Cop tells of arrest of accused in slaying

The victim suffered nine chop wounds to the back of the head.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
SHARON, Pa. -- Police say a man accused of killing his girlfriend told them that after he attacked her with a hatchet, he then strangled her because he didn't want her to suffer.
Criminal homicide charges against Jeremy Archer, 28, who goes by Jake, of North Water Street, were bound over to court Tuesday during a preliminary hearing in front of District Justice James McMahon.
Archer is being held in Mercer County Jail without bail.
Sharon Police Detective Sgt. Steven Ray was the sole witness for prosecutors during the hourlong hearing. The defense did not call any witnesses.
Testimony
Ray testified that he was called to Archer's North Water Street apartment the evening of Oct. 26 where Kristen Truchan, 24, of Masury, was found dead in the bedroom and a small hatchet was nearby.
An autopsy revealed that she had suffered nine chop wounds to the back of the head and she had been strangled, Ray said. She also suffered wounds to her left hand, and one of her fingers was severed, according to Ray.
Archer told police that the two argued around 6 a.m. Oct. 24 and Truchan went into the kitchen and retrieved a small hatchet. According to Ray, Archer contends she swung the hatchet at him twice, hitting him in the nose with the blunt end of the hatchet and bloodying his nose. Ray said he saw no injury on Archer's nose after his arrest three days later.
Ray said Archer told authorities that he took the hatchet from Truchan and hit her in the side of the head. She fell to the bed and Archer claims he hit her two more times.
"He said she was making a noise and he felt she was suffering and wanted to end her suffering," Ray said.
Archer told police that he put his hand over her face and then both hands around her neck and held on for as long as he could -- Archer estimates it was 45 minutes, according to Ray's testimony.
Archer covered Truchan's body with linens and clothes, changed his clothes and left the apartment.
Archer told police that he had taken crack cocaine the day before his arrest, Ray said. Ray, under cross-examination by Assistant Public Defender Dan Davis, said he did not ask Archer about any drug use before that time.
Ray did testify under cross-examination that Archer claimed he had been awake for two days before Truchan's death and that he thought the killing had occurred three weeks before his arrest when it was only three days before.
Ray said he didn't think Archer was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he was interviewed because Archer started reciting the Miranda warning to police as they were reciting it to him before questioning.
Oct. 27 arrest
Archer was arrested after a car and foot chase with police Oct. 27. Earlier that day, a Hermitage woman found Archer in her house with a shotgun. He took the woman's money, jewelry and car and left her unhurt. Charges of burglary, robbery, theft and robbery of a motor vehicle were bound over to court last week by District Justice Henry Russo.
Truchan's body was discovered Oct. 26 by Archer's parole officer. According to Vindicator archives, Archer was sentenced to one to two years in jail in 2002 after being convicted of simple assault. He apparently struck a man several times with an ax handle at an Elm Street home in October 2001.
Archer will be formally arraigned in Mercer County Common Pleas Court in the next month.
cioffi@vindy.com