One attorney remains on Rockingham homicide case

John Amabile, a Massachusetts lawyer who had been working alongside the case, filed paperwork to withdraw.

The homicide prosecution of Dr. Jozsef Piri will move forward with a single defense lawyer after a co-counsel stepped away from the case.

In Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division, on Tuesday, Judge John Treadwell said the matter will stay on its current schedule. Defense attorney Adam Hescock told the court he will now handle the defense alone after John Amabile, a Massachusetts lawyer who had been working alongside him, filed paperwork to withdraw.

Treadwell has already determined that prosecutors have enough admissible evidence for a jury to weigh the case, even though the proof is circumstantial. The judge previously denied a defense request to end the prosecution before trial.

Piri, 52, is accused of second-degree murder in the Nov. 1, 2019 death of Roberto Fonseca‑Rivera, a 44-year-old produce delivery driver. Fonseca‑Rivera was found shot in his truck on Route 103 in Rockingham. Piri, who lived in Connecticut and owned a second home in Londonderry, has entered a not guilty plea.

The case may become one of the longest criminal trials in recent Windham County history. In April, State’s Attorney Steven Brown said proceedings could last as long as two months because of the amount of evidence and the need for Spanish interpretation for the victim’s family.

Additional status conferences are set for Oct. 26 and Feb. 24.