Homicide trial scheduled for North Strabane man a decade after wife’s shooting death
The trial for the North Strabane man accused of shooting and killing his wife more than a decade ago is expected to begin next month after it was delayed once again in March when expert witness Dr. Cyril Wecht fell gravely ill.
Scott Edmonds appeared in court Tuesday morning for a status conference at the Washington County Courthouse to discuss any last-minute issues before jury selection is set to begin July 9.
North Strabane police charged Edmonds with homicide and accused him of shooting his 49-year-old wife, Louise M. Weis-Edmonds, in the back of the head inside their condo on March 25, 2014.
But numerous delays by Edmonds and his multiple defense attorneys have stalled the case for years. Edmonds, who is now 60 years old, has spent more than 10 years in the Washington County jail following his arrest after his wife’s death.
The latest jury selection had been scheduled for March 28, but First Assistant District Attorney Leslie Ridge received a message the day before that Wecht, a forensic pathologist preparing to testify for the prosecution, had fallen ill and would not be able to participate in the trial. Wecht’s death on May 13 forced the prosecution to find a new expert witness to testify at the trial.
The discussion around Wecht’s death prompted a tense exchange between Judge John DiSalle and Edmonds, who was shackled and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit while seated at the defense table with his attorney Mark Adams. DiSalle was speaking with Ridge about Wecht’s illness when he appeared to ask himself when the pathologist died.
“Five or six weeks later,” Edmonds blurted out.
“Thank you for chiming in, Mr. Edmonds. I was unaware,” DiSalle said facetiously before raising his voice. “We will have decorum in this courtroom, which you have failed to show (in previous hearings).”
Then DiSalle asked Edmonds if he knew the specific date of Wecht’s death to help them calculate the exact length of time it took for the prosecution to hire a new expert.
“No, not off the top of my head,” Edmonds responded. “It was in the newspaper.”
“I’m sure it was on TV, too,” DiSalle responded.
Following that exchange, Adams contended that the “speedy trial” clock may have expired on the prosecution’s ability to try the case. Public defender Rose Semple, who previously represented Edmonds, argued in July 2022 that the case should be dismissed due to Rule 600, which requires a defendant be brought to trial within 365 days of charges being filed.
There are numerous exceptions to what dates are counted, and anything attributed to the defense automatically stops the clock. DiSalle denied Semple’s request at the time because of the numerous delays attributed to the defense, and he decided there was still ample time for the prosecution to bring the case to trial.
However, it’s not clear if the more than three-month delay caused by Wecht’s illness and death, which was attributed to the prosecution, added enough time for the clock to expire. DiSalle denied the Rule 600 request by Adams and said they would reconvene in his courtroom for jury selection on July 9.
In addition to the homicide case, Edmonds is also awaiting trial on simple assault charges for a fight that occurred in the county jail in March 2022, along with forgery charges accusing him of falsifying legal documents and forging Semple’s signature in court papers later that year.