Detainer issued for man accused in Connellsville homicide
A detainer has been issued for one of the men charged with killing a woman and throwing her body in a river in Connellsville, because he violated the terms of his parole on two prior cases when he allegedly participated in the most recent crime.
State police said Paul Jerome Bannasch, 24, of Hopwood and Craig Allen Rugg, 24, of Connellsville are each charged with criminal homicide, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, unlawful restraint, abuse of a corpse and criminal conspiracy to commit a homicide.
The men are charged in the death of 52-year-old Margaret Kriek of Connellsville.
Her nude body was pulled from the Youghiogheny River Saturday morning in Dunbar Township after she was spotted by a Boy Scout troop boating on the river.
Police said that Kriek, Bannasch and Rugg were seen around 11:30 p.m. Friday by patrons at Sidewinders Bar in Connellsville.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, police said the men and Kriek were spotted at the Amtrak railroad station in Connellsville.
Police said that investigators found some of Kriek’s clothing outside the Amtrak station, and police also observed drag marks and blood that led from the parking lot to the river. Along the river bank, police found more of Kriek’s bloody clothing, authorities said.
An autopsy performed Sunday morning by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht determined that the cause of death was strangulation and that Kriek also sustained a broken bone in the throat, injuries to her head and face, injuries consistent with violent sexual assault, a rib fracture and injuries to her right hip. Wecht also found lacerations on Kriek’s heels, legs, torso and arms, police said.
On Feb. 12, Bannasch was sentenced to 6 to 23 months in jail for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and related charges in connection with an incident in which police found him assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and trying to throw her and her infant son out a window.
Initially, he was charged with multiple counts of aggravated and simple assault as well, but those charges were dismissed because the alleged victim would not testify.
Bannasch was granted parole nine days later.
Bannasch had also been charged with simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after he physically assaulted two people as they were trying to get into their vehicle in a parking lot on South Mount Vernon Avenue in early 2012.
His probation in that case was revoked based on the alleged assault on his girlfriend, and he was sent to jail for 3 to 12 months. He was granted parole in that case on May 7.
Rugg is also on parole from a 6 to 23 month jail sentence handed down Nov. 6 for raping an unconscious woman. Police said that the victim in that case became ill and fell asleep, and when she woke up, Rugg was having sex with her. He was paroled on March 27. No detainer has been issued for him.