Pennsylvania law requires victim notification. Tinesha Duran says she’s been left in the dark.

LAKE ARIEL — Andrew Miller knew Lucas Gartrell’s arraignment was postponed.

Tinesha Duran — the widow of the man Gartrell is accused of murdering — says she didn’t.

“Andrew Miller has more information about court dates and changes than I do as the widow,” Duran wrote on Facebook this week. “How can that be?”

Miller is president of The Hideout’s board of directors. José Alberto Duran Jr. was a Hideout public safety officer shot and killed September 28 responding to an active shooter inside the gated community. He was 55. He left behind a wife and three children.

Gartrell, 26, faces 14 charges including first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. His December 4 arraignment was canceled after his public defender filed a last-minute motion. No new date is set.

If Duran’s account is accurate, the HOA president learned about the continuance before the murder victim’s wife.

Pennsylvania law says that shouldn’t happen.

The Law

The Pennsylvania Crime Victims Act requires that surviving family members of homicide victims be notified of “significant actions and proceedings” in their case — including court dates, bail decisions, and schedule changes.

Governor Wolf strengthened these protections in 2022 with Act 77, which gave victims legal standing to enforce their rights.

Wayne County DA A.G. Howell’s office employs a Victim/Witness Advocate tasked with notifying crime victims. The office website states: “The victim’s responsibility falls to the parent or legal guardian for child victims and to a surviving family member in the case of a homicide.”

First Assistant DA Shelley Robinson is from Lake Ariel — the same community where The Hideout is located.

The Money Questions

Duran’s complaint about court notifications came alongside allegations about memorial fund transparency.

She says Miller is also a board member of Angel Alliance Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 83-4500437) involved in fundraising after her husband’s death. She’s been requesting a bank statement for 11 days. No response.

“All I asked for was the bank statement from Angel Alliance for the month my husband’s foundation was opened,” Duran wrote. “Instead of just showing me the proof in black and white, I’ve received radio silence, crickets.”

According to Duran:

• She received $30,000, distributed among herself and her children
• $6,000 remains in the foundation account
• $4,000 is allegedly still held by Angel Alliance
• Proceeds from a “Night of the Races” fundraiser and 50/50 raffle haven’t been deposited
• Brian Carchedi, who she says runs Angel Alliance, is the only person with bank account access

She says Miller initially told her checks may have been deposited “by mistake” into Angel Alliance’s account — then said they weren’t.

“How do I know which story is true?” she asked.

Angel Alliance files IRS Form 990-N, an abbreviated return for charities under $50,000 in annual revenue. Detailed financials aren’t publicly available.

Who She’s Cleared

Duran named five organizations she says have been transparent:

• Help a Hero’s Foundation
• Drafts Restaurant
• Palermo’s Restaurant
• ALEMC Bikers
• The Hideout Elves

“These businesses have been honest with me,” she wrote.

The Hideout Elves GoFundMe raised $50,626 from 467 donors. Donations are now paused.

Seeking Answers

The Pocono Review has contacted DA Howell, Andrew Miller, Brian Carchedi, and The Hideout POA with the following questions:

• Has the DA’s Victim/Witness Advocate been in contact with Tinesha Duran?
• How did Andrew Miller learn about court schedule changes?
• Who are Angel Alliance’s officers and board members?
• What funds were raised in José Duran’s name, and where are they?

This story will be updated with responses.

Crime victims who believe their rights were violated can contact the Wayne County Victim/Witness Office at 570-253-5970 or the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Advocate at 1-800-563-6399.

Related Coverage

• Widow of Slain Hideout Officer Demands Answers on Memorial Fund
• Lake Ariel Man to Face Arraignment in Deadly Hideout Shooting
• Hideout Shooting Suspect’s Arraignment May Be Delayed in Wayne County Court
• Hideout Shooting Suspect’s Arraignment Delayed at Last Minute