Wlasiuk Jury Goes Home For The Night
Published: September 25th, 2008
By: Tyler Murphy

Wlasiuk jury goes home for the night

NORWICH – There will be no verdict in the Peter Wlasiuk murder trial today.

Judge Martin Smith released the jury home to their families around 5:30 p.m., after nearly four hours of deliberations.

The jury will resume their discussions Friday morning.

Defense Attorney Randel Scharf and District Attorney Joseph McBride concluded their closing statements by 12:15 p.m. and the court recessed for 45 minutes before Judge Smith read the jury its charge, leaving them to their deliberations at the Chenango County Courthouse.

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Wlasiuk, 39, is charged with second degree murder in the April 2002 death of his wife, Patricia. Prosecutors contend Wlasiuk killed his wife at their Oxford home and later staged a Guilford Lake, in which he claimed she drowned.

Six years ago, a Chenango County jury convicted Wlasiuk of second degree murder, but the New York State Appellate Division overturned that verdict on Aug. 31, 2006.

Testimony began Sept. 9 in the retrial with McBride calling 58 witnesses and the defense nine.

The first trial lasted from Nov. 6 -21, 2002. McBride called 51 witnesses to the stand and Defense Attorney Fred Neroni called seven.

The original jury deliberated for four hours and 19 minutes before reaching a verdict of guilty. County Court Judge Sullivan sentenced Wlasiuk to state prison for 25 years to life, the maximum, on Jan. 17, 2003.




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