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Tara Ord Sidorovich

PUNTA GORDA, FLA. Phillip Barr invoked his right to remain silent at the trial of his co-defendant, David McMannis, for the 2001 murder of West Scranton native Tara Ord Sidarovich.

Mr. McMannis trial began earlier this month. A grand jury indicted Mr. Barr and Mr. McMannis on first-degree murder charges in 2012, 11 years after Ms. Sidarovich disappeared from her home in Punta Gorda, Florida. Her skeletal remains were found in July 2002 in a wooded area in Charlotte County.

Mr. Barr, convicted for the murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison, was transported to Florida from Vermont where he is in custody pending a trial on other charges. He appeared at the Charlotte County Justice Center for a hearing on Thursday afternoon with his attorney, Mark DeSisto, and said he had been advised to invoke his fifth amendment right. Under the fifth amendment, criminal defendants are protected from giving a testimony which may incriminate themselves.

On Monday, Ms. Sidarovichs sister, Veronica Ord, testified about what she found when she arrived at the home soon after her sisters disappearance. Only 12 at the time, she and her younger brother, Paul, were the first to arrive home that afternoon. On the stand, she said they found the door unlocked and slightly ajar but no one inside.

Ms. Ord corroborated testimony given by her mother, saying Ms. Sidarovichs purse was on the dresser, and her car was in the driveway, but her sister was nowhere to be found. A sheet and blanket from Ms. Sidarovichs bed had been placed on Ms. Ords bed instead.

With an average of three witnesses a day, prosecutors expect to rest their case sometime during the week of Feb. 10. The defense plans to take another week and a half to present their case.

Contact the writer:

aeasker@sun-herald.com

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Convicted murderer takes fifth in trial involving Scranton native's ... - Scranton Times-Tribune