Man's trial for murder delayed third time
The murder trial of a Mercer County man alleged to have slit the throat of another man in 2017 was delayed again on Wednesday, according to prosecutors.
A tentative trial date was rescheduled for spring 2020.
Joshua K. Greaves, 36, has been in Butler County Prison since his March 2017 arrest for the murder of Gregory W. Bosko, 55, of Kittanning, during a drug deal in Lyndora.
Greaves appeared in court Wednesday for a hearing requested by prosecutors.
District Attorney Richard Goldinger appeared alongside Assistant District Attorneys Benjamin Simon and Robert Zanella. Prosecutors aim to add a felony charge of conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, bringing the total counts Greaves faces to 16.
Zanella argued the new charge doesn't constitute a significant change in the existing charges, adding the decision wasn't based on new evidence. Instead, it more accurately reflects Greaves' alleged crimes. Zanella also noted prosecutors expect the case to be tried next March or April.
Greaves' lawyer, Christopher Capozzi, disagreed with the addition.
“The notion that there is no prejudice against my client is wrong. It's an additional major felony charge,” Capozzi said. “This is a conspiracy of an entirely different nature.”
Greaves' charges include homicide, felony robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, two counts of receiving stolen property, hindering apprehension and abuse of a corpse. Greaves also faces several charges involving conspiracy.
Greaves and Tiffany N. Hilliard, 30, of Butler originally were charged in the case. The couple was arrested March 24 after allegedly being found in a vehicle owned by Bosko in the 300 block of West Wayne Street. Bosko's body was found April 1, wrapped in a green blanket with his throat cut.
Butler County Coroner William Young III ruled Bosko's death a homicide. He said the cause of death was “sharp trauma of the neck,” and that Bosko's throat had been slit “multiple times.”
Goldinger previously indicated he would pursue the death penalty if Greaves is found guilty. But that aspect of the case might change.
Capozzi previously argued against the prosecution's pursuit of executing Greaves, but during Wednesday's hearing Capozzi said he would withhold his arguments pending an expected Sept. 11 decision from the state's Supreme Court regarding use of the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
The issue was brought before the Supreme Court in early July by Goldinger's counterpart, Larry Krasner, in Philadelphia. In Krasner's filing, he cited a study conducted by his office that found 72 percent of Philadelphia's death sentences between 1978 and 2017 were overturned during post-conviction review, often due to ineffective legal representation.
Gov. Tom Wolf issued a moratorium on all Pennsylvania executions in 2015, calling the death penalty system “flawed.”
2017March 21: Joshua K. Greaves allegedly kills Gregory W. Bosko by slitting his throat during a drug deal in Lyndora.March 24: Greaves and Tiffany N. Hilliard charged with giving false names after being found in Bosko's car in the 300 block of West Wayne Street. Both were found to have bench warrants and were detained.Late March: The couple named as persons of interest in the disappearance of Bosko, who was reported missing March 20. Around the same time, police learned about Bosko's death through recorded phone calls Hilliard made to her mother from the jail. She eventually told authorities about the murder.April 1: Investigators discovered Bosko's body wrapped in a green blanket on Redbud Road. His throat had been cut.May 8: Greaves formally charged. Among the criminal charges are homicide, felony robbery and abuse of a corpse. Hilliard is charged with robbery, inflicting serious bodily injury, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property, concealing/destroying evidence, abuse of a corpse and multiple conspiracy charges.November: Greaves' jury selection and trial is rescheduled for the first time by his defense attorneys to 2018.2018July: Greaves' jury selection and trial was rescheduled for the second time to sometime in the future with no set date.August: As part of a plea deal, Hilliard is sentenced to 18 to 36 months in jail for her role in the case after pleading guilty to felony robbery and abuse of a corpse, with all other charges dismissed.2019Jan. 10: Hilliard paroled.July 31: Greaves' jury selection and trial is rescheduled for the third time to spring 2020.
