Bail hearing for Michaels begins

On the morning of Aug. 17, when Kenneth Michaels opened the front door at an Old Lycoming Township business to confront his enraged brother-in-law and former business partner, John Roskowski, who was standing outside, he had hoped to talk with him and calm him down.

However, the 69-year-old Roskowski grabbed Michaels and stepped inside the lobby of the business in Old Lycoming Township.

Michaels said he backed up, but Roskowski "got madder and madder, took another step, then another," Michaels is heard telling Lycoming Regional Det. Justin Segura in a recorded video.

In the video, Michaels, the company's 65-year-old chief executive officer, admits to pulling out a gun from his left pants pocket as he continued to back away from Roskowski.

"He's coming at me, screaming and hollering," Michaels tells the detective.

"John, don't step any further," Michaels is heard on the video as he orders a secretary "to call police right away."

Michaels goes on to tell the detective, "I'm backing up, and he (Roskowski) isn't stopping. I pulled out my gun and he lunged at me."

Michaels described Roskowski as "a maniac." A shot rang out and Roskowski lay dying of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

The lengthy video, muffled and at times difficult to hear, was played Wednesday morning during Michaels' bail hearing before Judge Ryan M. Tira.

The video was recorded during an interview done in a small room at Lycoming Regional police headquarters, where Michaels was taken immediately after the 10:45 a.m. shooting.

In the video, Michaels talks about the history of the business that was started by Roskowski's father. Michaels is married to Roskowski’s sister.

In the video, Michaels said Roskowski had "a history of drugs and alcohol (abuse). It was really bad," claiming that Roskowski had a habit of "not showing up (for work) at all."

Michaels recalled a past confrontation he had with Roskowski in which "he pushed me into an office, knocked me in the side of the head," yelling obscenities and accusing him of stealing money from the company.

After being shot, Roskowski was rushed to UPMC Williamsport, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

Police said after his share of the company was bought out in February, Roskowski continued to stop in at the business occasionally to have his vehicle serviced there or visit his son and other employees. However, by mid-August, Michaels apparently was tired of it and told employees that Roskowski was no longer allowed on the premises. When he showed up on Aug. 17 to visit his son, the former company owner was told that Michaels did not want him there. This led to the deadly confrontation in the lobby.

Michaels said Roskowski "had a violent temper."

Referring to the moments just before the fatal shooting, Michaels said Roskowski "was not supposed to be on the property. He kept going, going and going, and he was screaming bloody murder. It was off the charts."

Michaels, who was released following his interview at police headquarters, was arrested on Sept. 1 while vacationing in Cape May, New Jersey and charged with criminal homicide and possession of an instrument of crime. He waived extradition and has been incarcerated in the Lycoming County Prison on no bail ever since. His defense attorneys petitioned the court for a bail hearing.

During the hearing, Dr. Edward Mazuchowski, a forensic pathologist in Allentown who performed the autopsy on Roskowski's body, testified via a video feed.

He testified that Roskowski's death was ruled a homicide, and that he died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.

"There was significant blood loss in the abdomen," the pathologist said of Roskowski.

The hearing is scheduled to resume on Tuesday.