By STEPHANIE BARISHwpix.com
4:39 PM EDT, April 23, 2010
SOMERVILLE, N.J. (WPIX) - A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to strangling his girlfriend in a Jersey Shore motel room and using a hacksaw to dismember her body.
Alphonse Capell, 34, of Somerset, pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated manslaughter and desecrating human remains. As part of a plea deal, a judge sentenced him to a 30-year prison term, with no parole for 17 years.
Capell initially was charged with first-degree murder, and if convicted, could have been sent to prison for life.
During court proceedings, Capell admitted in that he and his 33-year-old girlfriend, Coty Micklo, were arguing in a Seaside Heights motel in October 2006 when he attacked her. Capell told prosecutors he put his hands around her throat, strangling her to death.
In a panic, Capell said he decided to dispose her body by chopping it up into pieces by using a hacksaw. Her remains were found a year later in Capell's car parked at a Franklin Township apartment complex.
Capell allegedly covered up the crime buy using Micklo's email address and cell phone to send messages to her family, claiming she was pregnant and needed space.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Memphis, TN: Pate's Murder Confession Heard in Court
Updated: Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 8:55 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 4:55 PM CDT
Lauren
Lee
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A judge has decided to take another listen to the taped confession of Thomas Pate. Defense attorneys and prosecutors listened in as Pate recalled the night his wife vanished.
Thomas Pate sat quietly in court as the judge and his parents listened to his emotionally charged confession, the night following his wife's disappearence.
Officer: "Micah's a very pretty, Micah's a very pretty woman. If she's out there, exposed to the elements, it's going to be hard on her."
Pate is facing a first degree murder charge for his wife's death.
The 26-year-old woman was found shot to death in the Loosahatchie River bottoms near Brunswick Road in May of 2009.
Police say Thomas Pate threw her body in the river and then reported her missing.
When Bartlett Police questioned Pate about where his wife may be, he demanded to speak to his father.
Officer: "I will let you talk to your dad if you tell us where Micah is."
Pate: "I really want to talk to my dad. Please. I don't know. I don't know."
Officer: "All you got to do is help us and lead us to where she is (inaudible)"
Pate: "I don't know. I want to talk to my freakin dad."
During the interrogation, investigators brought up Pate's affair with another woman, as well as his addiction to cocaine and alcohol.
Officer: "Did your wife find out about you meeting up with your girlfriend or having any other problems?"
Pate: "I don't know"
Officer: "You don't know?"
After several long hours, Pate's father was finally brought in to talk to his son. That's when he broke down and told police where his wife's body was.
Pate: "Oh God! Oh God!, I can't do it."
Dad: "Thomas, look at me, look at me. We've come this far, let's go the rest of the way. Let's get it over with. You'll feel better when this is over with. Thomas. Thomas. I can't help you 'til you tell me the truth. Go ahead, okay? Did you kill Micah?"
Pate: "No."
Dad: "Did you shoot her? Did you shoot Micah? Did you shoot Micah?"
Pate: "We were going to shoot her gun (inaudible)."
Dad: "Where is she at? Did you shot Micah? Did you shoot Micah?"
Pate: "We were going to shoot her gun (inaudible)"
Dad: "Where is she at? Where is she, son? Please tell me the truth."
Pate: "I feel terrible (inaudible)."
Dad: "Thomas is she at the water hole, son? Is that where she is? Where is she son? Please tell me son."
Pate: "Loosahatchie River...on the Loosahatchie."
Dad: "She's on the Loosahatchie. Can you tell us?"
Pate: (Inaudible)
Dad: "Can you tell us, for her."
Pate: "Off Brunswick Road."
Pate went on to tell detectives and his father Micah walked in front the gun when he fired the shot. He says he asked if she was okay, and when she didn't respond, he threw the gun in the river and took off.
Pate: "It was an accident. It was an accident. I'm sorry (inaudible)."
The gun used in Micah Pate's death was never recovered.
The judge will make a decision on whether the confession can be used as trial evidence on June 11th.
Published : Thursday, 22 Apr 2010, 4:55 PM CDT
Lauren
Lee
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A judge has decided to take another listen to the taped confession of Thomas Pate. Defense attorneys and prosecutors listened in as Pate recalled the night his wife vanished.
Thomas Pate sat quietly in court as the judge and his parents listened to his emotionally charged confession, the night following his wife's disappearence.
Officer: "Micah's a very pretty, Micah's a very pretty woman. If she's out there, exposed to the elements, it's going to be hard on her."
Pate is facing a first degree murder charge for his wife's death.
The 26-year-old woman was found shot to death in the Loosahatchie River bottoms near Brunswick Road in May of 2009.
Police say Thomas Pate threw her body in the river and then reported her missing.
When Bartlett Police questioned Pate about where his wife may be, he demanded to speak to his father.
Officer: "I will let you talk to your dad if you tell us where Micah is."
Pate: "I really want to talk to my dad. Please. I don't know. I don't know."
Officer: "All you got to do is help us and lead us to where she is (inaudible)"
Pate: "I don't know. I want to talk to my freakin dad."
During the interrogation, investigators brought up Pate's affair with another woman, as well as his addiction to cocaine and alcohol.
Officer: "Did your wife find out about you meeting up with your girlfriend or having any other problems?"
Pate: "I don't know"
Officer: "You don't know?"
After several long hours, Pate's father was finally brought in to talk to his son. That's when he broke down and told police where his wife's body was.
Pate: "Oh God! Oh God!, I can't do it."
Dad: "Thomas, look at me, look at me. We've come this far, let's go the rest of the way. Let's get it over with. You'll feel better when this is over with. Thomas. Thomas. I can't help you 'til you tell me the truth. Go ahead, okay? Did you kill Micah?"
Pate: "No."
Dad: "Did you shoot her? Did you shoot Micah? Did you shoot Micah?"
Pate: "We were going to shoot her gun (inaudible)."
Dad: "Where is she at? Did you shot Micah? Did you shoot Micah?"
Pate: "We were going to shoot her gun (inaudible)"
Dad: "Where is she at? Where is she, son? Please tell me the truth."
Pate: "I feel terrible (inaudible)."
