Druggie Drifter Meets Drunken Student, Scene Ends in Murder Trial

Twenty-four year old Jeromie Cancel, is on trial for murdering college student Kevin Pravia, while watching a scary movie because, as he told authorities, he was "bored," as reported by an Associated Press report in Yahoo News.

Michael Alperstein, Cancel's defense attorney, hopes that jurors will see beyond his client's behavior to learn about his history of psychological problems - including a series of suicide attempts -  that began in his childhood.

Cancel has pleaded not guilty. Alperstein plans to argue that both Cancel's emotional, and mental troubles, can prove that his responsibility should be diminished.

Pravia was a Pace University sophomore and Cancel was currently homeless when the two met in downtown Manhattan at approximately 5 a.m. on August 30, 2008.

Pravia had been dropped off by his friends at his apartment after a night of drinking. 

Assistant district attorney Steven Nuzzi said that Cancel was "prowling the streets ... looking for someone he could steal from so he could get money to buy drugs."  Nuzzi further believes that the 19-year-old Pravia was the perfect candidate as the boy "was very drunk, young, slight of build and maybe even a little naïve."

Cancel claims that Pravia approached him to purchase cocaine.  From there the two allegedly decided to go up to Pravia's apartment to share it together -  though the autopsy report showed only alcohol in Pravia's system and not a trace of cocaine.

They continued to drink alcohol, and before Pravia fell asleep, he reportedly told Cancel that he could stay in the apartment but begged the man not to rob him. 

Cancel, citing that he was bored, first stole Pravia's laptop computer and other electronics. Then, on videotape, Cancel tells that while watching the movie "Hostel", and smoking a cigarette, he strangled Pravia with an electric cord.

Cancel was arrested three days later, after his father reported him, for stealing video game equipment.  While under arrest Cancel confessed to the murder to Officer Sean Hynes. The suddenness of the confession initially made Hynes balk at the idea. After Cancel explained in detail what he had done, detectives decided to check into it. 

Alperstein told jurors that along with Cancel's childhood suicide attempts, he also was held in a hospital for a month - some of the time involved the use of restraints - and that he also attended a school for children with emotional problems.

"By the time Mr. Cancel was 9 years old, he was already deeply emotionally disturbed.  He was always having these bouts of absolute lack of self-control," Alperstein said.

Paula Pravia testified that her eldest child, Kevin, was raised in a small town of approximately 800 people.  He later went to college in a bigger city and became an honors student.  He was just heading back to school after spending the summer helping his family's realty business.

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