The bizarre case of Duane Hurley and Daniel Kovarbasich

After spending 16 months in the Lorain County Jail, Danny Kovarbasich was released on Sunday morning, May 8, 2011 and placed under house arrest at his parents' home, by judicial order from Judge Burge. He is required to wear a GPS monitoring device and is only permitted to leave the house to meet with his attorneys or to undergo testing or evaluation as preparatory steps for possible eventual placement at a residential treatment facility. It is believed that psychological and educational testing will achieve better results outside of a jailhouse setting.

Daniel Kovarbasich

"This is not a celebratory moment, this is not a coming home for him," Stepanik told a reporter with The Chronicle-Telegram newspaper. "This is a segue into a treatment facility. He's still got a long way to go...the professionals did not believe the institutional setting would give the most accurate results...he's not going home just enjoy himself and relax the rest of his life."

Burge ordered that any authorized travel involving Danny must be done by taking the most direct routes to and from his destination, and at least one of his parents must be present. A breach of the release order would be a violation of his probation, which could result in a 10-year prison sentence.

Finding a residential facility that will take Danny has turned out to be more difficult than originally imagined. The violence of his crime and financial concerns have stood in the way.

"We've been trying to find a place for this kid since I sentenced him, and we may have found

some luck," Burge told a reporter without elaborating.

"I'm sure his parents will be happy to see their son face-to-face," Stepanik said. "In the jail, they only have video monitors, so they have not seen their son face-to-face in some time."

Meanwhile, the judge and Danny's attorneys remain "cautiously optimistic" about Danny's pending acceptance into the still-unidentified treatment facility. According to Stepanik, placement with a treatment facility was expected to occur within a month.