(WSB Radio) College Park police spent Saturday night searching for a man accused of shooting his girlfriend to death.
A police spokesperson told WSB Radio Stedrick Thomas Gordon, 25, shot Valfreya Walker-Hill, 33, several times around 6 p.m. Saturday at their apartment in the in the 2200 block of Sullivan Road.
"Right now we're thinking it was some sort of a domestic (dispute),'' said Lt. Reed Pollard with College Park police. "They were living together."
Police said Gordon was seen driving a gold 2000 Pontiac Bonneville. It has a Louisiana tag PBT 220.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Houston, TX: Police: Attempted murder-suicide in upscale neighborhood
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators say an attempted murder-suicide led to a SWAT standoff in the upscale Southampton neighborhood, and it ended with a woman dead, allegedly shot by her husband.
Officers say a holdup alarm brought them out to the home on Tangley and Wilton near Rice University Saturday evening. Houston police told us a man shot and killed his wife and barricaded himself in the home. A SWAT team came out and tried to get the man to surrender.
After several hours, the man shot himself. He survived, but officers would not say how seriously he was injured. At this point, the identities of the couple are not being released.
Officers say a holdup alarm brought them out to the home on Tangley and Wilton near Rice University Saturday evening. Houston police told us a man shot and killed his wife and barricaded himself in the home. A SWAT team came out and tried to get the man to surrender.
After several hours, the man shot himself. He survived, but officers would not say how seriously he was injured. At this point, the identities of the couple are not being released.
Beaverton, OR: Beaverton man pleads guilty in wife's death
By The Associated Press | Posted: Friday, May 7, 2010 7:55 am | (0) Comments
HILLSBORO, Ore. — A Beaverton man who admitted beating his wife to death with a hammer says he pleaded guilty to murder so his children wouldn't have to testify against him.
After the plea last week, the 52-year-old man, Namegabe Mushegero, was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court to a minimum 25 years in prison.
His 49-year-old wife, Nabinto Kelekele, was killed in March of last year at their Beaverton apartment.
The Oregonian reports The Congolese man immigrated to the United States in 1993 and worked as a pastor, assembly line worker and cab driver. His wife prepared food for inmates at the Portland Justice Center.
HILLSBORO, Ore. — A Beaverton man who admitted beating his wife to death with a hammer says he pleaded guilty to murder so his children wouldn't have to testify against him.
After the plea last week, the 52-year-old man, Namegabe Mushegero, was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court to a minimum 25 years in prison.
His 49-year-old wife, Nabinto Kelekele, was killed in March of last year at their Beaverton apartment.
The Oregonian reports The Congolese man immigrated to the United States in 1993 and worked as a pastor, assembly line worker and cab driver. His wife prepared food for inmates at the Portland Justice Center.
Turner, ME: Husband charged with wife's murder
Date last updated: 5/9/2010 12:23:18 AM
TURNER, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Police say Brian Nichols shot his wife Jane Tetreault to death early Saturday morning in Turner.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department responded to 911 call from 225 East Hebron Road around 3:30 AM Saturday. A state police spokesperson says Jane Tetreault, age 38 was found shot to death in her home. State police say her husband Brian Nichols, 45, was taken into custody a short timel ater.
The couple's 17 year old son was home at the time of the shooting. Another son was not home. Both are now with relatives.
An autopsy will be done on the body, Sunday.
TURNER, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Police say Brian Nichols shot his wife Jane Tetreault to death early Saturday morning in Turner.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department responded to 911 call from 225 East Hebron Road around 3:30 AM Saturday. A state police spokesperson says Jane Tetreault, age 38 was found shot to death in her home. State police say her husband Brian Nichols, 45, was taken into custody a short timel ater.
The couple's 17 year old son was home at the time of the shooting. Another son was not home. Both are now with relatives.
An autopsy will be done on the body, Sunday.
San Diego, CA: Sentencing Postponed For Man Who Killed Wife At Boyfriend's Apt. Complex
Mychal Reed Shot Rosa Reed On Christmas Eve
POSTED: 7:25 am PDT May 7, 2010
UPDATED: 10:05 am PDT May 7, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- The possible filing of a motion for a new trial prompted a judge Friday to postpone sentencing to Sept. 27 for a man convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve 2007, as she drove into the parking lot of her new boyfriend's apartment complex in El Cajon.
Mychal Reed was convicted of murder, lying in wait and personal use of a weapon in the death of Rosa Reed. The 47-year-old defendant faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Reed's attorney, Michael Garcia, told Judge Louis Hanoian Friday that he needed time to review trial transcripts before determining if a new-trial motion would be filed.
Deputy District Attorney C.J. Mody told the judge that prosecutors want the case wrapped up and said the victim's family is also looking for closure.
"They would like to see a resolution as well," Mody told the judge.
El Cajon police Officer Thomas Winslow testified at trial last year that Rosa Reed told him a month before the shooting that her husband went to her workplace at an El Cajon casino and threatened to kill her.
She also showed the officer a text message in which the defendant threatened to kill her, Winslow said.
The 44-year-old victim said that when she told her husband she was seeing another man, "he responded with 'you're hurting me and I'm going to kill you,"' Winslow testified.
She told the officer she had already told her husband she might take out a restraining order.
"She told me he said it was just a piece of paper, police couldn't be with her 24/7, and he would just kill her," Winslow said.
POSTED: 7:25 am PDT May 7, 2010
UPDATED: 10:05 am PDT May 7, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- The possible filing of a motion for a new trial prompted a judge Friday to postpone sentencing to Sept. 27 for a man convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve 2007, as she drove into the parking lot of her new boyfriend's apartment complex in El Cajon.
Mychal Reed was convicted of murder, lying in wait and personal use of a weapon in the death of Rosa Reed. The 47-year-old defendant faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Reed's attorney, Michael Garcia, told Judge Louis Hanoian Friday that he needed time to review trial transcripts before determining if a new-trial motion would be filed.
Deputy District Attorney C.J. Mody told the judge that prosecutors want the case wrapped up and said the victim's family is also looking for closure.
"They would like to see a resolution as well," Mody told the judge.
El Cajon police Officer Thomas Winslow testified at trial last year that Rosa Reed told him a month before the shooting that her husband went to her workplace at an El Cajon casino and threatened to kill her.
She also showed the officer a text message in which the defendant threatened to kill her, Winslow said.
The 44-year-old victim said that when she told her husband she was seeing another man, "he responded with 'you're hurting me and I'm going to kill you,"' Winslow testified.
She told the officer she had already told her husband she might take out a restraining order.
"She told me he said it was just a piece of paper, police couldn't be with her 24/7, and he would just kill her," Winslow said.
Article: Female Students Take Down Maine Slasher
Female Students Take Down Maine Slasher
Updated: 2 days 19 hours ago
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Mara Gay
Contributor
(May 6) -- Five female students stopped a man from stabbing a woman to death on a college campus in Maine, forcing the man onto the ground and holding him until police arrived.
The women tackled 45-year-old Horst Wolk after they saw him attacking a 34-year-old nursing student with a knife Wednesday morning in the parking lot of Husson University in Bangor, Maine. Twenty-one-year-old Jesse Hladik -- who had just taken a self-defense course -- seized the knife, while the other women held Wolk to the pavement.
"It was really scary, but I'm glad we got involved," one of the students, 18-year-old Heather Mann, told The Associated Press. "Because I really think he would have killed her."
The nursing student, whose name has not been released, was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening wounds and released. She had a restraining order against Wolk.
Police say it was the quick action of the five women who leapt to her defense that may have saved her life.
"The female students all banded together and took care of themselves today," Bangor Police Sgt. Paul Edwards told the Bangor Daily News. Police, he said, responded to a report that "several people were subduing a male suspect on the ground" and arrived to find that the women had overtaken the attacker.
Edwards said he's glad the women helped, but he cautioned against getting involved in such a dangerous situation.
"We would never recommend getting involved to the point where you might get hurt yourself and become a second victim," he said. "But am I proud of what they did? Of course I am. Am I glad they did it? Yeah. I'm happy because the outcome was good."
Julie Green, a spokeswoman for Husson University, said the school is "extremely proud" of its students. "They made a difference today," she said.
John Michaud, a criminal justice professor at Husson University, told the AP that he saw more women near the group ready to help out in case the women needed an extra hand.
"How many times do you hear about people walking by incidents like this?" he asked. "These young ladies weren't going to walk by this incident."
Wolk was charged with attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, aggravated assault and violation of a protection order, the Daily News reported.
Updated: 2 days 19 hours ago
Print Text Size
EmailMore
Mara Gay
Contributor
(May 6) -- Five female students stopped a man from stabbing a woman to death on a college campus in Maine, forcing the man onto the ground and holding him until police arrived.
The women tackled 45-year-old Horst Wolk after they saw him attacking a 34-year-old nursing student with a knife Wednesday morning in the parking lot of Husson University in Bangor, Maine. Twenty-one-year-old Jesse Hladik -- who had just taken a self-defense course -- seized the knife, while the other women held Wolk to the pavement.
"It was really scary, but I'm glad we got involved," one of the students, 18-year-old Heather Mann, told The Associated Press. "Because I really think he would have killed her."
The nursing student, whose name has not been released, was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening wounds and released. She had a restraining order against Wolk.
Police say it was the quick action of the five women who leapt to her defense that may have saved her life.
"The female students all banded together and took care of themselves today," Bangor Police Sgt. Paul Edwards told the Bangor Daily News. Police, he said, responded to a report that "several people were subduing a male suspect on the ground" and arrived to find that the women had overtaken the attacker.
Edwards said he's glad the women helped, but he cautioned against getting involved in such a dangerous situation.
"We would never recommend getting involved to the point where you might get hurt yourself and become a second victim," he said. "But am I proud of what they did? Of course I am. Am I glad they did it? Yeah. I'm happy because the outcome was good."
Julie Green, a spokeswoman for Husson University, said the school is "extremely proud" of its students. "They made a difference today," she said.
John Michaud, a criminal justice professor at Husson University, told the AP that he saw more women near the group ready to help out in case the women needed an extra hand.
"How many times do you hear about people walking by incidents like this?" he asked. "These young ladies weren't going to walk by this incident."
Wolk was charged with attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, aggravated assault and violation of a protection order, the Daily News reported.
Durham, NC: Burnett Taylor shot ex-girlfriend Charlene King at Duke Health clinic
By KEITH UPCHURCHkupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612DURHAM -- Domestic violence counselors say that Tuesday's murder of a worker at a Duke University Health System clinic by a former boyfriend with a history of violence against women highlights the importance of victims getting help before it's too late. Meanwhile, Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill and Police Chief Jose Lopez confirmed that two law officers shot the gunman, Burnett Taylor, 51, after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend, Charlene King.King, 49, was shot to death inside the clinic at 3116 N. Duke St. shortly before 3 p.m. Taylor was found hiding at Broad and Carver streets, and he exchanged gunfire with Durham police officer B.T. Black and Durham County sheriff's deputy William Carson Jr. Taylor died at Duke University Hospital a few hours later. Taylor was a registered sex offender and had served 12 years of a 35-year sentence for an October 1993 second-degree rape conviction, according to Department of Correction records. He got probation for convictions of misdemeanor assault on a female in February 2007 and March 2009. King had not filed a domestic violence order against Taylor, but another woman filed an order against him in November claiming Taylor attacked her, according to court records. Taylor was facing charges of driving under the influence, communicating threats and injury to personal property. Lopez said on Wednesday that Black is on administrative duty pending an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, standard procedure for a shooting in which an officer fires a weapon. The sheriff said his deputy is on brief administrative leave for his well-being. "We might do it for a few days, just for psychological reasons," Hill said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a clear-cut case. He hasn't done anything wrong, but for his well-being, we'll give him a few days off."Hill said Carson, a K-9 unit deputy, "tracked the person [with his dog] to what they call a thicket, and that's when all the fireworks started. The individual shot, and then they returned fire."Lopez confirmed that Taylor had a long criminal history and that the victim had been in a relationship with him. "She was the intended target," Lopez said Wednesday. Deanna Manley, crisis line coordinator at the Durham Crisis Response Center, which helps domestic violence victims, said Tuesday's bloodshed "was very unfortunate for the Durham community. We feel we can use it as a teachable moment to help the community see just how severe this problem is. As soon as we heard the news reports, we knew it was probably domestic violence."Manley said the victim's family may not have realized "what she was going through." She said it's important for victims to reach out to others and call the crisis line.The victim reportedly had ended a yearlong relationship with Taylor. "When a person decides to leave their relationship that has been one of violence, it's 70 times more likely they will be murdered once they leave," Manley said. The North Duke Street clinic where the slaying occurred was closed Wednesday, but is expected to reopen today. Patients with questions about their appointments can call (919) 613-7650.
Article: Domestic violence affecting the workplace?
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Officials say more often than not, women who are killed on the job are killed by an intimate partner who followed them to work. They say that type of violence impacts nearly everyone at the workplace.
The most recent incident happened on Tuesday, when a man shot and killed his girlfriend while she was at work at the Duke Health Clinic.
It is not the first business or healthcare facility that has come face to face with domestic violence deaths recently.
The worst act of domestic violence in the workplace in North Carolina was in March 2009.
Police say Robert Stewart entered the Pinelake Nursing Home Facility in Carthage and shot and killed a nurse and several elderly patients as he searched for his estranged wife at her work station.
Domestic violence experts say while co-workers and clients can be killed, they say the perpetrator usually only targets their partner.
As was the case at UNC's Hedrick building in 2004. Despite a restraining order, Randy McKendall parked outside his wife's office waiting for her to arrive.
He shot and killed Shennel McKendall, then himself. Her co-workers say they still remember the incident clearly.
"There were a lot of people who actually saw what happened, people who knew her very well," McKendall's co-worker Darlene Knight said. "It was just horrible to think that something like that could happen in the place you work every day."
"For the weeks and months and even a year, we worked to work through the emotions and the fear in the building," McKendall's co-worker Pattie Moore-Boyette said.
Workplace domestic violence expert and Raleigh author Johnny Lee says other businesses can fall apart.
"I've worked with employers who their business has failed afterwards," Lee said. "The heart of the business left, people end up quitting, people stop coming to the location."
He says it's important for supervisors to reach out to victims and offer them help before it's too late.
"Victims clearly know they're in danger," Lee said. "As horrible as that is, its silver lining in that that's a forewarning. And if they feel like they can trust their employer they can warn them and take action steps."
"I think since this has occurred people are more willing to ask for help to seek out their bosses or people in the system and let them know that they could be at risk," Knight said.
Since then, UNC has what's called a Beacon program to help employees dealing with domestic violence.
The Durham Crisis Center is working with Duke and other businesses in the area to teach them how best to help employees who may be in that kind of situation.
Officials say more often than not, women who are killed on the job are killed by an intimate partner who followed them to work. They say that type of violence impacts nearly everyone at the workplace.
The most recent incident happened on Tuesday, when a man shot and killed his girlfriend while she was at work at the Duke Health Clinic.
It is not the first business or healthcare facility that has come face to face with domestic violence deaths recently.
The worst act of domestic violence in the workplace in North Carolina was in March 2009.
Police say Robert Stewart entered the Pinelake Nursing Home Facility in Carthage and shot and killed a nurse and several elderly patients as he searched for his estranged wife at her work station.
Domestic violence experts say while co-workers and clients can be killed, they say the perpetrator usually only targets their partner.
As was the case at UNC's Hedrick building in 2004. Despite a restraining order, Randy McKendall parked outside his wife's office waiting for her to arrive.
He shot and killed Shennel McKendall, then himself. Her co-workers say they still remember the incident clearly.
"There were a lot of people who actually saw what happened, people who knew her very well," McKendall's co-worker Darlene Knight said. "It was just horrible to think that something like that could happen in the place you work every day."
"For the weeks and months and even a year, we worked to work through the emotions and the fear in the building," McKendall's co-worker Pattie Moore-Boyette said.
Workplace domestic violence expert and Raleigh author Johnny Lee says other businesses can fall apart.
"I've worked with employers who their business has failed afterwards," Lee said. "The heart of the business left, people end up quitting, people stop coming to the location."
He says it's important for supervisors to reach out to victims and offer them help before it's too late.
"Victims clearly know they're in danger," Lee said. "As horrible as that is, its silver lining in that that's a forewarning. And if they feel like they can trust their employer they can warn them and take action steps."
"I think since this has occurred people are more willing to ask for help to seek out their bosses or people in the system and let them know that they could be at risk," Knight said.
Since then, UNC has what's called a Beacon program to help employees dealing with domestic violence.
The Durham Crisis Center is working with Duke and other businesses in the area to teach them how best to help employees who may be in that kind of situation.
Delanco, NJ: Police: NJ Man Strangled Girlfriend's Grandfather
DELANCO, N.J. (AP) ― Authorities in southern New Jersey say a man strangled his girlfriend's grandfather and buried the body in a shallow grave behind a relative's home.
Twenty-four-year-old Richard Still of Delanco was arrested Friday. He's being held on $1 million bail at the Burlington County Jail.
Still is charged with murder in the death of 73-year-old Louis Berger Jr.
Berger was reported missing in February after he failed to attend his grandson's birthday party.
County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi said Still, who lived with Berger and his granddaughter, allegedly killed Berger at the home during an argument.
Berger's body was found Thursday night behind the home of Still's cousin in Mount Laurel.
Still has not yet retained a lawyer.
Twenty-four-year-old Richard Still of Delanco was arrested Friday. He's being held on $1 million bail at the Burlington County Jail.
Still is charged with murder in the death of 73-year-old Louis Berger Jr.
Berger was reported missing in February after he failed to attend his grandson's birthday party.
County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi said Still, who lived with Berger and his granddaughter, allegedly killed Berger at the home during an argument.
Berger's body was found Thursday night behind the home of Still's cousin in Mount Laurel.
Still has not yet retained a lawyer.
Sacramento, CA: Ask Sacto911: Sacramento man killed girlfriend rather than baby sit child
last updated: May 07, 2010 12:08:19 PM
Q: Was anyone arrested for the murder of Jessica Smith in her apartment in Sacramento in the mid '90s? - Concerned, Fairfield
A: A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted Correll Hicks Jr. of the Sept. 10, 2002 murder of Smith because she asked him to baby sit their child, The Bee reported.
Hicks, now 30, was sentenced on Sept. 11, 2004 to 26 years to life in prison.
Hicks, a man with a history of domestic violence, killed the 27-year-old Smith as she was trying to leave him, according to trial testimony.
Smith, a nursing student, was found dead at her U Street apartment in midtown Sacramento. She had been strangled and 6 inches of a towel was jammed down her throat.
