$5 million bail set for Kingston man, neighbor of homicide victim, on misdemeanor marijuana charge
May 15—KINGSTON — A Kingston man who is the neighbor where the body of a 22-year-old man was found was jailed on $5 million bail on misdemeanor marijuana and paraphernalia charges Friday.
Walter Zolner III, 31, of 124 E. Bennett St., was arrested Friday after Kingston police and the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office executed a search warrant at his residence allegedly finding a glass pipe containing a small amount of marijuana on Wednesday.
Authorities in court records say Zolner was not at his residence when the search warrant was served, had not been seen by his family, and was "highly unlikely" to obey a court issued summons directing him to report before a district judge on the misdemeanor marijuana offenses.
Police on May 5 reported the body of Ryan Walker Padovani was found inside 126 E. Bennett St., where he lived with a roommate. The residence is a double block.
An autopsy by pathologist Dr. Charles Siebert revealed Padovani died from blunt force trauma to the head. Coroner Jill Matthews ruled Padovani's death a homicide.
Court records filed against Zolner charging him with possession with a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia does not mention the homicide investigation.
A source said Zolner is employed at a local bakery working second and third shift and arrived home at 2 a.m. on May 5 when he claimed he heard a woman crying next door thinking it was a television show.
Zolner was arraigned Friday night by District Judge James Haggerty in Kingston. Haggerty set bail at $5 million resulting in Zolner being jailed at the county correctional facility.
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