PA/NJ Stripper Murder Trial Begins

Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of a Bucks County man accused of killing an exotic dancer.

Prosecutors claim that in March 2000, John Denofa, now 37, was smitten with 22-year-old Rachel Siani, who danced under the name Roxanne at Diva's strip club in Bristol, Pa. Prosecutors said that when Denofa's advances were rebuffed, he snapped and killed her.

According to police, Denofa took Siani to a hotel adjacent to the club, strangled her until she was unconscious, threw her out of a second-story window, drove her body to the New Jersey side of the turnpike bridge and threw her off.

Although the alleged assault took place in Pennsylvania, Denofa is being tried in New Jersey. A gag order in the case prevents anyone involved from commenting. However, Burlington County prosecutor Robert Bernardi explained last year why the trial is taking place in New Jersey.

"Our coroners are confident that she was alive when she was thrown from the bridge," Bernadi said in June 2001.

Part of the evidence that will be presented at trial will be hair and blood samples from the hotel room, but the most compelling evidence, according to police, is a videotape from the turnpike plaza that allegedly shows Siana's body in the back of Denofa's truck.

Police said they also have video of Denofa returning to Pennsylvania and the body in the truck was no longer in the vehicle.

Denofa is free on $500,000 bail.

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Author: Copyright 2002 by NBC 10. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.