NORRISTOWN >> A husband and wife each pleaded not guilty to murder-related charges in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man during a botched drug deal in a Plymouth Township strip mall.
“I plead not guilty,” Lana Lare, 20, uttered in Montgomery County Court as she was arraigned Monday on charges of first-, second- and third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, possessing an instrument of crime and possession of heroin in connection with the Nov. 20, 2017, stabbing death of 31-year-old Chad Konata, of Collingdale, Pa.
Lare’s husband, Austin Parkinson, 20, through his lawyer, entered not guilty pleas to identical charges. Parkinson also was charged with lying to detectives in his initial statement.
Parkinson and Lare, who resided in the 2500 block of Chestnut Avenue in West Norriton, did not comment on the charges as they were escorted by sheriff’s deputies from the courtroom following their formal arraignment hearings. The couple is being held without bail at the county jail pending trial.
President Judge Thomas M. DelRicci set a May 21 trial date for the accused killers. The judge said prosecutors and defense lawyers must file any pretrial motions by March 26.
Assistant District Attorney Tonya Lupinacci is prosecuting the case. Defense lawyer Nicholas Reifsnyder represents Lare and defense lawyer Carrie Allman represents Parkinson.
If convicted of first- or second-degree murder Lare and Parkinson would face live prison terms. A conviction of third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.
With the charges, prosecutors alleged the couple met Konata in the parking lot of West Ridge Center in the 400 block of Ridge Pike for a purported heroin deal, but wound up stabbing him multiple times before making off with eight bundles of the drug, which is less than 100 doses, with a street value of $800.
The investigation began shortly before 6 p.m. Nov. 20, when Plymouth police officers responded to a report of a vehicle crash in the parking lot. Arriving officers found Konata dead inside a 2012 Buick sedan that was still in drive and had collided with a parked vehicle in the parking lot of West Ridge Center, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective William Mitchell and Plymouth Detective Anthony Costello.
An autopsy determined Konata died “as a result of multiple sharp force injuries” and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
Detectives obtained surveillance video from numerous locations surrounding the crime scene and that video footage allegedly showed two people entering and then running from the victim’s car moments before it drifted through the lot and struck the second vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
One of the figures on the surveillance video appeared to be limping while running away, detectives said.
Detectives followed a trail of blood leading from where Konata’s car was parked at the presumed time of the stabbing to a parking space on the east side of the Outback Steakhouse next to the strip mall, court documents indicate.
County detectives recovered two cellphones from inside the Buick and two knives under Konata’s body. Several bags of suspected heroin also were recovered from the area around the vehicle, according to court documents.
The phones, which were found to belong to Konata, contained several text messages from a number belonging to Parkinson, indicating they would meet around 5 p.m., according to the criminal complaint.
Detectives also interviewed a witness who reportedly saw a dark-colored sedan, possibly an Audi, fleeing from the scene. Additionally, “a concerned citizen” contacted investigators with information regarding a man who reportedly drove Parkinson and Lare to the strip mall in an Audi and later drove the couple to Einstein Medical Center Montgomery where Lare was treated for an injury to her hand.
According to the criminal complaint, detectives obtained security video of Parkinson and Lare arriving at the hospital in a black Audi sedan at 5:32 p.m.
In separate interviews on Nov. 21, Parkinson and Lare reportedly admitted to being driven by a friend to meet up with Konata.
Lare reportedly told detectives the couple had recently married and she had not yet taken Parkinson’s name. Lare allegedly said they went to the meeting location with the intention of scaring and robbing Konata and the couple was armed with knives, according to the arrest affidavit.
Lare allegedly told detectives that once inside the car Parkinson began screaming at Konata and started to stab him. Lare surmised that she received a cut to her right hand when she reached across the victim from the back seat during the stabbing, according to the criminal complaint.
Parkinson originally told a different story, according to the criminal complaint. Parkinson reportedly told detectives he and Lare intended to buy heroin from Konata, but Konata stabbed Lare in the hand, provoking the attack, according to the arrest affidavit.
When confronted with the inconsistencies in his and Lare’s stories, Parkinson allegedly recanted and reportedly admitted to stabbing Konata with a “big knife” in the commission of a heroin robbery and said he was unsure how many times he had stabbed Konata because he was in “such a rage.”
