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Sunday, March 21, 2010   43º F

Updated 07/15/2009 04:32 PM

Fourth suspect in Corr murder arraigned

By: Iris St. Meran

Fourth suspect in Corr murder arraigned
Three years have passed since New Hartford Police Officer Joseph Corr was shot and killed following a jewelry store robbery. He was chasing two men following the heist. The alleged shooter was gunned down the following day and the other man is serving a 300 year sentence for his involvement. Two other men were also found to be involved. As our Iris St. Meran tell us they are now back in New York awaiting trial.


ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. -- Robert Ward, 31, is back in Oneida County for the first time in three years for his arraignment. He's the last of the four suspects in the 2006 murder of New Hartford Police Officer Joseph Corr who was killed in the line of duty. His appearance is little closure for Corr's family.

"This is the beginning of the end for many people, not for me. It's still, I still will not have an end as a mom, I just can't," said Corr's mother Kathy Corr.

After the jewelry store heist Officer Corr had been chasing a vehicle carrying, Toussaint Davis who is currently serving a 300 year prison sentence, and Walter Richardson, the alleged shooter who was gunned down the day after the heist in Pennsylvania. An investigation found two other men Ward and Marion Pegese were involved in the robbery. There's no evidence the two played a role in the shooting but,

"Ward is part of the team. He was the fourth member of this four man team and he was in the other vehicle with Marion Pegese, in the second vehicle," said Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Kurt Hameline.

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Both Ward and Pegese were serving time in a New Jersey Prison for robbery charges. Pegese was extradited and arraigned last month. They are each facing one count of second degree murder and 18 counts of robbery.


Ward is awaiting a court appointed attorney so the judge entered a not guilty plea for him during his arraignment. He and Pegese are expected to go on trial at the same time.

"We don't want to try this twice. So our intention is to try both of them together," said Hameline.

Now that Ward is here, the DAs office doesn't want to waste anytime. The trial is expected to begin in September.

Ward will be assigned a court appointed attorney and will be formally arraigned July 14th. Marion Pegese will be back in Court Friday.