Hicks, at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, stood 9 inches taller than Smith and outweighed her by 100 pounds. He erupted into a rage after Smith asked him to baby sit their child on Hicks' birthday, trial evidence showed.
He was found by police in the apartment with Smith. He had slashed his wrists, stabbed his abdomen with scissors and attempted to hang himself, his attorney said.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here.
Q: Was anyone arrested for the murder of Jessica Smith in her apartment in Sacramento in the mid '90s? - Concerned, Fairfield
A: A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted Correll Hicks Jr. of the Sept. 10, 2002 murder of Smith because she asked him to baby sit their child, The Bee reported.
Hicks, now 30, was sentenced on Sept. 11, 2004 to 26 years to life in prison.
Hicks, a man with a history of domestic violence, killed the 27-year-old Smith as she was trying to leave him, according to trial testimony.
Smith, a nursing student, was found dead at her U Street apartment in midtown Sacramento. She had been strangled and 6 inches of a towel was jammed down her throat.
Hicks, at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, stood 9 inches taller than Smith and outweighed her by 100 pounds. He erupted into a rage after Smith asked him to baby sit their child on Hicks' birthday, trial evidence showed.
He was found by police in the apartment with Smith. He had slashed his wrists, stabbed his abdomen with scissors and attempted to hang himself, his attorney said.
For a complete list of questions answered by Sacto911, click here.
Columbiana County, OH: Couple found dead in Columbiana county
Columbiana County authorities are investigating a possible murder suicide in Wayne Township. The sheriff says a relative found the body of 31 year old Dusty Bailey Friday morning in the Day Road trailer she shared with 25 year old Richard Mitchell. Investigators believe that Mitchell killed Bailey with a shotgun blast, then turned the gun on himself. Authorities say that three children, aged nine, two and one year old were home at the time... but were not injured.
Denton, TX: Man slain in Denton custody dispute is identified
10:10 PM CDT on Saturday, May 8, 2010
By CANDACE CARLISLE / Denton Record-Chronicle
ccarlisle@dentonrc.com
The man killed in a Denton city parking lot Friday after a child custody exchange went awry has been identified as Richard Benovic of Justin.
Benovic, 49, had arranged to meet his estranged wife to pick up his children, ages 9 and 13, at a City Hall East parking lot at Railroad Avenue and East McKinney Street, said Denton police Capt. Lenn Carter.
The woman brought along her boyfriend, identified as Gary Landers, 54, to the drop-off location. Police have charged Landers with murder. He was being held at the Denton County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Benovic became upset and reportedly threatened Landers, who pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots into Benovic's torso, Carter said.
Benovic, who police say was unarmed, died soon after the shooting at 5:48 p.m.
Landers, a retired federal law enforcement officer, said he shot the man in self-defense, Carter said.
Benovic's estranged wife, Ana Benovic, and her children were living with Landers in the San Angelo area, about 275 miles southwest of Denton.
The drop-off location was chosen because it was near law enforcement and there had been a history of trouble in the broken relationship, Carter said.
Richard Benovic was an angry man and a verbally and physically abusive husband, his estranged wife said.
"He was a bully," Ana Benovic said.
She said she recently took the couple's two children and moved in with her boyfriend in the San Angelo area.
She filed for divorce in January, and she and Richard Benovic were engaged in a prolonged legal dispute over custody of their children, she said.
The arranged child custody exchange had already occurred Friday evening before the confrontation took place, she said.
"All he had to do was get in the van and drive, but he charged Gary," Ana Benovic said. "He was about to get the gun."
Richard Benovic was angry and moved toward Landers, who had his gun drawn and was warning him to stop, but he wouldn't, she said. Then Landers shot.
"He came at us; we had no choice," she said.
Ana Benovic said the shooting has been very difficult for her family, especially her 9-year-old daughter, who witnessed the shooting.
"He wasn't a saint by any means, but he didn't deserve to die," Ana Benovic said.
Landers worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, she said, and recently had been conducting seminars and providing for her children. Her son is severely disabled and has significant needs, she said.
Landers had no previous criminal record in Denton County, but Carter said police are still conducting an investigation.
Richard "Rick" Benovic cared deeply for his children and was a kind and compassionate man, said his family members.
"His whole world revolved around his family – that's all there was in the world," said his niece Angie Benovic.
She said her uncle had become a surrogate father to her after her father suffered a fatal heart attack eight years ago on May 7 – the same date Richard Benovic was killed.
Family members said they didn't understand the shooting and felt the use of deadly force wasn't warranted against an unarmed man.
"If he felt threatened, why not shoot him in the leg? Why kill him? I just don't understand," Angie Benovic said.
By CANDACE CARLISLE / Denton Record-Chronicle
ccarlisle@dentonrc.com
The man killed in a Denton city parking lot Friday after a child custody exchange went awry has been identified as Richard Benovic of Justin.
Benovic, 49, had arranged to meet his estranged wife to pick up his children, ages 9 and 13, at a City Hall East parking lot at Railroad Avenue and East McKinney Street, said Denton police Capt. Lenn Carter.
The woman brought along her boyfriend, identified as Gary Landers, 54, to the drop-off location. Police have charged Landers with murder. He was being held at the Denton County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Benovic became upset and reportedly threatened Landers, who pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots into Benovic's torso, Carter said.
Benovic, who police say was unarmed, died soon after the shooting at 5:48 p.m.
Landers, a retired federal law enforcement officer, said he shot the man in self-defense, Carter said.
Benovic's estranged wife, Ana Benovic, and her children were living with Landers in the San Angelo area, about 275 miles southwest of Denton.
The drop-off location was chosen because it was near law enforcement and there had been a history of trouble in the broken relationship, Carter said.
Richard Benovic was an angry man and a verbally and physically abusive husband, his estranged wife said.
"He was a bully," Ana Benovic said.
She said she recently took the couple's two children and moved in with her boyfriend in the San Angelo area.
She filed for divorce in January, and she and Richard Benovic were engaged in a prolonged legal dispute over custody of their children, she said.
The arranged child custody exchange had already occurred Friday evening before the confrontation took place, she said.
"All he had to do was get in the van and drive, but he charged Gary," Ana Benovic said. "He was about to get the gun."
Richard Benovic was angry and moved toward Landers, who had his gun drawn and was warning him to stop, but he wouldn't, she said. Then Landers shot.
"He came at us; we had no choice," she said.
Ana Benovic said the shooting has been very difficult for her family, especially her 9-year-old daughter, who witnessed the shooting.
"He wasn't a saint by any means, but he didn't deserve to die," Ana Benovic said.
Landers worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, she said, and recently had been conducting seminars and providing for her children. Her son is severely disabled and has significant needs, she said.
Landers had no previous criminal record in Denton County, but Carter said police are still conducting an investigation.
Richard "Rick" Benovic cared deeply for his children and was a kind and compassionate man, said his family members.
"His whole world revolved around his family – that's all there was in the world," said his niece Angie Benovic.
She said her uncle had become a surrogate father to her after her father suffered a fatal heart attack eight years ago on May 7 – the same date Richard Benovic was killed.
Family members said they didn't understand the shooting and felt the use of deadly force wasn't warranted against an unarmed man.
"If he felt threatened, why not shoot him in the leg? Why kill him? I just don't understand," Angie Benovic said.
Chicago, IL: Man shot estranged girlfriend, himself in Loop store, police say
May 07, 2010|By Antonio Olivo and Annie Sweeney, Tribune reporters
Sending panicked shoppers scurrying for safety, a man followed his estranged girlfriend into an Old Navy store where she worked in Chicago's Loop on Friday and killed her in a basement area for employees, shooting her several times before turning the gun on himself, police said.
The apparent murder-suicide temporarily shut down traffic near State and Madison streets as rifle-toting police officers swept in to investigate. Outside, worried onlookers huddled and consoled one another as they shared details of the incident that shattered the late-morning downtown hum.
"People were just running out," said Star Walls, 31, who was shopping for children's clothes on the store's third floor.
Sending panicked shoppers scurrying for safety, a man followed his estranged girlfriend into an Old Navy store where she worked in Chicago's Loop on Friday and killed her in a basement area for employees, shooting her several times before turning the gun on himself, police said.
The apparent murder-suicide temporarily shut down traffic near State and Madison streets as rifle-toting police officers swept in to investigate. Outside, worried onlookers huddled and consoled one another as they shared details of the incident that shattered the late-morning downtown hum.
"People were just running out," said Star Walls, 31, who was shopping for children's clothes on the store's third floor.
Baltimore, MD: Boyfriend charged in strangling of pregnant woman
Illinois native, 29, was five months pregnant, worked at city jail in food services
By Justin Fenton, The Baltimore Sun
7:17 PM EDT, May 8, 2010
Betsy Sue Riggin, an affable 29-year-old, told her family she met her boyfriend Andrew Jackson at a salad bar in Baltimore three years ago. He was a "wonderful man," and they were expecting their first child in September.
But on Thursday, Riggin was found dead behind the locked door of her Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello home, strangled. Jackson was charged Saturday in her death, and the woman's family is now learning about the long criminal history of a man authorities believe Riggin actually met at her job as a food services manager at the city jail.
"She loved him, and they were never apart," said her father, Wildon Riggin, of the Eastern Shore town of Eden. "They really looked happy together."
Riggin grew up in Scales Mound, Ill., a town of 400 people near the Wisconsin line, and came to Maryland to study business at Salisbury University. She worked at a restaurant on the Eastern Shore and volunteered her time with troubled children at an after-school program before making her way to Baltimore and landing a job at the Baltimore City Detention Center. That environment worried her mother, Cathy Staver.
"She always said, 'Mom, I'm safer in this jail than I am in my own house.' She was right," Staver said.
Staver said Riggin and Jackson were discussing marriage. She never mentioned Jackson's criminal past, which according to court records includes several theft and drug convictions, as well as domestic violence allegations and paternity cases.
Though Riggin said the couple met at a restaurant, the relationship started in early 2008, around the same time Jackson would have entered the jail on auto theft charges. He pleaded guilty and received a sentence of eight years in prison, but all but about a month of that sentence was suspended. Jackson, of the 4100 block of Eierman Ave., was scheduled for a May 25 hearing on a probation violation charge.
Riggin's father said Jackson was always well-mannered and respectful, and said his other daughters say their sister never alluded to any troubles in the relationship. But Wildon Riggin's guard was raised three weeks ago, when Jackson was driving late at night and got into an auto accident. Jackson said he had stopped to give three men a ride, and they tried to take the vehicle. He wondered how Jackson could have gotten into such a situation.
He didn't get time to pursue his suspicions further.
Police said they were called Thursday evening to Riggin's home in the 3200 block of The Alameda and found Riggin unresponsive in her bedroom. A spokesman said there were no clear signs of trauma other than some scratches, but the autopsy determined that she had been strangled.
Police quickly zeroed in on Jackson, and Wildon Riggin said detectives told him Jackson gave a confession consistent with the evidence collected from the scene. Jackson was driving Riggin's new vehicle at the time he was picked up, Wildon Riggin said.
The case could prompt prosecutors to consider the state's "viable fetus" law, which allows for prosecution of a "person who intended to cause the death of a viable fetus." A fetus is considered "viable" if doctors believe there is a "reasonable likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside of the womb," according to the statute, though the issue of when that would occur has been hotly debated. Riggin was five months pregnant.
The bill become law in 2005 and was not used until 2008, when a Baltimore County man was charged and later convicted of killing his mistress and their child. She was seven months pregnant.
Thirty-eight states have fetal homicide laws, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.
Riggin was remembered for her smile, blue eyes and outgoing personality. Before working at the jail, she was involved with a mentoring project in the Salisbury school system, her mother said. According to court records, Riggin never had any run-ins with the law.
"She very seldom met anyone she didn't like," Staver said.
Upon learning that her daughter was pregnant, Staver sent baby clothes and purchased books such as "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Those books sit on a computer stand in her home, where they will likely stay as the family works out funeral services in Maryland and Illinois.
"If nothing else comes out of this, people need to be aware [of who they trust]," Staver said. "I talked to my daughter [earlier in the week], and now I have nothing."
justin.fenton@baltsun.com
http://twitter.com/justin_fenton
By Justin Fenton, The Baltimore Sun
7:17 PM EDT, May 8, 2010
Betsy Sue Riggin, an affable 29-year-old, told her family she met her boyfriend Andrew Jackson at a salad bar in Baltimore three years ago. He was a "wonderful man," and they were expecting their first child in September.
But on Thursday, Riggin was found dead behind the locked door of her Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello home, strangled. Jackson was charged Saturday in her death, and the woman's family is now learning about the long criminal history of a man authorities believe Riggin actually met at her job as a food services manager at the city jail.
"She loved him, and they were never apart," said her father, Wildon Riggin, of the Eastern Shore town of Eden. "They really looked happy together."
Riggin grew up in Scales Mound, Ill., a town of 400 people near the Wisconsin line, and came to Maryland to study business at Salisbury University. She worked at a restaurant on the Eastern Shore and volunteered her time with troubled children at an after-school program before making her way to Baltimore and landing a job at the Baltimore City Detention Center. That environment worried her mother, Cathy Staver.
"She always said, 'Mom, I'm safer in this jail than I am in my own house.' She was right," Staver said.
Staver said Riggin and Jackson were discussing marriage. She never mentioned Jackson's criminal past, which according to court records includes several theft and drug convictions, as well as domestic violence allegations and paternity cases.
Though Riggin said the couple met at a restaurant, the relationship started in early 2008, around the same time Jackson would have entered the jail on auto theft charges. He pleaded guilty and received a sentence of eight years in prison, but all but about a month of that sentence was suspended. Jackson, of the 4100 block of Eierman Ave., was scheduled for a May 25 hearing on a probation violation charge.
Riggin's father said Jackson was always well-mannered and respectful, and said his other daughters say their sister never alluded to any troubles in the relationship. But Wildon Riggin's guard was raised three weeks ago, when Jackson was driving late at night and got into an auto accident. Jackson said he had stopped to give three men a ride, and they tried to take the vehicle. He wondered how Jackson could have gotten into such a situation.
He didn't get time to pursue his suspicions further.
Police said they were called Thursday evening to Riggin's home in the 3200 block of The Alameda and found Riggin unresponsive in her bedroom. A spokesman said there were no clear signs of trauma other than some scratches, but the autopsy determined that she had been strangled.
Police quickly zeroed in on Jackson, and Wildon Riggin said detectives told him Jackson gave a confession consistent with the evidence collected from the scene. Jackson was driving Riggin's new vehicle at the time he was picked up, Wildon Riggin said.
The case could prompt prosecutors to consider the state's "viable fetus" law, which allows for prosecution of a "person who intended to cause the death of a viable fetus." A fetus is considered "viable" if doctors believe there is a "reasonable likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside of the womb," according to the statute, though the issue of when that would occur has been hotly debated. Riggin was five months pregnant.
The bill become law in 2005 and was not used until 2008, when a Baltimore County man was charged and later convicted of killing his mistress and their child. She was seven months pregnant.
Thirty-eight states have fetal homicide laws, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.
Riggin was remembered for her smile, blue eyes and outgoing personality. Before working at the jail, she was involved with a mentoring project in the Salisbury school system, her mother said. According to court records, Riggin never had any run-ins with the law.
"She very seldom met anyone she didn't like," Staver said.
Upon learning that her daughter was pregnant, Staver sent baby clothes and purchased books such as "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Those books sit on a computer stand in her home, where they will likely stay as the family works out funeral services in Maryland and Illinois.
"If nothing else comes out of this, people need to be aware [of who they trust]," Staver said. "I talked to my daughter [earlier in the week], and now I have nothing."
justin.fenton@baltsun.com
http://twitter.com/justin_fenton
Friday, May 7, 2010
Oklahoma City, OK: Man Arrested on Murder Complaint in Girlfriend's Death
UPDATE -- May 6, 2010, 10:35 a.m.
Oklahoma City Police have identified the victim as 34-year-old Michelle Short, also known as Michelle Hamilton.
ORIGINAL STORY
Oklahoma City Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of his girlfriend, who was reportedly lying naked on the sidewalk near a metro motel.
Officers received a call Monday about 8:00 a.m. and were sent to a motel in the 800 block of S Meridian Ave. By the time the officers arrived, the victim had managed to go inside a room. She was able to open the door for the officers but then lost consciousness. The victim was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The State Medical Examiner's Office reported that the victim died as a result of internal injuries and her death has been ruled a homicide.
Early Wednesday morning police arrested the boyfriend of the victim, Dennis Oclaray, 39, who was found at another room at the same motel. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Investigators say they began looking for Oclaray after learning that he and the victim had been arguing.
Oklahoma City Police have identified the victim as 34-year-old Michelle Short, also known as Michelle Hamilton.
ORIGINAL STORY
Oklahoma City Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of his girlfriend, who was reportedly lying naked on the sidewalk near a metro motel.
Officers received a call Monday about 8:00 a.m. and were sent to a motel in the 800 block of S Meridian Ave. By the time the officers arrived, the victim had managed to go inside a room. She was able to open the door for the officers but then lost consciousness. The victim was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The State Medical Examiner's Office reported that the victim died as a result of internal injuries and her death has been ruled a homicide.
Early Wednesday morning police arrested the boyfriend of the victim, Dennis Oclaray, 39, who was found at another room at the same motel. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Investigators say they began looking for Oclaray after learning that he and the victim had been arguing.
Benson, MN: Lemcke to serve 52 months for wife's death
Andrew Gordon Lemcke, 35, received the maximum sentence of 52 months in prison on Monday for second degree manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife Nichole Riley-Lemcke in their Appleton home on Sept. 12, 2004.
By: Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune
BENSON — Andrew Gordon Lemcke, 35, will serve the maximum sentence for second degree manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife.
District Judge Jon Stafsholt sentenced Lemcke to 52 months in prison during a court appearance Monday morning in Benson. It’s the maximum possible under state sentencing guidelines in place when Nichole Riley-Lemcke, 26, was fatally shot in their Appleton home on Sept. 12, 2004.
The judge also ordered Lemcke to pay a $10,000 fine and fees, and to make restitution for his wife’s funeral expenses of $8,547. The judge allowed credit for the time he has served in jail since a Pope County jury returned the guilty verdict on March 11.
The judge told Lemcke that he could be released from prison for good behavior after serving two-thirds of the sentence, but that he would remain on supervised probation for the remaining 17 1/3 months and could be returned to prison for any violations.
Prior to issuing the sentence, the judge told Lemcke that he had not accepted responsibility for his crime, had showed no remorse, and had not issued an apology to his wife’s family or offered to pay for the funeral expenses.
