News conference canceled in dead animal dumping case
Claiming a lack of police cooperation in releasing evidence, the attorney for two Main Line Realtors accused of putting dead animals in a neighbor's yard has postponed a news conference he was going to hold Tuesday to "divulge previously unreported facts in the case."
Claiming a lack of police cooperation in releasing evidence, the attorney for two Main Line Realtors accused of putting dead animals in a neighbor's yard has postponed a news conference he was going to hold Tuesday to "divulge previously unreported facts in the case."
"We are extremely dismayed that the Lower Merion Police Department still has not released any requested information in this matter, including its police report and the grainy video which unnamed Lower Merion law enforcement officials are citing as the linchpin of their case," George Bochetto said Monday.
Bochetto represents Lower Merion residents Jonathan and Andrea Straub, who were cited June 20 for disorderly conduct and harassment after a security camera allegedly recorded them cutting tree branches, knocking over for-sale signs, and committing other acts of vandalism in Mary Martell's yard.
The Straubs and Martell were both selling their neighboring Booth Lane homes in a section of Haverford near the Merion Cricket Club.
Martell told police she had installed the camera after a house sitter told her someone was knocking down the for-sale signs and taking leaflets describing the property.
Online real estate listings websites show Martell's house with an asking price of $775,000. The Straubs, whose slightly larger house sits on a slightly smaller piece of property, is listed at $1.09 million.
Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael McGrath would not comment on Bochetto's charges.
Last week, Bochetto criticized CBS3 for what he suggested was reckless coverage of the case and the "instantaneous vilification of the Straubs in their ratings-driven rush to break a story."
Joanne Calabria, vice president of public affairs for CBS3, said the station had no comment.
Bochetto last week also announced that Prudential Fox & Roach had fired Andrea Straub, presumably for negative publicity that flowed from the charges.
"We implore Lower Merion Township police to provide this basic information immediately so that the public can finally see what we already know: There is no truth to these outrageous allegations and the Straubs have been wrongly vilified," Bochetto said Monday.
Police say the Straubs acknowledged their role in the vandalism after being shown the security-camera footage.