Judge Dismisses Accused 'Nova Killer' False Arrest Suit

A federal judge has granted summary judgment in favor of members of the Haverford police department accused by a Philadelphia man of falsely arresting him for a 2010 hit-and-run that killed a Villanova student and critically injured another, according to the Delaware County News Network.

Kenneth Woods, of Philadelphia, claimed that the arrest wrongfully branded him the Nova Killer by media outloets and tarnished his reputation. Judge Petrese Tucker ruled that the warrant issued by Haverford police and carried out by Philadelphia officers was supported by probable cause at the time.

According to Courthouse News Service, on Oct. 29, 2010, a man driving a stolen Range Rover in Bryn Mawr crashed into a Volkswagen Jetta driven by Villanova student Daniel Giletta, 22, who was killed in the accident. A passenger in the Jetta, Frank DiChiara, was critically inured. The Range Rover fled the scene and was abandoned a few blocks away.

Detectives discovered a handprint on the SUV that matched Woods and issued the warrant for his arrest. Woods was picked up by Philadelphia police on Oct. 30, charged with third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and receiving stolen property and sent to Delaware County Prison on $1 million bail, according to Philly.com.

On Nov. 1, however, Donnie Sayers, 29, of Bryn Mawr, stepped forward and confessed to driving the SUV alone while under the influence of PCP. Woods was released, but his complaint filed in 2012 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania says that he had already been branded by media as the Nova Killer, ruingin his reputation.

The suit sought damages in excess of $250,000 from Haverford Police Chief Carmen Pettine, Sgt. Daniel Wallower, Detective Jere Goodman, Thomas McDermott and Philadelphia Detective T. McCool.