Charges of burglary, murder and rape dropped

A judge on Monday dismissed charges against a Philadelphia man who allegedly murdered his former employer during a burglary, according to The Bucks County Courier Times. Earlier, prosecutor Christopher Rees had dropped related rape charges against defendant Thomas Delgado (51) at the hearing because DNA tests ruled out that he was the man who sexually assaulted the murdered victim's fiancée, Joseph Canazaro (48). Two of the 34 charges remained, but these only related to the stolen 2006 black Lincoln Mark LT pickup. Rees eventually dropped those charges as well.

From the courts' point of view, the authorities are back to square one: they have to prove who broke into the house of businessman Joseph Canazaro and stabbed him to death.

“There are indeed some pieces missing,” Judge Regina Armitage said in court on Monday. “Serious pieces are missing.”

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Two armed and masked men broke into the home in the 300 block of Swartley Road in Hilltown Township on Jan. 18, 2013, authorities said. They bound local businessman Canazaro, his fiancée and his 12-year-old son with zip ties, and one of them – allegedly Delgado – raped the fiancée.

The two attackers stole weapons, jewelry and money and fled in Canazaro's pickup truck.