SMETHPORT — The two men accused in the murder of a pregnant
woman at the Riddell House in September were in McKean County Court
Thursday to apprise President Judge John Pavlock of the progress in
their criminal cases.

Thomas Paul Haggie’s case was handled first. Haggie, 30, and
Greggory Alan Theobald, 20, are both charged with two counts each
of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide for the murders of
Megan Konopka, 21, and her unborn son, on Sept. 12 at the Riddell
House.

The first item handled was the conclusion of argument in a
motion to suppress evidence in Haggie’s case. At issue is the entry
of investigating Bradford City Police Officer Mike Ward into
Haggie’s rented room at the Riddell House without a warrant.

On Sept. 13, police received a call from a woman in California
who knew Haggie. She explained he called and told her he killed
someone, and sent her a picture of the body through her cell phone.
Police were able to identify the Riddell House from a photo she
forwarded to them, and went there to see if there was someone in
need of assistance.

Officers knocked at the door of Haggie’s room, found it to be
unlocked and Ward entered. When he saw Konopka’s lifeless body, he
immediately left the room, secured the scene and obtained a search
warrant.

Defense attorneys Gary Knaresboro and Mike Marshall argued that
he shouldn’t have entered, saying the pictures and information
obtained from the woman in California should have been enough to
convince the police that anyone inside the room was already
dead.

“The possibility of someone needing help was so remote,”
Marshall said at the hearing Thursday. “If you know someone’s been
killed, there’s no exigent need to get to them.”

District Attorney Ray Learn argued that Ward had a “good faith
belief someone may be in peril of bodily harm,” which is an
exception to the law requiring search warrants. He explained the
photos sent to Ward showed a “bloody body.” It wasn’t clear that
the person in the photo was dead, Learn said.

“When he saw that she was dead, he went for a warrant,” Learn
said.

President Judge John Pavlock said he would take the matters into
consideration and issue a ruling in the near future.

He then asked the attorneys if the case was anywhere close to
being ready for trial.

Knaresboro explained that the defense attorneys are awaiting
Haggie’s records from California, which the court-appointed
psychiatrist wants to see prior to examining him. Learn said
depending on the findings of the psychiatrist, the prosecution may
want to have an expert examine Haggie as well.

“We need to set some targets in this case and try to keep them,”
Pavlock said, setting another status conference for 45 days from
Thursday.

After the conclusion of Haggie’s case, Theobald was brought
before the court with his attorneys, Dennis Luttenauer and John
Ingros. The attorneys all met with Pavlock in his chambers for
several minutes, then returned to the courtroom. Pavlock announced
there were some discovery issues with the defense, as e-mailed
photos could not be opened.

The prosecution agreed to rectify the issue, and Pavlock set
another status conference for 30 days from Thursday.

Both Haggie and Theobald remain incarcerated without bail. The
prosecution is seeking the death penalty in both cases.