DiNardo and Kratz to Stand Trial in Solebury Murders

The murders of four Philadelphia area men caught national attention this summer. Cosmo DiNardo, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, confessed to the killings on July 13 and said that his cousin, Sean Kratz, assisted with the killings.
The two men were each heard from this month, and are being held for trial. DiNardo, who waived his right to a preliminary hearing, appeared by video in the courtroom in front of the families of the victims. He told Judge Maggie Snow that his attorney had explained to him what would happen if he waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He indicated that he understood what was told to him, and that is what he wanted to do. With handcuffs on his wrists, DiNardo signed the relevant paperwork while still on camera.
Sean Kratz, who did not waive his right to a preliminary hearing, appeared in court wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. The families of the victims, many of whom were brought to tears, listened as Kratz told the judge that he was an innocent bystander in what he called the “massacre”. He said that the four killings were carried out by DiNardo, and denied helping in any way. He also stated that he and his cousin went out to eat after the killings.
Kratz is charged with assisting in three of the four killings. His lawyer argues that the killings were DiNardo’s idea and that Kratz was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He states that there is not sufficient evidence to prove that Kratz took any part in the killings. Kratz states that the first of the four men were shot in a barn on the DiNardo family farm and that he was standing outside by DiNardo’s truck. He said that after hearing the gunshots, he went into the barn and vomited when he saw the victim’s body on the ground.
After originally stating that he was not even at the property with DiNardo at the time of the killings, Kratz changed his story while being interviewed by detectives. He described the killings in gruesome detail, all the while denying that he had taken part. DiNardo, on the other hand, says that Kratz actually pulled the trigger in one of the murders.
Both men will stand trial in 2018. The families of the four victims, some of whom are being represented by attorneys will watch as the cousins go head to head as they tell their differing stories to a jury.