KOS HOMICIDE Guilty plea is expected in stabbing death of girl

The other defendants are waiting for a judge to decide if police statements are admissible in court.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- William Monday of Struthers is expected to plead guilty today to his role in the killing of 12-year-old Shannon Kos of Youngstown.
Monday, 22, was scheduled to appear in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court this afternoon, said Randall Hetrick, Monday's attorney.
Hetrick would not reveal the plea agreement made with prosecutors, saying he wants to make sure it goes through today. Lawrence County District Attorney Matthew Mangino also declined to comment.
The crime: Monday, along with David Garvey, 21, and Perry Ricciardi, 22, also of Struthers, are accused in the stabbing death of Shannon on Oct. 8, 2000.
Her body was found a few days later with multiple stab wounds, a slit throat and burns in a culvert in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County.
According to police, the men picked up Shannon at a coin-operated laundry near her Midlothian Boulevard home in Youngstown and took her to an abandoned railroad bed in Mahoning Township where they agreed to rape and kill her.
All three returned the next day with gasoline and attempted to burn her body, police said.
Awaiting ruling: Although Monday is expected to enter into a plea agreement today, attorneys for the other two men say their clients are waiting for a judge's decision on whether statements Ricciardi made to police can be used at trial.
Ricciardi has asked a judge to throw out statements he made to police because they spoke to him without an attorney present.
All three men face charges of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, criminal conspiracy to commit rape and abuse of a corpse.
The district attorney has said he will seek the death penalty if they are convicted.