By: Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune
BENSON — Andrew Gordon Lemcke, 35, will serve the maximum sentence for second degree manslaughter in the shooting death of his wife.
District Judge Jon Stafsholt sentenced Lemcke to 52 months in prison during a court appearance Monday morning in Benson. It’s the maximum possible under state sentencing guidelines in place when Nichole Riley-Lemcke, 26, was fatally shot in their Appleton home on Sept. 12, 2004.
The judge also ordered Lemcke to pay a $10,000 fine and fees, and to make restitution for his wife’s funeral expenses of $8,547. The judge allowed credit for the time he has served in jail since a Pope County jury returned the guilty verdict on March 11.
The judge told Lemcke that he could be released from prison for good behavior after serving two-thirds of the sentence, but that he would remain on supervised probation for the remaining 17 1/3 months and could be returned to prison for any violations.
Prior to issuing the sentence, the judge told Lemcke that he had not accepted responsibility for his crime, had showed no remorse, and had not issued an apology to his wife’s family or offered to pay for the funeral expenses.
Oviedo, FL: Wife shoots, kills ex before stabbing self
Updated: Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 7:45 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 7:45 PM EDT
OVIEDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - For neighbors, it was a shocking twist to a domestic dispute in Oviedo. Police said 41-year-old Anita Smithey shot her ex-husband several times, killing him. Then, police said she stabbed herself in the stomach with a pocket knife to make it look like she killed her ex in self defense.
Investigators have charged Smithey with the second degree murder of 41-year-old Robert Cline. Neighbors along Corbin Court in Oveido didn't know what was going on early this morning.
"Our dogs started barking probably around 2 a.m. and I woke up to a loud noise kind of sounded like a car door," said Tatiana Santos, who now thinks the loud noise may have been a gun shot. "We heard a woman screaming," she said. That was around 2:40 this morning.
She was about to call 911 when rescue crews pulled up to the house. Santos watched as Smithey opened the door.
"She was screaming and crying."
When police arrived, Smithey had a cut to the abdomen, and Cline was dead inside the home.
Smithey had just recently moved to Corbin Court when she and Cline separated. We stopped by Cline's house where the two had lived together with Cline's two children and Smithey's two children on Hanging Moss Drive.
Neighbors there were shocked to hear what happened. "Are you kidding. Oh my God. My hubby just saw him yesterday," said Nadine Jackson.
Jackson described the two as a nice couple. She knew they had recently split because and that they hadn't been getting along.
"One time they had a fight, but nothing crazy," Jackson said. "I just saw her leave and police showed up," said Jackson.
Neither Smithey, nor Cline has a criminal past. Police did confirm the past incident reported by a neighbor, which happened at the end of 2009.
Police said they have found probably cause that Cline was to blame in a domestic dispute. The state attorney's office was looking at that case, but had not decided whether to file charges.
Smithey was transported to South Seminole Hospital to receive treatment for her injuries before being transported to the Seminole County Jail.
Published : Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 7:45 PM EDT
OVIEDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - For neighbors, it was a shocking twist to a domestic dispute in Oviedo. Police said 41-year-old Anita Smithey shot her ex-husband several times, killing him. Then, police said she stabbed herself in the stomach with a pocket knife to make it look like she killed her ex in self defense.
Investigators have charged Smithey with the second degree murder of 41-year-old Robert Cline. Neighbors along Corbin Court in Oveido didn't know what was going on early this morning.
"Our dogs started barking probably around 2 a.m. and I woke up to a loud noise kind of sounded like a car door," said Tatiana Santos, who now thinks the loud noise may have been a gun shot. "We heard a woman screaming," she said. That was around 2:40 this morning.
She was about to call 911 when rescue crews pulled up to the house. Santos watched as Smithey opened the door.
"She was screaming and crying."
When police arrived, Smithey had a cut to the abdomen, and Cline was dead inside the home.
Smithey had just recently moved to Corbin Court when she and Cline separated. We stopped by Cline's house where the two had lived together with Cline's two children and Smithey's two children on Hanging Moss Drive.
Neighbors there were shocked to hear what happened. "Are you kidding. Oh my God. My hubby just saw him yesterday," said Nadine Jackson.
Jackson described the two as a nice couple. She knew they had recently split because and that they hadn't been getting along.
"One time they had a fight, but nothing crazy," Jackson said. "I just saw her leave and police showed up," said Jackson.
Neither Smithey, nor Cline has a criminal past. Police did confirm the past incident reported by a neighbor, which happened at the end of 2009.
Police said they have found probably cause that Cline was to blame in a domestic dispute. The state attorney's office was looking at that case, but had not decided whether to file charges.
Smithey was transported to South Seminole Hospital to receive treatment for her injuries before being transported to the Seminole County Jail.
Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Police Shoot, Kill Suspect
Investigators Say Suspect Was Threatening Woman With Knife
Marianne Lyles, WISN 12 News Reporter
POSTED: 8:22 pm CDT April 28, 2010
UPDATED: 8:05 am CDT April 29, 2010
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said officers were called to a battery in progress.
Flynn said, "A suspect with a protective order against him was threatening the woman who had gotten the protective order with a knife."
Firefighters were also on scene to help as two officers approached the suspect, 47, who was holding the weapon.
"Two of our officers confronted the suspect who had a knife and was threatening the woman who had the restraining order, said Flynn, "He did not obey their orders to drop the knife. The officers were forced to use deadly force."
Slideshow: Milwaukee Police Shoot And Kill Suspect
Police said the suspect killed had a record of battery and theft. The department could not say which officer fired the shots, but gave details about their backgrounds. Flynn said the 31-year-old officer involved is a seven year veteran while the 28-year-old officer has been on the job for one year. Neither officer was injured. Neighbors meanwhile, are frustrated with the violence.
Luis Gonzales who lives nearby said, "You know summer is coming and it's getting worst. The neighbors and I are tired of this. We're done."
Police shot and killed a suspect in the same area on March 20.
Marianne Lyles, WISN 12 News Reporter
POSTED: 8:22 pm CDT April 28, 2010
UPDATED: 8:05 am CDT April 29, 2010
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said officers were called to a battery in progress.
Flynn said, "A suspect with a protective order against him was threatening the woman who had gotten the protective order with a knife."
Firefighters were also on scene to help as two officers approached the suspect, 47, who was holding the weapon.
"Two of our officers confronted the suspect who had a knife and was threatening the woman who had the restraining order, said Flynn, "He did not obey their orders to drop the knife. The officers were forced to use deadly force."
Slideshow: Milwaukee Police Shoot And Kill Suspect
Police said the suspect killed had a record of battery and theft. The department could not say which officer fired the shots, but gave details about their backgrounds. Flynn said the 31-year-old officer involved is a seven year veteran while the 28-year-old officer has been on the job for one year. Neither officer was injured. Neighbors meanwhile, are frustrated with the violence.
Luis Gonzales who lives nearby said, "You know summer is coming and it's getting worst. The neighbors and I are tired of this. We're done."
Police shot and killed a suspect in the same area on March 20.
Tucson, AZ: Murder-suicide inside Tucson home
Associated Press - May 5, 2010 6:34 PM ET
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Investigators say the case of a man and his girlfriend found dead inside a Tucson home has been ruled a murder-suicide.
Pima County Sheriff's deputies responded Monday afternoon to reports of a domestic problem in the 7300 block of North Camino de la Tierra and found the two bodies. Authorities identified them as 41-year-old Ceciela Lopez and 37-year-old David Rosas Munguia.
Investigators said Wednesday that evidence shows Lopez was stabbed multiple times and was a homicide victim while Munguia died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They say the couple had an argument before Munguia called a family member to come over to the home and that person discovered the bodies.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Investigators say the case of a man and his girlfriend found dead inside a Tucson home has been ruled a murder-suicide.
Pima County Sheriff's deputies responded Monday afternoon to reports of a domestic problem in the 7300 block of North Camino de la Tierra and found the two bodies. Authorities identified them as 41-year-old Ceciela Lopez and 37-year-old David Rosas Munguia.
Investigators said Wednesday that evidence shows Lopez was stabbed multiple times and was a homicide victim while Munguia died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They say the couple had an argument before Munguia called a family member to come over to the home and that person discovered the bodies.
Fort Worth, TX: Couple dies in murder-suicide along Fort Worth highway
11:15 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A 41-year-old man pulled over for speeding in Fort Worth shot himself in the head Tuesday morning, apparently just moments after he fatally shot his estranged wife, whose SUV crashed on an East Loop 820 service road, officials said.
The woman, identified as JaPriese Platt, 32, was found dead inside her Chevrolet Avalanche about 10:30 a.m. after the vehicle veered off the roadway and into a utility pole near the John T. White Road and Bridge Street exit, police said.
She had been shot in the head, police said.
Minutes later and less than a mile south, an officer on routine patrol pulled over a Ford Explorer for speeding on the same service road.
The driver, later determined to be Platt’s estranged husband, John Paul Hurd, pulled into a shopping center parking lot in the 800 block of East Loop 820, according to Sgt. Pedro Criado, a police spokesman.
Hurd shot himself before the officer had stepped out of his patrol car, Criado said.
"The officer had no idea that the woman that collided with the pole a few minutes prior was related to this SUV driving at a high rate of speed," Criado said.
"The sole reason for him conducting a traffic stop" was speeding, he said.
Hurd was pronounced dead at the scene.
Criado said the shootings appeared to have been a murder-suicide. Autopsies are scheduled for today, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Officers were checking witness reports that the couple might have argued earlier at a nearby Waffle House. Criado said police have not found any witnesses to Platt’s shooting.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A 41-year-old man pulled over for speeding in Fort Worth shot himself in the head Tuesday morning, apparently just moments after he fatally shot his estranged wife, whose SUV crashed on an East Loop 820 service road, officials said.
The woman, identified as JaPriese Platt, 32, was found dead inside her Chevrolet Avalanche about 10:30 a.m. after the vehicle veered off the roadway and into a utility pole near the John T. White Road and Bridge Street exit, police said.
She had been shot in the head, police said.
Minutes later and less than a mile south, an officer on routine patrol pulled over a Ford Explorer for speeding on the same service road.
The driver, later determined to be Platt’s estranged husband, John Paul Hurd, pulled into a shopping center parking lot in the 800 block of East Loop 820, according to Sgt. Pedro Criado, a police spokesman.
Hurd shot himself before the officer had stepped out of his patrol car, Criado said.
"The officer had no idea that the woman that collided with the pole a few minutes prior was related to this SUV driving at a high rate of speed," Criado said.
"The sole reason for him conducting a traffic stop" was speeding, he said.
Hurd was pronounced dead at the scene.
Criado said the shootings appeared to have been a murder-suicide. Autopsies are scheduled for today, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
Officers were checking witness reports that the couple might have argued earlier at a nearby Waffle House. Criado said police have not found any witnesses to Platt’s shooting.
Chesterfield Township, MI: Man jailed in stabbing death of girlfriend's ex-boyfriend
CHRISTINE FERRETTI
The Detroit News
Chesterfield Township -- Police say charges are expected tomorrow for a 32-year-old man jailed in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend's former boyfriend Wednesday.
Chesterfield Police say Lemontrael Jason Coleman, who lives in a trailer park community near 24 Mile and Gratiot, stabbed his live-in girlfriend's former boyfriend in the back several times during an altercation around 4:30 p.m. while the woman was away at work.
The 29-year-old victim, who police are declining to name until his identity is confirmed via fingerprints, was from Sterling Heights. He shared a 10-year-old child with the woman and stopped at the trailer home to "voice his displeasure with the way Coleman treats the family," said Chesterfield Township Police Sgt. Deron Myers.
Police say the woman started a relationship with Coleman while her former boyfriend was serving time in prison for a burglary offense. The woman and Coleman have three children, ages 5, 4, and eight months.
The couple's three kids and the victim's 10-year-old child were present when the stabbing occurred, Myers said.
He said the woman's mother showed up at the trailer and called 911 after the incident.
Myers said an autopsy was conducted today and found the victim died of stab wounds to the back. Coleman does not have any apparent injuries, he said.
Myers said Coleman initially fled the scene but later turned himself in after seeing his photograph and name broadcast on television as a "person of interest" in the murder. Myers said Coleman arrived at the police station around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, accompanied by a family member.
He is in the Macomb County Jail.
The children were unharmed and have been turned over to a relative.
Police say Coleman also was wanted on an unrelated felony assault warrant out of Port Huron.
The investigation is ongoing. Findings are expected to be turned over to the Macomb County Prosecutor's office tomorrow morning, Myers said.
cferretti@detnews.com">cferretti@detnews.com (586) 468-0343
The Detroit News
Chesterfield Township -- Police say charges are expected tomorrow for a 32-year-old man jailed in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend's former boyfriend Wednesday.
Chesterfield Police say Lemontrael Jason Coleman, who lives in a trailer park community near 24 Mile and Gratiot, stabbed his live-in girlfriend's former boyfriend in the back several times during an altercation around 4:30 p.m. while the woman was away at work.
The 29-year-old victim, who police are declining to name until his identity is confirmed via fingerprints, was from Sterling Heights. He shared a 10-year-old child with the woman and stopped at the trailer home to "voice his displeasure with the way Coleman treats the family," said Chesterfield Township Police Sgt. Deron Myers.
Police say the woman started a relationship with Coleman while her former boyfriend was serving time in prison for a burglary offense. The woman and Coleman have three children, ages 5, 4, and eight months.
The couple's three kids and the victim's 10-year-old child were present when the stabbing occurred, Myers said.
He said the woman's mother showed up at the trailer and called 911 after the incident.
Myers said an autopsy was conducted today and found the victim died of stab wounds to the back. Coleman does not have any apparent injuries, he said.
Myers said Coleman initially fled the scene but later turned himself in after seeing his photograph and name broadcast on television as a "person of interest" in the murder. Myers said Coleman arrived at the police station around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, accompanied by a family member.
He is in the Macomb County Jail.
The children were unharmed and have been turned over to a relative.
Police say Coleman also was wanted on an unrelated felony assault warrant out of Port Huron.
The investigation is ongoing. Findings are expected to be turned over to the Macomb County Prosecutor's office tomorrow morning, Myers said.
cferretti@detnews.com">cferretti@detnews.com (586) 468-0343
Ripley, WV: Couple Found Dead in Jackson County, W.Va., Names Released
The Ripley Police Department has released the names of the couple who were found dead in their home along Sycamore Street.
Posted: 6:45 PM May 5, 2010
Reporter: Jeremy Edwards, Anna Baxter
Email Address: jeremy.edwards@wsaz.com
UPDATE: Thursday, May 6 @ 2:20pm
RIPLEY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Ripley Police Department has released the names of the couple who were found dead in their home along Sycamore Street.
Police say George Michael, 62, and Rebecca Ann Michael, 55, were found dead Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators say it is still an ongoing investigation and no other details are being released at this time.
On Wednesday, police told WSAZ.com they believed this is a murder-suicide.
RIPLEY, W.Va (WSAZ) -- A couple has been found dead Wednesday in Jackson County.
The Ripley Police Department tells WSAZ.com that the couple was found Wednesday afternoon in their home along Sycamore Street in Ripley.
The cause of death isn't being released, but investigators tell us they believe this is a murder-suicide.
The couple's names haven't been released.
We have a crew on the scene. Keep clicking here at WSAZ.com for more updates.
Posted: 6:45 PM May 5, 2010
Reporter: Jeremy Edwards, Anna Baxter
Email Address: jeremy.edwards@wsaz.com
UPDATE: Thursday, May 6 @ 2:20pm
RIPLEY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Ripley Police Department has released the names of the couple who were found dead in their home along Sycamore Street.
Police say George Michael, 62, and Rebecca Ann Michael, 55, were found dead Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators say it is still an ongoing investigation and no other details are being released at this time.
On Wednesday, police told WSAZ.com they believed this is a murder-suicide.
RIPLEY, W.Va (WSAZ) -- A couple has been found dead Wednesday in Jackson County.
The Ripley Police Department tells WSAZ.com that the couple was found Wednesday afternoon in their home along Sycamore Street in Ripley.
The cause of death isn't being released, but investigators tell us they believe this is a murder-suicide.
The couple's names haven't been released.
We have a crew on the scene. Keep clicking here at WSAZ.com for more updates.
Midvale, UT: Police: Man admits to strangling wife in Midvale
Crime » Officer says an electric cord was used in death of 26-year-old mother of two.
By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 05/06/2010 11:02:16 PM MDT
A man admitted to strangling his wife to death Thursday morning in Midvale, police said.
When officers arrived at the apartment, near 7900 South and Main Street, Carlos Augusto Soto-Lopez walked outside and held out his wrists to be handcuffed, said Midvale police Sgt. Marcelo Rapela.
"I'm tired. I killed her," Soto-Lopez said.
Sandra Paulina Hernandez, 26, was found on the living room couch, covered with pillows and a blanket, Rapela said. Hernandez had been strangled with an electric cord -- possibly a cell phone charger cord, Rapela said.
Soto-Lopez told police he covered her body so their two daughters, 4 and 8, would not see it, Rapela said. Soto-Lopez claims the girls were asleep in the apartment at the time of the killing, Rapela said. Soto-Lopez had the girls taken out of the apartment before he called police.
Soto-Lopez, 28, first called police at 8:30 a.m. to report his wife had not come home the night before. A few minutes before the officer arrived, the woman returned home, Rapela said.
At 10 a.m., police received a second call in which a man said only, "I need cops here," and hung up. A GPS locator tracked the phone to Soto-Lopez's apartment. Soto-Lopez surrendered to officers as soon as they arrived, Rapela said.
Officers do not know where Hernandez was during the night, Rapela said. The couple's marriage was common-law, he said.
This was not the first complaint of domestic violence police have received from the couple's home, Rapela said. In March 2008, Hernandez walked from the apartment to the police station, which is next door. She said her husband damaged the door jamb to the bedroom and tried to strangle her with an electrical cord but she escaped, Rapela said.
Soto-Lopez was then charged with simple assault, domestic violence in front of a child, damaging a communication device and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty to the first two charges; the other two were dismissed.
"They seemed like a normal couple," said their 14-year-old neighbor, Daisy Peña. Peña said the two daughters sometimes visited her apartment to play, and Hernandez often came over to watch TV.
Peña described Soto-Lopez as "kind of an angry guy" who would bark at his daughters when he wanted them to come home.
Neighbor children who gathered outside the apartment said Hernandez was generous to them.
"She gave us food and candy," said Juliana Estrada, 9.
Denise Lopez, 11, said she sometimes went to yard sales with Hernandez, who would give her money to buy things.
