3 accused of killing Knight

PHILADELPHIA (P)Three Philadelphia men were charged last night with the murder of newspaper heir John S. Knight III, but police said they did not know the suspects' whereabouts.

Joseph Golden, chief of the homicide division, identified the three as Salvatore Soli, 38, Steven Maleno, 25, and Isaiah Melendez, 20.

Golden said robbery was the motive in the slaying.

Knight, 30, heir to the KnightRidder newspaper chain, was beaten and stabbed to death Sunday at his center city apartment.

Golden had said of Knight earlier that the investigation "indicated he was bisexual" and that homosexuals were being questioned in the case. He declined comment when asked about any homosexual involvement of the three suspects.