Two murderers sentenced to life

Hung jury prevented death sentence in 2007 drug ring shooting MILFORD — Pike County Court of Common Pleas by President Judge Joseph F. Kameen last Thursday sentenced Joseph Atwell and Jesus Rosario-Torres to life sentences for the murder of Norman Domenech. Joseph Atwell received a life sentence in a State Correctional Facility plus 41 to 104 years, and was ordered to pay a fine of $45,000. Atwell, 35, of Forks Township, was previously found guilty by a Pike County Jury for the crimes of Murder in the First Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Kidnapping, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, and Persons not to Possess a Firearm. Jesus Rosario-Torres received a life sentence in a State Correctional Facility plus 30 to 60 years and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. Jesus Rosario-Torres, 48, of Harrisburg, was previously found guilty by the same Pike County Jury for the crimes of Murder in the First Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Kidnapping, and Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping. Evidence Domenech’s murder occurred in Porter Township in May of 2007. Visitors to the Bears Den Hunting Club found his body near the entrance to the club in a rural area off of Bushkill Falls Road on June 1. State Police found the body partially covered in concrete blocks with no identification. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Domenech suffered a shotgun wound to the back and several gunshot wounds to his right side. After the State Police determined his identity, the Pike County District Attorney’s Office found that Domenech had been stopped for a traffic violation two days earlier and provided an address different from all other known addresses for him. That address was a home rented by Joseph Atwell and his wife Dawn Atwell, where police found drugs, a cache of weapons, police equipment and identification for Norman Domenech. Atwell was arrested, convicted and sentenced in Northampton County for the large drug operation he ran from his home as the murder investigation continued. Police found a key witness to the incident who translated between Joseph Atwell and Torres (who only spoke Spanish) regarding their plans to kill Domenech. The witness also stated that part of the plan was to lure Domenech out into this rural area by telling him that the three men were going murder another person. The State Police also recovered a manual from Joseph Atwell’s computer with instructions for a would-be murderer. At trial Atwell and Torres were tried together, during the nearly two month trial, District Attorney Ray Tonkin and First Assistant District Attorney Bruce DeSarro prosecuted the case. In his closing argument, DeSarro argued to the jury that Atwell’s motive for killing Domenech was his anger over his belief that Domenech had been stealing drugs and money from Atwell and making foolish mistakes that jeopardized his operation. DeSarro also pointed to evidence showing Torres’ motivation for the killing was so that he could sell drugs for Atwell in Harrisburg. After deliberating for approximately twelve hours, the eight woman, four man jury found the Defendants guilty of First Degree Murder. The jury subsequently deadlocked on the issue of sentencing the two murderers to the death penalty. Because the jury could not unanimously vote in favor of the death penalty, Atwell and Torres automatically received life sentences and were sentenced to additional time for the other charges of which they were convicted.