By Gina Morton
SUNBURY — Unless a defense attorney is granted a court order within 10 days to keep intact the mice- and rat-infested home where two murders occurred two years ago, the house may be razed.
Rodents are the only inhabitants of 224-226 N. Fourth St., which was condemned as a health hazard, said Cory Fasold, Sunbury Revitalization Inc.'s immediate past president.
Defense attorneys representing Michael A. Harrell, accused in the Jan. 18, 2008, slayings, recently visited the vacant house to take photos and videos, said Fasold, who added he is afraid the structure poses a danger to adjacent homeowners.
"The code office said it needs torn down for the safety of the neighbors," he said, "but it's a legal thing between that and what the defense wants. Obviously we're going to do whatever the judge says."
Sunbury code enforcement officers were unable to be reached for comment.
Crystal M. Scholl-Gordon and David A. Moore were murdered in the building. SRI was scheduled to demolish the structure in early February, but the job was postponed until defense attorney Edward Rymsza, of Williamsport, and Northumberland County District Attorney Anothony Rosini agreed it was not needed for the case.
Rosini said Friday he is sending a letter to Rymsza, giving him 10 days to receive a court order to keep the property intact.
Otherwise, it's coming down.
"As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason to keep it up," Rosini said. "We videotaped it back then and to my understanding, it's deteriorated since then."
Rymsza was unable to be reached for comment.
Fasold said the defense has been in the house twice recently, taking photos and video. He has also been inside the vacant home.
"There are mice and rats. It's not a good situation," he said. "... For SRI, basically our thought is for the safety of neighbors. We'd like it torn down because if anything happens there as far as a fire, now two neighbors are in danger and that's the big issue."
He believed an answer would be coming within the next week from the judge.
"I'm sitting back and waiting," he said.
The funding to tear down the building is coming from SRI, which bought the property from a bank.
"Once it's torn down, each of the neighbors both want the property, so the goal is to get it done, sell to one or both the neighbors and hopefully get our money back out of it," Fasold said. "We hope to break even and everyone will be happy."
