Indiana County President Judge William Martin has granted a motion for the return of personal property to a Saltsburg man serving life in prison for the shooting death of a Tunnelton gun shop over on New Years’ Eve, 2013.
The judge also has set a hearing for January 8th on 47-year-old Jack Edmundson Jr.’s motion for Post Conviction Collateral Relief and another motion for a ballistics expert to examine the gun used in the shooting of death of Frank Petro. And new motions have been filed on Edmundson’s behalf, seeking to suppress evidence, search warrants, and statements made prior to his guilty plea to first degree murder.
Edmundson shot Petro after extorting $146,000 from him by posing as an undercover detective investigating Petro for illegally selling raffle tickets. After the shooting, Edmundson called 911 and claimed he had shot Petro in self defense, but surveillance video clearly showed him reaching behind the counter, grabbing a gun and shooting Petro four times. When he pleaded guilty in 2015, he told Judge William Martin, “I’m not exactly sure why I did this.” He also pleaded guilty in several other cases, and while in prison, he attempted to escape by filing away the bars on his cell window and going on a diet to try to become thin enough to squeeze between them.
The judge ordered District Attorney Pat Dougherty to return Edmundson’s property and cash to him or his designee by December 29th.
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