Venue change sought for Pa. man charged with W.Va. slaying
WELLSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — Attorneys for a Pennsylvania man want his murder trial moved outside of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle.
Media outlets report that Rocco Zuccaro’s attorneys say potential jurors have been biased by media coverage of his case.
The 30-year-old resident of Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, is charged in Brooke County with fatally shooting 30-year-old Jason Pratz at Pratz’s home in McKinleyville on Feb. 19, 2013.
In March, Zuccaro escaped from William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston, where he was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. Following his capture, he was moved to a facility in South Carolina.
A judge hasn’t yet ruled on whether Zuccaro is competent to stand trial.
Zuccaro’s trial is scheduled to begin July 20.