Judge orders jury to ignore testimony from admitted Piazza gunman

Donnell Murchison already pleaded guilty to being the gunman in a botched Northern Liberties robbery that left two people dead in 2009, resigning himself to two consecutive life terms in prison and a requirement to testify at the trial.

But the Inquirer reports Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart has ordered the jury to strike Murchison’s testimony from the record after he held up the trial and refused to answer questions from defense attorneys.

Murchison is one of several people charged in connection with the deaths of Rian Thal and Timothy Gilmore inside the Piazza in June 2009. It’s not clear if Murchison will forefeit his deal or if a mistrial will be declared.