Couple accused in death

By DARCIE LORENO Tribune Chronicle
WARREN — A Hartford couple waived extradition Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court and will head to Mercer County, Pa., to face homicide charges in the death of a Jamestown, Pa., man.

Ronald Machado, 21, and Krystle Weaver, 20, face charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide and conspiring to commit homicide after an attack that killed Thomas Lorigan, 44, and critically injured his daughter, Heather Turk, 22, in Greenville, Pa., early Tuesday. They also face charges of burglary.

Machado was arrested Tuesday on a warrant out of Mercer County and Weaver on Thursday at her parents’ Hartford home. Weaver turned over her car, as well as a pair of Machado’s shoes she had in her bedroom and her red sweatshirt, both of which appeared to have blood on them.

‘‘We’ve never had trouble with any of them,’’ said Harold Johnson, who lives next door to the home where he’s seen police through most of the week. ‘‘That’s all I can say.’’

Johnson said his family has rented the 3957 Bushnell Campbell Road home where Weaver was arrested to her parents, Sue and Tom, for about four years.

According to court records, police believed Weaver and Machado recently been staying in Turk’s apartment. The two admitted to discussing last weekend killing Turk, and late Monday night decided to go to her 94 Clinton St., Greenville, apartment and rob her, according to court records. Turk was not home, and they called her cell phone to find out where she was, records state.

They unscrewed the lightbulbs on the first floor. When Turk arrived with Lorigan and her children, ages 1 and 2, both Machado and Weaver attacked Lorigan with a knife, the records state.

Weaver stabbed Turk in the back of the head and gave her knife to Machado, who then stabbed Lorigan in the head. They then ran and threw the knife away, records state.

They also took a television, a purse belonging to Turk and containing about $440, records state.

A neighbor reported to police seeing the two loading belongings into Weaver’s car just before the attack, according to court records.

Lorigan was pronounced dead Tuesday about 1:34 a.m. of multiple stab wounds to the head and neck.

Mercer County District Attorney Robert Kochems said that as of Friday, Turk was in critical but stable condition, but would not release the name of the hospital.

Officials still are looking for a motive.

According to Weaver’s MySpace Web page, Weaver and Machado were planning to get married. Turk was ranked the top contact on Weaver’s friend list.

Kochems said while Machado’s mother lives in Jamestown, Pa., he believes Machado has roots to California, where there was a warrant for his arrest relating to a juvenile probation issue. Kochems said he believes a search warrant was issued Thursday for Weaver’s home, but didn’t know if had been executed as of late Friday afternoon.

Kochems said the two will be taken to Mercer County Jail within the next week for their arraignments.



dloreno@tribune-chronicle.com