Weeping Father Recalls Finding Son's Body Near Senator's HomePOSTED: 11:17 am EST February 23,
2007 GREENSBURG, Pa. -- A coroner's inquest is being held Friday to determine what happened to a teenager whose body was discovered near state Sen. Robert Regola's gun -- but the senator's son was not a part of the proceedings.  Watch Bob Mayo's ReportThrough his attorney, 16-year-old Bobby Regola invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify about the death of 14-year-old Louis Farrell, his friend and next-door neighbor.State police said Farrell was found shot July 22 in the woods behind his family's home in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County.No charges have been filed. The inquest is being held to determine if the death was an accident, a suicide or a homicide.It was an emotional struggle on Friday for Louis' father, Doug Farrell, as he described the day he found his son dead.Farrell wept and paced the courtroom, re-enacting his embrace of his son's body.He said his son showed not one of the warning signs of suicide, and that he was the happiest-go-lucky kid a person could meet."He brought life into our home," said Farrell. "My wife and I haven't had a life since he died."Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, who performed the autopsy, said the fatal wound was typical of a suicide: tight contact against the side of the head.Sen. Regola testified for more than 90 minutes. He stood by his testimony that the gun in question had never been kept in his son's room. He was preceded by his brother, Ron, who took the witness stand for nearly 90 minutes also.A state trooper's report noted that Regola told investigators the gun was only moved to the senator's bedroom after concern about vagrants in the area."Somebody's lying," said Farrell's attorney, Jon Perry. "He was asked point-blank if the state police officer has that in his report, is it untrue, and he said yes.""There's absolutely no evidence that you would suspect someone would go into your bedroom, take a gun from your bedroom, and then use it in some fashion," said Regola's attorney, Charles Porter.Testimony from Bobby Regola was thought to be key, because police said he is considered to be one of the last people to have contact with Farrell before the boy died.Attorney Duke George said Bobby Regola "has nothing to hide" and doesn't need to take the stand.The first of 20 witnesses in the case began testifying Thursday morning. Click here to read our Thursday report.Among the early witnesses was a state police DNA lab expert who said there was a mix of DNA on the grip of the gun, but the major DNA on the grip matched Farrell -- although it's unclear how and when the boy's DNA got there.Also taking the stand Thursday were two state troopers who testified that the scene may have been altered before they arrived, as most of the blood was found in a pool about 3½ feet from Farrell's head.Doug Farrell admitted handling the gun and picking up his son's body to embrace him after he found the boy dead, according to the troopers' testimony.A state police crime lab expert testified that microscopic blood droplets found near the barrel of the gun and under one of Louis Farrell's fingernails were consistent with him shooting himself. Team 4: New Details Surface In Regola Gun CaseRelated Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2007 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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