Westmoreland County District Attorney John W. Peck has informed hearing examiner Thomas J. Farrell that he agrees physical evidence and forensic testimony presented at a two-day coroner's inquest last month indicate a 14-year-old's death in July was an apparent suicide committed with a handgun owned by a state legislator.

But Mr. Peck also said in a letter to Mr. Farrell dated March 2: "However, at the same time it is most troubling that there is an extraordinary amount of evidence that makes suicide highly unlikely."

And, Mr. Peck indicated, state Sen. Robert Regola III may have committed crimes if he gave his 16-year-old son a 9 mm Taurus handgun -- the weapon used in the shooting death of Louis A.J. Farrell, who is not related to the hearing examiner.

Mr. Peck's comments about those and other issues involved in the inquest of Louis' death were provided at the request of Mr. Farrell, a former federal prosecutor whose findings in the case will be presented by Coroner Kenneth A. Bacha at a news conference Thursday.

The purpose of the inquest was to determine a manner of death -- homicide, suicide or accidental -- and to recommend to Mr. Peck whether anyone should be criminally charged.

In addition to Mr. Peck, Mr. Farrell also asked lawyers representing the Farrell family on one side, and Mr. Regola and his son, Robert "Bobby" Regola IV, on the other, to provide him with additional arguments he should consider in his findings. The coroner's office yesterday released to the media copies of the correspondence between the attorneys.

Louis' body was found by his father the morning of July 22 in the woods behind the family home with Mr. Regola's handgun lying next to him. In the hours on July 21 before his death, Louis had access to the Regola home because he was dog-sitting for the senator, who was out of town.

Bobby Regola spent the day at Idlewild Park with his girlfriend and returned home late at night.

About 10:40 p.m., according to the Regola family, Bobby discovered that his father's gun was missing and let the senator know. Bobby also feared an intruder might be in the house because a door was ajar. Mr. Regola asked his brother, Ronald, who lives on the same street, to check the house.

At 11:01 p.m., Louis and Bobby had a six-minute phone conversation. That was the last known contact anyone had with Louis.

In his Feb. 26 letter to the attorneys, Mr. Farrell said he did not find Mr. Regola's testimony credible that the handgun found next to Louis was never stored at any time in his son's bedroom. Instead, Mr. Farrell wrote, he believes testimony that indicated Bobby kept the loaded gun in his room for a number of years leading up to July 21.

In his letter to Mr. Farrell, Mr. Peck said he also believes the gun was kept in Bobby's room.

Regardless of whether or not the Regolas knew if Louis was suicidal, Mr. Peck wrote, "the Senator knew, as we all know, that children are curious and careless and accidents happen" and "giving the handgun to Bobby was an unlawful act and was in conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk."

Mr. Peck said he, like Mr. Farrell, does not believe there is enough evidence to charge that Bobby was present when Louis was shot. Bobby did not testify at the inquest, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination on the advice of his attorney, Duke George.

Mr. George and Charles J. Porter, Mr. Regola's attorney, contend in their responses to Mr. Farrell that Louis's death was a suicide, even if Louis exhibited no outward signs of being suicidal; there was no negligence because the gun was stored in Mr. Regola's bedroom, as he testified; and there is no basis for any criminal charges against anyone.

In his 25-page response, Jon R. Perry, the Farrell family attorney, argued a finding that Louis committed suicide on "slim and speculative evidence will forever mar the legacy and memories of a wonderful young man who never manifested any suicidal ideation, tendencies or intent, and whose death is surrounded by multitudinous circumstances that do not support the conclusion that he calmly watched television following a date with a young lady, casually called his friend next door, walked out into a wooded area with a flashlight and a cigar and then decided to end his own life by firing a handgun for the first time in his life."