One of three Philadelphia men charged in the July 24 killings of two Overbrook Park brothers during a drug deal gone awry in their parents' home waived his right Wednesday to a preliminary hearing on murder charges in Municipal Court.
The decision by Michael Holmes, 28, means the charges against him in the shootings of Christopher Malcolm, 17, and Rohan Bennett, 12, will proceed directly to trial in Common Pleas Court.
Holmes; Terrence Seldon, 26; and John Gonce, 28, are accused in the killings. Seldon is awaiting a preliminary hearing Oct. 24. Gonce is held in Maryland on rape charges after fleeing Philadelphia on Aug. 7. Maryland authorities say they plan to try Gonce before extraditing him. The boys' parents were later arrested on drug charges. - Joseph A. Slobodzian
