The murder trial of gay porn star
Harlow Cuadra is scheduled to begin in a Pennsylvania courtroom
Tuesday after numerous delays.
Cuadra, a former Navy enlisted man and
porn star, is accused of the January 2007 killing of rival gay porn
producer Bryan Kocis, 44, a man who had turned a bankrupt life around
by peddling twink boys in bareback videos online.
Kocis' body was found by firemen
responding to a fire at the porn king's Dallas Township house on the
night of January 24, a Wednesday, his neck slashed to the point of
near decapitation and his torso stabbed 28 times.
Investigators allege Cuadra, 27, and
his lover, Joseph Kerekes, 34, who were involved in gay online
pornography and escorting themselves, are responsible for the murder.
The two plotted to kill the porn producer in an effort to cut free
Kocis' biggest star, Sean Lockhart, from his contractual obligations,
they contend.
Cuadra's family and friends claim he's
innocent. At the website FreeHarlowCuadra.com, they push mugs and
t-shirts to raise money for his defense.
So the news last December that Kerekes
had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in an effort to save his
own life must have disheartened those supporters.
Kerekes is now serving a life sentence
without the possibility of parole after admitting he knew of and
helped facilitate the murder.
In a notice of alibi defense submitted
to the court in July, attorneys for Cuadra said they might claim he
was at a nearby motel the night of Kocis' murder. A defense certain
to change when considering Kerekes' change of heart.
Cuadra and Kerekes, who served a brief
stint in the Marines, first hooked up online in 2000. After several
dates, Kerekes admitted that he escorted for a living and eventually
brought his new lover into the fold. The pair began producing and
starring in online military-themed bareback videos at Boybatter.com
from their Virginia Beach, Virginia home.
While Cuadra and Kerekes were raking in
large sums of money from their porn ventures, it had not kept pace
with their indulgent lifestyle. Several reports indicate that by
2007 the pair were almost $1 million in debt.
Kocis had built his own gay porn empire
off the backs of barely legal young boys called Cobra Video; his most
lucrative star was Sean Lockhart, who starred in several videos under
the name Brent Corrigan. The two also met on the Internet when
Lockhart was living in San Diego and desperate for cash. But after
being turned into a porn star – and Kocis' part-time lover –
Lockhart wanted out, and new boyfriend, Grant Roy, wanted in as
manager.
Lockhart told the FBI he was underage
when he filmed Every Poolboy's Dream, Casting Couch 4,
Schoolboy Crush and Bareboned Twinks for Cobra Video in
an effort to sever his ties with his previous mentor.
The two faced off in court and
eventually reached a settlement.
Nearly free from Kocis, Lockhart and
Roy began scouting for new models for Lockhart's eventual return to
gay porn when they came upon Cuadra.
According to statements Roy made to gay
monthly Out, the four men agreed to produce a film starring
Lockhart and Cuadra which they believed would be worth $1 million.
Kocis, who had yet to contractually release his former sex star,
stood in the way of their million dollar plan.
Both Lockhart and Roy are expected to
testify at the trial, but Kerekes has refused. Jury selection begins
Tuesday.
Cuadra could face the death penalty if
found guilty of the murder of Bryan Kocis.