The Altoona attorney representing an admitted murderer said it may take months before Judge Hiram A. Carpenter rules on a recent Post Conviction Relief Act hearing, which he said could give Ronald Isenberg a new trial.
Isenberg, 24, who admitted to killing 11-year-old Florida resident Melody Curtis in 1996, is claiming that his past council told him to lie about being under the influence of medications when he entered into his guilty plea agreement on March 2, 2000.
“The judge never gave us a timeline as to when he will rule on the motion,” said attorney John Siford. “The ruling could come as early as (this week), but I really don’t expect that. The judge didn’t order either us or (District Attorney Dave) Gorman to file briefs. We’ll just have to wait for the ruling.”
Siford and Isenberg are claiming Isenberg’s former council, Altoona attorneys John Sisto and Steven P. Passarello, knew Isenberg was medicated at the time he entered into the plea agreement.
According to Siford, Isenberg testified last week that during his trial, he asked Sisto if he should admit to taking medication before entering the guilty plea. He said Sisto told him “no.”
Both Sisto and Passarello testified last week they were unaware of any medication usage on the day Isenberg entered his guilty plea.
Isenberg is currently serving an 18 to 40 year state prison sentence on a third-degree murder charge.
