Cannie blames “sheer stupidity and recklessness.”

He ends the letter by praying that the Rodriguez family “find the strength and patience to endure. Lord willing, this will help you find peace in this senselessness.”

The killing was the result of a drug deal gone bad, police say.

Rodriguez was shot dead in his Selinsgrove apartment after he allegedly stole marijuana from one of the three men accused of killing him. The other two men charged with homicide are Abdul Malik Saeed Walker, 25, of Williamsport, and Ibrahim Musa Wells, 25, of Mill Hall.

During the prison interview, Cannie explained he didn’t even know Rodriguez.

He would not say what his role in the killing was, although he expressed regret.

“My lawyer told me not to get into any explanations now,” he said.

He said he was in the Valley at the time of the shooting to visit relatives.

“I was here to visit family,” he said. “I have family here.”

He would not elaborate on where the relatives live or their identities.

Cannie reiterated in the interview that the letter was a sincere expression of regret.

“That’s all I want to say,” he said, and shrugged.

Sholley said he could not comment on whether Cannie has any prior record of violence.

Sholley said that if evidence of a prior record were determined to be inadmissible by a judge, his comments could then be interpreted as having tainted the jury pool.

A check of Pennsylvania online court records shows no indication of any convictions in Cannie’s past.