Lawyer: 45-Year History of Mental Illness for Man in Lansdale Matricide

Warren Pennick, 54, is accused of pushing his 74-year-old mother, Lorraine Pennick, down the basement stairs and cutting her throat on Halloween in their Salford Avenue home. Pennick is competent to stand trial, the Commonwealth said

Warren Pennick, 54, of 635 Salford Avenue, Lansdale, the man accused by police of murdering his mother on Halloween, had charges of felony first- and third-degree murder held for March arraignment in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas at a Skippack preliminary hearing Wednesday morning. Pennick allegedly pushed his mother, Lorraine Pennick, 74, down their basement stairs and then slit her throat, for fear of her becoming "homeless" due to their inability to pay for repairs for the home, police said. According to his attorney, Pennick has suffered with mental illnesses for 45 years, specifically paranoid schizophrenia. Clad in a red jumpsuit and donning a long, bushy white beard, Pennick shuffled into the courtroom of Judge Albert …

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OMG PD

OMG PD: Dopes Bring Dope to Prison

Check out these unusual police stories from the Montgomery County area.

Dopes Bring Dope to Prison: According to a report in the Perkiomen Valley Patch, three Philadelphia women are facing felony drug charges after they allegedly brought drugs with them while visiting an inmate at Graterford. After being unable to post bail, the trio was placed in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Read the full story here. Road Rage Against the Machine: According to a report in the Ambler Patch, a Whitpain woman is facing multiple charges after a three car accident lead to a delayed incident of road rage. The 51-year-old woman allegedly decided that it would be best to wait for the police to arrive before jumping into the backseat of the striking vehicle and repeatedly striking the driver in the head, in full view …

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Copper Stolen from Skippack Basement

Burglars broke into a home on Collegeville Road and stole copper piping, police said

Pennsylvania State Police said unknown persons entered a home on the 800 block of Collegeville Road in Skippack Township by unknown means and removed the copper piping in the basement sometime between August 8 and September 8, 2012. While removing the piping, the robbers caused water to run in the basement, police said. The 66-year-old homeowner from Worcester discovered the basement was filled about three feet high with water, police said. Contact police at 610-584-1250 with any details

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Souderton Resident James Troutman Charged With Rape and Murder of Skyler Kauffman

Troutman states he "snapped" and choked his 9-year-old neighbor to death.

Amidst an onslaught of expletives and threats from a mob of local residents, James Lee Troutman was arraigned shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Souderton District Court. Wearing a bulletproof vest, jeans, and a T-shirt, Troutman sat silently with his head in his hands as the judge read aloud the charges, which Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman had levied against him. The charges included murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, kidnapping, rape, deviate sexual intercourse with a child, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. The charges stem from last night's disappearance of 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman, who failed to show up for dinner with her family around 6 p.m. Monday evening. "The …

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