Daniel Kidera, a former high school friend of Christopher Porcos, testified the defendant told him he knew that his mother and father, Peter and Joan Porco, had a will.
He told me he had seen both his mother and father’s will and he knew where they were kept, said Kidera.
Kidera who is from Delmar now lives in Virginia and works on the staff of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. Porco asked Kidera for assistance with a $2.8 million gift he said he was receiving from his grandmother and to set up an appointment with an investor to help organize his new found wealth. The reality according to prosecutors is that Porco was never going to receive any large gift from his grandmother. Kidera was only allowed to mention the Will and not the expected gift in his testimony to the jury. Prosecutors want to show the jury that the defendant believed he would acquire family assets if his parents were dead.
Second Law Clerk in the office of New York StateThird Appellate District in Albany, Michelle McKay, testified that Peter Porco was very concerned about his son Christopher in the fall of 2004.
`He was visibly worried about many things, and Christopher was one of them,` said McKay.
Defense attorney Laurie Shanks to the surprise of prosecutor Michael McDermott told the jury McKay heard Peter Porco say ‘he was afraid his son was a sociopath.’
`I was stunned because that was such an uncharacteristic thing for Peter to say,` said McKay. McDermott believes hearing the word ‘sociopath’ to describe Christopher Porco is damaging to the defense.
`I think that comment is going to be very hard for the jury to get out of their head,` said McDermott.
Several e-mails were read to the jury between Peter Porco and son Christopher revealing that Porco’s life was ‘spinning out of control’ according to his father. Peter Porco wrote those remarks in response to learning his son was accumulating debt, not paying bills, lying about his finances and forging his father’s name twice on two loans totaling $48,000.
`It’s pretty sad,` said McDermott. `It’s just staring Peter right in the face and he keeps bailing him (Christopher Porco) out.` `I think it’s some pretty powerful stuff,` McDermott added.
Julia Cannizzaro, confidential secretary to Appellate Court Judge Anthony Cardona took the stand a second day and was asked by McDermott to verify if numerous signatures on a Capital One Loan Application is that of Peter Porco.
`No it is not,’ said Cannizzaro.
`The next one please,` asked McDermott.
`No it is not,` said Cannizzaro.
`Is that Peter Porco’s signature,` McDermott said.
`No it is not,` again answered Cannizzaro.
Rachel Boylan, a lieutenant in the Marine Corp stationed in Okinawa, testified she saw Christopher Porco on Monday morning, Nov. 15, at 8:45 a.m. jogging under a bridge at the University of Rochester close to Munro Hall where Porco lived at the time.
`He was in a light jog wearing a dark sweatshirt, short khakis and shirt with a ball cap and eyeglasses,` said Boylan.
Prosecutors have been trying to establish a timeline since the beginning of the trial that would show Christopher Porco not only had a motive but the opportunity to attack his parents in Delmar inside their Brockley Drive home. Boylan’s testimony is consistent with the time period on Monday, Nov. 15, 2004 when Porco is seen driving his Jeep Wrangler near Genesee Street just outside the University of Rochester campus.
Julio Lopez of Capital One Auto Finance testified that a $17,000 car loan was issued to Christopher Porco on May 17, 2004. with two signatures on the electronic credit application.
`One signature in front is from Christopher Porco and the other signature is for Peter Porco,` said Lopez. Prosecutors believe Christopher Porco forged his father’s name on this loan application as well.
The trial adjourned until Monday, July 24, when State Police Forensic Science expert Richard Brunt will continue his testimony regarding DNA testing for evidence at the scene of the crime.