"She used to be nice to me," said 8-year-old Diana Lopez.
By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 05/06/2010 11:02:16 PM MDT
A man admitted to strangling his wife to death Thursday morning in Midvale, police said.
When officers arrived at the apartment, near 7900 South and Main Street, Carlos Augusto Soto-Lopez walked outside and held out his wrists to be handcuffed, said Midvale police Sgt. Marcelo Rapela.
"I'm tired. I killed her," Soto-Lopez said.
Sandra Paulina Hernandez, 26, was found on the living room couch, covered with pillows and a blanket, Rapela said. Hernandez had been strangled with an electric cord -- possibly a cell phone charger cord, Rapela said.
Soto-Lopez told police he covered her body so their two daughters, 4 and 8, would not see it, Rapela said. Soto-Lopez claims the girls were asleep in the apartment at the time of the killing, Rapela said. Soto-Lopez had the girls taken out of the apartment before he called police.
Soto-Lopez, 28, first called police at 8:30 a.m. to report his wife had not come home the night before. A few minutes before the officer arrived, the woman returned home, Rapela said.
At 10 a.m., police received a second call in which a man said only, "I need cops here," and hung up. A GPS locator tracked the phone to Soto-Lopez's apartment. Soto-Lopez surrendered to officers as soon as they arrived, Rapela said.
Officers do not know where Hernandez was during the night, Rapela said. The couple's marriage was common-law, he said.
This was not the first complaint of domestic violence police have received from the couple's home, Rapela said. In March 2008, Hernandez walked from the apartment to the police station, which is next door. She said her husband damaged the door jamb to the bedroom and tried to strangle her with an electrical cord but she escaped, Rapela said.
Soto-Lopez was then charged with simple assault, domestic violence in front of a child, damaging a communication device and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty to the first two charges; the other two were dismissed.
"They seemed like a normal couple," said their 14-year-old neighbor, Daisy Peña. Peña said the two daughters sometimes visited her apartment to play, and Hernandez often came over to watch TV.
Peña described Soto-Lopez as "kind of an angry guy" who would bark at his daughters when he wanted them to come home.
Neighbor children who gathered outside the apartment said Hernandez was generous to them.
"She gave us food and candy," said Juliana Estrada, 9.
Denise Lopez, 11, said she sometimes went to yard sales with Hernandez, who would give her money to buy things.
"She used to be nice to me," said 8-year-old Diana Lopez.
Lake Mary, FL: Man kills himself after ex-wife, new husband
A central Florida man fatally shot his ex-wife and her new husband and then killed himself.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office reports that 59-year-old John Marshall went to his ex-wife's home Thursday morning and began shooting at the house. Authorities say 59-year-old Orval D. Burkhart ran out of the house and made it a few hundred feet before Marshall chased him down with a scooter and shot him.
At the same time, Marshall's ex-wife, 54-year-old Dale Leigh Marshall-Burkhart, was driving back to the house and saw the shooting. Marshall shot her, and her sport utility vehicle drifted into a tree. Marshall then shot himself.
Deputies aren't sure what provoked the attack.
Marshall and Marshall-Burkhart, who had five children, divorced seven years ago.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office reports that 59-year-old John Marshall went to his ex-wife's home Thursday morning and began shooting at the house. Authorities say 59-year-old Orval D. Burkhart ran out of the house and made it a few hundred feet before Marshall chased him down with a scooter and shot him.
At the same time, Marshall's ex-wife, 54-year-old Dale Leigh Marshall-Burkhart, was driving back to the house and saw the shooting. Marshall shot her, and her sport utility vehicle drifted into a tree. Marshall then shot himself.
Deputies aren't sure what provoked the attack.
Marshall and Marshall-Burkhart, who had five children, divorced seven years ago.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hawaiian Gardens, CA: Jilted boyfriend held in deadly LA-area assault
BY NOAKI SCHWARTZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010 AT 10:47 A.M.
HAWAIIAN GARDENS, Calif. — The man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend and her brother after storming into their parents' California home was only grazed by a deputy's bullet and has not been hospitalized.
The Los Angeles County sheriff's office says 27-year-old Joseph Mercado was taken to a sheriff's station Thursday and booked for investigation of murder.
Sheriff's Lt. Don Slawson says Mercado was grazed in the head by a deputy's bullet during the confrontation in Hawaiian Gardens.
Authorities claim that Mercado was upset over a breakup with his girlfriend and went to her family's home south of Los Angeles shortly before 4 a.m.
Investigators claim he went room to room, killing the woman and her brother and wounding her parents.
Slawson says the gunman had brought gasoline and planned to burn down the home.
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010 AT 10:47 A.M.
HAWAIIAN GARDENS, Calif. — The man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend and her brother after storming into their parents' California home was only grazed by a deputy's bullet and has not been hospitalized.
The Los Angeles County sheriff's office says 27-year-old Joseph Mercado was taken to a sheriff's station Thursday and booked for investigation of murder.
Sheriff's Lt. Don Slawson says Mercado was grazed in the head by a deputy's bullet during the confrontation in Hawaiian Gardens.
Authorities claim that Mercado was upset over a breakup with his girlfriend and went to her family's home south of Los Angeles shortly before 4 a.m.
Investigators claim he went room to room, killing the woman and her brother and wounding her parents.
Slawson says the gunman had brought gasoline and planned to burn down the home.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Ahoskie, NC: Ahoskie father upset daughter killed in murder-suicide will be buried next to killer
WTKR-TV3
6:30 PM EDT, May 4, 2010
Ahoskie, N.C. - The father of a domestic violence victim says his daughter's own family is victimizing her again by burying her next to the man who killed her.
The father of the victim reached out to NewsChannel 3 about his ex-wife's plans to combine the funerals for his daughter and her boyfriend who killed her.
Milton Smith wrote, "I think this is very disrespectful to the Smith family and to the community for this man that killed my daughter to even be in the same church as my daughter. I would like to get someone to stop this funeral. I need your help."
"If Treeshanda knew that he was in the same church with her she would turn over in her casket," Smith said.
"I would like to see this funeral stopped."
Milton Smith is not prepared for a joint funeral tomorrow - for his 28-year-old daughter, Treeshanda Smith, and her 34-year-old boyfriend, Anthony Moore. Ahoskie police say Moore shot and killed Smith before killing himself.
"You think the last time you will ever see your daughter you don't want to look at him and he is the one that put her there," Milton said.
Milton says it was his ex-wife's idea to have Treeshanda and Anthony's funerals together for the sake of their two children. He wants the plans changed before tomorrow.
"Maybe they can take Tony and carry him to another church," Smith said.
Milton says his daughter's boyfriend killed her in a jealous rage. In 2006 he was arrested by Ahoskie police after she took out a domestic violence warrant. He says Treeshanda was trying to move on without Anthony. Milton says he has tried to plead with his ex-wife to change her mind. He even called the funeral home for help.
NewsChannel 3 spoke with Treeshanda's mother's side of the family off camera. They say they are thinking of the 5 and 10-year-old children. They say they are having the two buried at the same time in the same place so the children won't have to go through two funerals.
Milton said his ex-wife also has plans to have Treeshanda and Anthony buried side by side.
Smith added, "You going to take the man that killed your daughter in the same church at the same time and you gone bury her with him?"
Milton says it will be painful to visit his daughter's grave knowing that her killer is buried right next to her.
6:30 PM EDT, May 4, 2010
Ahoskie, N.C. - The father of a domestic violence victim says his daughter's own family is victimizing her again by burying her next to the man who killed her.
The father of the victim reached out to NewsChannel 3 about his ex-wife's plans to combine the funerals for his daughter and her boyfriend who killed her.
Milton Smith wrote, "I think this is very disrespectful to the Smith family and to the community for this man that killed my daughter to even be in the same church as my daughter. I would like to get someone to stop this funeral. I need your help."
"If Treeshanda knew that he was in the same church with her she would turn over in her casket," Smith said.
"I would like to see this funeral stopped."
Milton Smith is not prepared for a joint funeral tomorrow - for his 28-year-old daughter, Treeshanda Smith, and her 34-year-old boyfriend, Anthony Moore. Ahoskie police say Moore shot and killed Smith before killing himself.
"You think the last time you will ever see your daughter you don't want to look at him and he is the one that put her there," Milton said.
Milton says it was his ex-wife's idea to have Treeshanda and Anthony's funerals together for the sake of their two children. He wants the plans changed before tomorrow.
"Maybe they can take Tony and carry him to another church," Smith said.
Milton says his daughter's boyfriend killed her in a jealous rage. In 2006 he was arrested by Ahoskie police after she took out a domestic violence warrant. He says Treeshanda was trying to move on without Anthony. Milton says he has tried to plead with his ex-wife to change her mind. He even called the funeral home for help.
NewsChannel 3 spoke with Treeshanda's mother's side of the family off camera. They say they are thinking of the 5 and 10-year-old children. They say they are having the two buried at the same time in the same place so the children won't have to go through two funerals.
Milton said his ex-wife also has plans to have Treeshanda and Anthony buried side by side.
Smith added, "You going to take the man that killed your daughter in the same church at the same time and you gone bury her with him?"
Milton says it will be painful to visit his daughter's grave knowing that her killer is buried right next to her.
Chicago, IL: Long, messy divorce case preceded West Town murder-suicide
May 03, 2010|By William Lee, Jeremy Gorner and Andrew L. Wang, Tribune reporters
Even among divorce cases, the court battle to end Arturo and Natividad Bahena's rocky decades-old marriage was contentious for attorney Carmen Quinones.
While the 12-year case was often bitter with both sides agreeing on little, the biggest hurdle was what to do with the couple's faded yellow apartment house at 1700 W. Erie St. in the city's West Town neighborhood.
The case often stalled until a divorce judge ordered the home be sold and the proceeds divided between the two.
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But Chicago police say the 72-year-old patriarch gunned down his adult sons Romeo, 44, and Rodolfo, 42, on Sunday afternoon before fatally shooting himself after the men served their father with a formal legal notice to leave the building.
Autopsies performed Monday ruled that both younger men died of multiple gunshots, while their father died of a gunshot wound to the head in a suicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The double murder-suicide devastated the men's mother, Natividad, who spent much of Monday in bed grieving the loss of her sons. Through her lawyer Quinones, Natividad Bahena, who has 12 children, declined an interview request.
The sons assumed ownership of the Erie property for their 68-year-old mother and were working to sell the home on her behalf, police sources said. Police wouldn't confirm the type of paperwork the sons brought to their father, but Chief of Detectives Thomas Byrne said Arturo Bahena "was no longer wanted there."
"It's a tragedy," Quinones said. Cases like the Bahenas' divorce, which she said involved years of physical and mental abuse against the wife, were especially hard to handle.
"People have to listen," Quinones said. "They have to listen more to families. Things are happening like this in families. This isn't just about a house, a few thousand dollars."
Although Quinones wouldn't discuss specific details of the case, court records show that the elder Bahena — sometimes listed in documents as Arturo Bahena Martinez — fought the sale, or even to pay for the appraisal of the home.
About noon Sunday, witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing the retiree opening fire on the victims, who both eventually collapsed outside the family home. One witness told the Tribune that the elder Bahena walked over to one of his downed son and fired three or four shots as the man shouted "no."
On Monday, police Superintendent Jody Weis had harsh words for Arturo Bahena for the "ambush style" killings of his sons. He noted that Bahena was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in 1978 and 1991.
"Their lives will never be the same due to this selfish and cowardly action of this murderer, who, after committing these crimes, turned his gun on himself rather than face justice," Weis said.
Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney contributed to this report.
wlee@tribune.com
jgorner@tribune.com
alwang@tribune.com
Even among divorce cases, the court battle to end Arturo and Natividad Bahena's rocky decades-old marriage was contentious for attorney Carmen Quinones.
While the 12-year case was often bitter with both sides agreeing on little, the biggest hurdle was what to do with the couple's faded yellow apartment house at 1700 W. Erie St. in the city's West Town neighborhood.
The case often stalled until a divorce judge ordered the home be sold and the proceeds divided between the two.
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But Chicago police say the 72-year-old patriarch gunned down his adult sons Romeo, 44, and Rodolfo, 42, on Sunday afternoon before fatally shooting himself after the men served their father with a formal legal notice to leave the building.
Autopsies performed Monday ruled that both younger men died of multiple gunshots, while their father died of a gunshot wound to the head in a suicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The double murder-suicide devastated the men's mother, Natividad, who spent much of Monday in bed grieving the loss of her sons. Through her lawyer Quinones, Natividad Bahena, who has 12 children, declined an interview request.
The sons assumed ownership of the Erie property for their 68-year-old mother and were working to sell the home on her behalf, police sources said. Police wouldn't confirm the type of paperwork the sons brought to their father, but Chief of Detectives Thomas Byrne said Arturo Bahena "was no longer wanted there."
"It's a tragedy," Quinones said. Cases like the Bahenas' divorce, which she said involved years of physical and mental abuse against the wife, were especially hard to handle.
"People have to listen," Quinones said. "They have to listen more to families. Things are happening like this in families. This isn't just about a house, a few thousand dollars."
Although Quinones wouldn't discuss specific details of the case, court records show that the elder Bahena — sometimes listed in documents as Arturo Bahena Martinez — fought the sale, or even to pay for the appraisal of the home.
About noon Sunday, witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing the retiree opening fire on the victims, who both eventually collapsed outside the family home. One witness told the Tribune that the elder Bahena walked over to one of his downed son and fired three or four shots as the man shouted "no."
On Monday, police Superintendent Jody Weis had harsh words for Arturo Bahena for the "ambush style" killings of his sons. He noted that Bahena was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon in 1978 and 1991.
"Their lives will never be the same due to this selfish and cowardly action of this murderer, who, after committing these crimes, turned his gun on himself rather than face justice," Weis said.
Tribune reporter Annie Sweeney contributed to this report.
wlee@tribune.com
jgorner@tribune.com
alwang@tribune.com
Pima, AZ: Deputies confirm 2 found dead in NW home a murder-suicide
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Brian J. Pedersen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 10:56 am
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Pima County Sheriff’s detectives have officially declared the two bodies found in a northwest side home on Monday were the result of a murder-suicide.
David Rosas Munguia, 37, stabbed 41-year-old Ceciela Lopez multiple times before shooting himself to death, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department news release.
Deputies found two bodies inside a home in the 7300 block of North Camino de la Tierra about 3:15 p.m. Monday after responding to a call of an unknown problem at the home.
Detectives learned Munguia and Lopez had gotten into an argument, at which time Munguia called a family member who lived nearby to come to the home, the release said. When the family member arrived she found the bodies, according to the release.
The couple, who were boyfriend and girlfriend, had two children together.
Brian J. Pedersen Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 10:56 am
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Pima County Sheriff’s detectives have officially declared the two bodies found in a northwest side home on Monday were the result of a murder-suicide.
David Rosas Munguia, 37, stabbed 41-year-old Ceciela Lopez multiple times before shooting himself to death, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department news release.
Deputies found two bodies inside a home in the 7300 block of North Camino de la Tierra about 3:15 p.m. Monday after responding to a call of an unknown problem at the home.
Detectives learned Munguia and Lopez had gotten into an argument, at which time Munguia called a family member who lived nearby to come to the home, the release said. When the family member arrived she found the bodies, according to the release.
The couple, who were boyfriend and girlfriend, had two children together.
Gainesvile, GA: Commerce man kills 2 children, self
Threatening text messages concerned mother of slain children, ages 4 and 7
COMMERCE – Faced with returning to jail and angry the mother of his child would not reconcile with him, 36-year-old Keith Jermaine Gresham killed the woman’s two young sons before taking his own life, authorities said Tuesday.
Gresham sent several ominous text messages to friends and family before and after shooting 4-year-old Keionte Gresham and 7-year-old Keion Gresham on Monday morning in a remote wooded area near Commerce, Jackson County Sheriff’s Maj. David Cochran said. A lengthy suicide note left behind in Gresham’s car offered his motivation.
“It outlines a lot of animosity he had toward the children’s mother,” Cochran said. “It outlines a lot of frustrations, that he did not want to return to jail and was not going to go back to jail.”
Gresham fathered 4-year-old Keionte with 29-year-old Catrina Doster of Hull. Doster’s 7-year-old son, Keion, was not Gresham’s biological son but had taken his last name and referred to Gresham as his father, Cochran said.
Gresham and Doster, who knew each other for about 10 years, never married and had not lived together since early 2008.
Commerce Police Chief John Gaissert said sometime prior to Monday, Doster agreed to let Gresham have the children for a short time, though she had a temporary protective order out against Gresham for domestic violence.
Gresham did not return the children on the agreed-upon time, and Doster went to the Commerce Police Department to file a report of interference with custody at about 2 p.m. Monday.
Commerce Police checked Gresham’s Wesley Way home but did not locate him or the children.
Authorities believe the children were killed around 10:30 a.m. Monday, when nearby residents heard gunshots in the woods, which is frequented by hunters. Gresham’s last text message was sent about noon, Cochran said.
“(The messages) indicated he was going to harm himself,” Cochran said.
A relative of Gresham’s found his red 2008 Dodge Charger about 5:30 p.m. in woods off Old Wood Bridge Road, a few hundred feet from a deer stand and an area where he had gone to hunt in the past. He was dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Responding deputies found the bodies of the children, also dead of gunshot wounds, in the woods nearby.
Cochran said Gresham was due Monday morning in Jackson County Superior Court for a probation revocation hearing.
According to a police report, the boys’ mother told officers that she “let the children go with him to spend time with him before he went to jail.”
Court records show Gresham spent a year in the Jackson County Detention Center after pleading guilty in 2006 to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was also placed on 10 years of probation.
Gresham was arrested in February on a felony probation violation warrant at his workplace, a Jefferson company that installs insulation for poultry houses. Family members later posted a $10,000 property bond.
Doster told police that Gresham was sending text messages Monday “that sounded strange,” and that she thought “he might try to harm himself or the children.”
Doster took out a protective order against Gresham in September 2009 after he allegedly would not let her leave his home or use the phone to call police.
“He threatened me and asked is this how I wanted my life to end,” Doster wrote in the petition for protective order. “He kept telling me to bring his family back home. He said he can’t live without us and we would never leave him.”
Keion Gresham attended Commerce Primary School as a kindergartner and first-grader before transferring to another school in December, principal Kim Savage said.
“He was just a really sweet little boy,” she said. “It’s so sad.”
COMMERCE – Faced with returning to jail and angry the mother of his child would not reconcile with him, 36-year-old Keith Jermaine Gresham killed the woman’s two young sons before taking his own life, authorities said Tuesday.
