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Defense presents no evidence in strip club murder trial

Court proceedings for a former manager of a Southwest Philadelphia strip club - accused of killing an unruly customer with a single punch to the head - came to an unexpected close Tuesday with the end of prosecution testimony and the defense's decision to present no evidence.

Court proceedings for a former manager of a Southwest Philadelphia strip club - accused of killing an unruly customer with a single punch to the head - came to an unexpected close Tuesday with the end of prosecution testimony and the defense's decision to present no evidence.

John Pettit, 55, of Pennsauken, told Common Pleas Court Judge Steven R. Geroff that he would not testify in his defense in the 2009 death of James Koons.

Pettit's attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr., said he would present no defense witnesses.

Under the Constitution, criminal defendants are not required to present any evidence and the judge will order the jury not to consider that choice in reaching a verdict.

The jury of six men and six women will return Wednesday to closing arguments from Peruto and Assistant District Attorney Mark Levenberg, legal instructions from Geroff, and then deliberations.

In four days of testimony, the jury heard witnesses describe a puzzling, violent sequence of events that began around 4:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009, at Oasis Gentlemen's Club at 6800 Essington Ave.

According to trial testimony, that afternoon Koons and his friend George Foreacre III went to Oasis from another bar in Delaware County to watch the Phillies playoff game against the Dodgers.

By about 6 p.m., both were intoxicated, and Pettit and club bouncers roughly ejected them.

For about 15 minutes, Foreacre testified, he and Koons stood outside the club, dialing 911 and heckling Pettit and bouncers.

The situation changed when Oasis owner Robert Laflar arrived in his Hummer SUV.

Security video from the club shows Pettit and the bouncers running to Laflar's SUV. Laflar sucker-punches Foreacre to the asphalt while Koons stands nearby.

The action then moves behind the Hummer, out of view of the camera. Foreacre is seen staggering from behind the SUV. The SUV moves and Koons is on the ground.

Koons, a father of two, never regained consciousness and died Nov. 2, 2009. An autopsy showed a blow to his forehead broke his skull and drove bone into his brain. A skull fracture in the rear occurred when he fell back onto the lot.

Detectives testified that Pettit told them Koons and Foreacre were assaulting Laflar before he and the bouncers intervened.

Pettit's account was quickly undermined. He first told detectives the club's video system wasn't working. Detectives said they determined the system was recording but someone had removed the monitor from the office.

When the video did not corroborate Pettit's account, he purportedly broke down and acknowledged punching or pushing Koons to the ground, a detective testified Thursday.

Pettit allegedly told detectives, "I'm sorry for what happened but any action I took today was in self-defense. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

Laflar had also been charged but died of a drug overdose in January 2012 at age 46.

jslobodzian@phillynews.com

215-854-2985@joeslobo

www.philly.com/crimeandpunishment