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Inmate Gives Evidence In Murder Trial

SCRANTON — An inmate from Monroe County told a jury in Lackawanna County that Jason Dominick admitted to murder. It was a key piece of testimony Friday at...

SCRANTON -- An inmate from Monroe County told a jury in Lackawanna County that Jason Dominick admitted to murder.

It was a key piece of testimony Friday at Dominick's trial for the murder of Frank Bonacci.

Friday marked the fourth day of testimony in Dominick's trial on murder charges. He's accused of killing Frank Bonacci of Dunmore last July.

Though he never said Bonacci's name out loud, a fellow inmate of Dominick's testified that Dominick told him a lot about the case and admitted to the killing.

Anthony Rusielewicz is a twice-convicted burglar and a Megan's Law sex offender. He's spent most of his adult life behind bars. But in a Lackwanna County courtroom, his hands and legs shook for the entire hour and a half he was on the stand. He admitted to being nervous as he told jurors what he says Jason Dominick admitted to him.

Rusielewicz said he and Dominick became buddies at the Monroe County jail. Dominick picked up the nickname "D1" there.

The fellow inmate testified about specific details Dominick told him about the morning last July that Frank Bonacci was killed in Scranton.

Rusielewicz said "he said they took him to a place, like no one goes there, it has cliffs and all that. And that's where the crime happened."

Prosecutors say the inmate was talking about an area of Scranton known as the step falls where Bonacci's SUV was eventually found with his body inside.

The inmate testified that Dominick admitted to shooting Bonacci in the head but said the idea came from his friend Neil Pal, and that Pal egged Dominick on at a party the night before.

Rusielewicz added "D1 (Dominick) told me he regretted even going that night."

The inmate also divulged a very important detail he says Dominick told him. He said that when Dominick, Pal, and Bonacci drove to the step falls on July 20, Pal was driving, Bonacci was in the passenger seat, and Dominick was in the back.

That supports testimony from Dr. Gary Ross during the trial. Dr. Ross testified that the bullet that killed Frank Bonacci had to have come from the back seat of the SUV.

Prosecutors said in court that the inmate who testified Friday was not promised a lighter sentence in exchange for his testimony but he could get one when he is sentenced for a Megan's Law violation in the next few weeks.

Prosecutors from the Lackawanna County district attorney's office say they plan to wrap up their case on Monday.

For more coverage of this story, click here.

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