Northampton County Grand Jury to Investigate Three Homicide Cases

By Nicole Radzievich
Morning Call
March 29, 2012

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-northampton-county-grand-jury-murder-20120329,0,488671.story

A Northampton County grand jury will investigate three unsolved homicides and allegations of sexual misconduct involving a priest, District Attorney John Morganelli said Thursday.

One case will look into the 1992 beating death of Robert "Bobby" Freeman Sr., a 58-year-old welder and former boxer. He was last seen at a Phillipsburg tavern, but his body was found eight miles away in a private quarry in Forks Township. His body was frozen and badly beaten.

The jury will also be looking into the 2009 shooting death of Miguel Aponte Jr., 24-year-old Easton man who had been released after serving time for his role in the 2006 shooting death of Jason Oliver outside a Wilson strip club. Aponte was shot at an Easton bar in the 100 block of Northampton St.

The last homicide case involves the March 2011 shooting death of Michael Steckel, 46, of Moore Township. He was found lying on the couch with a bullet wound to his head. Authorities originally considered the case a suicide, but two weeks ago ruled it a homicide.

The grand jury will also be looking into possible criminal misconduct by the Rev. Cletus Onyegbule, a Catholic priest recently removed from his Berks County parish after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a woman. Authorities are trying to determine whether abused his position of authority at his former parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Bethlehem Township, to groom the girl for a sexual relationship with him before she turned 18.

According to a source close to the investigation, a day after the girl's 18th birthday in February 2006, she consented to sex with Onyegbule while in the rectory office at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The source said the woman had an abortion in March 2006. County officials have not established the identity of the father, but the source said Onyegbule denied being the father.

The jury is empaneled for up to 18 months.

This is the third investigative grand jury that Morganelli has convened to look into cold cases. He convened his first in 1999, which led to convictions in two homicide cases. The second jury wrapped up its work last month. So far, its work has led to five charges – including three arrests in homicide cases – and leads in other cases.

"Grand juries are an effective tool for investigations into unsolved cases," Morganelli said.

Grand juries, which meet in secret, can help prosecutors solve crimes when conventional methods fail. The panels have subpoena powers that allow them to get documents and force testimony more easily than authorities typically can.

Morganelli said he plans to add additional homicide, public corruption and other cases for the grand jury to investigate as he identifies them.