WILKES-BARRE — After several delays, jury selection began Monday morning in the murder trial of a Hazleton man accused of shooting his lover’s husband and dumping him in Penn Forest Township.

Eleazar Yisreal, 31, of 10th St., is accused of fatally shooting Samuel Vacante in the back of Vacante’s Drums residence. State police allege Yisreal tried to clean up the crime scene, drove away with Vacante’s body in the victim’s own car and disposed of the body.

An autopsy confirmed Vacante died of a gunshot to his back. Officials say he died from a .22-caliber gunshot that severed his spinal cord and ruptured his aorta. The matter of death was ruled a homicide.

According to police:

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Vacante’s estranged wife, Lisa, had reported Vacante and his 2014 Kia Cadenza missing. Police found Vacante’s personal items stolen from the residence as well as the smell of bleach in his garage.

The Kia Cadenza was found on Sept. 2 in Hazleton with the licence plate removed, keys missing and vehicle identification number blacked out.

The next day state police arrested Yisreal after blood evidence was found in the passenger and trunk areas of the car, which where tested and found to be Yisreal’s. Officers also found a receipt to a Bloomsburg Walmart in the center console. After viewing surveillance video, an unidentified man identified Yisreal and Vancate’s vehicle.

Vacante’s missing items were found in the Berwick home of an acquaintance of Yisreal’s.

After tracking Vacante’s cellphone, police found Vacante’s body wrapped in a tent in a wooded area of Carbon County.

According to court documents:

Yisrael’s former residence was less than 3,200 feet away from where the remains were discovered.

Lisa Vacante had a romantic relationship with Yisrael for two years prior to Vacante’s murder and lived with Yisrael, for periods, at his Hazleton residence. Her relationship with Yisrael caused Vacante to file for divorce.

A three-month delay in the case was granted by Judge Michael T. Vough, after Yisrael’s attorneys, Allyson L. Kacmarski and Mary V. Deady, argued their defense was hampered because prosecutors failed to disclose evidence in their possession for nearly a year.

According to court filings, the evidence undisclosed included a video allegedly showing Yisrael behind the wheel of Vacante’s vehicle the night Vacante disappeared and a report identifying the source of DNA found on a pair of camouflage cargo pants Yisrael was allegedly seen wearing the same night. Vough approved the defense’s request to have the pants excluded from evidence and ordered prosecutors to turn over all remaining evidence in their possession, including any and all videos.

Prosecution is expected to call around 40 witnesses. The trial is expected to last until mid-next week.

Yisreal
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_yisreal.jpg.optimal.jpgYisreal

By Melanie Mizenko

mmizenko@timesleader.com

Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko