Defense rests its case in Konias trial
The attorney for accused killer and armored truck robber Kenneth J. Konias Jr. rested his case on Monday.
Defense attorney Charles LoPresti did not put Konias, 23, of Dravosburg on the witness stand and his argument on behalf his client was brief.
Konias is charged with shooting his work partner at Garda, Michael R. Haines, 31, of East McKeesport in the back of an armored truck on Feb. 28, 2012, then stealing and fleeing with $2.3 million.
Rodney Shockey, an employee of Garda Cash Logistics who prosecutor Robert Schupansky put on the witness stand last week, was the only witness LoPresti called to testify.
LoPresti questioned Shockey about duty logs from Konias' regular work truck that indicated there had been some problems with a scanner on the vehicle.
The issue of a malfunctioning scanner is one that came up many times over the course of five days of testimony.
Konias told FBI agents who arrested him in Florida two months after the robbery that Haines threw the device at him, sparking an argument that, according to Konias, ended with him shooting Haines in self-defense.
Schupansky offered evidence and more than 30 witnesses to argue that Konias intentionally shot Haines during a robbery he had planned in advance.
Before Schupansky rested his case, he called several medical and ballistics experts to the stand.
Firearms expert Raymond Everett of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said the shot that killed Haines was fired from about six inches away from his head.
Everett linked a spent shell casing recovered from a Garda jacket left at Konias' home to a service weapon belonging to Konias that was recovered upon his arrest in Florida.
J.R. Smith, who investigated the case for the Pittsburgh police homicide squad, testified that when the armored truck was found parked under the 31st Street Bridge, Haines' body “did not appear to have any sign of fight or struggle.”
With the aid of photographic evidence, Smith noted Haines' Garda work shirt was still tucked into his pants, a pen was clipped in his shirt pocket and an identification badge on a lanyard and silver chain still were around the victim's neck.
Dr. Todd Luckasevic, who performed the autopsy, said Haines had no signs of injury other than the bullet wound.
The prosecution wanted photos of tattoos Konias gave himself in prison to be included as evidence but was unable to do so when LoPresti objected the tattoos weren't relevant to determining whether his client acted in self-defense or committed first-degree murder.
The photos included images of tattoos on Konias' knuckles depicting bags of money.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning. Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman's verdict could be announced on Tuesday, as well.
Eric Slagle is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161 ext. 1966, or eslagle@tribweb.com.