Dad: "Thomas is she at the water hole, son? Is that where she is? Where is she son? Please tell me son."
Pate: "Loosahatchie River...on the Loosahatchie."
Dad: "She's on the Loosahatchie. Can you tell us?"
Pate: (Inaudible)
Dad: "Can you tell us, for her."
Pate: "Off Brunswick Road."
Pate went on to tell detectives and his father Micah walked in front the gun when he fired the shot. He says he asked if she was okay, and when she didn't respond, he threw the gun in the river and took off.
Pate: "It was an accident. It was an accident. I'm sorry (inaudible)."
The gun used in Micah Pate's death was never recovered.
The judge will make a decision on whether the confession can be used as trial evidence on June 11th.
Titusville, FL: Man Distraught Over Wife’s Death Prompts SWAT Standoff
Saturday, April 24, 2010 6:43:28 AM
TITUSVILLE -- Police said a man upset over the death of his wife led to a SWAT standoff that lasted several hours.
Investigators said the ordeal began Friday night after a man called police, saying he was distraught after his wife died inside the couple’s home on Shady Oaks Drive.
When police arrived, however, they said the man would not cooperate, and refused to let officers inside.
Police called in the SWAT team as a precaution, but investigators said they were able to get inside the home after several hours.
Investigators said the man was suffering from chest pains. His wife’s body was found inside the home.
An autopsy is expected to determine the cause of death, but police said there was no indication of any foul play.
TITUSVILLE -- Police said a man upset over the death of his wife led to a SWAT standoff that lasted several hours.
Investigators said the ordeal began Friday night after a man called police, saying he was distraught after his wife died inside the couple’s home on Shady Oaks Drive.
When police arrived, however, they said the man would not cooperate, and refused to let officers inside.
Police called in the SWAT team as a precaution, but investigators said they were able to get inside the home after several hours.
Investigators said the man was suffering from chest pains. His wife’s body was found inside the home.
An autopsy is expected to determine the cause of death, but police said there was no indication of any foul play.
Los Angelos, CA: Little Armenia Family Nearly Wiped out by Mom's Stalker, Cops Say
Posted by Carlin DeGuerin Miller Leave Comment
Karine Hakobyan (KCAL) LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) The 13-year-old sole survivor from an Armenian immigrant family gunned down in two incidents may be one step closer to seeing justice done for her family. In December 2008, the girl returned home to find her father and 8-year-old sister shot dead. Eighteen months later, she found her mother shot dead in her car.
The break in the case came Monday when detectives received new information that led them to investigate Alberd Tersargyan, an Armenian immigrant who was reportedly a friend of the family.
Los Angeles police announced that they have arrested the man they believe may be responsible for both the 2009 murder of Karine Hakobyan, and the 2008 deaths of her husband, Khachik Safaryan and their daughter Lusine Safaryan. Police say Tersargyan, of Los Angeles, may have been obsessed with Hakobyan, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Police initially arrested Tersargyan for weapons violations after finding several handguns and rifles, none of which were believed to be registered. Capt. Kevin McClure said ballistics tests linked a small-caliber handgun to the March 26 slaying of Hakobyan, who was shot to death in a carport at her apartment complex.
Investigators believe Tersargyan may be responsible for the 2008 deaths because the family knew him as a friend, McClure said. "He had the ability to go to the house."
Tersargyan's arraignment was continued until May 6 and the public defender's office did not immediately know which of its attorneys had been assigned to Tersargyan's case.
Karine Hakobyan (KCAL) LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) The 13-year-old sole survivor from an Armenian immigrant family gunned down in two incidents may be one step closer to seeing justice done for her family. In December 2008, the girl returned home to find her father and 8-year-old sister shot dead. Eighteen months later, she found her mother shot dead in her car.
The break in the case came Monday when detectives received new information that led them to investigate Alberd Tersargyan, an Armenian immigrant who was reportedly a friend of the family.
Los Angeles police announced that they have arrested the man they believe may be responsible for both the 2009 murder of Karine Hakobyan, and the 2008 deaths of her husband, Khachik Safaryan and their daughter Lusine Safaryan. Police say Tersargyan, of Los Angeles, may have been obsessed with Hakobyan, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Police initially arrested Tersargyan for weapons violations after finding several handguns and rifles, none of which were believed to be registered. Capt. Kevin McClure said ballistics tests linked a small-caliber handgun to the March 26 slaying of Hakobyan, who was shot to death in a carport at her apartment complex.
Investigators believe Tersargyan may be responsible for the 2008 deaths because the family knew him as a friend, McClure said. "He had the ability to go to the house."
Tersargyan's arraignment was continued until May 6 and the public defender's office did not immediately know which of its attorneys had been assigned to Tersargyan's case.
Prestonsburg, KY: Man dies after setting his own home on fire
A man committed suicide by burning down his own home Thursday afternoon.
Posted: 10:50 PM Apr 22, 2010
Man dies after setting his own home on fire - MacKenzie Bates Reports
A man committed suicide by burning down his own home Thursday afternoon.
It happened at the man's home on Jack Arnett Branch Road in Prestonsburg in Floyd County.
State Police say 58-year-old Phillip Anthony Horn told officers he wanted to kill them and then set his own home on fire.
Horn reportedly told neighbors the he wanted to kill himself and burn his home Wednesday evening and tried to borrow a handgun from his neighbor, after having an emergency protective order served against him and approximately twenty firearms taken from his possession by Floyd County Deputy Sheriff's Deputies.
State Police say firefighters at the scene could not battle the fire for fear of being shot at by Horn. Officers first first on the scene reportedly heard Horn fire what they believed was a gunshot inside the residence.
After the fire was put out, the Middle Creek Fire Department found a body believed to be Horn.
Posted: 10:50 PM Apr 22, 2010
Man dies after setting his own home on fire - MacKenzie Bates Reports
A man committed suicide by burning down his own home Thursday afternoon.
It happened at the man's home on Jack Arnett Branch Road in Prestonsburg in Floyd County.
State Police say 58-year-old Phillip Anthony Horn told officers he wanted to kill them and then set his own home on fire.
