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Man Accused In Gun Shop Owner's Death Now Facing Attempted Escape Charges

INDIANA, Pa. (AP) - A man awaiting trial in the shooting death of a western Pennsylvania gun shop owner is now accused of having tried to escape from the county jail.

State police in Indiana County say 44-year-old Jack Edmundson Jr. of Saltsburg is now charged with felony attempted escape and related counts.

The Indiana Gazette reports that he is accused of trying to saw through a steel bar in front of a cell window, but police and jail officials were tipped off in June about his possible intentions after reviewing telephone conversations.

Prosecutors allege that Edmundson grabbed a gun from a display case at Frank's Gun & Taxidermy in Conemaugh Township on Dec. 31, 2013, and killed 62-year-old Frank Petro.

District Attorney Patrick Dougherty says he plans to seek the death penalty.

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