Four employees of a Southwest Philadelphia strip club were held for trial this afternoon in connection with the fatal beating of a patron on Oct. 16 of last year.

Two other employees of the Oasis Club, 6800 Essington Ave. were cleared of all charges by Municipal Court Judge Karen Y. Simmons.

James Koons, 31, of Media, Delaware County, died from blunt-force trauma which fractured his skull in the front and back, testified Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Sam Gulino.

Koons and a longtime friend, George Foreacre, 35, of Secane, Delaware County, got into an altercation with the club's bouncers inside the establishment and were escorted out, according to testimony from Foreacre and police and surveillance video that was played during the 4 1/2 hour hearing.

The confrontation continued in the parking lot, where Koons sustained injuries from being struck, knocked down to the ground or both, according to Gulino.

Though video from the parking lot does not show who struck Koons, prosecutors maintained that the fatal blow was thrown by John Pettit, 48, of Pennsauken, N.J., who was described in court as a club manager.

Pettit was held on charges of third-degree murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, hindering apprehension and related offenses.

Pettit, who had been charged with general murder, has been in jail for more than three months because of the prosecution's contention that he threw the fatal blow. After ruling that he should be tried for murder, however, the judge set bail at $150,000.

The other five defendants already were free on bail.

Club owner Robert Laflar, 43, was held for third-degree murder and conspiracy. Bouncer Timothy Carpenter was held for aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, but charges of third-degree murder and conspiracy were dropped.

Bouncer Edwin Padua was held for third-degree murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Bouncer Brendan Davis, 32, who had been charged with third-degree murder, was cleared of all charges. Club employee Staci Shoenberger, 33, who had been charged with hindering apprehension and filing a false police report, also was cleared of all charges.