Gresham sent several ominous text messages to friends and family before and after shooting 4-year-old Keionte Gresham and 7-year-old Keion Gresham on Monday morning in a remote wooded area near Commerce, Jackson County Sheriff’s Maj. David Cochran said. A lengthy suicide note left behind in Gresham’s car offered his motivation.
“It outlines a lot of animosity he had toward the children’s mother,” Cochran said. “It outlines a lot of frustrations, that he did not want to return to jail and was not going to go back to jail.”
Gresham fathered 4-year-old Keionte with 29-year-old Catrina Doster of Hull. Doster’s 7-year-old son, Keion, was not Gresham’s biological son but had taken his last name and referred to Gresham as his father, Cochran said.
Gresham and Doster, who knew each other for about 10 years, never married and had not lived together since early 2008.
Commerce Police Chief John Gaissert said sometime prior to Monday, Doster agreed to let Gresham have the children for a short time, though she had a temporary protective order out against Gresham for domestic violence.
Gresham did not return the children on the agreed-upon time, and Doster went to the Commerce Police Department to file a report of interference with custody at about 2 p.m. Monday.
Commerce Police checked Gresham’s Wesley Way home but did not locate him or the children.
Authorities believe the children were killed around 10:30 a.m. Monday, when nearby residents heard gunshots in the woods, which is frequented by hunters. Gresham’s last text message was sent about noon, Cochran said.
“(The messages) indicated he was going to harm himself,” Cochran said.
A relative of Gresham’s found his red 2008 Dodge Charger about 5:30 p.m. in woods off Old Wood Bridge Road, a few hundred feet from a deer stand and an area where he had gone to hunt in the past. He was dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Responding deputies found the bodies of the children, also dead of gunshot wounds, in the woods nearby.
Cochran said Gresham was due Monday morning in Jackson County Superior Court for a probation revocation hearing.
According to a police report, the boys’ mother told officers that she “let the children go with him to spend time with him before he went to jail.”
Court records show Gresham spent a year in the Jackson County Detention Center after pleading guilty in 2006 to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was also placed on 10 years of probation.
Gresham was arrested in February on a felony probation violation warrant at his workplace, a Jefferson company that installs insulation for poultry houses. Family members later posted a $10,000 property bond.
Doster told police that Gresham was sending text messages Monday “that sounded strange,” and that she thought “he might try to harm himself or the children.”
Doster took out a protective order against Gresham in September 2009 after he allegedly would not let her leave his home or use the phone to call police.
“He threatened me and asked is this how I wanted my life to end,” Doster wrote in the petition for protective order. “He kept telling me to bring his family back home. He said he can’t live without us and we would never leave him.”
Keion Gresham attended Commerce Primary School as a kindergartner and first-grader before transferring to another school in December, principal Kim Savage said.
“He was just a really sweet little boy,” she said. “It’s so sad.”
Seattle, WA: Couple found dead in North Seattle identified
The couple found dead Monday afternoon at an Aurora Avenue North motel were Fabian O. Hudson, 39, and Celeste Pond, 31, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.
Police believe Hudson killed Pond before taking his own life. She died of multiple gunshot wounds; his cause and manner of death is pending investigation, a medical examiner's spokeswoman said
The bodies of the couple, known as City and Cece to neighbors, had stayed for days in Unit 11 of the Way West Motel at 8600 Aurora Ave. N. Residents had noticed the smell, and were shocked to hear of the deaths.
At 12:24 p.m., police received a call from the motel manager saying he'd found the two dead. Hudson was found on the couch.
Four years ago Wednesday, Hudson was charged with first-degree assault. He pleaded guilty later that year.
Following that assault in the 9400 block of Ravenna Avenue Northeast - part of Lake City - the Wisconsin native fled to Racine, Wis., and was arrested after a lead was sent by the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force. Detailed court documents from the assault case were not available late Tuesday night.
Last August, Hudson was cited for driving with a suspended license and later pleaded guilty.
Pond had a criminal history that included convictions for theft and prostitution.
Read the first day story about the death investigations here here. A video from Monday is below.
Police believe Hudson killed Pond before taking his own life. She died of multiple gunshot wounds; his cause and manner of death is pending investigation, a medical examiner's spokeswoman said
The bodies of the couple, known as City and Cece to neighbors, had stayed for days in Unit 11 of the Way West Motel at 8600 Aurora Ave. N. Residents had noticed the smell, and were shocked to hear of the deaths.
At 12:24 p.m., police received a call from the motel manager saying he'd found the two dead. Hudson was found on the couch.
Four years ago Wednesday, Hudson was charged with first-degree assault. He pleaded guilty later that year.
Following that assault in the 9400 block of Ravenna Avenue Northeast - part of Lake City - the Wisconsin native fled to Racine, Wis., and was arrested after a lead was sent by the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force. Detailed court documents from the assault case were not available late Tuesday night.
Last August, Hudson was cited for driving with a suspended license and later pleaded guilty.
Pond had a criminal history that included convictions for theft and prostitution.
Read the first day story about the death investigations here here. A video from Monday is below.
Las Vegas, NV: Ex-boyfriend pleads not guilty in Jack in the Box shooting
By Cara McCoy (contact)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | 11:05 a.m.
Man indicted for allegedly shooting children’s mother at Jack in the Box (3-28-10)
Hearing set for ex-boyfriend accused in fatal restaurant shooting (3-31-10)
Police: Fatal restaurant shooting followed dispute over children (3-29-10)
Man arrested in shooting death of fast-food worker (3-27-10)
Fast-food employee killed in parking lot shooting (3-25-10)
The ex-boyfriend of a woman shot to death in March outside the Jack in the Box where she worked pleaded not guilty in district court Wednesday morning to a charge of murder in connection with the woman’s slaying.
Kevin Gipson, 26, was indicted last week on one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the death of 22-year-old Brittney Lavoll, the mother of two of Gipson’s children. Lavoll was found shot at about 5:45 a.m. March 25 outside the Jack in the Box at 7510 W. Lake Mead Blvd., which is near Lake Mead Boulevard's intersection with Buffalo Drive.
She was taken to University Medical Center, where she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Prosecutors said they intend to present the case to the death penalty review committee in the district attorney’s office later this month. Gipson’s attorney, Christy Craig, said she intends to present prosecutors with information about her client’s mental health issues, which she called “significant,” and said they should consider those issues when determining if pursuing the death penalty is appropriate.
Police developed Gipson as a suspect and interviewed him twice, the second time with the aid of a polygraph examiner, according to a Metro Police arrest report. Gipson eventually admitted to waiting in the bushes outside the restaurant for Lavoll before shooting her in the head, the report said.
He reportedly told police Lavoll had been giving him problems about seeing his children.
Court records indicate Gipson has prior convictions for attempted theft, a gross misdemeanor for which he served 30 days in jail in 2003. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years of probation for robbery and was dishonorably discharged, records show.
A trial date was set for Sept. 20.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | 11:05 a.m.
Man indicted for allegedly shooting children’s mother at Jack in the Box (3-28-10)
Hearing set for ex-boyfriend accused in fatal restaurant shooting (3-31-10)
Police: Fatal restaurant shooting followed dispute over children (3-29-10)
Man arrested in shooting death of fast-food worker (3-27-10)
Fast-food employee killed in parking lot shooting (3-25-10)
The ex-boyfriend of a woman shot to death in March outside the Jack in the Box where she worked pleaded not guilty in district court Wednesday morning to a charge of murder in connection with the woman’s slaying.
Kevin Gipson, 26, was indicted last week on one count of murder with a deadly weapon in connection with the death of 22-year-old Brittney Lavoll, the mother of two of Gipson’s children. Lavoll was found shot at about 5:45 a.m. March 25 outside the Jack in the Box at 7510 W. Lake Mead Blvd., which is near Lake Mead Boulevard's intersection with Buffalo Drive.
She was taken to University Medical Center, where she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Prosecutors said they intend to present the case to the death penalty review committee in the district attorney’s office later this month. Gipson’s attorney, Christy Craig, said she intends to present prosecutors with information about her client’s mental health issues, which she called “significant,” and said they should consider those issues when determining if pursuing the death penalty is appropriate.
Police developed Gipson as a suspect and interviewed him twice, the second time with the aid of a polygraph examiner, according to a Metro Police arrest report. Gipson eventually admitted to waiting in the bushes outside the restaurant for Lavoll before shooting her in the head, the report said.
He reportedly told police Lavoll had been giving him problems about seeing his children.
Court records indicate Gipson has prior convictions for attempted theft, a gross misdemeanor for which he served 30 days in jail in 2003. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years of probation for robbery and was dishonorably discharged, records show.
A trial date was set for Sept. 20.
Fort Worth, TX: Fort Worth police say man kills estranged wife, then himself
by CASEY NORTON
WFAA
Posted on May 4, 2010 at 8:05 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:57 PM
FORT WORTH — The end of a marriage appears to have led to the end of two lives on Tuesday.
Police think John Hurd, who killed himself in the parking lot of a Fort Worth grocery store, was also responsible for killing his estranged wife just a few minutes earlier.
The suicide happened just before lunchtime at the Woodcreek Village shopping center on the northwest corner of Loop 820 and Bridge Street.
Japriese Platt was found shot and killed in her car less than a mile away. Witnesses watched as her sport utility vehicle crashed into a utility pole on the East Loop 820 service road.
When they ran to help, they found the woman had suffered an obvious gunshot wound.
Family members said Platt's divorce was to have been finalized this week, and the estranged couple had agreed to meet one last time.
"From then on, it didn't go his way," said Kay Platt, the woman's aunt. "And so when she left, that was the last anybody seen her alive, because he drove up beside her and shot her in the head."
The woman's family said the marriage had always been rocky, and Japriese Platt was looking beyond the divorce and a return to nursing school to support her two children.
A woman contacted at Hurd's address in Arlington said she did not want to speak on camera.
E-mail cnorton@wfaa.com
WFAA
Posted on May 4, 2010 at 8:05 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:57 PM
FORT WORTH — The end of a marriage appears to have led to the end of two lives on Tuesday.
Police think John Hurd, who killed himself in the parking lot of a Fort Worth grocery store, was also responsible for killing his estranged wife just a few minutes earlier.
The suicide happened just before lunchtime at the Woodcreek Village shopping center on the northwest corner of Loop 820 and Bridge Street.
Japriese Platt was found shot and killed in her car less than a mile away. Witnesses watched as her sport utility vehicle crashed into a utility pole on the East Loop 820 service road.
When they ran to help, they found the woman had suffered an obvious gunshot wound.
Family members said Platt's divorce was to have been finalized this week, and the estranged couple had agreed to meet one last time.
"From then on, it didn't go his way," said Kay Platt, the woman's aunt. "And so when she left, that was the last anybody seen her alive, because he drove up beside her and shot her in the head."
The woman's family said the marriage had always been rocky, and Japriese Platt was looking beyond the divorce and a return to nursing school to support her two children.
A woman contacted at Hurd's address in Arlington said she did not want to speak on camera.
E-mail cnorton@wfaa.com
Beverly Hills, CA: Beverly Hills couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide
May 4, 2010 | 7:44 pm
A man and his wife were found dead Tuesday afternoon in their Beverly Hills home in an apparent murder-suicide, police said.
The bodies were found by officers about 1:30 p.m. in the 400 block of South Swall Drive, the Beverly Hills Police Department said. The officers were responding to a "welfare check" in the neighborhood near Olympic Boulevard.
"All indications are showing that this couple were the victims of a murder-suicide," Sgt. Renato Moreno said. "There is no threat to the community."
Detectives were still at the home Tuesday evening and had not determined what sparked the violence, police said. The names of the victims have yet to be released pending notification of relatives.
Since January 2007, at least two homicides have been reported in Beverly Hills, according to The Times' Homicide Report database.
A man and his wife were found dead Tuesday afternoon in their Beverly Hills home in an apparent murder-suicide, police said.
The bodies were found by officers about 1:30 p.m. in the 400 block of South Swall Drive, the Beverly Hills Police Department said. The officers were responding to a "welfare check" in the neighborhood near Olympic Boulevard.
"All indications are showing that this couple were the victims of a murder-suicide," Sgt. Renato Moreno said. "There is no threat to the community."
Detectives were still at the home Tuesday evening and had not determined what sparked the violence, police said. The names of the victims have yet to be released pending notification of relatives.
Since January 2007, at least two homicides have been reported in Beverly Hills, according to The Times' Homicide Report database.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Charlottesville, VA: Va. lacrosse player's killing shocks classmates
By HANK KURZ JR., AP Sports Writer
2 hrs 51 mins ago
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Yeardley Love was upon the best time of her life.
The woman from Cockeysville, Md., who said she always dreamed of playing lacrosse at Virginia, was only weeks from earning a degree, and she and her teammates were anticipating a chance to punctuate their season by winning a national championship.
And then, early Monday morning, it was all gone, a fleet of police cars with lights flashing converging on the apartment where Love lived, and where she was found dead.
In a matter of hours, police took George Huguely, a senior on the Cavaliers men's lacrosse team, into custody, charging him with first-degree murder. They gave no details of how the 22-year-old died, or why, but said the two had been in a relationship at some point.
Huguely, also 22, of Chevy Chase, Md., emerged quickly as the prime suspect in the case, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said, but he did not say why.
Huguely, also a senior, was being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Love's body was to be taken to Richmond for an autopsy, Longo said.
Love's roommate called police around 2:15 a.m. concerned that Love may have had an alcohol overdose, Longo said, but police found her dead with obvious physical injuries.
He said he did not believe any weapons were used in the killing.
As the news trickled throughout campus, a steady stream of students preparing for finals later in the week wandered down the apartment-lined street that runs by the house where Love's body was found. Drivers slowed down and pointed as they approached the building.
Suggestions it may have been a domestic situation did little to ease the anguish.
"Just to hear that anybody in the U.Va. community could be suspected of that, regardless of the relationship, does give you a sense of unease," said Drew Cook, 22, of Burke, said.
Kyle Cecil, 22, of Newport News, said he lived on the same hall as Huguely as freshman, and knew him well enough to say hello. He was shocked to see police cars at the building on his way to class, and more shocked when he learned of Huguely's arrest on a murder charge.
Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president of the university, told reporters the campus was saddened, and that the pain is magnified because the accused is "one of our own."
The lacrosse teams met at least once during the day, but lacrosse players and school officials declined repeatedly to comment during the day, referring to a school statement.
The men's and women's lacrosse seasons — both teams are national title contenders — were "not even entering into our thoughts," athletic director Craig Littlepage said.
The NCAA tournament pairings are to be announced Sunday, and the men's team is expected to host a first-round game, and the women's team is also anticipating being included.
Huguely, a midfielder, wasn't a starter but played in all 15 games this season. He had four goals and three assists. Love played defense and started in three games this season.
Love was "described as an angel by teammates and friends," Littlepage said.
She played varsity lacrosse and field hockey for four years at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Baltimore, and was recalled as an outstanding and wonderful person , said Sister Patricia McCarron, headmistress of the school.
"Yeardley was the core of the personality of the team. She was our laughter, a good soul. She always found an appropriate way to lighten things up," said Mary Bartel, who coached lacrosse at Notre Dame Prep. "I don't think there is a soul in this building who couldn't say her name without smiling. Yeardley loved NDP, and NDP loved her. She was a good soul and an outstanding athlete."
University president John Casteen said in a release on the university's website that Love "deserved the bright future she earned growing up, studying here, and developing her talents as a lacrosse player," he said. "She deserves to be remembered for her human goodness, her capacity for future greatness, and for the terrible way in which her young life has ended."
Huguely attended the Landon School, a private school in Bethesda, Md. It is the same prep school that at least one of the Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a team party in 2006. The charges later were dismissed.
Huguely played both varsity lacrosse and varsity football, and was co-captain of the lacrosse team in his senior year, school spokeswoman Jean Erstlin said.
She said the school had no comment on his arrest.
2 hrs 51 mins ago
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Yeardley Love was upon the best time of her life.
The woman from Cockeysville, Md., who said she always dreamed of playing lacrosse at Virginia, was only weeks from earning a degree, and she and her teammates were anticipating a chance to punctuate their season by winning a national championship.
And then, early Monday morning, it was all gone, a fleet of police cars with lights flashing converging on the apartment where Love lived, and where she was found dead.
In a matter of hours, police took George Huguely, a senior on the Cavaliers men's lacrosse team, into custody, charging him with first-degree murder. They gave no details of how the 22-year-old died, or why, but said the two had been in a relationship at some point.
Huguely, also 22, of Chevy Chase, Md., emerged quickly as the prime suspect in the case, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said, but he did not say why.
Huguely, also a senior, was being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Love's body was to be taken to Richmond for an autopsy, Longo said.
Love's roommate called police around 2:15 a.m. concerned that Love may have had an alcohol overdose, Longo said, but police found her dead with obvious physical injuries.
He said he did not believe any weapons were used in the killing.
As the news trickled throughout campus, a steady stream of students preparing for finals later in the week wandered down the apartment-lined street that runs by the house where Love's body was found. Drivers slowed down and pointed as they approached the building.
Suggestions it may have been a domestic situation did little to ease the anguish.
"Just to hear that anybody in the U.Va. community could be suspected of that, regardless of the relationship, does give you a sense of unease," said Drew Cook, 22, of Burke, said.
Kyle Cecil, 22, of Newport News, said he lived on the same hall as Huguely as freshman, and knew him well enough to say hello. He was shocked to see police cars at the building on his way to class, and more shocked when he learned of Huguely's arrest on a murder charge.
Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president of the university, told reporters the campus was saddened, and that the pain is magnified because the accused is "one of our own."
The lacrosse teams met at least once during the day, but lacrosse players and school officials declined repeatedly to comment during the day, referring to a school statement.
The men's and women's lacrosse seasons — both teams are national title contenders — were "not even entering into our thoughts," athletic director Craig Littlepage said.
The NCAA tournament pairings are to be announced Sunday, and the men's team is expected to host a first-round game, and the women's team is also anticipating being included.
Huguely, a midfielder, wasn't a starter but played in all 15 games this season. He had four goals and three assists. Love played defense and started in three games this season.
Love was "described as an angel by teammates and friends," Littlepage said.
She played varsity lacrosse and field hockey for four years at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Baltimore, and was recalled as an outstanding and wonderful person , said Sister Patricia McCarron, headmistress of the school.
"Yeardley was the core of the personality of the team. She was our laughter, a good soul. She always found an appropriate way to lighten things up," said Mary Bartel, who coached lacrosse at Notre Dame Prep. "I don't think there is a soul in this building who couldn't say her name without smiling. Yeardley loved NDP, and NDP loved her. She was a good soul and an outstanding athlete."
