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Thread: Michael Horvath Sentenced to LWOP in 2013 PA Slaying of Holly Grim

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    Michael Horvath Sentenced to LWOP in 2013 PA Slaying of Holly Grim




    Holly Grim's alleged killer to face death penalty

    The man accused of the 2013 kidnapping and murder of Holly Grim will face the death penalty, according to Monroe County District Attorney David Christine.

    Authorities say Michael Horvath, a co-worker of the Lower Macungie Township woman, snatched her from her trailer on Nov. 22, 2013. Horvath is eligible for the death penalty since he's accused of committing felony crimes in the commission of a homicide. He's been charged with homicide, kidnapping, obstructing police, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

    Christine said the notice of aggravating circumstances, the document that puts the death penalty option on the table for a jury, was filed within the past week at the Monroe County Courthouse.

    Grim's disappearance long vexed police and her loved ones. Horvath, who was late to work on the day Grim went missing, was interviewed three times, and his story to police remained mostly consistent. In 2014, authorities say he volunteered a swab of DNA, which in November 2015 came back as a match to bloodstains found at the back of Grim's home.

    In October, as crews descended on Horvath's Ross Township home to dig for clues, roughly 100 pieces of human bone were recovered in Horvath's yard, including a bone from the middle of Grim's chest that was pierced by a gunshot, according to authorities. Police also recovered photographs from Horvath's computer, some of which showed the interior of Grim's home — a piece of evidence that even Horvath seemed surprised by during his preliminary hearing.

    http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/m...212-story.html

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    ​Related:

    Holly Grim's child sues accused killer for wrongful death


    By Sarah Cassi
    Lehigh Valley Live

    Holly Grim's son is suing the man accused of kidnapping the Lehigh County woman and killing her.

    Grim's estate, administered by Zachary Grim, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Friday in Lehigh County Court against Michael Horvath. Attorney Steven Bergstein could not immediately be reached for comment about the suit.

    Horvath, who worked at Allen Organ Co. in Macungie in the wood shop with Grim, is accused of kidnapping Grom from her Lower Macungie home and killing her in Monroe County.

    Grim was reported missing the morning of Nov. 22, 2013 by her mother, Jeannette Grim.

    A little less than three years later, investigators said they found Grim's remains during a search last fall of Horvath's property in the 2300 block of Woodhaven Drive in Ross Township, Monroe County. Grim died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

    Photographs from a thumb drive found among Horvath's belongings, dated to August 2009, show the exterior of Grim's home, and others from 2013 show the inside of her living room and bedroom.

    Horvath was arrested Oct. 13.

    Horvath is awaiting trial in Monroe County on charges of criminal homicide, two counts of kidnapping, as well as tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and abuse of corpse.

    Prosecutors said if Horvath is convicted of first-degree murder, they intend to seek the death penalty.

    http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehi...for_wrong.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    February 26, 2018

    Funding Creates Concerns in Murder Case

    By Brianna Strunk
    pahomepage.com

    STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) - The Monroe County man accused of kidnapping and murdering his co-worker was back in court Monday.

    State police say Michael Horvath of Saylorsburg stalked Holly Grim, then kidnapped the woman from her Lehigh County home in 2013. This was a missing persons case until three years later. In 2016, investigators started excavating Horvath's backyard where they found Grim's remains.

    On Monday, we learned new information about the case during a pre-trial hearing.

    Horvath's defense called two witnesses to testify. Both work with the Public Defender's Office. The office's lone detective says funding and resources for capitol cases, like this, are running extremely low. He calls it "almost impossible" to keep up with the caseload.

    The defense also claims the Commonwealth didn't preserve important evidence, specifically Holly Grim's home. The trailer was torn down in 2016.

    In response, a state police investigator took the stand. He testified that Grim's house was photographed and evidence was collected. After a scene is processed and released, he says investigators have no authority over the property.

    We also learned new, disturbing details about the alleged crime itself.

    Prosecutors say they found disguises inside Horvath's house including a wig, a ski mask and a fake ID. They also found items used to pick locks and make keys. Under Horvath's shed, a Ziploc bag was recovered with leg shackles, handcuffs and a leather bondage inside.

    Horvath's trial was originally scheduled to start next month, but the defense asked for more time. Now trial is set to begin next March.

