Kid, 10, confesses to murder; 90-year-old strangled with a cane

Posted 8/21/12

TYLER HILL, PA — A 10-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with killing a 90-year-old woman. Officials charge that the boy put a cane around her throat and repeatedly struck the woman. The …

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Kid, 10, confesses to murder; 90-year-old strangled with a cane

Posted

TYLER HILL, PA — A 10-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with killing a 90-year-old woman. Officials charge that the boy put a cane around her throat and repeatedly struck the woman. The arrest was announced by Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on October 11 Tristen Kurilla went to 349 Skylake Rd, Tyler Hill to visit his grandfather Anthony Virbitsky, who was a caretaker of the deceased woman Helen Novak.

At about 11:15 a.m., Pennsylvania State Police received a call from the Wayne County Communications Center reporting that there was a deceased woman at the house. The Wayne County Coroner was contacted and Deputy Coroner Carol Leinert responded to the scene where she found Novak in her room deceased.

About three hours later, Martha Virbitsky came to the state police Honesdale barracks with her son, Kurilla, and reported that her son told her that he had gone into Novak’s room at his grandfather’s home and Novak yelled at him. Martha said that Kurilla told her that he got mad, lost his temper and grabbed a cane and put it around Novak’s throat at his grandfather’s home earlier that day.

Trooper John Decker then met with Kurilla and Martha Virbitsky and agreed to sit down with them to discuss Novak’s death. Trooper Decker Mirandized Kurilla and reviewed his rights with him and Martha Virbitsky. The affidavit says that Kurilla then told Decker that he pulled Novak down on the bed and held the cane on her throat and then punched her numerous times.

Kurilla then went to his grandfather and told him Novak was bleeding from her mouth. Anthony went to check on Novak and she said she was OK. Anthony asked Kurilla if he had done something to Novak and he replied “No.”

Anthony said that he went back to check on Novak and found her not responsive, and called 911. Anthony also said that after finding Novak not responsive he asked Kurilla again if he had done something to Novak, and this time Kurilla told his grandfather that he had punched Novak and put a cane around her neck.

On October 13, an autopsy was performed on Novak. Dr. Gary Ross reported that he found blunt force trauma to Novak’s neck and that he ruled this death a homicide. Ross said that the account provided by Kurilla to police was consistent with the injuries he observed.

Under Pennsylvania law, a juvenile who commits a homicide is charged as an adult. Once charged, Kurilla was arraigned by Magistrate Bonnie Carney and no bail was ordered. Kurilla was then transported to the Wayne County Correctional Facility where he will remain until a scheduled central court appearance on Wednesday, October 22. Although the charge of homicide directs the filing of the charge as an adult against the juvenile, the juvenile may petition the court for a hearing asking that the matter be transferred to juvenile court.

At a news conference in Honesdale on October 14, Edwards said that Kurilla was being kept in prison but not with the adult general population, and he was also not being kept in solitary confinement.

She also said that she is requesting that the state attorney general take over the case because a member of her staff has a relationship with Kurilla’s family.

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