University president John Casteen said in a release on the university's website that Love "deserved the bright future she earned growing up, studying here, and developing her talents as a lacrosse player," he said. "She deserves to be remembered for her human goodness, her capacity for future greatness, and for the terrible way in which her young life has ended."
Huguely attended the Landon School, a private school in Bethesda, Md. It is the same prep school that at least one of the Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a team party in 2006. The charges later were dismissed.
Huguely played both varsity lacrosse and varsity football, and was co-captain of the lacrosse team in his senior year, school spokeswoman Jean Erstlin said.
She said the school had no comment on his arrest.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Norfolk, VA: Murder-suicide suspect was Navy commander in '90s
NORFOLK
Police have identified the couple involved in what they believe to be a murder-suicide that took place on the 300 block of Peace Haven Drive on Sunday.
Robert Klosterman, 64, is believed to be the suspect, and his wife, Rebecca, 57, was the victim, said police spokesman Chris Amos.
Klosterman was the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. He served in that post between 1995 and 1997, according to published reports.
Police received a call around 10 a.m. Sunday from an individual that sounded "despondent," Amos said. He asked police to respond to his residence.
When police arrived, they made several attempts to contact the home’s occupants without success. When they entered the home, they discovered the bodies.
Reach Amy Jeter at 757-446-2730 or amy.jeter@pilotonline.com
Police have identified the couple involved in what they believe to be a murder-suicide that took place on the 300 block of Peace Haven Drive on Sunday.
Robert Klosterman, 64, is believed to be the suspect, and his wife, Rebecca, 57, was the victim, said police spokesman Chris Amos.
Klosterman was the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. He served in that post between 1995 and 1997, according to published reports.
Police received a call around 10 a.m. Sunday from an individual that sounded "despondent," Amos said. He asked police to respond to his residence.
When police arrived, they made several attempts to contact the home’s occupants without success. When they entered the home, they discovered the bodies.
Reach Amy Jeter at 757-446-2730 or amy.jeter@pilotonline.com
Plattsburgh, NY: Woman claims ex-boyfriend was not murdered, died during sex
Kathryn Shoemaker
Plattsburgh, New York - May 2, 2010
A New York woman charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend claims he was the victim of an accident, not any criminal activity.
34-year-old Kathryn Shoemaker, of Chateaugay, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling Ravin Miller in his Churubusco home back in August.
According to newly released court papers, Shoemaker told investigators Miller died during rough sex.
Prosecutors say she owed Miller 35,000 and he was about to go to police to report the theft.
Plattsburgh, New York - May 2, 2010
A New York woman charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend claims he was the victim of an accident, not any criminal activity.
34-year-old Kathryn Shoemaker, of Chateaugay, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling Ravin Miller in his Churubusco home back in August.
According to newly released court papers, Shoemaker told investigators Miller died during rough sex.
Prosecutors say she owed Miller 35,000 and he was about to go to police to report the theft.
Memphis, TN: Tenn. woman on death row seeks reprieve
By Clay Carey, USA TODAY
Ron Owens lay bleeding on the floor of his suburban Memphis home on Feb. 17, 1985, when his two young sons walked in and found him, court records show.
He had been beaten with a tire iron, prosecutors said, by hit man Sidney Porterfield, who had been recruited by Owens' wife, Gaile.
Gaile Owens admitted to police that she spent months driving through seedy Memphis neighborhoods looking for someone to kill her husband for a few thousand dollars. She was arrested, tried and sentenced to death the next year.
Unless Owens, now 57, wins a reprieve from Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen before Sept. 28, she will be the first woman put to death by the state since 1820 — by lethal injection, the state's current method, or electrocution, the method when she was convicted.
With the execution date set, Owens' family, friends, supporters and legal team have stepped up their efforts to get her sentence commuted. They have been updating supporters on a Facebook page dedicated to the cause with nearly 1,500 fans. Owens' son, Stephen, 37, who was 12 when he discovered his father's beaten body, spoke publicly about his mother for the first time April 20, asking the governor for forgiveness.
The other son, Brian, 8 at the time of the murder, has not spoken publicly.
Owens' attorneys argue that she was unfairly denied an opportunity to plead guilty in 1986 to arranging the murder in exchange for life in prison. They say the jury that sentenced her to die never heard a crucial piece of evidence: that she suffered from battered wife syndrome after years of physical and mental abuse by her husband.
Because those arguments weren't part of her original trial, her attorneys said, they couldn't be considered by state appeals courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her case.
Owens has turned down interview requests. In a letter to the governor last year, she said she was responsible for setting into motion the events that led to her husband's death. "There is not a sentence or any amount of time that would be enough to end the pain, guilt and shame that I feel," she wrote.
On the day she was arrested, court records show, Owens told police that she and her husband had a bad marriage for years and that he had been cruel to her. She said there was "very little physical violence."
Later, court documents say, she told her lawyers she had been coerced into sexual acts that made her vomit and sex so rough it injured her. There was no proof, they said, because Owens didn't seek medical treatment.
Court documents say Owens hamstrung her defense by refusing to testify or let her attorneys interview family members who might have known. Kelley Henry, an assistant federal public defender working with Owens, said Owens didn't want her family to hear the details of her abuse.
Prosecutors offered her life in prison in exchange for a guilty plea, records show. But it came with the caveat that Porterfield had to plead guilty, too. Owens took the deal, Porterfield refused, and it was withdrawn.
The last woman executed in the USA was Frances Newton, who was put to death in Texas by lethal injection in September 2005, said Richard Dieter, director of the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center. Newton was convicted of killing her husband and two children in 1987.
Owens has exhausted her legal appeals, Henry said, and her last hope lies with Bredesen. Lydia Lenker, a spokeswoman for Bredesen, said the governor is considering her request.
Don Strother, the assistant Shelby County district attorney who prosecuted Owens 24 years ago, still believes the death penalty is appropriate for her.
"This woman went for months shopping and looking for someone to kill her husband," Strother said. "It was prosecuted fairly. Everything was done by the book."
Fulya Sobczak, 50, was on the Memphis jury that convicted Owens in 1986. At the time, she said, Owens put up little defense and the jury was left with little besides the gory details of the crime.
At the request of Owens' attorneys, she said, she recently wrote a letter to the governor asking for mercy. She did it, she said, to clear her conscience.
"I really wish I'd had more information" at the time of the trial, she said. "She had abuse issues from her husband. … I feel like she should be given another chance."
Ron Owens lay bleeding on the floor of his suburban Memphis home on Feb. 17, 1985, when his two young sons walked in and found him, court records show.
He had been beaten with a tire iron, prosecutors said, by hit man Sidney Porterfield, who had been recruited by Owens' wife, Gaile.
Gaile Owens admitted to police that she spent months driving through seedy Memphis neighborhoods looking for someone to kill her husband for a few thousand dollars. She was arrested, tried and sentenced to death the next year.
Unless Owens, now 57, wins a reprieve from Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen before Sept. 28, she will be the first woman put to death by the state since 1820 — by lethal injection, the state's current method, or electrocution, the method when she was convicted.
With the execution date set, Owens' family, friends, supporters and legal team have stepped up their efforts to get her sentence commuted. They have been updating supporters on a Facebook page dedicated to the cause with nearly 1,500 fans. Owens' son, Stephen, 37, who was 12 when he discovered his father's beaten body, spoke publicly about his mother for the first time April 20, asking the governor for forgiveness.
The other son, Brian, 8 at the time of the murder, has not spoken publicly.
Owens' attorneys argue that she was unfairly denied an opportunity to plead guilty in 1986 to arranging the murder in exchange for life in prison. They say the jury that sentenced her to die never heard a crucial piece of evidence: that she suffered from battered wife syndrome after years of physical and mental abuse by her husband.
Because those arguments weren't part of her original trial, her attorneys said, they couldn't be considered by state appeals courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her case.
Owens has turned down interview requests. In a letter to the governor last year, she said she was responsible for setting into motion the events that led to her husband's death. "There is not a sentence or any amount of time that would be enough to end the pain, guilt and shame that I feel," she wrote.
On the day she was arrested, court records show, Owens told police that she and her husband had a bad marriage for years and that he had been cruel to her. She said there was "very little physical violence."
Later, court documents say, she told her lawyers she had been coerced into sexual acts that made her vomit and sex so rough it injured her. There was no proof, they said, because Owens didn't seek medical treatment.
Court documents say Owens hamstrung her defense by refusing to testify or let her attorneys interview family members who might have known. Kelley Henry, an assistant federal public defender working with Owens, said Owens didn't want her family to hear the details of her abuse.
Prosecutors offered her life in prison in exchange for a guilty plea, records show. But it came with the caveat that Porterfield had to plead guilty, too. Owens took the deal, Porterfield refused, and it was withdrawn.
The last woman executed in the USA was Frances Newton, who was put to death in Texas by lethal injection in September 2005, said Richard Dieter, director of the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center. Newton was convicted of killing her husband and two children in 1987.
Owens has exhausted her legal appeals, Henry said, and her last hope lies with Bredesen. Lydia Lenker, a spokeswoman for Bredesen, said the governor is considering her request.
Don Strother, the assistant Shelby County district attorney who prosecuted Owens 24 years ago, still believes the death penalty is appropriate for her.
"This woman went for months shopping and looking for someone to kill her husband," Strother said. "It was prosecuted fairly. Everything was done by the book."
Fulya Sobczak, 50, was on the Memphis jury that convicted Owens in 1986. At the time, she said, Owens put up little defense and the jury was left with little besides the gory details of the crime.
At the request of Owens' attorneys, she said, she recently wrote a letter to the governor asking for mercy. She did it, she said, to clear her conscience.
"I really wish I'd had more information" at the time of the trial, she said. "She had abuse issues from her husband. … I feel like she should be given another chance."
Antioch, CA: Antioch man charged with killing girlfriend's puppy
By Rowena Coetsee
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 05/02/2010 10:24:12 PM PDT
Updated: 05/02/2010 10:24:13 PM PDT
An Antioch man has been charged with four felonies after allegedly threatening, beating and burglarizing his girlfriend and killing her puppy.
Gerald Anthony Ortega, 25, was arrested Thursday evening in a Concord motel after his 31-year-old girlfriend reported that earlier that day he had assaulted her, said Lt. Steve Dyer of the Concord Police Department.
The woman fled her North Concord home and flagged down utility workers, who drove her to the police station.
During questioning, the victim said that Ortega had abused her emotionally and physically for three years, as well as threatening to kill her two children according to Dyer.
The woman also told authorities Ortega had broken into her home two days earlier, stolen numerous items and hanged her Jack Russell terrier puppy from an ceiling light fixture with an electrical cord, Dyer said.
Although she had called police the day the incident happened, the woman initially said she didn't know who the perpetrator was because she feared for her life, Dyer said.
Police arrested Ortega at the Premiere Inn on Concord Avenue and booked him into the Martinez jail, where he remained Sunday evening.
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 05/02/2010 10:24:12 PM PDT
Updated: 05/02/2010 10:24:13 PM PDT
An Antioch man has been charged with four felonies after allegedly threatening, beating and burglarizing his girlfriend and killing her puppy.
Gerald Anthony Ortega, 25, was arrested Thursday evening in a Concord motel after his 31-year-old girlfriend reported that earlier that day he had assaulted her, said Lt. Steve Dyer of the Concord Police Department.
The woman fled her North Concord home and flagged down utility workers, who drove her to the police station.
During questioning, the victim said that Ortega had abused her emotionally and physically for three years, as well as threatening to kill her two children according to Dyer.
The woman also told authorities Ortega had broken into her home two days earlier, stolen numerous items and hanged her Jack Russell terrier puppy from an ceiling light fixture with an electrical cord, Dyer said.
Although she had called police the day the incident happened, the woman initially said she didn't know who the perpetrator was because she feared for her life, Dyer said.
Police arrested Ortega at the Premiere Inn on Concord Avenue and booked him into the Martinez jail, where he remained Sunday evening.
San Antonio, TX: Ex-boyfriend's jealousy leads to murder
Reported by: Jacqueline Ortiz
SAN ANTONIO – It was a shocking display of violence on the city's Northwest Side. Police say a gunman shot and killed a man inside an apartment because he was jealous.
Police tell News 4 WOAI the woman's ex-boyfriend came to her apartment armed with a gun, suspecting someone was inside. The suspect forced his way into the apartment, found the victim and shot him.
The murder happened at an apartment on the 7000 block of Wurzbach around 4 am Sunday morning.
News 4 WOAI has also learned that the suspect, 30-year-old Ricardo Arcos, has turned himself over to police in Del Rio.
SAN ANTONIO – It was a shocking display of violence on the city's Northwest Side. Police say a gunman shot and killed a man inside an apartment because he was jealous.
Police tell News 4 WOAI the woman's ex-boyfriend came to her apartment armed with a gun, suspecting someone was inside. The suspect forced his way into the apartment, found the victim and shot him.
The murder happened at an apartment on the 7000 block of Wurzbach around 4 am Sunday morning.
News 4 WOAI has also learned that the suspect, 30-year-old Ricardo Arcos, has turned himself over to police in Del Rio.
Article: Higher healthcare costs for abused women
Published: May 3, 2010 at 1:36 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 3 (UPI) -- Women who have suffered domestic violence have significantly higher healthcare costs, even after abuse stops, U.S. researchers found.
The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found female abuse victims average more than $1,200 more in healthcare costs for the first two years after abuse ended, compared with women who had not been abused.
Study co-authors Amy Bonomi of Ohio State University and Paul Fishman of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle said the study involved 2,026 women at Group Health Cooperative who consented to give researchers confidential access to their medical records.
The researchers said 859 women reported some type of abuse -- severe physical and sexual abuse to controlling behavior that could qualify as psychological abuse -- during their adult life, while 1,167 reported no abuse.
The researchers examined women's healthcare costs from 1992 to 2002 and took into account factors that may also be related to increased healthcare cost including the women's age, race and ethnicity, education and income, marital and employment status.
"Victims of abuse require more healthcare resources for years after their abuse ends," Bonomi said in a statement.
"If we can prevent domestic violence, we are not only helping the women involved, we are also saving money in our healthcare system."
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 3 (UPI) -- Women who have suffered domestic violence have significantly higher healthcare costs, even after abuse stops, U.S. researchers found.
The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found female abuse victims average more than $1,200 more in healthcare costs for the first two years after abuse ended, compared with women who had not been abused.
Study co-authors Amy Bonomi of Ohio State University and Paul Fishman of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle said the study involved 2,026 women at Group Health Cooperative who consented to give researchers confidential access to their medical records.
The researchers said 859 women reported some type of abuse -- severe physical and sexual abuse to controlling behavior that could qualify as psychological abuse -- during their adult life, while 1,167 reported no abuse.
The researchers examined women's healthcare costs from 1992 to 2002 and took into account factors that may also be related to increased healthcare cost including the women's age, race and ethnicity, education and income, marital and employment status.
"Victims of abuse require more healthcare resources for years after their abuse ends," Bonomi said in a statement.
"If we can prevent domestic violence, we are not only helping the women involved, we are also saving money in our healthcare system."
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Benton, LA: Benton man killed. Common law wife charged with murder
Posted: May 01, 2010 10:05 PM EDT
Updated: May 01, 2010 10:13 PM EDT
What started as a verbal altercation between a Benton, Louisiana man and his common law wife turned deadly after the argument became physical. Benton Police were dispatched around 1:29 am on Saturday morning to 117 2nd Street in Benton. When police arrived, they found a man passed out on the floor with a stab wound to his chest and a female on top of him giving him CPR.
Tony Brown, 50, the stabbing victim was alive at first and was taken by ambulance to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, but he later died. According to police, Brown died of a stab wound to his heart.
The female, Deborah Hamilton, 51, was not cooperative in the investigation. Police say that she was heavily intoxicated and gave different statements. She was arrested and booked on charges of second degree murder.
Police are not saying what the cause of the argument was. But according to Benton's Assistant Chief of Police Jene Hillen, that was not the first time the police were dispatched to that location for a domestic dispute.
Updated: May 01, 2010 10:13 PM EDT
What started as a verbal altercation between a Benton, Louisiana man and his common law wife turned deadly after the argument became physical. Benton Police were dispatched around 1:29 am on Saturday morning to 117 2nd Street in Benton. When police arrived, they found a man passed out on the floor with a stab wound to his chest and a female on top of him giving him CPR.
Tony Brown, 50, the stabbing victim was alive at first and was taken by ambulance to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, but he later died. According to police, Brown died of a stab wound to his heart.
The female, Deborah Hamilton, 51, was not cooperative in the investigation. Police say that she was heavily intoxicated and gave different statements. She was arrested and booked on charges of second degree murder.
Police are not saying what the cause of the argument was. But according to Benton's Assistant Chief of Police Jene Hillen, that was not the first time the police were dispatched to that location for a domestic dispute.
Venango County, PA: Trooper's death sharpens awareness of gun laws
U.S. attorney says shooter shouldn't have had gun
By LISA THOMPSON
lisa.thompson@timesnews.com
One of the many sad facts to emerge from the January killing of Trooper Paul G. Richey was this: The gunman, Michael J. Smith, a man with a history of mental-health problems and marital discord, used the same .30-30 rifle to kill Richey that he had used 13 years before to threaten other police officers and his wife in a violent display at a Venango County car dealership.
Nothing in state law at the time of Smith's first violent crime in 1997 barred him from again possessing a firearm.
But federal law should have kept that gun and any others out of Smith's hands by virtue of his conviction for a first-degree misdemeanor crime, federal prosecutors said.
State police honored Richey's service and sacrifice Friday in a solemn State Police Memorial Day ceremony. Concerts and benefit dinners and T-shirt sales have been held to support his grieving family.
Federal authorities say that in the months since Richey's death, they have been working to ensure that guns remain out of reach for convicts such as Smith.
Robert Cessar, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, issued a letter to law enforcement about a week after the shooting.
"My desire is for each of your jurisdictions to be clear, under federal law, on the prohibition of firearm possession by persons convicted of crimes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," he wrote.
"It is a violation of federal law for any person convicted of a misdemeanor of the first degree under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to possess a firearm. There exists no authority to grant a person with a qualifying conviction an exemption from this prohibition," he said.
That letter has sparked discussion from prosecutors' offices in Erie to a probation department in Coudersport about how state and federal gun laws overlap.
Cessar said he hopes the effort to "educate people about federal law will prevent a situation like what happened to Trooper Richey."
Not eligible
As the events surrounding the shooting unfolded on Jan. 13 in rural Venango County, Cessar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Piccinini, the head of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Erie, monitored the events from afar. Federal law enforcement were aiding state police who were trying to determine whether the gunman who fired on Richey was still in the home or at large, whether he was alive or dead.
