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Day in Court for Accused Killer

NEW MILFORD — Jonathan Kopacz is headed back to jail after a preliminary hearing in Susquehanna County. Kopacz, 34, is charged with criminal homicide afte...

NEW MILFORD -- Jonathan Kopacz is headed back to jail after a preliminary hearing in Susquehanna County.

Kopacz, 34, is charged with criminal homicide after police say he shot and killed Kelly Conklin, 22, outside of her parents home in the borough of Susquehanna in October 2014.

After his preliminary hearing, Kopacz talked to Newswatch 16 with a message to the victim's mother.

"To Mrs. Conklin, if you want me to kill myself, give me the word and I'll do it," Kopacz said.

During testimony, the county coroner said Conklin was shot 11 times the night she died.

A trooper testified that Kopacz said he shot Conklin in the back of the head first, and that she didn't see him coming.

Troopers say that night her father found her and tried to perform CPR after hearing shots outside of the family home.

"The family is going through quite a lot. You know, the testimony that they had to listen to this morning was graphic. They now know that their daughter was shot 11 times and one time in the back of the head. It was a brutal crime that occurred," Susquehanna County Assistant District Attorney Marion O'Malley said.

Kopacz attorney says his client's mental health history will play a role in the case.

"There was a motion filed by me to determine if he was competent to stand trial. It's going to be crystal clear in the case that there's significant history of mental health problems on the part of my client," attorney George Lepley said.

The assistant district attorney in Susquehanna County said she's confident that statements Jonathan Kopacz made will help their case. The accused killer told police he was planning to kill Conklin for months because she owed him a lot of money.

Troopers say the night he was arrested, he threw a two-page long confession out the window of his apartment.

"We have a confession from the defendant and excellent police work. I'm confident a conviction is in Mr. Kopacz's future," O'Malley said.

A judge decided there is enough evidence to send this case to trial.

Kopacz is due back in court at the end of the month.

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