Horn reportedly told neighbors the he wanted to kill himself and burn his home Wednesday evening and tried to borrow a handgun from his neighbor, after having an emergency protective order served against him and approximately twenty firearms taken from his possession by Floyd County Deputy Sheriff's Deputies.
State Police say firefighters at the scene could not battle the fire for fear of being shot at by Horn. Officers first first on the scene reportedly heard Horn fire what they believed was a gunshot inside the residence.
After the fire was put out, the Middle Creek Fire Department found a body believed to be Horn.
Article: D.C. sniper's former wife shares lessons of domestic violence
April 21st, 2010 @ 6:05pm
By Jed Boal
SALT LAKE CITY -- A victim of domestic violence shared her powerful story in Salt Lake City Wednesday so that others may avoid her fear and pain.
Mildred Muhammad endured emotional trauma and physical threats from her husband, who later victimized millions.
Her story is not well-known, but her former husband captured national headlines when he terrorized a three-state area and murdered 10 innocent victims. Her story is another compelling reason to heed the cries of domestic violence victims.
Mildred Muhammad is not a name familiar to most of us, but few forget the crimes of her former husband John Muhammad. He was the D.C. sniper. His terror originally targeted his wife.
Mildred Muhammad is not a name familiar to most of us, but few forget the crimes of her former husband John Muhammad. He was the D.C. sniper.
John Muhammad masterminded the murder spree that killed 10 people in the Washington, D.C., area in 2002. He terrorized the area with his teenage accomplice. That terror originally targeted his wife.
Mildred Muhammad says, "He stood over my bed, said that, ‘You have become my enemy, and as my enemy, I will kill you.'"
Mildred shared her story at the 23rd Annual Crime Victims' Conference for people who provide victim services across the state. The purpose is to share the latest strategies in helping victims of crime and develop new strategies to prevent crime.
Mildred says her husband acted violently when he came home from the Gulf War, but no one -- including the police and the FBI -- listened seriously. More than a year before the shootings started, he kidnapped their three children and threatened to kill her.
"He did not speak idle words, and I knew he was going to carry that out," she says. "The problem was, I couldn't get anyone to believe me because I did not have the physical scars."
Mildred never imagined his domestic war would grow into a plot to randomly kill many, so that when he eventually killed her that, too, would appear random.
"He would come in as the grieving father, get custody of the children and walk away with $100,000 compensation money that they were giving to victims who were killed at that time," she says.
Victims' advocates say her story shows how important it is to deal with the roots of crime quickly. Chairman of State Council on Victims of Crime Reed Richards says they can learn a lot from the failures of that case.
"If there had been significant action on the original complaints of domestic violence, it may have prevented many, many people from being killed," says Richards.
Mildred hopes people will listen more closely to victims.
"You do not have to have physical scars to be a victim, or survivor of domestic violence," she says.
She continues with her own recovery as an advocate and author of a book, "Scared Silent," which came out last fall. Her children are also doing well.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
By Jed Boal
SALT LAKE CITY -- A victim of domestic violence shared her powerful story in Salt Lake City Wednesday so that others may avoid her fear and pain.
Mildred Muhammad endured emotional trauma and physical threats from her husband, who later victimized millions.
Her story is not well-known, but her former husband captured national headlines when he terrorized a three-state area and murdered 10 innocent victims. Her story is another compelling reason to heed the cries of domestic violence victims.
Mildred Muhammad is not a name familiar to most of us, but few forget the crimes of her former husband John Muhammad. He was the D.C. sniper. His terror originally targeted his wife.
Mildred Muhammad is not a name familiar to most of us, but few forget the crimes of her former husband John Muhammad. He was the D.C. sniper.
John Muhammad masterminded the murder spree that killed 10 people in the Washington, D.C., area in 2002. He terrorized the area with his teenage accomplice. That terror originally targeted his wife.
Mildred Muhammad says, "He stood over my bed, said that, ‘You have become my enemy, and as my enemy, I will kill you.'"
Mildred shared her story at the 23rd Annual Crime Victims' Conference for people who provide victim services across the state. The purpose is to share the latest strategies in helping victims of crime and develop new strategies to prevent crime.
Mildred says her husband acted violently when he came home from the Gulf War, but no one -- including the police and the FBI -- listened seriously. More than a year before the shootings started, he kidnapped their three children and threatened to kill her.
"He did not speak idle words, and I knew he was going to carry that out," she says. "The problem was, I couldn't get anyone to believe me because I did not have the physical scars."
Mildred never imagined his domestic war would grow into a plot to randomly kill many, so that when he eventually killed her that, too, would appear random.
"He would come in as the grieving father, get custody of the children and walk away with $100,000 compensation money that they were giving to victims who were killed at that time," she says.
Victims' advocates say her story shows how important it is to deal with the roots of crime quickly. Chairman of State Council on Victims of Crime Reed Richards says they can learn a lot from the failures of that case.
"If there had been significant action on the original complaints of domestic violence, it may have prevented many, many people from being killed," says Richards.
Mildred hopes people will listen more closely to victims.
"You do not have to have physical scars to be a victim, or survivor of domestic violence," she says.
She continues with her own recovery as an advocate and author of a book, "Scared Silent," which came out last fall. Her children are also doing well.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
Raleigh, TN: Man charged with murder in shooting death of girlfriend
James Eubanks
James Eubanks was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Erica Abrams.
The couple were in an apartment at around 10 p.m. Monday at 1092 Homer when they began to argue.
Eubanks, 24, said Abrams armed herself with a gun. He told police he tried to take the gun from her and it discharged.
The Shelby County Medical Examiner’s office ruled her shooting death a homicide. He is being held on $3 million bond.
James Eubanks was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Erica Abrams.
The couple were in an apartment at around 10 p.m. Monday at 1092 Homer when they began to argue.
Eubanks, 24, said Abrams armed herself with a gun. He told police he tried to take the gun from her and it discharged.
The Shelby County Medical Examiner’s office ruled her shooting death a homicide. He is being held on $3 million bond.
Tacoma, WA: Body found in garage
Crime: Soldier confessed to killing wife, then hiding remains, say officials
BY JEREMY PAWLOSKI
Last updated: April 24th, 2010 06:57 AM (PDT)
Body found in garage A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who returned from an overseas deployment last year has confessed to killing his 27-year-old wife during an argument Feb. 18, then hiding her body in his garage, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
On Friday morning, deputies found the body stuffed into a plastic storage container in the man’s garage in the 9200 block of Skokomish Way.
