Armored truck guard maintains self-defense as trial continues

PITTSBURGH — Testimony continued Tuesday for a Pittsburgh-area armored car guard accused of killing a fellow guard before stealing $2.3 million from the vehicle.

The trial of Kenneth Konias Jr., 24, of Dravosburg, began Friday, and Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Robert Schupansky wants a judge to convict Konias of first-degree murder in the killing of fellow Garda Cash Logistics guard Michael Haines during the 2012 heist.

Schupansky contends Konias, who was familiar with the route while Haines was not, planned the heist knowing they'd be picking up more money than normal at their first stop -- at 8:44 a.m. -- at Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino. That's because it was a Tuesday, when the casino typically deposited money from the previous weekend.

After their stops were completed early that afternoon, Schupansky said, Konias shot Haines in the back of the head at close range while the armored car was in a suburban shopping mall lot, then sped back to Pittsburgh, where Konias left the truck, went and got his SUV and unloaded the money, then drove to Florida.

"On Feb. 28, 2012, the defendant, the evidence will show, at 8:44 a.m. began to execute a plan and at 12:55 p.m. executed a man -- all for $2.3 million," Schupansky told Common Pleas Judge David Cashman.

Daniel McDonald, a data analyst from Clairton, testified Tuesday about picking up an iPhone along Route 51 in Pleasant Hills.

“I was almost home and off to my left I saw a black iPhone in the turning lane. I dialed the last caller to find out who the owner was,” McDonald said. “I figured I'd be a nice guy. I figured I'd try to return the phone.”

It turned out McDonald had picked up Konias’ phone. The last person to dial the number was Pittsburgh homicide Detective George Satler, who called to find out where Konias was because co-workers at Garda Cash Logistics found Haines' body inside a truck under the 31st Street Bridge in the Strip District.

Detective Ryan Rable and his partner were on their way to Lawrenceville when they passed the Garda truck. Rable told his partner, “Something ain't right,” and they came upon a scene of confusion, he said.

“They said the driver of the truck was no longer present and the other guy was still inside. I looked through the window and saw a man slumped over with blood on his head,” Rable said. “I leaned over the front seat and checked to see if he was alive. I said ‘Hey, are you OK? Are you OK?' Obviously, he wasn't alive.”

FBI agent David Hedges testifies Tuesday that after the heist, Konias called his mother and told her to go to his great grandmother’s gravesite.

Instead, according to Hedges’ testimony, Konias’ father went and found $24,000 on the grave.

Hedges also testified that Konias’ father took the $24,000 and put it in a second-story cubby hole at his brother’s house without his brother’s knowledge.

Konias opted for a bench trial, meaning Cashman, not a jury, will determine his guilt or innocence. Konias is charged with robbery, theft and criminal homicide. Criminal homicide is an umbrella charge that requires the judge to determine if Konias is guilty of crimes ranging from first-degree or premeditated murder, which carries a life sentence, down to involuntary manslaughter, a negligent killing.

Defense attorney Charles LoPresti didn't deny that Konias killed Haines or went on the lam with the money to Florida for two months before he was caught.

But LoPresti contends Konias shot Haines in self-defense after the men argued, then took the money because Konias panicked, realized his "life was over" and he'd need something to live on.

"He does not preplan killing Mr. Haines to steal the money. The theft of money was never the issue, judge, it was the afterthought," LoPresti said.

LoPresti said Haines' job was to use a computer scanner to tally the money they picked up, and he became upset because the device wasn't working, then cursed at and threw the scanner at Konias, who was driving. That started a fight in the truck in which Haines drew his gun, which Konias kicked away before shooting Haines as he scrambled to pick up his weapon, LoPresti claimed.

But Schupansky said the trial evidence will show that's implausible.

Haines' uniform wasn't mussed, there were no signs of a struggle inside the truck, and the scanner was working and back in its holster when the truck was found, Schupansky said.

And Konias -- instead of calling 911 -- drove the armored car several miles with Haines dead inside and called two friends, trying to talk one into running away to Florida with him. Konias was arrested in Pompano Beach, Fla., with police and the FBI recovering about $1.3 million of the stolen money.

Konias blew much of the rest, paying for strippers and prostitutes, one of whom he gave $2,000 a night to let him stay with her, Schupansky said.

Since he's been jailed, Schupansky said, Konias has had moneybags tattooed on the backs of his knuckles and bragged about the killing, telling one inmate, "The last thing that went through his partner's mind was his bullet."

Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.

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