DiNardo, Cousin Charged With Murder In Deaths Of 4 Men
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Murder charges have been filed against two suspects in the deaths of four missing men in Bucks County.
Cosmo DiNardo, 20, and his cousin, Sean Kratz, 20, were charged and arraigned for murder on Friday. No bail was set fo3698737r either suspect.
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DiNardo has been charged with the murder of 19-year-old Jimi Patrick, 21-year-old Tom Meo, 19-year-old Dean Finocchiaro and 22-year-old Mark Sturgis. Kratz was charged with the murders of Meo, Finocchiaro and Sturgis. They have also been charged with robbery, abuse of a corpse, possession of instrumental crime and conspiracy to commit all of those acts.
A probable cause affidavit outlined the disturbing details of these four murders as all of the young men had been shot, killed and buried after reportedly agreeing to buy marijuana from DiNardo, who recently confessed to killing them, according to his lawyer.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub confirmed during a press conference Friday afternoon the remains of Finocchiaro, Meo, Sturgis, and Patrick have been located.
"I don't know what convinced him. I'd like to think that he wanted to help us get these boys home," Weintraub said of DiNardo's confession.
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Weintraub said he struck a deal with DiNardo, taking the death penalty off the table in exchange for a confession and the location of Patrick's body.
"We'd still be looking for Jimi Patrick had we not made this agreement," said Weintraub.
While investigators found three of the young men buried more than 12 feet underground in what DiNardo called a "pig roaster" on his parents' Solebury Township farm, they found Patrick's body buried about a half-mile away at the top of a hill on the property.
The affidavit states two of the men were shot at separate times, while Meo and Sturgis were shot while together.
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DiNardo reportedly told authorities he also ran over Meo's body with a backhoe before burying it.
Despite the heartbreaking developments, Weintraub praised the public for their tips, the large team of investigators, and the families of the four young men.
"I pray I could handle this w the courage and dignity they've exhibited," said Weintraub.
DiNardo reportedly said he killed the men separately after selling them marijuana and then burning their bodies at his family's farm in Solebury. DiNardo said one victim was killed July 5 and the other three were killed July 7. Kratz allegedly used construction equipment to bury the bodies.
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Kratz has a criminal record, including retail theft.
KYW Newsradio reports Bucks and Montgomery County detectives had been searching Kratz's home in Ambler.
The charges come shortly after The Associated Press reported DiNardo told investigators he had a co-conspirator.
DiNardo's attorney, Paul Lang, said Thursday that his client confessed to killing the four men. Lang added that DiNardo told authorities where their bodies are located.
In exchange, DiNardo will not face the death penalty. However, the death penalty is under consideration for Kratz.
Despite the confession, DiNardo still faces a trial.
Both men remain behind bars, but at separate facilities.
CBS3's Anita Oh contributed to this report.