Sheldon T. Plummer, 28, was booked Friday morning into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, domestic violence.
The Sheriff’s Office began its investigation April 18 after one of Plummer’s friends, also a soldier, told deputies that Plummer had asked him about the best way to dispose of a body, said sheriff’s Lt. Chris Mealy.
Earlier, Plummer and the friend had a conversation about the television program “Dexter,” a Showtime series about a serial killer, and several days later, Plummer called the friend to continue their discussion and asked him about how to dispose of a body, said sheriff’s Sgt. Cheryl Stines.
Plummer initially told deputies that his wife had left him and their 2-year-old daughter about a month earlier, Mealy said. Mealy said that Plummer later gave a conflicting time frame for when his wife left.
Sheriff’s investigators became suspicious, because Plummer had told them his wife packed three suitcases and left after an argument, but her vehicle still was parked in the lot of their apartment complex on Skokomish Way, Mealy said. Deputies also were suspicious because the wife’s family in Arizona said that they had not seen or heard from her, Mealy said.
Plummer did not report his wife as missing, even though she had been gone for more than a month, Mealy said.
Investigators obtained search warrants for the man’s home and pickup Thursday night, Mealy said. After several interviews, on Friday morning, Plummer confessed to killing his wife Feb. 18, and said her body was in a storage container in the garage.
Mealy said investigators think the relationship between Plummer and his wife was volatile.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office took possession of the woman’s remains Friday afternoon and will conduct an autopsy Monday, Mealy said. The remains were not removed from the storage container, he added.
Thurston County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jodilyn Erikson-Muldrew said Friday that Plummer’s first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. Plummer has no documented history of domestic violence, she added.
Stines said Friday that Plummer returned from his third overseas deployment in August 2009.
Sheriff’s investigators have learned that Plummer pawned his wife’s jewelry after she was killed, Mealy said.
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said Friday that the woman’s family has been notified of the situation and is headed to Washington from Arizona. He said he will not release her name until she has been positively identified.
The couple’s daughter was staying with friends as of Friday, Mealy said.
As sheriff’s investigators and the Coroner’s Office gathered around Plummer’s garage Friday morning, neighbors in the apartment complex on Skokomish Way gathered outside the yellow crime tape that encircled the residence. Many people who live in the apartment complex are soldiers and soldiers’ families, said neighbor Carla Gibson.
Gibson said she did not know Plummer well, but he seemed friendly enough.
“I would see him every day,” she said. “I thought he was a total normal person. … It freaks me out, because we live in a really good neighborhood.”
Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokesman Joe Piek confirmed that the man placed under arrest Friday was Sgt. Sheldon T. Plummer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Signal Battalion. He added that Plummer has been assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord since August 2004. He is trained as a multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer and has worked for the past three years in his battalion as a senior system information noncommissioned officer.
“The thoughts and prayers of the entire Joint Base Lewis-McChord community are with the family, friends and loved ones of everyone involved in the tragic events that resulted in the arrest of a joint base soldier,” Piek said in a statement e-mailed to The Olympian.
Piek’s statement continues, “While assigned at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Plummer deployed to Iraq with his unit from Nov. 21, 2005, to Nov. 20, 2006, and again from Aug. 28, 2008, to Aug. 23, 2009.
“He had also previously deployed to Iraq while assigned in Germany, for a total of three deployments.”
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465
jpawloski@theolympian.com
BY JEREMY PAWLOSKI
Last updated: April 24th, 2010 06:57 AM (PDT)
Body found in garage A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who returned from an overseas deployment last year has confessed to killing his 27-year-old wife during an argument Feb. 18, then hiding her body in his garage, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
On Friday morning, deputies found the body stuffed into a plastic storage container in the man’s garage in the 9200 block of Skokomish Way.
Sheldon T. Plummer, 28, was booked Friday morning into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, domestic violence.
The Sheriff’s Office began its investigation April 18 after one of Plummer’s friends, also a soldier, told deputies that Plummer had asked him about the best way to dispose of a body, said sheriff’s Lt. Chris Mealy.
Earlier, Plummer and the friend had a conversation about the television program “Dexter,” a Showtime series about a serial killer, and several days later, Plummer called the friend to continue their discussion and asked him about how to dispose of a body, said sheriff’s Sgt. Cheryl Stines.
Plummer initially told deputies that his wife had left him and their 2-year-old daughter about a month earlier, Mealy said. Mealy said that Plummer later gave a conflicting time frame for when his wife left.
Sheriff’s investigators became suspicious, because Plummer had told them his wife packed three suitcases and left after an argument, but her vehicle still was parked in the lot of their apartment complex on Skokomish Way, Mealy said. Deputies also were suspicious because the wife’s family in Arizona said that they had not seen or heard from her, Mealy said.
Plummer did not report his wife as missing, even though she had been gone for more than a month, Mealy said.
Investigators obtained search warrants for the man’s home and pickup Thursday night, Mealy said. After several interviews, on Friday morning, Plummer confessed to killing his wife Feb. 18, and said her body was in a storage container in the garage.
Mealy said investigators think the relationship between Plummer and his wife was volatile.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office took possession of the woman’s remains Friday afternoon and will conduct an autopsy Monday, Mealy said. The remains were not removed from the storage container, he added.
Thurston County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jodilyn Erikson-Muldrew said Friday that Plummer’s first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. Plummer has no documented history of domestic violence, she added.
Stines said Friday that Plummer returned from his third overseas deployment in August 2009.
Sheriff’s investigators have learned that Plummer pawned his wife’s jewelry after she was killed, Mealy said.
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said Friday that the woman’s family has been notified of the situation and is headed to Washington from Arizona. He said he will not release her name until she has been positively identified.
The couple’s daughter was staying with friends as of Friday, Mealy said.
As sheriff’s investigators and the Coroner’s Office gathered around Plummer’s garage Friday morning, neighbors in the apartment complex on Skokomish Way gathered outside the yellow crime tape that encircled the residence. Many people who live in the apartment complex are soldiers and soldiers’ families, said neighbor Carla Gibson.
