Prosecution rests in Wlasiuk trial
NORWICH – The prosecution’s testimony in the trial of alleged murderer Peter Wlasiuk wrapped up Monday, with the trial now moving on to its second phase beginning at 9 a.m. today in the Chenango County Courthouse.
Wlasiuk – first charged with second degree murder in 2002 – is accused of killing his wife, Patricia, on April 3 of that year at their Oxford home, later engineering what the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office is calling a staged accident at Guilford Lake. Wlasiuk has twice been convicted of the class A-1 felony, both times sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. Both convictions have since been appealed, in 2006 and 2011, respectively.
Wlasiuk first told authorities he and Patricia were travelling east on County Road 35 in the Town of Guilford when she lost control of his 1998 GMC pick-up truck, swerving to miss a deer and veering into Guilford Lake. He later changed his story, stating Patricia had purposely driven the truck into the lake as the couple argued.
According to Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride, both stories are false, and Wlasiuk’s motives were simple: an unhappy marriage, a three-way love triangle with another woman and an attempt to collect on a $100,000 life insurance policy Wlasiuk had purchased for his wife months prior to her death.
Patricia’s body was recovered from the bottom of Guilford Lake by divers several hours after the alleged accident occurred. All efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. The prosecution believes Wlasiuk smothered his wife at their New Virginia Road home, later depositing her body in the bed of his truck before driving or pushing it into the lake.
On Monday, jurors heard the 2008, court-recorded testimony of Clarence Edick, who told the court he was hunting with a friend on property adjacent to the Wlasiuks’ in November of 2001 when he heard a loud argument. Edick testified that – as he got closer to the alleged altercation – he recognized his friend’s neighbor, Wlasiuk, and his wife, “hollering back and forth” in front of two of the couple’s children. As the argument became more heated, Wlasiuk struck Patricia in the face two or three times, said Edick. Wlasiuk, he added, then told his wife, “If you ever talk to me that way again, I’ll [expletive] kill you.”
Edick, however, never reported the incident to police, stating he did not want to get involved at the time.
Additional testimony on Monday included that of Virginia Coons, an employee at NBT Bank who spoke with Wlasiuk the day of Patricia’s death and testified as to the couple’s financial situation. According to Coons, Wlasiuk told her he needed his wife’s insurance claim in order to “plant Patti.”
Wlasiuk’s tone during the conversation, added Coons, seemed the same as it always had. He was not upset, she testified, and was not crying. Wlasiuk also asked if he was responsible for the payment of Patricia’s credit cards and student loans, said Coons.
If convicted, Wlasiuk could face up to 25 years to life in state prison. He is currently being held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility.
Wlasiuk – first charged with second degree murder in 2002 – is accused of killing his wife, Patricia, on April 3 of that year at their Oxford home, later engineering what the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office is calling a staged accident at Guilford Lake. Wlasiuk has twice been convicted of the class A-1 felony, both times sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. Both convictions have since been appealed, in 2006 and 2011, respectively.
Wlasiuk first told authorities he and Patricia were travelling east on County Road 35 in the Town of Guilford when she lost control of his 1998 GMC pick-up truck, swerving to miss a deer and veering into Guilford Lake. He later changed his story, stating Patricia had purposely driven the truck into the lake as the couple argued.
According to Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride, both stories are false, and Wlasiuk’s motives were simple: an unhappy marriage, a three-way love triangle with another woman and an attempt to collect on a $100,000 life insurance policy Wlasiuk had purchased for his wife months prior to her death.
Patricia’s body was recovered from the bottom of Guilford Lake by divers several hours after the alleged accident occurred. All efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. The prosecution believes Wlasiuk smothered his wife at their New Virginia Road home, later depositing her body in the bed of his truck before driving or pushing it into the lake.
On Monday, jurors heard the 2008, court-recorded testimony of Clarence Edick, who told the court he was hunting with a friend on property adjacent to the Wlasiuks’ in November of 2001 when he heard a loud argument. Edick testified that – as he got closer to the alleged altercation – he recognized his friend’s neighbor, Wlasiuk, and his wife, “hollering back and forth” in front of two of the couple’s children. As the argument became more heated, Wlasiuk struck Patricia in the face two or three times, said Edick. Wlasiuk, he added, then told his wife, “If you ever talk to me that way again, I’ll [expletive] kill you.”
Edick, however, never reported the incident to police, stating he did not want to get involved at the time.
Additional testimony on Monday included that of Virginia Coons, an employee at NBT Bank who spoke with Wlasiuk the day of Patricia’s death and testified as to the couple’s financial situation. According to Coons, Wlasiuk told her he needed his wife’s insurance claim in order to “plant Patti.”
Wlasiuk’s tone during the conversation, added Coons, seemed the same as it always had. He was not upset, she testified, and was not crying. Wlasiuk also asked if he was responsible for the payment of Patricia’s credit cards and student loans, said Coons.
If convicted, Wlasiuk could face up to 25 years to life in state prison. He is currently being held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility.
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