Smith fired on Richey from a sniper's loft he created in an upstairs bedroom. When police made entry into the two-story farmhouse on Bredinsburg Road later in the day, they found he had killed his wife, Nancy Frey Smith, 56, and himself. He had three rifles, multiple rounds of ammunition and had set up tables near each window to balance his gun as he fired.
Piccinini said he was working to piece together what he could about Smith using law enforcement data banks and court records and then passing what he knew to Cessar.
They said they, like state police command staff, quickly came to realize that Smith was the sort of person the federal law had been crafted to disarm.
State Police Commissioner Col. Frank Pawlowski raised the concern at a news conference the day after the shooting. He said police wanted to know how Smith maintained ownership of the gun in the wake of the 1997 incident.
"I'm not happy about it," he said.
Smith brandishes .30-30
According to a criminal complaint filed by Sugarcreek Borough Police, Smith went to his wife's workplace just outside Franklin on March 28, 1997, and brandished a loaded .30-30 Marlin rifle.
Smith was "loud and boisterous" and threatened himself and others with the firearm, according to the complaint.
Smith pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor count of stalking, after seven other charges, including reckless endangerment, were bargained away.
When he neared the completion of his sentence, a three-year term of probation, Venango County Judge H. William White issued an order saying Smith could hunt and carry sporting weapons for the purpose of hunting, according to Venango County Court records.
Nothing in state law at that time barred Smith from possessing a weapon. And when he filed for the return of his gun, no one, it appears from the court record, objected to its return.
But under the then-relatively new Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a federal law, Smith was barred from owning a weapon by virtue of his conviction of a first-degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania, federal authorities said
By LISA THOMPSON
lisa.thompson@timesnews.com
One of the many sad facts to emerge from the January killing of Trooper Paul G. Richey was this: The gunman, Michael J. Smith, a man with a history of mental-health problems and marital discord, used the same .30-30 rifle to kill Richey that he had used 13 years before to threaten other police officers and his wife in a violent display at a Venango County car dealership.
Nothing in state law at the time of Smith's first violent crime in 1997 barred him from again possessing a firearm.
But federal law should have kept that gun and any others out of Smith's hands by virtue of his conviction for a first-degree misdemeanor crime, federal prosecutors said.
State police honored Richey's service and sacrifice Friday in a solemn State Police Memorial Day ceremony. Concerts and benefit dinners and T-shirt sales have been held to support his grieving family.
Federal authorities say that in the months since Richey's death, they have been working to ensure that guns remain out of reach for convicts such as Smith.
Robert Cessar, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, issued a letter to law enforcement about a week after the shooting.
"My desire is for each of your jurisdictions to be clear, under federal law, on the prohibition of firearm possession by persons convicted of crimes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," he wrote.
"It is a violation of federal law for any person convicted of a misdemeanor of the first degree under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to possess a firearm. There exists no authority to grant a person with a qualifying conviction an exemption from this prohibition," he said.
That letter has sparked discussion from prosecutors' offices in Erie to a probation department in Coudersport about how state and federal gun laws overlap.
Cessar said he hopes the effort to "educate people about federal law will prevent a situation like what happened to Trooper Richey."
Not eligible
As the events surrounding the shooting unfolded on Jan. 13 in rural Venango County, Cessar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Piccinini, the head of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Erie, monitored the events from afar. Federal law enforcement were aiding state police who were trying to determine whether the gunman who fired on Richey was still in the home or at large, whether he was alive or dead.
Smith fired on Richey from a sniper's loft he created in an upstairs bedroom. When police made entry into the two-story farmhouse on Bredinsburg Road later in the day, they found he had killed his wife, Nancy Frey Smith, 56, and himself. He had three rifles, multiple rounds of ammunition and had set up tables near each window to balance his gun as he fired.
Piccinini said he was working to piece together what he could about Smith using law enforcement data banks and court records and then passing what he knew to Cessar.
They said they, like state police command staff, quickly came to realize that Smith was the sort of person the federal law had been crafted to disarm.
State Police Commissioner Col. Frank Pawlowski raised the concern at a news conference the day after the shooting. He said police wanted to know how Smith maintained ownership of the gun in the wake of the 1997 incident.
"I'm not happy about it," he said.
Smith brandishes .30-30
According to a criminal complaint filed by Sugarcreek Borough Police, Smith went to his wife's workplace just outside Franklin on March 28, 1997, and brandished a loaded .30-30 Marlin rifle.
Smith was "loud and boisterous" and threatened himself and others with the firearm, according to the complaint.
Smith pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor count of stalking, after seven other charges, including reckless endangerment, were bargained away.
When he neared the completion of his sentence, a three-year term of probation, Venango County Judge H. William White issued an order saying Smith could hunt and carry sporting weapons for the purpose of hunting, according to Venango County Court records.
Nothing in state law at that time barred Smith from possessing a weapon. And when he filed for the return of his gun, no one, it appears from the court record, objected to its return.
But under the then-relatively new Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a federal law, Smith was barred from owning a weapon by virtue of his conviction of a first-degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania, federal authorities said
Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake City officers shoot and kill man with gun
Crime » Police say victim, 20, made 'threatening movements,' failed to follow commands.
By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 05/01/2010 05:51:07 PM MDT
Twenty-year-old Favian Martinez was looking forward to starting his new job, his mother said.
"Last night, he was talking about when he got his check, he was going to fix up his apartment," Manuela Palomares said. He was in training at a medical insurance call center in Midvale, and wanted a nice place for his girlfriend and their three daughters, ages 6 months, 1 and 3.
Martinez was shot and killed by Salt Lake City police about 2 a.m. Saturday. Officers were responding to a 911 call of a man brandishing a gun and making threats, said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Snyder.
When they arrived, Martinez ran. They caught up with him in front of an apartment building at 245 E. South Temple, but Martinez did not follow officers' commands, Snyder said.
Martinez made "threatening movements," Snyder said. "The officers had to take action." Two officers fired several shots. Martinez was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
No officers were injured in the shooting. The two officers are on paid administrative leave, as per department policy, until the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office completes an investigation. Their names were not released.
A search of court records showed Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of attempted aggravated assault and one count of giving false personal information in September.
Several bullet holes could be seen Saturday in the glass doors of the apartment
building in front of which Martinez was shot.
One round went through the door and pierced the wall of a basement utility room, said building resident Elizabeth DeBroux.
Her roommate heard officers yelling for the man to put his hands up, and then heard several shots, she said. DeBroux, 33, left the apartment and saw a bunched-up sweatshirt and blood on the steps outside. Martinez's gun was on a nearby stoop.
"I think Salt Lake is a growing city and things happen -- not usually on my doorstep," DeBroux said.
Martinez had been with a former girlfriend in a car when a gun went off, his mother said. The former girlfriend called police, she said.
He ran from police because there was a warrant out for his arrest for driving with a suspended license, and failure to appear in court, and he didn't want to lose his job, she said.
"They didn't have to shoot him that many times," Palomares said. "I don't think they had to go to that level to kill him."
He loved playing with his daughters, and joking with his two younger brothers and a sister, said Palomares.
"He still wasn't really an adult," she said. He listened to rap music and old Motown hits, and loved going out with his friends, she said.
As they mourn, his family is trying to afford funeral expenses.
"He wasn't perfect. But he loved his family, and he loved his girlfriend," Palomares said. "He will be missed by all of us."
lwhitehurst@sltrib.com
By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 05/01/2010 05:51:07 PM MDT
Twenty-year-old Favian Martinez was looking forward to starting his new job, his mother said.
"Last night, he was talking about when he got his check, he was going to fix up his apartment," Manuela Palomares said. He was in training at a medical insurance call center in Midvale, and wanted a nice place for his girlfriend and their three daughters, ages 6 months, 1 and 3.
Martinez was shot and killed by Salt Lake City police about 2 a.m. Saturday. Officers were responding to a 911 call of a man brandishing a gun and making threats, said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Snyder.
When they arrived, Martinez ran. They caught up with him in front of an apartment building at 245 E. South Temple, but Martinez did not follow officers' commands, Snyder said.
Martinez made "threatening movements," Snyder said. "The officers had to take action." Two officers fired several shots. Martinez was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
No officers were injured in the shooting. The two officers are on paid administrative leave, as per department policy, until the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office completes an investigation. Their names were not released.
A search of court records showed Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of attempted aggravated assault and one count of giving false personal information in September.
Several bullet holes could be seen Saturday in the glass doors of the apartment
building in front of which Martinez was shot.
One round went through the door and pierced the wall of a basement utility room, said building resident Elizabeth DeBroux.
Her roommate heard officers yelling for the man to put his hands up, and then heard several shots, she said. DeBroux, 33, left the apartment and saw a bunched-up sweatshirt and blood on the steps outside. Martinez's gun was on a nearby stoop.
"I think Salt Lake is a growing city and things happen -- not usually on my doorstep," DeBroux said.
Martinez had been with a former girlfriend in a car when a gun went off, his mother said. The former girlfriend called police, she said.
He ran from police because there was a warrant out for his arrest for driving with a suspended license, and failure to appear in court, and he didn't want to lose his job, she said.
"They didn't have to shoot him that many times," Palomares said. "I don't think they had to go to that level to kill him."
He loved playing with his daughters, and joking with his two younger brothers and a sister, said Palomares.
"He still wasn't really an adult," she said. He listened to rap music and old Motown hits, and loved going out with his friends, she said.
As they mourn, his family is trying to afford funeral expenses.
"He wasn't perfect. But he loved his family, and he loved his girlfriend," Palomares said. "He will be missed by all of us."
lwhitehurst@sltrib.com
Kenosha, WI: Kenosha police say former boyfriend kills girlfriend, himself after confrontation
By Associated Press
5:15 PM CDT, May 1, 2010
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Kenosha police say a 26-year-old woman was shot and killed by her former boyfriend, who later killed himself early Saturday morning in a murder-suicide.
Alaina B. Caudill was being dropped off by her current boyfriend at her residence when Christopher Stuart approached after hiding in the garage.
The 26-year-old Stuart threatened to kill the current boyfriend, who fled and called police. Police say Stuart then shot Caudill in the head. She died Saturday afternoon.
A few hours after the shooting, police found Stuart dead in a bedroom of his home from an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound. No one else was at the residence and a revolver was found.
Detectives located notes at the scene that appeared to support Stuart's intention to kill himself.
5:15 PM CDT, May 1, 2010
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Kenosha police say a 26-year-old woman was shot and killed by her former boyfriend, who later killed himself early Saturday morning in a murder-suicide.
Alaina B. Caudill was being dropped off by her current boyfriend at her residence when Christopher Stuart approached after hiding in the garage.
The 26-year-old Stuart threatened to kill the current boyfriend, who fled and called police. Police say Stuart then shot Caudill in the head. She died Saturday afternoon.
A few hours after the shooting, police found Stuart dead in a bedroom of his home from an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound. No one else was at the residence and a revolver was found.
Detectives located notes at the scene that appeared to support Stuart's intention to kill himself.
Johnson County, KY: Woman Charged with Killing Ex-Boyfriend
A Johnson County woman is in jail Saturday night, and accused of killing a man outside her home.
Posted: 9:25 PM May 1, 2010
Reporter: Marcus Conroy
Email Address: marcus.conroy@wymtnews.com
Woman Charged with Killing Ex-Boyfriend - Marcus Conroy Reports
A Johnson County woman is in jail Saturday night, and accused of killing a man outside her home.
Police say 52 year-old Donna Wheeler fatally shot 52 year-old James T. Sparks in the back Friday night. The incident happened outside her home on Barber Branch outside of Paintsville, Johnson County
Wheeler's step-brother, Robert Hall, says the two dated off and on for a year, but it was a troubling relationship. Johnson County Sheriff's officers say they have responded to multiple complaints about the couple in the past.
Hall says Wheeler bought a gun for protection, and was worried why she had it.
"I said, 'Donna please sell it, get rid of it.' Because i knew somehow, someway nothing but trouble's gonna come, and she just never would," Hall said.
Wheeler is in custody at the Big Sandy Detention Center. Her bond is set at $1 million cash.
Posted: 9:25 PM May 1, 2010
Reporter: Marcus Conroy
Email Address: marcus.conroy@wymtnews.com
Woman Charged with Killing Ex-Boyfriend - Marcus Conroy Reports
A Johnson County woman is in jail Saturday night, and accused of killing a man outside her home.
Police say 52 year-old Donna Wheeler fatally shot 52 year-old James T. Sparks in the back Friday night. The incident happened outside her home on Barber Branch outside of Paintsville, Johnson County
Wheeler's step-brother, Robert Hall, says the two dated off and on for a year, but it was a troubling relationship. Johnson County Sheriff's officers say they have responded to multiple complaints about the couple in the past.
Hall says Wheeler bought a gun for protection, and was worried why she had it.
"I said, 'Donna please sell it, get rid of it.' Because i knew somehow, someway nothing but trouble's gonna come, and she just never would," Hall said.
Wheeler is in custody at the Big Sandy Detention Center. Her bond is set at $1 million cash.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Clemmons, NC: A Killer Defense: Family Divided When Father Kills Mother
Kirk and Jennifer Turner (Personal Photo) NEW YORK (CBS) When a murder takes place, the justice system rightfully focuses on the participants - victim and killer. But what are the repercussions for the family members - especially a brother and sister faced with the horrible reality of having your father kill your mother?
That was the near-Biblical question facing Wendy and Richie Turner after their father Kirk plunged a knife into the neck of his estranged wife Jennifer.
In an unusual twist for a 48 HOURS | MYSTERY Doctor Kirk Turner, a very successful dentist in Clemmons, N.C., does not dispute that he killed his wife. But he says he did it in self-defense, after Jennifer first attacked him with a seven-foot spear and tried to stab him in the groin.
She missed her mark, Kirk says, but he insists Jennifer stabbed him in the arm and twice in the thigh with that spear. That's when he retaliated with his pocket knife, slicing through her carotid artery and nearly severing her head.
The Turner's two adult children, Wendy and younger brother Richie, immediately found themselves taking sides.
Wendy had already stopped speaking to Kirk after he'd left Jennifer for another woman. Richie had tried to stay neutral during the marital dispute but found himself siding with his father after his mother's death.
It was a radical switch for the two children - Wendy had grown up a daddy's girl while Richie was a mama's boy. His mom often stood up for him when Kirk would spank him for some indiscretion. But now the roles were reversed and both sides were dug in.
Wendy stopped talking with Richie because she says she was afraid he would tell Kirk everything she said. Richie, who admits he never got along well with his sister, felt he was under attack by his sister for standing by their father.
When their father Kirk stood trial for first degree murder, both Wendy and Richie were in the courtroom but sat separately. Wendy sat with her mother' sister while Richie sometimes found himself sitting next to his father's new girlfriend, the woman his mother hated.
That was the near-Biblical question facing Wendy and Richie Turner after their father Kirk plunged a knife into the neck of his estranged wife Jennifer.
In an unusual twist for a 48 HOURS | MYSTERY Doctor Kirk Turner, a very successful dentist in Clemmons, N.C., does not dispute that he killed his wife. But he says he did it in self-defense, after Jennifer first attacked him with a seven-foot spear and tried to stab him in the groin.
She missed her mark, Kirk says, but he insists Jennifer stabbed him in the arm and twice in the thigh with that spear. That's when he retaliated with his pocket knife, slicing through her carotid artery and nearly severing her head.
The Turner's two adult children, Wendy and younger brother Richie, immediately found themselves taking sides.
Wendy had already stopped speaking to Kirk after he'd left Jennifer for another woman. Richie had tried to stay neutral during the marital dispute but found himself siding with his father after his mother's death.
It was a radical switch for the two children - Wendy had grown up a daddy's girl while Richie was a mama's boy. His mom often stood up for him when Kirk would spank him for some indiscretion. But now the roles were reversed and both sides were dug in.
Wendy stopped talking with Richie because she says she was afraid he would tell Kirk everything she said. Richie, who admits he never got along well with his sister, felt he was under attack by his sister for standing by their father.
When their father Kirk stood trial for first degree murder, both Wendy and Richie were in the courtroom but sat separately. Wendy sat with her mother' sister while Richie sometimes found himself sitting next to his father's new girlfriend, the woman his mother hated.
Norman, OK: Mother says text message may have led to man’s death
By Andrew Knittle
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — A late-night text message from his girlfriend’s lover may have led to the shooting death of 31-year-old Jesse Shipley last Friday.
Shipley was shot by Norman police officers in the middle of the night after authorities were called to his apartment on a suicide call last week.
According to Shipley’s mother, Sue Steanson, her son became suicidal when he learned of an affair his girlfriend was having with another man. Steanson, who lives in another part of the state, said Shipley’s girlfriend was asleep in his apartment the afternoon of April 22 when her mobile phone “went off.”
“He checked the message … I’m not sure if it was sexual or what, but he called the guy back and the guy admitted the affair,” Steanson said Friday morning. “He confronted her (his girlfriend) and she admitted it, too.”
Steanson said the girlfriend left shortly thereafter and her son began making distressed phone calls to his father, who also lives outside the Norman area. His mother said Friday that Shipley had a history of depression and tried to commit suicide — by slitting his wrists with a broken bottle — when he was a teenager.
“He had come home, to finish the job, I guess,” said Steanson, who was living in Alabama at the time. “I just happened to be there … when I saw what he’d done I called to get him help.”
Shipley, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, had recently proposed to his girlfriend, but she had not said yes. Instead, the woman said she “had to work things out with her parents who did not like the idea,” Steanson wrote in an e-mail to The Transcript.
Steanson said she believes the woman had no intentions of marrying her son, something Shipley apparently couldn’t reconcile. She said after some drinking, her son called the girlfriend a final time before she called police to warn them Shipley was suicidal.
“If she wouldn’t have called the police, he may have just passed out and woke up with a headache,” Steanson said. “He was not a violent man … he was a very laid back person, actually.”
Steanson said she believes her son used the presence of police officers to end his life, even though he didn’t call them to his apartment.
“He had told his father earlier that he wouldn’t kill himself,” she said. “I think, when he saw the police in that state of mind, he just made the wrong decision.”
Her son’s death, however, doesn’t sit right with her.
Steanson said she is alarmed that her son was in need of help, but was instead shot after just a few short moments.
“I feel like the police didn’t think when they went to the apartment,” she said. “It really seems like it was a shoot first, ask questions later kind of thing … of course, I wasn’t there, but that’s what it sounds like to me.
“They were called there on a suicide call, you would think they would handle it better.”