Gibson said she did not know Plummer well, but he seemed friendly enough.
“I would see him every day,” she said. “I thought he was a total normal person. … It freaks me out, because we live in a really good neighborhood.”
Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokesman Joe Piek confirmed that the man placed under arrest Friday was Sgt. Sheldon T. Plummer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Signal Battalion. He added that Plummer has been assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord since August 2004. He is trained as a multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer and has worked for the past three years in his battalion as a senior system information noncommissioned officer.
“The thoughts and prayers of the entire Joint Base Lewis-McChord community are with the family, friends and loved ones of everyone involved in the tragic events that resulted in the arrest of a joint base soldier,” Piek said in a statement e-mailed to The Olympian.
Piek’s statement continues, “While assigned at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Plummer deployed to Iraq with his unit from Nov. 21, 2005, to Nov. 20, 2006, and again from Aug. 28, 2008, to Aug. 23, 2009.
“He had also previously deployed to Iraq while assigned in Germany, for a total of three deployments.”
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465
jpawloski@theolympian.com
Omaha, NE: Man gets 80 to life in wife's death
By Todd Cooper
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A prosecutor wondered what went through the mind of the 4-year-old boy.
The boy watched as his dad beat his mom, then strangled her before slashing her throat in the bathroom of the family's rental home in June 2008 near 118th Street and Cryer Avenue.
He then watched as his dad took him to the roof of the one-story Blimpie's restaurant on Saddle Creek Road – and jumped off. Police grabbed the boy before Rix jumped.
Now 6, that little boy has memories no child should have, Deputy Douglas County Attorney Kim Pankonin said.
And Johnny Rix will have a long time to remember his actions in the brutal slaying of his 34-year-old wife, Sonia Espinoza-Lucero.
On Friday, Douglas County District Judge J. Michael Coffey sentenced Rix, 30, to 80 years to life in prison. The sentence means that Rix cannot be paroled unless the Pardons Board commutes his life sentence to a number of years. He faced between 21 years and life in prison.
Coffey said he couldn't imagine the terror that went through the mind of Espinoza-Lucero — and her children. The judge called it one of the worst murders he had seen.
Pankonin agreed. In her 16 years as a proseuctor, she said, she has never seen such a brutal crime scene. Rix nearly decapitated the woman, Pankonin said.
But in every other way, Pankonin said, the domestic violence was prototypical. And that's exactly the reason this case should serve as a wake-up call to women trapped in domestic violence situations.
A sweet woman, Sonia Espinoza-Lucero kept the couple's volatile relationship secret from her coworkers, friends, even family.
She worked hard and raised the couple’s three sons — including 1-year-old twins, Pankonin said. And she dealt with the neverending specter of her husband’s temper.
Pankonin said Rix was "insanely jealous" and controlling. He drove his wife to work, constantly called to check on her and hounded her at home. It was the same behavior Rix was accused of in the late 1990s.
In that case, Pankonin said, a former girlfriend in Grand Island described his abusive, controlling behavior. She escaped the relationship when her family helped her pack up her belongings while Rix was at work.
"This was not unusual conduct for the defendant," Pankonin said. "And it resulted in the senseless loss of a mom, sister and friend. It was a gruesome, horrible death she did not deserve."
Rix apologized for the "embarrassment" he caused his family and the pain he caused his wife’s family.
Coffey questioned what kind of impact this will have on Espinoza-Lucero’s children. The boys are now living with an uncle and aunt. Now 6, the oldest son has shown signs of agression and acting out.
When he met with police two years ago, he was able to re-create his father’s actions in the house that day. He described how his father yelled "you don’t love me," as he attacked his mother. He then watched as his dad carried his mom to the bathroom — telling him "Mommy’s going to take a bath."
"People have described her death as ‘horrific,’" Coffey said. "If you saw what has been done here, that might be mild. It was completely senseless. Extremely violent.
"I only hope the children can somehow put it aside."
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WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A prosecutor wondered what went through the mind of the 4-year-old boy.
The boy watched as his dad beat his mom, then strangled her before slashing her throat in the bathroom of the family's rental home in June 2008 near 118th Street and Cryer Avenue.
He then watched as his dad took him to the roof of the one-story Blimpie's restaurant on Saddle Creek Road – and jumped off. Police grabbed the boy before Rix jumped.
Now 6, that little boy has memories no child should have, Deputy Douglas County Attorney Kim Pankonin said.
And Johnny Rix will have a long time to remember his actions in the brutal slaying of his 34-year-old wife, Sonia Espinoza-Lucero.
On Friday, Douglas County District Judge J. Michael Coffey sentenced Rix, 30, to 80 years to life in prison. The sentence means that Rix cannot be paroled unless the Pardons Board commutes his life sentence to a number of years. He faced between 21 years and life in prison.
Coffey said he couldn't imagine the terror that went through the mind of Espinoza-Lucero — and her children. The judge called it one of the worst murders he had seen.
Pankonin agreed. In her 16 years as a proseuctor, she said, she has never seen such a brutal crime scene. Rix nearly decapitated the woman, Pankonin said.
But in every other way, Pankonin said, the domestic violence was prototypical. And that's exactly the reason this case should serve as a wake-up call to women trapped in domestic violence situations.
A sweet woman, Sonia Espinoza-Lucero kept the couple's volatile relationship secret from her coworkers, friends, even family.
She worked hard and raised the couple’s three sons — including 1-year-old twins, Pankonin said. And she dealt with the neverending specter of her husband’s temper.
Pankonin said Rix was "insanely jealous" and controlling. He drove his wife to work, constantly called to check on her and hounded her at home. It was the same behavior Rix was accused of in the late 1990s.
In that case, Pankonin said, a former girlfriend in Grand Island described his abusive, controlling behavior. She escaped the relationship when her family helped her pack up her belongings while Rix was at work.
"This was not unusual conduct for the defendant," Pankonin said. "And it resulted in the senseless loss of a mom, sister and friend. It was a gruesome, horrible death she did not deserve."
Rix apologized for the "embarrassment" he caused his family and the pain he caused his wife’s family.
