PITTSBURGH – Family members of the victims of a double homicide committed by the victims’ own son more than two years ago recently discontinued their wrongful death lawsuit against the killer’s estate.
Anthoula K. Hanse (Administratrix of the Estate of John Tratras, deceased) of Pittsburgh and Jean Sarantopoulos (Administrator of the Estate of Ana Tratras, deceased) of Clermont, Fla. first filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 26 versus Dale P. Frayer (Administrator of the Estate of George Tratras, deceased), also of Pittsburgh.
“During his life, George Tratras lived with his parents in their home located in Mount Lebanon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. George was an only child, an altar boy, an excellent student, and was close and loving to his immediate and extended family,” the suit said.
“As a young adult, George dropped out of Penn State University, began showing signs of depression, and then more serious mental illness. In the summer of 2021, at age 25, George continued to reside with his parents, began experiencing delusions, eventually including that his parents were practicing witchcraft, and that George was a high priest who would destroy them, and George had amassed a large collection of loaded firearms.”
The suit added that before, on and after July 12, 2021, George was “advised by his parents, a physician and a psychiatrist that he had a serious mental illness and required ongoing treatment and medication to prevent him from becoming a danger to self or others.”
“George failed and/or refused to follow that advice, including failing and/or refusing to treat with a psychiatrist and/or failing and/or refusing to take medication to treat his severe mental illness. George knew or should have known that if he failed and/or refused to undergo the recommended treatment he was likely to become a danger to his parents, but, nevertheless, he negligently failed and/or refused to participate in appropriate treatment of his severe mental illness,” the suit stated.
“As the direct result of George’s negligent failure and/or refusal to undergo the treatment, his severe mental illness worsened. As the result, on July 29, 2021, George shot and killed his parents, plaintiffs’ decedents, in their home, and while fleeing the scene from pursuing police officers, George killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.”
The suit added that the respective plaintiffs were authorized to be the representatives chosen to recover damages on the decedents’ behalves.
UPDATE
After several months of relative inactivity in the case, plaintiff counsel opted to discontinue the case on July 18.
“Plaintiffs, by their undersigned counsel, pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure No. 229, voluntarily discontinue and terminate this cause of action with prejudice,” the praecipe stated.
For counts of survival and wrongful death, the plaintiffs were seeking compensatory damages against each and all defendants.
The plaintiffs were represented by Mark J. Homyak of The Homyak Law Firm, in Pittsburgh.
The defendant did not secure legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-001164
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com