    The Public Defenders Office petitioned Monroe County Commissioners for more funding and to hire another detective. In response, the office did receive a part-time detective but they say it's still not enough.

    http://www.pahomepage.com/news/fundi...case/992563856

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    Holly Grim homicide: Michael Horvath trial pushed back to October

    Jury selection in the case of Michael Horvath, the Monroe County man accused of kidnapping and killing Holly Grim of Lower Macungie Township, will not begin until October, prosecutors confirmed Monday.

    Horvath, 51, was in Monroe County Court Monday morning for a pretrial hearing. His attorneys are challenging the science behind cellphone data collection, which police say shows Horvath was near Grim’s home on the day she disappeared.

    Monroe County Judge Margherita Patti Worthington said she will rule on the motion before Horvath’s trial.

    Grim’s disappearance is one of the most closely watched missing person cases in Lehigh Valley history. Police say that in November 2013, Horvath kidnapped Grim from her trailer in the Red Maples Mobile Home Park, then took her to his Ross Township home where he killed her and disposed of her body.

    Police say they found evidence that Horvath was stalking Grim, his coworker at Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, and that he had books and videos on “hunting humans” in his home.

    Horvath was arrested on Oct. 13, 2016. He's charged with homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and obstruction of the administration of law. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

    Horvath is being held in the Monroe County Correctional Facility without bail.

    Michael Horvath is charged with homicide in connection with the death of Holly Grim, a Lower Macungie woman who went missing in 2013.

    Although investigators believe Grim was kidnapped in Lower Macungie, they say evidence points to Horvath killing her and burying her body on his property. That’s why the trial is being held in Monroe County.

    Police in October 2016 announced that Grim's skeletal remains were discovered in a 4-by-4-foot area at the bottom of an embankment behind Horvath's house, covered by about a foot of dirt.

    In court Monday, defense attorney Chandra Bleice argued that she needed more information about how police gathered cellphone evidence in the case so that she could call an expert at trial to dispute the science behind cellphone data mapping.

    Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski countered that the cellphone records the jury will hear about simply show that Horvath’s phone was moving in a particular direction on the day Grim disappeared, and were not being offered to prove that he was in a particular location.

    Grim was last seen at 6:34 a.m. Nov. 22, 2013 after dropping her son off at the bus stop. In the home, Grim’s mother found a spilled coffee mug, Grim's eyeglasses and an overturned ashtray, authorities said.

    State police say they later found a bloodstain and other signs of a struggle in Grim's trailer.

    Grim and Horvath shared the same work schedule at the organ factory. According to a search warrant, Horvath was one of several employees who was either late or absent from work on the day Grim disappeared.

    Court records say Horvath was interviewed shortly after Grim went missing and explained that he got a flat tire on his way into work that day and stopped to fix it, then went home.

    Horvath appeared in court Monday wearing a bright red prison jumpsuit. He did not testify.

    (source: The Morning Call)
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Defense says deal offered for rest of Holly Grim’s remains

    By Laurie Mason Schroeder
    Allentown Morning Call

    The lawyer representing Michael Horvath, the Monroe County man accused of kidnapping and killing Holly Grim of Lower Macungie Township, said Friday that prosecutors offered her client a deal to avoid the death penalty if he revealed the whereabouts of “the other half” of Grim’s body.

    Defense attorney Chandra Bleice would not say what her client’s reaction to the plea offer was, saying only “it certainly looks like we’re going to trial.”

    Bleice’s statement, made during a pretrial hearing at the county courthouse in Stroudsburg, offered a hint at the gruesome details jurors will hear when Horvath’s trial, scheduled for next month, gets underway.

    Horvath, 51, is charged with homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and other crimes in connection with Grim’s death. Police say that in November 2013, Horvath kidnapped Grim from her trailer in the Red Maples Mobile Home Park, then took her to his Ross Township home where he killed her and disposed of her body.

    Police say they found evidence that Horvath was stalking Grim, his coworker at Allen Organ Co. in Macungie, and that he had books and videos on "hunting humans" in his home.

    Horvath was arrested on Oct. 13, 2016 and has been held at the Monroe County Correctional Facility without bail since then. He did not testify during the hearing before Judge Margherita Patti Worthington.

    The judge must rule on the admissibility of numerous pieces of evidence before the trial. First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso told the judge that he intends to prove that Horvath possessed restraints, books on serial killers and sadomasochistic pornography.

    Mancuso also told the judge there is evidence that Horvath stalked other females, including high school students, at the same time he was allegedly stalking Grim, and kept notes on his activities. The judge will decide how much a jury hears about those allegations.

