Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Philadelphia police officer Adrian Makuch, 49, has been charged with prostitution, solicitation, corruption of a minor and for allegedly propositioning a 15-year old boy for sexual contact. Makuch approached an unidentified teen in Northeast Philly in summer 2008 and asked to take naked pictures of the boy in exchange for cash. The boy did not report Makuch until December of that year.

Keep reading for a chance to make money by recycling, the ruling of a 1982 murder, an update on the Officer Chuck Cassidy case and more.

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Officer Chuck Cassidy

A jury decided today John “Jordan” Lewis will receive the death penalty in the 2007 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy.

Lewis, 23, was found guilty Thursday after admitting during a previous hearing to his actions on Halloween day 2007, when he shot Cassidy in the head during a robbery at a Dunkin’ Donuts in North Philadelphia.

Cassidy’s widow, Judy, gave the following statement to the press: “There are no winners today. It doesn’t make us feel any better. We’re glad this is over, but we go home now and still deal with this.”

John "Jordan" Lewis

In a story that broke yesterday afternoon, John “Jordan” Lewis has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2007 death of Officer Chuck Cassidy.

Lewis could now face the death penalty or life in prison in a fate to be decided by a jury. Last week, the 23-year-old admitted he is guilty of shooting Cassidy, a Holme Circle resident, in the head during a robbery at a Dunkin’ Donuts in the 35th Police District where Cassidy was on duty on Oct. 31, 2007.

See video from Action News below. continue reading »

John "Jordan" Lewis

John “Jordan” Lewis, the 23-year-old North Philadelphia man accused of killing 54-year-old Police Officer Chuck Cassidy in 2007, has entered a guilty plea, much to the surprise of the lawyers representing the Cassidy family.

The trial was set to start this week, after jurors were selected based on their willingness to consider applying the death penalty to Lewis’ sentencing. Now, it will be up to the jury to determine whether Cassidy’s murder was premeditated, or whether Lewis panicked at the sight of a police officer while he was holding up a Dunkin’ Donuts early Halloween morning in 2007. continue reading »