Coffey questioned what kind of impact this will have on Espinoza-Lucero’s children. The boys are now living with an uncle and aunt. Now 6, the oldest son has shown signs of agression and acting out.
When he met with police two years ago, he was able to re-create his father’s actions in the house that day. He described how his father yelled "you don’t love me," as he attacked his mother. He then watched as his dad carried his mom to the bathroom — telling him "Mommy’s going to take a bath."
"People have described her death as ‘horrific,’" Coffey said. "If you saw what has been done here, that might be mild. It was completely senseless. Extremely violent.
"I only hope the children can somehow put it aside."
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Crawfordsville, IN: Suspect described as ‘gentle giant’
Trial heads into 2nd week Monday
By SOPHIA VORAVONG
svoravong@jconline.com
CRAWFORDSVILLE — Attorneys for a New Richmond man charged with murder in the gruesome shooting of an ex-girlfriend spent Friday afternoon in Montgomery Circuit Court trying to characterize their client as a “gentle giant.”
Those were the exact words both a former supervisor and coworker at Fairfield Manufacturing Co. in Lafayette used to describe Scott D. Malott, 37, to jurors.
Malott’s trial on charges of murder and criminal confinement began Tuesday before Judge Thomas Milligan. Testimony will resume Monday morning.
“He was a quiet guy. He was a gentle giant. He never lost his temper,” said Thomas Lind of Colfax, who trained Malott when Malott was hired in 2005.
Lind was one of three Fairfield employees called Friday by Malott’s defense to testify. Questions posed by Malott’s attorneys, Kurt Homann and Heather Perkins, largely focused on his demeanor.
Malott is accused of fatally shooting Heather M. Rush, 30, five times on March 9, 2009, at Malott’s home at 3749 W. Montgomery County Road 1200 North in New Richmond.
Rush, the mother of Malott’s two children, had just moved in. At the time, she was dating Roger Lyman, 34, of Colfax — though it’s unclear whether Malott knew the two were dating.
Montgomery County Prosecutor Joe Buser alleges that the shooting occurred after Malott held Rush and Lyman at gunpoint for three to four hours in Rush’s bedroom.
Malott’s attorneys are arguing that Malott snapped after seeing Lyman in Rush’s bed.
If the defense is successful, that would make the shooting a lesser crime of voluntary manslaughter.
According to information presented during the trial thus far, Rush and Malott dated for about four years. They broke up in the fall of 2007, shortly after Rush met — and soon married — someone she met online.
That marriage ended in late 2008. Rush then moved into Malott’s home in March 2009 because of financial struggles.
Rush and Malott’s former baby-sitter, Rosemarie Koebcke of New Richmond, testified Friday that Rush became bored by her relationship with Malott.
Toward the later years, Rush would more and more often want a baby-sitter for Friday and Saturday nights. On some of those instances, Rush wanted to go out dancing.
“She just wasn’t as happy as she’d been before,” said Koebcke, who was called to testify by Malott’s attorneys.
Koebcke said she became “a shoulder for Scott to express his feelings to.” She also had testified on Malott’s behalf during his custody battle with Rush.
Though the couple shared joint custody, Rush was given physical custody of them.
“Scott is a wonderful father,” Koebcke said Friday. “I mean seriously, the kids adore him.”
Retorted Buser during cross examination: “The judge didn’t see it that way, did he?”
Several witnesses this past week testified that Malott became upset the morning of March 9, 2009, because he believed Rush violated an agreement in which she was not to have men over when the children were home.
Lyman slept over that night.
His videotaped statement to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department was played Friday afternoon for jurors.
“She didn’t want him to freak out about having a boyfriend right after her divorce,” Lyman tells a deputy. “... He was obsessed with her.”
By SOPHIA VORAVONG
svoravong@jconline.com
CRAWFORDSVILLE — Attorneys for a New Richmond man charged with murder in the gruesome shooting of an ex-girlfriend spent Friday afternoon in Montgomery Circuit Court trying to characterize their client as a “gentle giant.”
Those were the exact words both a former supervisor and coworker at Fairfield Manufacturing Co. in Lafayette used to describe Scott D. Malott, 37, to jurors.
Malott’s trial on charges of murder and criminal confinement began Tuesday before Judge Thomas Milligan. Testimony will resume Monday morning.
“He was a quiet guy. He was a gentle giant. He never lost his temper,” said Thomas Lind of Colfax, who trained Malott when Malott was hired in 2005.
Lind was one of three Fairfield employees called Friday by Malott’s defense to testify. Questions posed by Malott’s attorneys, Kurt Homann and Heather Perkins, largely focused on his demeanor.
Malott is accused of fatally shooting Heather M. Rush, 30, five times on March 9, 2009, at Malott’s home at 3749 W. Montgomery County Road 1200 North in New Richmond.
Rush, the mother of Malott’s two children, had just moved in. At the time, she was dating Roger Lyman, 34, of Colfax — though it’s unclear whether Malott knew the two were dating.
Montgomery County Prosecutor Joe Buser alleges that the shooting occurred after Malott held Rush and Lyman at gunpoint for three to four hours in Rush’s bedroom.
Malott’s attorneys are arguing that Malott snapped after seeing Lyman in Rush’s bed.
If the defense is successful, that would make the shooting a lesser crime of voluntary manslaughter.
According to information presented during the trial thus far, Rush and Malott dated for about four years. They broke up in the fall of 2007, shortly after Rush met — and soon married — someone she met online.
That marriage ended in late 2008. Rush then moved into Malott’s home in March 2009 because of financial struggles.
Rush and Malott’s former baby-sitter, Rosemarie Koebcke of New Richmond, testified Friday that Rush became bored by her relationship with Malott.
Toward the later years, Rush would more and more often want a baby-sitter for Friday and Saturday nights. On some of those instances, Rush wanted to go out dancing.
“She just wasn’t as happy as she’d been before,” said Koebcke, who was called to testify by Malott’s attorneys.
Koebcke said she became “a shoulder for Scott to express his feelings to.” She also had testified on Malott’s behalf during his custody battle with Rush.
Though the couple shared joint custody, Rush was given physical custody of them.
