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Witruke fled to Olean Police station after alleged double homicide

MAYVILLE — A Jamestown man accused of a grisly double homicide in 2015 reportedly fled to the Olean Police Department the day of his alleged crime.

Earlier this week, Allen P. Witruke, 54, appeared in the State Supreme Court in Mayville for Huntley and Mapp hearings, the latter being a pre-trial hearing to determine whether certain evidence was obtained using an illegal search or seizure.

Witnesses, including two members of the Olean Police Department, provided further insight on Witruke’s arrest in Olean on Dec. 8, 2015, hours after he allegedly murdered his wife, Catherine, 52, and stepson, 34-year-old Eric Washburn, at a 235 Barrows St. home.

According to Joseph Cottone, an investigator with the Olean Police Department, a suspicious-looking vehicle with tinted windows was parked at the department when he arrived for his afternoon shift at 2 p.m. When he later learned the vehicle matched a suspect vehicle out of Jamestown, he returned to the parking lot only to find it gone, he said.

Cottone indicated he and Captain Michael Marsfelder, also with the Olean Police Department and the second witness, located the vehicle traveling on nearby North Berry Street. The vehicle was already stopped at a red light when Witruke was ordered to exit by police.

Marsfelder said Witruke was taken back to the police station.

Captain Robert F. Samuelson, division commander of the Jamestown Police Department, also testified Thursday, indicating he arrived at the Olean police station and interviewed Witruke for two hours.

Samuelson said Witruke appeared “calm and peaceful” during the interview. He had a rag covering up his right hand, Samuelson said.

Detective Floyd Kent, a member of the Jamestown Police Department and Chautauqua County Forensic Investigation Team, testified during the Mapp Hearing, indicating he collected 39 pieces of evidence at the Barrows Street crime scene.

He informed the court he had a valid search warrant issued out of the Jamestown City Court.

On Dec. 8, 2015, Witruke allegedly used blunt-force trauma on one of the victims and stabbed both of them multiple times, according to police. The Chautauqua County coroner pronounced both victims dead at the scene.

Witruke faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter. Originally, he faced two counts of second-degree murder.

Patrick Swanson, Chautauqua County district attorney, said an evaluation of Witruke by both the defense and district attorney’s office determined that a manslaughter charge was more apt.

“My ethical responsibilities prohibit me from indicting something that I can’t sustain my burden of proof on,” said Swanson, in an earlier interview with The Post-Journal. “Given the information that I received in the evaluation, I felt it was my ethical obligation to indict (Witruke) on (first-degree) manslaughter, and the grand jury agreed.”

Witruke is being represented by Nathaniel Barone, county public defender.

The Hon. James Bargnesi, who is presiding over the case, said parties will return to court on May 4 to discuss any final matters prior to trial.

Jury selection for Witruke’s trial is scheduled to begin May 9.

Witruke remains held in the Chautauqua County Jail in lieu of $1 million cash or $2 million property bond.

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