Orange County Judge Jeffrey Berry is changing the sentencing date for convicted murderer Christopher Porco from Oct. 25 to Dec. 12.
Porco was convicted in August of killing his father, Peter Porco, and attempting to murder his mother, Joan, inside the family’s Brockley Drive home in November 2004. Berry is allowing defense attorney Terence Kindlon more time to work on Porco’s appeal. Kindlon, who has been handling many high-profile cases in 2006, now has until Wednesday, Nov. 15 to submit post-verdict motions.
We understand Mr. Kindlon has been occupied with other matters, said Michael McDermott, assistant district attorney and chief prosecutor during the Porco murder trial. Porco is currently in the Albany County jail where he will wait a few more weeks before finding out how long a prison sentence he will serve. He could face a maximum sentence of 50 years on both counts.
`We would like to see some finality on this case, sooner rather than later,` McDermott said.
Meanwhile, a CBS `48 Hours Mystery` TV show on the Porco murder case originally scheduled to air Saturday, Oct. 25, at 10 p.m. has been rescheduled for Nov. 4 at the same time on WRGB Channel 6. A spokeswoman for the network said the delay was due to last-minute network changes in programming, and the Saturday, Nov. 4 air date is not likely to change.
Producers from `48 Hours Mystery` covered the trial daily in the Orange County Supreme Court in Goshen and interviewed a number of people for the show. They also televised closing arguments inside the courtroom as well as the guilty verdict. A special-effects team along with a production crew arrived in Delmar in September for a weekend of work inside 36 Brockley Drive, where the murder occurred.
`We were interviewed twice,` said McDermott, along with Assistant District Attorney David Rossi. McDermott said the interview lasted a few hours. Bethlehem police Detective Christopher Bowdish was also interviewed, as was Christopher Porco inside the jailhouse.
`We have no idea what they will present,` said McDermott.
The Porcos lived at 36 Brockley Drive in Delmar at the time of the attacks. Christopher Porco was a student at the University of Rochester when he drove away from the campus the night of Nov. 14, 2004 and headed up the Thruway to Delmar. He then entered the family home between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m. and attacked his mother and father with a 3-foot ax. Prosecutors presented a case revealing Christopher Porco was under severe financial strain and said disagreements with his parents over money was a motive in the killing. Peter Porco died from wounds sustained in the attack and Joan Porco was critically injured.
Joan Porco, who was not interviewed by CBS for the show, is currently living with her brother, John Balzano, and his wife in Fairport. Christopher Porco was living with Elaine LaForte, DVM, and John Kearney, DVM, in Glenmont after the attacks and until his conviction. LaForte and Kearney employed Porco at their veterinary hospital in Glenmont for several years.
Peter Porco was the chief law clerk for Third Division State Appellate Division Judge Anthony Cardona. An indictment was handed down in late 2005, and the trial began in June and lasted eight weeks. Christopher Porco’s brother, Johnathan, who testified for the prosecution, is currently serving in the Navy.“