Evesham man convicted of murder and rape

A Burlington County jury convicted Christopher Kornberger yesterday of murdering and raping one woman and assaulting another, after a three-week trial that the prosecution and defense described as particularly difficult because of its gruesome and technical testimony.

After 3½ hours of deliberations, the jury found Kornberger guilty on all 10 counts in the May 2003 rape and murder of Krista DiFrancesco and the assault, attempted rape and attempted kidnapping of Elisabeth Loetzner-Jung three months later.

As Kornberger, 23, was handcuffed after the verdicts were read, Debbie Kornberger, sitting behind the defense table, asked: "Can I hug my son?"

She could not. Christopher Kornberger gave her a reassuring look, as he often did over the last two days. He lived with his parents in Evesham at the time of the attacks.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Smith Jr. set a sentencing date of May 27. First Assistant Prosecutor James Ronca said he would seek a life sentence for Kornberger, whom he called "an exceptionally dangerous individual" unable to control his destructive impulses.

Defense attorney Timothy Reilly said the case was difficult to defend because "there was a lot of evidence: They had the confession, they had the DNA, they had the writing." Debbie Kornberger said the convictions would be appealed.

Kornberger tearfully confessed on videotape to the crimes in 2004 after authorities found a cigarette butt with his DNA at the scene of the stabbing and attempted murder and rape of a third woman, Nancy "Kim" Clark, and brought him in for questioning. Kornberger pleaded guilty to charges related to her attack just before the start of his trial.

Investigators also linked his DNA to semen found in DiFrancesco's body, and authorities searching his home uncovered rap lyrics Kornberger had written about wanting to rape and kill women.

The convictions brought resolution to years of effort involving scores of law enforcement officials. Kornberger stabbed DiFrancesco, the 24-year-old mother of an infant, on the front lawn of her Evesham townhouse 16 times, raped her, and dumped her body in the bushes. The case went unsolved for a year.

The discovery of Kornberger's connection to the Clark crime helped authorities link him to what had first appeared an unrelated accident. In August 2003, Kornberger's car hit jogger Loetzner-Jung, who leaped over the hood of the car and landed on the ground with injuries. Authorities later concluded that Kornberger had been trying to knock down Loetzner-Jung, who has since moved to Michigan, so he could rape her.

"These have been difficult times for all parties involved. . . . Our love for [their son] is unconditional," Jim Kornberger, the convicted man's father, read from a handwritten statement outside the courtroom alongside his tearful wife. "We send out our hearts and prayers to the DiFrancesco and Loetzner-Jung families."

DiFrancesco's family, who packed the courtroom over the course of the trial, did not comment but were described as relieved by the verdict.

"They've waited a long time for this to come. . . . This has been a long process," Ronca said after meeting with them for several minutes. "It's been an ordeal."

In the courtroom, the prosecution described Kornberger as a disturbed man who prowled for women. Kornberger said in his confession that he was high on drugs during the crimes and that inner voices compelled him.

Kornberger is serving an 18-year sentence issued by a Camden County judge last year for attempted rape.

He said he never wanted to kill anyone, according to published reports of his two-hour confession tape, which was played at trial. He said he just wanted to have sex.