PITTSBURGH — A western Pennsylvania man is on trial accused of shooting and killing his aunt's fiance during a jewelry robbery last summer.
Michael Lapaglia, 23, of Sharpsburg, is charged in Allegheny County with criminal homicide, burglary and robbery in the July 21 shooting death of John Parkes Jr., 59.
Police say he tried to pawn some jewelry stolen from his aunt on the day of the shooting.
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Assistant District Attorney Lisa Pellegrini told jurors Tuesday that Lapaglia had stolen from the couple before and was fired from a bank job for stealing from a cash drawer a few weeks earlier.
Lapaglia claims there was a struggle before the shooting, and he has said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder since his return from active military duty in Afghanistan. But Pellegrini said Lapaglia was discharged from the Army for possession of synthetic marijuana.
"This defendant likes to blame everybody but himself," she said. "He claims there was a struggle, but I submit to you (the victim) never made it off that couch."
Channel 11’s legal analyst, attorney Phil Dilucente, who is not representing Lapaglia, explained how difficult it will be for the defense to prove Lapaglia did suffer from PTSD during the crime.
“The prosecution, it’s not their burden to prove he had PTSD. That will have be what the defense has to raise. Prosecutors will say he is a cold-blooded killer, this was premeditated,” said Dilucente.
More than 50 pieces of evidence was submitted Tuesday, including the 911 call Parkes’ finance, Carol Lapaglia, placed when she found Parkes’ body.
The seven minute call was one of the first pieces of evidence presented in the trial.
“I just come home from work, and my husband is, he is on the ground and he's, he's dead. Please, somebody, please,” Carol Lapaglia is heard saying during the call.
Defense attorney Lisa Phillips told jurors Tuesday that it's up to them to decide what happened and reminded them they have to be convinced of the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.