christopher porco

Christopher Porco (born July 9, 1983) is a convicted murderer; he was convicted of killing his father and attempting to murder his mother. He was tried in Goshen, Orange County, New York, on charges of second degree murder in the November 15, 2004 killing of his father, Peter Porco and second degree attempted murder in the severe wounding and disfigurement of his mother, Joan Porco in Delmar, New York .[1] The trial lasted 21 days and was one of the most highly-covered Capital Region news events in recent memory.

The trial was moved to Orange County after a New York State appeals court ruled that a change of venue was necessary to ensure Porco received a fair trial due to the intense media coverage in the Albany area.[2] Orange County criminal court justice Judge Jeffrey G. Berry, who presided over the trial, allowed still cameras (no sound or video) in the court during the proceedings, a rarity in New York State, which gives judges great discretion over the electronic recording of cases. The Judge did allow video taping of the summations of both defense and prosecution lawyers. The announcement of that verdict was also video taped.

The case against Porco received extensive coverage in local newspapers including the Times Union and The Spotlight as well as in local television outlets. The case was also the subject of a one hour documentary on 48 Hours Mystery entitled "Memory of Murder," broadcast by CBS on November 4, 2006. This attention may be due to the grisly nature of the murder as well as emails between Porco and his parents in the months leading up to the attack, which have been made public. The emails detail tension caused by Porco's academic problems and careless spending. Perhaps most interesting to those following the case is the fact that a badly-scarred Joan Porco maintained her son's innocence throughout the trial, and accompanied him to many of his criminal proceedings. Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 The prosecution's case 2.1 Identification 2.2 Financial problems 2.3 Christopher Porco's November 14-15, 2004 whereabouts 2.4 Christopher Porco's character 2.4.1 Sociopath? 2.4.2 Burglaries 2.4.3 Forged transcript 3 The defense's case 4 Trial and conviction 5 External links 6 References //

Background

On Monday November 15, 2004, a New York State courts officer was ordered to the home of Peter and Joan Porco. Peter, a State Appellate Division court clerk, had not reported to his Albany office for that morning. Upon entering the two-story home at 36 Brockley Drive in Delmar, the officer discovered Peter's lifeless, blood-soaked body near the front door. An Albany County medical examiner would determine that Peter, 52, had sustained massive head injuries causing his death.[3] Joan Porco was soon discovered by police officers. She was lying in the couple's blood-drenched bed and had suffered severe head and facial trauma. Joan would lose her left eye and a portion of her skull.[4]

A fireman's ax belonging to the Porcos