Commonwealth v. Laventure

OPINION

Justice SAYLOR.

The question presented is whether a criminal complaint and/or arrest warrant tolls the statute of limitations where the defendant/arrestee is unnamed and described only as “John Doe ‘Steve’,” a white male, in his thirties, address unknown.

On August 2, 1997, a fire engulfed the building located at 3452 Old Philadelphia Pike Intercourse, in Lancaster County, destroying the business known as “Instant Amish,” which was owned by Russell Shope and Christopher J. Kluge. Initially, no charges were filed in connection with the fire, but in May 2002, Kluge confessed that he had…