramirez more, leading to the rest of the fight, the part that proved deadly.
Scully did say on the stand that Donchak and Piekarski did most of the fighting.
As Colin Walsh left the courthouse with his father he would not speak. His father said, "We're just trying to get this over. That's all." When asked how tough the last night months has been Mr. Walsh replied, "Very tough. Very hard."
