From June 7:
[quote]Little new info in Stamford man’s murder
NEW YORK — Months will pass before all of the evidence is revealed in the court case involving three suspects accused in the murder of Stamford’s Joseph Comunale.
Both sides appeared in court Tuesday, the first hearing since two of the suspects were charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of the 26-year-old Westhill High School grad last year in New York City, but little was discussed that shed new light on the high-profile case.
The grand jury testimony that led to the indictments of James Rackover, 26, and Lawrence Dilione, 28, is sealed, and further details of what transpired on Nov. 13 will likely not surface until trial.
Still in the discovery phase, defense attorneys argued in court they had not received photos from Comunale’s autopsy, evidence that prosecutors said was being withheld under a protective order. Comunale’s burned body was found in a shallow grave in Oceanport, N.J., with 15 stab wounds.
Prosecutors also said they were awaiting DNA tests from Rackover’s apartment — located in the same East Side building as the home of Jeffrey Rackover, a celebrity jeweler and James Rackover’s adoptive father — which will likely be among the evidence presented at trial.
In the meantime, Dilione’s attorney, Michael Pappa, argued for bail for his client, who has been held without bail since his indictment last month.
“After reading the grand jury presentation, with the evidence against him, I don’t think bail is appropriate,” Judge Charles H. Solomon said.
“There’s nothing I have seen that would logically, in a solid way, directly connect him with the crime of murder,” Pappa said.
“He’s had a 100 percent track record with respect to appearing,” he added. “His parents have been here forever. They have property in Monmouth County (New Jersey).”
After the court proceedings, Pappa released the following statement to the press:
“I am extremely disappointed that bail was not approved, but I must respect Justice Solomon’s review of the grand jury minutes. Our focus now will be directed to motions and preparations for trial. Despite today’s disappointment, I remain firm in my belief that we have a defensible case to the charge of murder.”
Rackover, who has been jailed since his November arrest, is also held now without bail.
Second-degree murder charges for Rackover and Dilione were in addition to the lesser charges of hindering prosecution, concealing a corpse and tampering with evidence, ending months of speculation about whether prosecutors would directly charge the suspects in his grisly stabbing.
A third suspect, Max Gemma, 29, faces charges for allegedly helping with the cleanup after a night of drug-fueled partying led to a fatal argument over cigarettes, according to earlier court filings.
