WILKES-BARRE -- The witness who says Hugo Selenski did it was back on the stand Wednesday in Luzerne County Court.
For a second day, Paul Weakley says he knows Selenski robbed and murdered Michael Kerkowski and Tammy Fassett because he committed the crime with Selenski.
Most of the attention was on Selenski's alleged accomplice Paul Weakley who was cross-examined by the defense. The defense spent two and a half hours questioning Weakley, trying to discredit him.
On Tuesday, Weakley told the court that he and Selenski robbed and killed victims Kerkowski and Fassett in 2002, and then buried their bodies in the backyard of Selenski's home near Dallas.
During cross-examination, the defense attacked Weakley's credibility, pointing out that he was interviewed 17 times by investigators and gave them many different stories of what happened to the victims and who did it.
"First, you admit that you lied to protect yourself, correct?"
"Yes," Weakley responded.
The defense followed up, "Then, do you admit you were giving a narrative of what happened based on facts investigators were giving you?"
"Perhaps," he said.
The defense contends Weakley is telling whatever version of the truth that will help the prosecution's case so Weakley could benefit.
In court the defense asked, "for your testimony there is a possibility of you getting out of prison for these crimes, correct?"
Weakley admitted that was correct, but added, "there is not a probability."
Over the past decade, Weakley was back and forth about whether he would testify in this case. On this day, he said it was because he was attacked in prison more than 30 times for being an informant for the prosecution.
Ultimately, he said he decided to testify for the victims and their family.
Louise Bensancon was one of the afternoon witnesses to take the stand for the prosecution.
Bensancon was the neighbor of Michael Kerkowski. She testified she last saw him mowing the lawn and shortly after saw Selenski leaving Kerkowski's home in a hurry.
During cross-examination the defense challenged her memory of May 3, 2002, saying flat out, "maybe that never happened?"
Bensancon stood firm saying, "No, it happened!"
Her testimony was backed up by other witnesses including Selenski's alleged accomplice Paul Weakley.
The last witness to take the stand was the mother of Selenski's daughter. She has a car similar to the one Bensancon said she saw Selenski leaving in on the day Kerkowski went missing.