“Scott is a wonderful father,” Koebcke said Friday. “I mean seriously, the kids adore him.”
Retorted Buser during cross examination: “The judge didn’t see it that way, did he?”
Several witnesses this past week testified that Malott became upset the morning of March 9, 2009, because he believed Rush violated an agreement in which she was not to have men over when the children were home.
Lyman slept over that night.
His videotaped statement to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department was played Friday afternoon for jurors.
“She didn’t want him to freak out about having a boyfriend right after her divorce,” Lyman tells a deputy. “... He was obsessed with her.”
Santee, NE: Man arrested in Santee shooting
By Andrew J. Nelson
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A dispute between a man and his ex-girlfriend ended badly on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation in northeast Nebraska.
Dawn L. Starlin, 46, died Sunday in a barrage of gunfire outside her home in the village of Santee. Shannon R. Thomas, 33, was arrested and placed in federal custody.
Starlin and Thomas were both residents of the reservation, which is in Knox County. The FBI has jurisdiction in the case.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court this week in Omaha indicate that a dispute over alleged vandalism preceded the shooting.
Starlin and a woman currently dating Thomas had an ongoing quarrel. Thomas also suspected Starlin had damaged his current girlfriend's home. The women were neighbors.
According to court documents, Thomas described the shooting this way to federal investigators:
Early Sunday, as he was standing outside his girlfriend's home, Starlin walked out of her apartment, sat down on a chair and began taunting him.
Thomas picked up a rifle and “started pulling the trigger.” He then took his girlfriend's car and disposed of the rifle near an area known as “Devil's Nest.”
Tribal police responded about 5:30 a.m. and found Starlin with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators located 10 small-caliber shell casings about 25 feet away from her, and several apparent bullet holes in a nearby building.
Thomas turned himself in to authorities at his mother's home in Santee. He was indicted this week on a charge of second-degree murder. He remains jailed.
Starlin's funeral was Thursday and she was buried at the Congregational Cemetery in Santee.
Contact the writer:
444-3106, andrew.nelson@owh.com
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A dispute between a man and his ex-girlfriend ended badly on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation in northeast Nebraska.
Dawn L. Starlin, 46, died Sunday in a barrage of gunfire outside her home in the village of Santee. Shannon R. Thomas, 33, was arrested and placed in federal custody.
Starlin and Thomas were both residents of the reservation, which is in Knox County. The FBI has jurisdiction in the case.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court this week in Omaha indicate that a dispute over alleged vandalism preceded the shooting.
Starlin and a woman currently dating Thomas had an ongoing quarrel. Thomas also suspected Starlin had damaged his current girlfriend's home. The women were neighbors.
According to court documents, Thomas described the shooting this way to federal investigators:
Early Sunday, as he was standing outside his girlfriend's home, Starlin walked out of her apartment, sat down on a chair and began taunting him.
Thomas picked up a rifle and “started pulling the trigger.” He then took his girlfriend's car and disposed of the rifle near an area known as “Devil's Nest.”
Tribal police responded about 5:30 a.m. and found Starlin with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators located 10 small-caliber shell casings about 25 feet away from her, and several apparent bullet holes in a nearby building.
Thomas turned himself in to authorities at his mother's home in Santee. He was indicted this week on a charge of second-degree murder. He remains jailed.
Starlin's funeral was Thursday and she was buried at the Congregational Cemetery in Santee.
Contact the writer:
444-3106, andrew.nelson@owh.com
Kearney, NJ: Kearny man admits strangling girlfriend with curling iron cord
By Ken Thorbourne/The Jersey Journal
April 22, 2010, 6:17PM
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KEARNY -- A town man faces up to 26 years in prison after having pleading guilty to strangling his girlfriend with a curling iron cord during an argument in his apartment in 2008, officials said.
"This is a fair resolution for a brutal and senseless act," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Simpson said yesterday of the plea to aggravated manslaughter by Diego Leonardo Campoverde-Cabrera, 28, in the death of Andrea Catalina Reinoso-Bueno in his apartment at 9-11 Windsor St.
Simpson said relatives of the victim are expected to come from her native Ecuador to speak at Campoverde-Cabrera's sentencing on June 4. The guilty plea was entered on April 16.
Responding to a 911 call at the Windsor Street apartment on Nov. 16, 2008, police said Campoverde-Cabrera answered the door and inside cops found the victim's partially clothed body.
Reinoso-Bueno had a ligature mark below her jaw line indicating she had been strangled to death with the electric cord, Simpson said, adding that she also had blunt force trauma to her head and had been stabbed twice in the torso with the metal-tipped curling iron.
Reinoso-Bueno had just returned to her boyfriend's apartment after spending a week in Greenwich, Conn., where she worked as a nanny, officials said. The family she worked for in Greenwich helped identified her body, authorities said.
Simpson said the lethal attack appears to have started as "an argument that escalated and we don't know the reason." Bail was set at $500,000 for Campoverde-Cabrera and he has been in jail since his arrest.
Campoverde-Cabrera will be sentenced by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. He will have to serve 85 percent of any sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
April 22, 2010, 6:17PM
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KEARNY -- A town man faces up to 26 years in prison after having pleading guilty to strangling his girlfriend with a curling iron cord during an argument in his apartment in 2008, officials said.
"This is a fair resolution for a brutal and senseless act," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Simpson said yesterday of the plea to aggravated manslaughter by Diego Leonardo Campoverde-Cabrera, 28, in the death of Andrea Catalina Reinoso-Bueno in his apartment at 9-11 Windsor St.
Simpson said relatives of the victim are expected to come from her native Ecuador to speak at Campoverde-Cabrera's sentencing on June 4. The guilty plea was entered on April 16.
Responding to a 911 call at the Windsor Street apartment on Nov. 16, 2008, police said Campoverde-Cabrera answered the door and inside cops found the victim's partially clothed body.
Reinoso-Bueno had a ligature mark below her jaw line indicating she had been strangled to death with the electric cord, Simpson said, adding that she also had blunt force trauma to her head and had been stabbed twice in the torso with the metal-tipped curling iron.
