Lucie MacGillvray
Editor
Sean Kratz, cousin of the infamous murderer Cosmo DiNardo, began his trial in a Doylestown courthouse on Nov. 6 on account of assisting DiNardo with three of the four gruesome killings from 2017. Kratz has been charged with conspiracy, abuse of a corpse, criminal homicide, first degree murder, and other charges relating to the murders of the four boys in 2017. If found guilty, Kratz may face the death penalty.
During the time of July 5 to July 7, 2017, four young Bucks County men had been reported missing. In a drug deal gone wrong, Dean A. Finocchiaro, Thomas C. Meo, Jimi T. Patrick, and Mark R. Sturgis were lured with the promise that DiNardo would sell them marijuana, but were killed by Cosmo DiNardo on a family-owned farm in Solebury. DiNardo had taken a plea deal and is set to serve a life sentence. Kratz is accused of contributing to the murders of Finocchiaro, Meo and Sturgis.
Considering there is usually not much felonious news in Bucks County, residents of New Hope were understandably shocked at the horrendous homicides. Many students at New Hope-Solebury High School can easily recall the event. Tate Pronel, a high school student, said, “It feels like it was just yesterday when it happened. I can remember the sound of helicopters flying near my house. It was scary!”
On Nov. 8, a video of Kratz’s interrogation was shown to the jury in which Kratz denied any involvement in DiNardo’s brutal slaughter, and that he had failed to report the crime because he feared DiNardo. Kratz had also vocalized his disdain for DiNardo when he said “What an evil (expletive) kid. I hate you, you sick monster.” Alongside Sean was his mother, who begged that Sean tell the police exactly what had occurred on the day of the crime. Finally, Kratz admitted that DiNardo had kept two guns on his mother’s property. Both Kratz and DiNardo are set to testify.