    Although investigators believe Grim was kidnapped in Lower Macungie, they say evidence points to Horvath killing her and burying her body on his property. That’s why the trial is being held in Monroe County.

    Police in October 2016 announced that Grim’s skeletal remains were discovered in a 4-by-4-foot area at the bottom of an embankment behind Horvath’s house, covered by about a foot of dirt. Horvath’s wife later found a bottle of chloroform on the property and turned it over to police, Mancuso told the judge.

    Grim was last seen at 6:34 a.m. Nov. 22, 2013 after dropping her son off at the bus stop. In her mobile home, Grim’s mother found a spilled coffee mug, Grim’s eyeglasses and an overturned ashtray, authorities said. State police say they later discovered a bloodstain and other signs of a struggle.

    Grim and Horvath shared the same work schedule at the organ factory. According to a search warrant, Horvath was one of several employees who was either late or absent from work on the day Grim disappeared.

    Mancuso declined to comment after the hearing Friday, saying only that he could neither confirm nor deny that he offered Horvath a plea deal in exchange for revealing the location of Grim’s remains.

    Worthington estimated that jury selection, scheduled to begin Oct. 7, will take a week to seven days to complete.

    https://www.mcall.com/news/police/mc...k64-story.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Holly Grim slaying: Pennsylvania man found guilty in 2013 murder of his coworker

    Prosecutors said Horvath stalked Grim before kidnapping her from her Monroe County, Pennsylvania, home and killing her in 2013

    By Audrey Conklin
    Fox News

    A Monroe County, Pennsylvania, jury found a man accused of kidnapping and murdering his coworker in 2013 guilty on nearly all charges.

    The jury found Michael Horvath guilty on charges of homicide, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse nine years after Holly Grim's disappearance, FOX affiliate WOLF-TV reported.

    Horvath was acquitted of obstruction of law enforcement.

    "I'm happy that we got some justice for the Grim family," Zachary Grim, Holly Grim's son, told reporters Friday, according to WFMZ. "I'm not sure if I can move on, but we are all going to try."

    Grim, who was 41 at the time of her death and worked with Horvath at a church organ manufacturing company, went missing from the Red Maples Mobile Home Park in Lower Macungie Township in November 2013.

    Prosecutors said Horvath stalked Grim before kidnapping her from her home and killing her, WFMZ reported.

    He eventually buried her body on his land, but authorities did not discover her remains until three years later in 2016, when a bone discovered on his property matched Grim's DNA.

    Horvath's sentencing hearing is set for September.

    The Monroe County District Attorney's office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/holly-gri...urder-coworker
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Horvath gets life without parole for killing Holly Grim: 'I am going to fight this until the end'

    By Ali Reid
    69 News

    STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The man who kidnapped and killed his coworker in 2013 will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

    Michael Horvath was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole, followed by 10-20 years in prison, in the killing of Holly Grim.

    He addressed the court and the Grim family during the sentencing hearing Thursday morning: "I am sorry for their loss, but judge, I did not commit this murder and I am going to fight this until the end."

    Horvath has 10 days to file any post-sentence motions, meaning a request for his sentence to be reconsidered. After that, the court has 120 days to file an opinion and order.

    Judge Margherita Worthington said this case was "probably one of the most horrifying crimes" she's ever presided over, noting the impact on Grim's family members "went well beyond her death."

    She said, based on the evidence presented during trial earlier this summer, she believes Grim wasn't killed right away, and she must have "been in incredible terror, fear and horror, (enduring) things you only see in movies."

    Several of Grim's family members also addressed the court during Thursday's sentencing, saying Horvath can't even admit he did it.

    "I don't think he has any kind of humanity left. I don't think he can really connect with anyone, I don't think he has any emotions," said Zach Grim, Holly Grim's son, after the hearing.

    "If he could do one good thing, he would tell us what he did with the rest of her, and he can't do that," another family member said.

    Grim's partial remains were found on Horvath's Ross Township, Monroe County property in 2016, three years after she went missing.

    Investigators say Horvath obsessively stalked and tracked Grim, with whom he worked at Allen Organ, before kidnapping her from her Lower Macungie Township home in November 2013, torturing her, and ultimately killing her.

    Worthington convicted him in June on charges of homicide, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse in the nearly-decade-old case.

    Horvath's trial had been delayed several times for pandemic and other reasons.

    https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/pocon...6eca72f9c.html

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