'Murder kit' displayed during attempted homicide trial

Oct. 25—WILKES-BARRE — First it was a double-barrel modified shotgun, followed by shotgun shells, a long handle sledgehammer, more shotgun shells, work gloves, duct tape and a pink colored backpack.

The items that Luzerne County assistant district attorneys Brian Coleman and Julian Truskowski called a "murder kit" was displayed to a jury on the second day of Todd Bebo's attempted homicide trial before Judge David W. Lupas on Wednesday.

Dallas Township police charged Bebo, 52, with attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend of nine years, Melissa M. Mallis, at her Dakota Drive residence on Dec. 9, 2022.

Video footage of Bebo carrying the sledgehammer in hand and backpack containing shotgun shells, duct tape and gloves behind Mallis' residence was shown to the jury.

Coleman and Truskowski are relying on a Nov. 11, 2022, incident that prompted the alleged actions of Bebo on Dec. 9, 2022.

Mallis testified she accompanied Bebo and two friends to a Plains Township restaurant and bar to watch a Dave Matthews Tribute Band on Nov. 11, 2022.

While Mallis and her two friends went outside, she said Bebo was left behind at the bar to watch their purses, cellular phones and seats.

Mallis said Bebo became agitated, describing his anger as in a "rage" as he told her she disrespected him for leaving him alone at the bar.

After a scene inside and outside the bar, Mallis said she got a ride to her Dakota Drive residence leaving Bebo at the bar.

About 25 minutes after arriving home, Bebo showed up and Mallis told him they will talk the next morning. When Mallis told Bebo he was sleeping in another bedroom, she testified Bebo grabbed an AR15 assault rifle from a gun safe and fired a shot in the air.

"He said, 'which one wants to go first, somebody is going to die tonight,'" Mallis testified.

Mallis said she froze while her friend pleaded with Bebo to put the gun away.

Another friend inside the house called 911 that prompted a several hour standoff with police in the Back Mountain and state police troopers with the Special Emergency Response Team on Nov. 11, 2022.

Mallis obtained a no-contact protection-from abuse order against Bebo for three years on Nov. 23, 2022.

Bebo's attorney, Nanda Palissery, said his client is guilty of the terroristic threat charge and violating the restraining order but had no intentions of killing Mallis.

After the standoff, Mallis said she had a new home security system installed at her residence.

Footage recorded Dec. 9, 2022, showed Bebo approaching Mallis' rear door carrying the sledgehammer and backpack but quickly turned around.

Mallis said Bebo was aware she was not supposed to be home as she had tickets to a stand-up comedy show at the Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre but decided to stay home the night of Dec. 9, 2022.

Mallis said she believed Bebo would honor the restraining order and stay away from her until she reviewed the surveillance footage.

Dallas Township police Sgt. Todd Adams testified to finding the shotgun loaded with two shells inside Bebo's truck when a search warrant was issued.

Palissery told the jury during his opening statement Tuesday that the shotgun was inoperable.

However, testifying for prosecutors Wednesday, state police Sgt. Joseph M. Gober, a firearms and tool mark examiner, said the shotgun would have fired as the internal hammers were set to fire.

As the shotgun was missing its forearm that resets the hammers after being loaded, the shotgun would not have fired.

The hammers would had to be reset manually with the forearm missing, Gober said.

Testimony continues Thursday.

Along with the attempt to commit criminal homicide charge, Bebo is also facing illegal possession of a firearm, possessing instruments of crime and possessing an offensive weapon.