Steanson said she or her ex-husband (Shipley’s father) could’ve driven to Norman in time to intercede, but both felt the situation was under control.
“I really didn’t see this coming,” she said. “I really hope other parents can learn from this.”
Shipley lived in the Edge at Norman, an apartment complex just south of Classen Boulevard and Lindsey Street, in Building 11. Most of the residents are students at the University of Oklahoma.
Many of the residents interviewed after the April 23 shooting said they were either not home or out of town at the time of the incident.
Steanson said her son had recently started training to become an insurance adjuster and that he had sold cars and motorcycles in addition to serving in the military.
Shipley had a memorial service Wednesday, his mother said, and he will later be cremated.
Andrew Knittle 366-3540 aknittle@normantranscript.com
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — A late-night text message from his girlfriend’s lover may have led to the shooting death of 31-year-old Jesse Shipley last Friday.
Shipley was shot by Norman police officers in the middle of the night after authorities were called to his apartment on a suicide call last week.
According to Shipley’s mother, Sue Steanson, her son became suicidal when he learned of an affair his girlfriend was having with another man. Steanson, who lives in another part of the state, said Shipley’s girlfriend was asleep in his apartment the afternoon of April 22 when her mobile phone “went off.”
“He checked the message … I’m not sure if it was sexual or what, but he called the guy back and the guy admitted the affair,” Steanson said Friday morning. “He confronted her (his girlfriend) and she admitted it, too.”
Steanson said the girlfriend left shortly thereafter and her son began making distressed phone calls to his father, who also lives outside the Norman area. His mother said Friday that Shipley had a history of depression and tried to commit suicide — by slitting his wrists with a broken bottle — when he was a teenager.
“He had come home, to finish the job, I guess,” said Steanson, who was living in Alabama at the time. “I just happened to be there … when I saw what he’d done I called to get him help.”
Shipley, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, had recently proposed to his girlfriend, but she had not said yes. Instead, the woman said she “had to work things out with her parents who did not like the idea,” Steanson wrote in an e-mail to The Transcript.
Steanson said she believes the woman had no intentions of marrying her son, something Shipley apparently couldn’t reconcile. She said after some drinking, her son called the girlfriend a final time before she called police to warn them Shipley was suicidal.
“If she wouldn’t have called the police, he may have just passed out and woke up with a headache,” Steanson said. “He was not a violent man … he was a very laid back person, actually.”
Steanson said she believes her son used the presence of police officers to end his life, even though he didn’t call them to his apartment.
“He had told his father earlier that he wouldn’t kill himself,” she said. “I think, when he saw the police in that state of mind, he just made the wrong decision.”
Her son’s death, however, doesn’t sit right with her.
Steanson said she is alarmed that her son was in need of help, but was instead shot after just a few short moments.
“I feel like the police didn’t think when they went to the apartment,” she said. “It really seems like it was a shoot first, ask questions later kind of thing … of course, I wasn’t there, but that’s what it sounds like to me.
“They were called there on a suicide call, you would think they would handle it better.”
Steanson said she or her ex-husband (Shipley’s father) could’ve driven to Norman in time to intercede, but both felt the situation was under control.
“I really didn’t see this coming,” she said. “I really hope other parents can learn from this.”
Shipley lived in the Edge at Norman, an apartment complex just south of Classen Boulevard and Lindsey Street, in Building 11. Most of the residents are students at the University of Oklahoma.
Many of the residents interviewed after the April 23 shooting said they were either not home or out of town at the time of the incident.
Steanson said her son had recently started training to become an insurance adjuster and that he had sold cars and motorcycles in addition to serving in the military.
Shipley had a memorial service Wednesday, his mother said, and he will later be cremated.
Andrew Knittle 366-3540 aknittle@normantranscript.com
Nelson County, VA: Nelson County authorities investigating murder-suicide
Authorities are investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving a husband and wife that happened some time Wednesday morning, Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks said.
The incident took place at 3076 Dark Hollow Road in the Roseland area of Nelson County. Brooks said he did not know exactly what time it happened.
The incident appears to be isolated, he said, but authorities don’t yet know the cause.
“I don’t know, the family doesn’t know,“ Brooks said. “We don’t know what caused it.“
Brooks did not release the names of the dead.
He said a handgun was found at the scene.
The sheriff’s office is not pressing charges and is not looking for any other suspects, Brooks said.
Brooks said the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation and no outside agency has been called in.
The incident took place at 3076 Dark Hollow Road in the Roseland area of Nelson County. Brooks said he did not know exactly what time it happened.
The incident appears to be isolated, he said, but authorities don’t yet know the cause.
“I don’t know, the family doesn’t know,“ Brooks said. “We don’t know what caused it.“
Brooks did not release the names of the dead.
He said a handgun was found at the scene.
The sheriff’s office is not pressing charges and is not looking for any other suspects, Brooks said.
Brooks said the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation and no outside agency has been called in.
Bronx, NY: Scorned lover kills himself after shooting ex-girlfriend's husband in the Bronx
BY Joe Jackson, Joe Kemp and Leo Standora
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Saturday, May 1st 2010, 4:00 AM
A jilted lover shot and seriously wounded his ex-girlfriend's husband in a Bronx apartment building Friday night, then blew his own brains out, police and witnesses said.
Investigators said the crime of passion unfolded at 1023 Avenue St. John's shortly before 11 p.m.
The husband, Raymond Velez, who was hit three times in the upper body, ran out of the building and hailed a cab that took him to Lutheran Medical Center where doctors said he was expected to recover.
"He just took it on his own to go to the hospital," said a family friend. "He's a tough guy."
One of Velez's friends said the violence stemmed from "a love triangle thing."
She said the shooter, identified only as Omar, got involved with Velez's wife when the couple were "having some problems."
Then Velez and his spouse patched things up.
"They were back together and the guy couldn't take it," the friend said.
"He came to their apartment and shot Raymond in the hallway. Then he turned the gun on himself - on the third floor."
The couple's three kids - two boys and a girl all under 10 - were in the flat when the shooting started.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/05/01/2010-05-01_scorned_lover_kills_himself_after_shooting_exgirlfriends_husband_in_the_bronx.html?print=1&page=all#ixzz0mg6e4G2g
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Saturday, May 1st 2010, 4:00 AM
A jilted lover shot and seriously wounded his ex-girlfriend's husband in a Bronx apartment building Friday night, then blew his own brains out, police and witnesses said.
Investigators said the crime of passion unfolded at 1023 Avenue St. John's shortly before 11 p.m.
The husband, Raymond Velez, who was hit three times in the upper body, ran out of the building and hailed a cab that took him to Lutheran Medical Center where doctors said he was expected to recover.
"He just took it on his own to go to the hospital," said a family friend. "He's a tough guy."
One of Velez's friends said the violence stemmed from "a love triangle thing."
She said the shooter, identified only as Omar, got involved with Velez's wife when the couple were "having some problems."
Then Velez and his spouse patched things up.
"They were back together and the guy couldn't take it," the friend said.
"He came to their apartment and shot Raymond in the hallway. Then he turned the gun on himself - on the third floor."
The couple's three kids - two boys and a girl all under 10 - were in the flat when the shooting started.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/05/01/2010-05-01_scorned_lover_kills_himself_after_shooting_exgirlfriends_husband_in_the_bronx.html?print=1&page=all#ixzz0mg6e4G2g
Lake City, FL: Police: Man Killed Girlfriend's Cat
Lake City Man Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges
POSTED: Friday, April 30, 2010
UPDATED: 11:15 am EDT April 30, 2010
Lake City Police Department booking photo of Timothy Stearns
LAKE CITY, Fla. -- A Lake City man was arrested Thursday morning after police said he killed his girlfriend's cat and threatened to kill her.
The woman told police that Timothy Stearns, 38, threatened to hurt her and said he was going to kill her cat. And when she returned home at about 10:30 a.m., police said, she found her apartment door open and saw one of her couches positioned in front of the door with her dead cat on it.
Stearns' girlfriend told police the two had been living together off and on for three years, and they had recently moved into the home together.
Police said she was working out at Anytime Fitness gym the night before when Stearns confronted her in the parking lot and said, "Don't come home or you'll get what you get, and I'll kill you and your cat."
The cat was sent to an animal shelter and will be taken to the University of Florida for further investigation into the cause of death, police said.
Officers said Stearns had an active warrant on violation of probation. He was later arrested and booked into the county jail without bond on charges of animal cruelty, assault and violation of probation disorderly conduct.
POSTED: Friday, April 30, 2010
UPDATED: 11:15 am EDT April 30, 2010
Lake City Police Department booking photo of Timothy Stearns
LAKE CITY, Fla. -- A Lake City man was arrested Thursday morning after police said he killed his girlfriend's cat and threatened to kill her.
The woman told police that Timothy Stearns, 38, threatened to hurt her and said he was going to kill her cat. And when she returned home at about 10:30 a.m., police said, she found her apartment door open and saw one of her couches positioned in front of the door with her dead cat on it.
Stearns' girlfriend told police the two had been living together off and on for three years, and they had recently moved into the home together.
Police said she was working out at Anytime Fitness gym the night before when Stearns confronted her in the parking lot and said, "Don't come home or you'll get what you get, and I'll kill you and your cat."
The cat was sent to an animal shelter and will be taken to the University of Florida for further investigation into the cause of death, police said.
Officers said Stearns had an active warrant on violation of probation. He was later arrested and booked into the county jail without bond on charges of animal cruelty, assault and violation of probation disorderly conduct.
Fort Worth, TX: Marine veteran found guilty of capital murder in ex-girlfriend's death
Posted Saturday, May. 01, 2010
BY ALEX BRANCH
abranch@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH -- Jurors deliberated for about three hours Friday evening before convicting Eric Acevedo of capital murder for killing his ex-girlfriend, rejecting the defense argument that Acevedo, a combat veteran of Iraq, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and, therefore, did not intend to kill her.
Intent is a crucial factor in a capital murder conviction, and Acevedo's attorneys had hoped to show that he was unable in his mental state to form the intent to break into Mollie Worden's Saginaw town home on March 22, 2008, and stab her repeatedly.
Because the prosecution waived the death penalty, Acevedo, 23, was automatically sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Acevedo, a Marine, served three tours in Iraq.
He was the first defendant to use PTSD as a defense in Tarrant County, court officials said.
Acevedo sat stoically while the verdict was read.
But he dropped his head into his hands and sobbed as Worden's relatives addressed him after state District Judge Scott Wisch passed sentence.
"Eric, you had dinner at my house," Worden's mother, Georgia Fuentes, said, her voice choked with emotion. "I sent you my grandfather's little black Bible to put in your pocket and keep you safe [in Iraq].
"What I didn't know is that I should have given it to my daughter to keep her safe."
Criteria met for PTSD
Acevedo admitted during the trial that he beat and stabbed Worden, 32. But he said he went to the apartment they had formerly shared -- after drinking two to three shots of whiskey and several beers -- to talk. He said the attack was dreamlike and that he felt as if he watched himself kill her. He also said it seemed like he was attacking something "faceless."
A defense psychologist testified that Acevedo met all the criteria for severe and chronic PTSD acquired during three tours, including one in which his best friend was killed.
Acevedo's lawyers, Jim Lane and David Richards, asked the jury to find Acevedo guilty of the lesser charge of murder.
In his closing argument, Lane, a former Army captain and military lawyer, urged jurors not to ignore Acevedo's PTSD diagnosis. He called it a serious problem that society must face as long as old men use young men and women to fight wars.
"It is real," he said. "It is not something to close your eyes to."
But prosecutors Sean Colston and Michelle Dobson argued that Worden's murder was not about Acevedo's PTSD. They said that Acevedo had a history of disturbing behavior with women and that he killed Worden in a jealous, drunken rage
Another ex-girlfriend testified earlier Friday that Acevedo harassed her after she broke up with him.
Camie Medlock, 23, said she dated Acevedo from 2002 to 2004 and was engaged to him during his first deployment to Iraq. They were 17 when they started dating. He sometimes got angry about what clothes she wore and was upset when she would not agree to have a baby with him, she testified.
She broke up with him after discovering he had cheated on her.
After Acevedo returned from Iraq, he bothered her so often that her mother attempted to get a restraining order against him, she said.
In his closing argument, Colston said: "This case is about whether a jealous brat can handle a breakup. Obviously, he can't."
'You had honor once'
During the final phase of the trial, when relatives of victims are allowed to address the defendant, Fuentes told Acevedo that her family once considered Acevedo their "brave Marine."
She told him that she never believed he didn't realize he was killing Worden.
"In my heart, Eric, I believe you knew what you were doing," she said.
Fuentes urged him to find the goodness that once existed inside him and put it to good use in prison.
After she spoke, Wisch paused, then looked at Acevedo and echoed that sentiment.
"You had honor once," Wisch told him. "You have the rest of your life to try and reclaim it."
ALEX BRANCH, 817-390-7689
BY ALEX BRANCH
abranch@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH -- Jurors deliberated for about three hours Friday evening before convicting Eric Acevedo of capital murder for killing his ex-girlfriend, rejecting the defense argument that Acevedo, a combat veteran of Iraq, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and, therefore, did not intend to kill her.
Intent is a crucial factor in a capital murder conviction, and Acevedo's attorneys had hoped to show that he was unable in his mental state to form the intent to break into Mollie Worden's Saginaw town home on March 22, 2008, and stab her repeatedly.
Because the prosecution waived the death penalty, Acevedo, 23, was automatically sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Acevedo, a Marine, served three tours in Iraq.
He was the first defendant to use PTSD as a defense in Tarrant County, court officials said.
Acevedo sat stoically while the verdict was read.
But he dropped his head into his hands and sobbed as Worden's relatives addressed him after state District Judge Scott Wisch passed sentence.
"Eric, you had dinner at my house," Worden's mother, Georgia Fuentes, said, her voice choked with emotion. "I sent you my grandfather's little black Bible to put in your pocket and keep you safe [in Iraq].
"What I didn't know is that I should have given it to my daughter to keep her safe."
Criteria met for PTSD
Acevedo admitted during the trial that he beat and stabbed Worden, 32. But he said he went to the apartment they had formerly shared -- after drinking two to three shots of whiskey and several beers -- to talk. He said the attack was dreamlike and that he felt as if he watched himself kill her. He also said it seemed like he was attacking something "faceless."
A defense psychologist testified that Acevedo met all the criteria for severe and chronic PTSD acquired during three tours, including one in which his best friend was killed.
Acevedo's lawyers, Jim Lane and David Richards, asked the jury to find Acevedo guilty of the lesser charge of murder.
In his closing argument, Lane, a former Army captain and military lawyer, urged jurors not to ignore Acevedo's PTSD diagnosis. He called it a serious problem that society must face as long as old men use young men and women to fight wars.
"It is real," he said. "It is not something to close your eyes to."
But prosecutors Sean Colston and Michelle Dobson argued that Worden's murder was not about Acevedo's PTSD. They said that Acevedo had a history of disturbing behavior with women and that he killed Worden in a jealous, drunken rage
Another ex-girlfriend testified earlier Friday that Acevedo harassed her after she broke up with him.
Camie Medlock, 23, said she dated Acevedo from 2002 to 2004 and was engaged to him during his first deployment to Iraq. They were 17 when they started dating. He sometimes got angry about what clothes she wore and was upset when she would not agree to have a baby with him, she testified.
She broke up with him after discovering he had cheated on her.
After Acevedo returned from Iraq, he bothered her so often that her mother attempted to get a restraining order against him, she said.
In his closing argument, Colston said: "This case is about whether a jealous brat can handle a breakup. Obviously, he can't."
'You had honor once'
During the final phase of the trial, when relatives of victims are allowed to address the defendant, Fuentes told Acevedo that her family once considered Acevedo their "brave Marine."
She told him that she never believed he didn't realize he was killing Worden.
"In my heart, Eric, I believe you knew what you were doing," she said.
Fuentes urged him to find the goodness that once existed inside him and put it to good use in prison.
After she spoke, Wisch paused, then looked at Acevedo and echoed that sentiment.
"You had honor once," Wisch told him. "You have the rest of your life to try and reclaim it."
ALEX BRANCH, 817-390-7689
Minneapolis, MN: Three killed in Minn. shooting rampage
Published: April 30, 2010 at 7:32 PM
MINNEAPOLIS, April 30 (UPI) -- A Minnesota man allegedly went on a rampage Thursday, shooting three people dead and wounding another before killing himself, police said.
Trace Maxwell, 40, a Minneapolis-St. Paul tattoo parlor owner who police say also sold drugs and ran prostitutes, allegedly shot and killed a girlfriend, Amy Terborg, 28, and wounded her roommate, Gina Fredrickson, 20, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday.
Maxwell drove to the home of Jason Rand, 38, allegedly shot and killed him, then drove to another home where police say he fatally shot a third victim.
Both the third victim and Rand had taken out restraining orders against Maxwell, saying he had threatened them, The Star Tribune reported.
Maxwell knew all of the victims from business dealings, police said.
Police focused on Maxwell as a suspect in the rampage after the shooting of Terborg, they said.
They tracked Maxwell through his cellphone calls, and a dozen police cars followed Maxwell's SUV in a slow-speed chase through city streets, the newspaper said.
Detectives were in contact Maxwell by phone, trying to talk him into surrendering, when he apparently shot himself, crashing the SUV.
"At no point did he give a coherent explanation for why he did these things," said Capt. Amelia Huffman of the Minneapolis Police Department.
MINNEAPOLIS, April 30 (UPI) -- A Minnesota man allegedly went on a rampage Thursday, shooting three people dead and wounding another before killing himself, police said.
Trace Maxwell, 40, a Minneapolis-St. Paul tattoo parlor owner who police say also sold drugs and ran prostitutes, allegedly shot and killed a girlfriend, Amy Terborg, 28, and wounded her roommate, Gina Fredrickson, 20, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday.
Maxwell drove to the home of Jason Rand, 38, allegedly shot and killed him, then drove to another home where police say he fatally shot a third victim.
Both the third victim and Rand had taken out restraining orders against Maxwell, saying he had threatened them, The Star Tribune reported.
Maxwell knew all of the victims from business dealings, police said.
Police focused on Maxwell as a suspect in the rampage after the shooting of Terborg, they said.
They tracked Maxwell through his cellphone calls, and a dozen police cars followed Maxwell's SUV in a slow-speed chase through city streets, the newspaper said.
Detectives were in contact Maxwell by phone, trying to talk him into surrendering, when he apparently shot himself, crashing the SUV.
"At no point did he give a coherent explanation for why he did these things," said Capt. Amelia Huffman of the Minneapolis Police Department.
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