Cobra Killer: Gay Porn, Murder and the Manhunt to Bring the Killers to Justice by Andrew E. Stoner and Peter A. Conway

Title: Cobra Killer: Gay Porn, Murder, and the Manhunt to Bring the Killers to Justice.

Series: N/A

Author: Andrew E. Stoner and Peter A. Conway

Genre: True Crime

Length: Novel

Publisher: Magnus Books (June 19th, 2012)

Heat Level: 0

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5Hearts

Bryan Kosic

Blurb: Cobra Killer presses the “play” button to uncover the real world of online pornography–an industry that generates billions in revenue daily and makes ordinary people overnight-stars and millionaires.

For the first time authors Peter A. Conway and Andrew E. Stoner tell in full detail the twisted story of a pair of young, aspiring gay adult film producers whose quest for fame at any cost leads to the gruesome murder of the man who stands in their way, gay porn entrepreneur Bryan Kocis. News of the killing of the 44-year-old (stabbed 28 times, his throat slashed to near decapitation) in his suburban home sends shock waves through the bucolic Pennsylvania town. Neighbors are horrified to hear about the murder but equally astonished to learn that Kocis ran a small but thriving online porn operation from his home, sometimes employing underage young men as models.

The murder investigation leads police and prosecutors to the far reaches of the country, from Virginia to New York City, to Las Vegas, and to a nude beach in San Diego where investigators facilitate an incredible clandestine suspect surveillance. The manhunt nets a former U.S. Navy veteran and a former Marine, turned male models, turned hustlers, turned porn producers, who ultimately land at the bottom of a delusional conspiracy. 26-year-old Harlow Cuadra and his 35-year-old partner and lover Joseph Kerekes are implicated and eventually convicted in the brutal January 2007 murder of Kocis. Their motive? An ill-conceived attempt to lure a rising gay porn star named Brent Corrigan away from the grips of Kocis and into their crumbling, self-built porn empire.

Cobra Killer takes readers into the sometimes alluring, sometimes dangerous and often surprising world of gay porn and the deceit, schemes, and ultimate betrayals lying underneath the fantasy. (via Goodreads)

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Killer-Manhunt-Killers-Justice/dp/1936833018/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346608834&sr=1-1&keywords=cobra+killer

Reviewer: Adrienne

Brent Corrigan/Sean Paul Lockhart

Review: Most people with knowledge of gay porn recognize the name Brent Corrigan, or his other alias Fox Ryder, or his real name, Sean Paul Lockhart. For the sake of clarity, he is referred to by his real name for the duration of the review, as are all other persons with aliases.

Cobra Killer opens in early 2007, with Bryan Kocis on a plane to Pennsylvania, home to his booming gay pornography company. He had just come to a settlement with the problems surrounding Corrigan’s underage appearance in Cobra gay pornographic films. Within five days, his body was found in tiny Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, nearly beheaded, stabbed 28 times in the chest and stomach, and his body set afire. Harlow with Corrigan

The authors appear to have done ample research (more about referencing later), and provide detailed accounting of the investigation into Kocis’ murder. They note how the police were able to determine suspects within days by reviewing Kocis’ email, having found emails about setting up a meeting sent from one ‘Danny Moilin’. Further investigation revealed Danny Moilin to be Harlow Raymond Cuadra, and photographs online showed Cuadra posing with Lockhart, drawing another connection to Cobra Video. Further connections were drawn to Cuadra’s life and business partner, Joseph Manuel Kerekes. Meanwhile, Cuadra was indulging the media about the apparent relationship between himself and Kocis, but refused to speak with police.

About this time, investigation showed that months before Lockhart had expressed his desire to be rid of Kocis, as he felt Kocis had ‘ruined his life’ (page 12). Police also discovered the recently settled lawsuit relating to Corrigan’s underage appearance in porn. The investigation quickly cleared Lockhart and his boyfriend, Grant Roy from having any part in Kocis’ death.

Several chapters are devoted to Kocis’ life, which gives a good background into who he was, at least according to those around him. This also includes insight into the formation of Cobra Video and why he chose to focus on twinks, how he courted the young men and signed them to his company, and the relationships he had with these actors.

Another chapter is solely devoted to Lockhart, who provides star power necessary to make Kocis’ death more than just another murder case. I’m not entirely sure how this chapter has any relevance to the actual murder, as it delves into his background which has, at most, a very incidental role in the case.

Kerekes and Cuadra’s defenses span a few chapters, delving into their finances, their lawyers, the evidence against them, Kerekes’ guilty plea, and finally Cuadra’s trial, which is very detailed. Finally, the epilogue examines Kerekes’ and Cuadra’s lives in prison, the reporters who covered the case, the detectives and prosecutors involved in the case, Lockhart’s blog posts about the murder and subsequent events, and Lockhart’s life and career since Kocis died.

Cobra Killer gives insight as to why Cuadra and Kerekes killed Kocis: they wanted Lockhart to work for them, and Kocis was standing in their way, despite Kerekes stating clearly “neither did we need Lockhart” (pages 57-8). The authors offer information about how and why Lockhart and Roy chose to work with law enforcement and tape their subsequent interactions with Cuadra and Kerekes.

As for references, I literally held by breath when looking at Cobra Killer for the first time. I scrolled to the end of the first page; nothing, then tried a few other pages with the same results. Still hoping, I went to the end of the first chapter; still nothing. Hope waning, I tried the end of the second chapter. Nope. Last shot: end of the book. There, in all its wonder were the end notes, divided by chapter. Now, this is not by any means a perfect accounting- the references give no hint as to where many of these sources were found (for instance, this reference, in its entirety, reads, “Melnick Interview with AES, 6-9-09”). I do approve of the authors attempts at noting their sources, especially direct quotes, however certain aspects of the book were written as though common knowledge. For example, on page 7, the authors note how Kocis’ friend, Robert Wagner, travelled to Pennsylvania at the bequest of the local police, but no reference is given for that. Is it supposition, or was that actually verified by either transcripts or one of the involved parties? I do understand that true crime type books generally don’t follow scholarly requirements for citing references, as they can be fictionalized accounts. In offering endnotes and quotes, Cobra Killer appears at first glance to be non-fiction, however, given the sporadic referencing, does indeed fall into the True Crime genre.

Frankly, had Sean Paul Lockhart never had his (rather peripheral) role in the entire case, this would be another forgotten greed-fueled murder, but because of his popularity this became a sensationalized event. As such, I can only really recommend Cobra Killer to a limited audience: those interested in Lockhart, pornography, or true crime novels.