Regola charged with perjury about gun used in suicide (Repub PA State Sen)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Criminal charges were filed today against state Sen. Robert Regola in connection with the death of a teenage neighbor who was shot with the senator's gun.

The Westmoreland County coroner ruled that Louis Farrell, 14, committed suicide in July. He was found behind his home in Hempfield; a gun belonging to the senator was near the body.

After a lengthy inquest before attorney Thomas Farrell, who presided, Mr. Farrell suggested the senator wasn't being totally forthcoming about the presence of the gun in his home.

Today, state police filed charges that support that conclusion. Mr. Regola is accused of three counts of perjury, allowing possession of a firearm by a minor, recklessly endangering another person and false swearing.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07086/772890-100.stm

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There's been some real coverup in this case concerning the gun and the senator's son.

[bmbmd]

1. Found this interesting blog entry.

http://www.bytheriverblog.com/2006/07/some_things_dont_add_up.html

The Regola case
I've been following the events in Westmoreland County surrounding the tragic death of Louis A.J. Farrell, 14, the Hempfield youth who was killed by a shot to the head from a pistol owned by State Sen. Bob Regola, R-Westmoreland. The state police are still investigating the matter, refusing to label it either a suicide or homicide or accident. Louis was found dead in the woods behind his parents home last Saturday morning. Regola, a right-winger who defeated the Legislature's leading progressive, Sen. Allen Kukovich, D-Westmoreland, in a bitter campaign in 2004, was in Harrisburg with his wife Friday night accepting an award from the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Association. Regola is a strongly pro-gun legislator who supposedly has told people he feels a need to go armed while in Harrisburg.

What continues to intrigue me is Regola's 16-year-old son, Robert Regola IV. News accounts have said Farrell had access to the Regola house to take care of the family pets while the Senator and his wife were away. Yet the Regola son didn't accompany his parents to Harrisburg. So he couldn't take care of the pets? Seems a bit odd. Or didn't his parents trust him to do that? According to news accounts, young Regola returned to the family home, which is next door to the Farrell's, about 10:30 p.m. last Friday. Farrell was last seen alive by his older brother at 10:15 p.m. Louis and young Bob were supposedly friends.

I'm sure the state police are examining a range of possibilities in the death. I won't speculate on what those might be. And of course, it might just be suicide. But even if it was, how did Louis find the gun, which authorities have stressed was not left laying around?

[RamboLiberal]

2. It's been officially ruled a suicide so unless other info surfaces

Here's the ruling. http://www.post-gazette.com/downloads/Farrellruling.pdf

It is fascinating reading and certainly the possibility is there that the full truth of this didn't come out. Regola and his kid were less than forthcoming on this incident. I predict even if the senator is not found guilty, the father of the victim has a good civil case.

[billbuckhead]

3. Guns and gun owners making America better

Shame a "gangbanger" wasn't killed, then it wouldn't matter.