Bebo convicted of attempting to kill former girlfriend

Oct. 26—WILKES-BARRE — A Luzerne County jury Thursday found Todd William Bebo guilty of attempting to kill his former girlfriend, who had a three-year no contact protection from abuse order against him.

Bebo, 52, remained motionless with his elbows on the table seated next to his attorney, Nanda Palissery, when the verdict was announced, convicting him of criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide and four other offenses.

The verdict came after the jury deliberated for nearly 70 minutes following a three-day trial before Judge David W. Lupas.

Assistant district attorneys Brian Coleman and Julian Truskowski relied on "chapters" of events beginning Nov. 11, 2022, at a Plains Township restaurant and bar through Dec. 9, 2022, when surveillance cameras recorded Bebo carrying a long handle sledgehammer and a sawed-off loaded shotgun behind the Dallas Township home of Melissa M. Mallis.

Palissery said Bebo showed up at Mallis' residence wanting to talk knowing he was court-ordered not to contact her and never had intentions of harming her.

Mallis testified she accompanied Bebo and two friends to the restaurant and bar to watch a Dave Matthews Tribute band. As she went outside with her friends, Bebo became angry as he was left alone to watch their purses, phones and seats, Mallis testified.

After arguing at the bar, Mallis and one of her friends got a ride back to her residence leaving Bebo at the bar.

Bebo eventually showed up and grabbed an AR15 assault rifle firing a shot in the air and uttered someone was going to die, prompting a standoff with police in the Back Mountain and state police troopers with the Special Emergency Response Team.

Bebo surrendered without incident and has pled guilty to terroristic threats for the Nov. 11, 2022, incident.

Mallis obtained a protection-from abuse order on Nov. 23, 2022, which prohibited Bebo from contacting her for three years. The restraining order also compelled Bebo to surrender all firearms and ammunition.

Dallas Township police Det. Robert Odgers Jr. testified he reviewed the firearms relinquishment form with Bebo on Nov. 22, 2023, when Bebo signed and acknowledged all his firearms and ammunition had been surrendered.

However, Odgers said he discovered 25 shotgun shells in a bag in a flower pot, three loaded AR15 magazines in a gun case and 30 loaded AR15 magazines in a plastic tote in Mallis' garage.

Coleman and Truskowski presented the ammunition, AR15 rifle, sawed-off shotgun, sledgehammer and a backpack they called a "murder kit" that contained duct tape and shotgun shells during the trial.

A video surveillance camera recorded Bebo carrying the sledgehammer and shotgun behind Mallis' house the night of Dec. 9, 2022. Footage showed Bebo approaching the rear door but quickly turned around returning to his vehicle he parked in a neighbor's driveway.

During his closing argument, Coleman told the jury Bebo had the belief Mallis was not home as she had purchased tickets weeks earlier for stand-up comedy show at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Dec. 9, 2022. When Bebo realized Mallis was home, he turned around and stayed at a motel that night.

It wasn't until Odgers listened to a recorded jailhouse phone call Bebo had with his mother in January, when he was jailed at the county correctional facility, that Bebo's intentions on Dec. 9, 2022, became known.

During the phone call, Bebo's mother stated, "You said you were going to kill her and yourself."

Bebo responded, "I was."

Palissery suggested the "I was" response was in the form of a question — "I was?" — while Coleman said the phone call speaks for itself.

With the attempted homicide conviction, Bebo was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon, possessing instruments for crime, illegal possession of a firearm and loitering and prowling at night.

Lupas said he will sentence Bebo on Dec. 28.