Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Lecco Murder Trial Continues
WEST VIRGINIA....
Wednesday, 47 year old Valerie Friend from North Matewan took the stand to testify against her former co-defendant, 61 year old George Lecco from Red Jacket who's accused of ordering the 2005 death of drug informant 33 year old Carla Collins to protect the cocaine business he ran out of his Pizza Plus. Friend testified she did not know Lecco before Collins was killed. She says, at that time, she was heavily addicted to cocaine and relied on Patricia Burton, who worked at Lecco's Pizza Plus, to supply her drugs. Friend says Burton told her Lecco would pay $25,000 for the killings of Collins and another man he feared were informants. Friend said, following a long night of cocaine use by Collins, Friend, Burton and Carmella Blankenship and driving around Mingo County, the four ended up at an abandoned trailer on Double Camp where Burton used the gun Lecco supplied to shoot Collins in the head. Friend says Carla asked, "Why?" and Burton told her because "Porgy Lecco wanted her dead." Friend says she shot Collins in the chest after Burton told her to and then Burton beat Collins several times with a piece of a cinder block. Friend testified that the following day a number of people helped bury Collins' body in a shallow grave nearby.
Wednesday, 47 year old Valerie Friend from North Matewan took the stand to testify against her former co-defendant, 61 year old George Lecco from Red Jacket who's accused of ordering the 2005 death of drug informant 33 year old Carla Collins to protect the cocaine business he ran out of his Pizza Plus. Friend testified she did not know Lecco before Collins was killed. She says, at that time, she was heavily addicted to cocaine and relied on Patricia Burton, who worked at Lecco's Pizza Plus, to supply her drugs. Friend says Burton told her Lecco would pay $25,000 for the killings of Collins and another man he feared were informants. Friend said, following a long night of cocaine use by Collins, Friend, Burton and Carmella Blankenship and driving around Mingo County, the four ended up at an abandoned trailer on Double Camp where Burton used the gun Lecco supplied to shoot Collins in the head. Friend says Carla asked, "Why?" and Burton told her because "Porgy Lecco wanted her dead." Friend says she shot Collins in the chest after Burton told her to and then Burton beat Collins several times with a piece of a cinder block. Friend testified that the following day a number of people helped bury Collins' body in a shallow grave nearby.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:05 PM 