Reinoso-Bueno had just returned to her boyfriend's apartment after spending a week in Greenwich, Conn., where she worked as a nanny, officials said. The family she worked for in Greenwich helped identified her body, authorities said.
Simpson said the lethal attack appears to have started as "an argument that escalated and we don't know the reason." Bail was set at $500,000 for Campoverde-Cabrera and he has been in jail since his arrest.
Campoverde-Cabrera will be sentenced by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. He will have to serve 85 percent of any sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
May's Landing, NJ: A.C. MAN CONVICTED IN STRANGLING DEATH OF EX-GIRLFRIEND
Corin Wilson ( news@nbc40.net ) - 4/22/10 05:30 pm
MAYS LANDING--An Atlantic City man is convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in her Somers Point apartment nearly 2 years ago.
A jury found Najee Kelsey, 24, guilty of murder and other charges after going to the Carriage House Apartments in May of 2008, forcing his way into Tanisha Tull's home, where he assaulted and then strangled her to death. The two had broken up a few days prior.
Kelsey faces 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in June.
MAYS LANDING--An Atlantic City man is convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in her Somers Point apartment nearly 2 years ago.
A jury found Najee Kelsey, 24, guilty of murder and other charges after going to the Carriage House Apartments in May of 2008, forcing his way into Tanisha Tull's home, where he assaulted and then strangled her to death. The two had broken up a few days prior.
Kelsey faces 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in June.
Sonoma, CA : Couple dead in murder-suicide
By David Bolling
INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR
Published:
Thu 4/22 7 PM
The victims of what Sonoma police believe was a murder-suicide were identified Thursday as 78-year-old Diana D. Reinfeld and her 77-year-old husband Stanley J. Reinfeld. It was the second time in two months Sonoma police have discovered what appears to be a murder-suicide in the city.
The discovery was made at 1:25 p.m. Wednesday in an apartment at 157 Guadalupe Drive in a northeast neighborhood near Arnold Field.
According to Sonoma Police Sgt. Ruben Martinez, the discovery was made when a concerned friend of the Reinfelds reported to police she had not seen the couple for several days. When police arrived at the apartment, they concluded from circumstances at the scene there was cause for forced entry. They broke into the residence and found the Reinfelds dead in a bedroom. They had both suffered gunshot wounds.
Evidence gathered at the scene and from neighbors indicated the couple were in poor health, but further details about their medical condition and any motivations underlying the tragedy were not available.
Police Chief Bret Sackett said notes found in the apartment indicated a pre-meditated death pact. An autopsy was scheduled for today (Friday) to confirm the cause and time of death. Police would not speculate on how long the couple had been deceased.
On Feb. 19, Sonoma police found the bodies of 28-year-old Amy Beam and her 6-year-old daughter, Anjelee Sanchez, in a First Street West apartment. Detectives found notes and letters indicating Beam intended to commit suicide and they discovered dozens of pills and other medications close to the bodies. A subsequent autopsy revealed no external trauma and a pathologist's report suggested mother and daughter may have died of a medication overdose. The toxicologist's report in that case has not yet been made public.
Martinez said detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Wednesday's discovery.
INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR
Published:
Thu 4/22 7 PM
The victims of what Sonoma police believe was a murder-suicide were identified Thursday as 78-year-old Diana D. Reinfeld and her 77-year-old husband Stanley J. Reinfeld. It was the second time in two months Sonoma police have discovered what appears to be a murder-suicide in the city.
The discovery was made at 1:25 p.m. Wednesday in an apartment at 157 Guadalupe Drive in a northeast neighborhood near Arnold Field.
According to Sonoma Police Sgt. Ruben Martinez, the discovery was made when a concerned friend of the Reinfelds reported to police she had not seen the couple for several days. When police arrived at the apartment, they concluded from circumstances at the scene there was cause for forced entry. They broke into the residence and found the Reinfelds dead in a bedroom. They had both suffered gunshot wounds.
Evidence gathered at the scene and from neighbors indicated the couple were in poor health, but further details about their medical condition and any motivations underlying the tragedy were not available.
Police Chief Bret Sackett said notes found in the apartment indicated a pre-meditated death pact. An autopsy was scheduled for today (Friday) to confirm the cause and time of death. Police would not speculate on how long the couple had been deceased.
On Feb. 19, Sonoma police found the bodies of 28-year-old Amy Beam and her 6-year-old daughter, Anjelee Sanchez, in a First Street West apartment. Detectives found notes and letters indicating Beam intended to commit suicide and they discovered dozens of pills and other medications close to the bodies. A subsequent autopsy revealed no external trauma and a pathologist's report suggested mother and daughter may have died of a medication overdose. The toxicologist's report in that case has not yet been made public.
Martinez said detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Wednesday's discovery.
Minneapolis, MN: Man Kills Ex-Girlfriend; Is Alarm Company or Police At Fault?
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 5:04 am
Who is at fault when a man violates a court protection order and kills his former girlfriend, a security alarm company or law enforcement authorities? That’s a question in a Minnesota lawsuit by the family of Teri Lee, who was murdered by a former boyfriend in her second-floor bedroom after spending $2,405 on an intrusion alarm system to protect herself against the murderer, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Ex-boyfriend Steven Van Keuren had violated several orders for protection that prohibited him from contacting Lee.
Lee’s family contends that an ADT salesman misrepresented the alarm system’s capabilities to Lee and that it was improperly installed, with deadly results. ADT officials declined to discuss the case, but in court filings they criticized local police forces for failing to arrest Van Keuren before the attack. In an ADT court motion, the company says that “Sadly, if the police departments had acted properly [] Van Keuren would have been in jail [] rather than carrying out the murder of Lee and her boyfriend.”
Link: http://www.startribune.com/local/east/91775814.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUss
Who is at fault when a man violates a court protection order and kills his former girlfriend, a security alarm company or law enforcement authorities? That’s a question in a Minnesota lawsuit by the family of Teri Lee, who was murdered by a former boyfriend in her second-floor bedroom after spending $2,405 on an intrusion alarm system to protect herself against the murderer, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Ex-boyfriend Steven Van Keuren had violated several orders for protection that prohibited him from contacting Lee.
Lee’s family contends that an ADT salesman misrepresented the alarm system’s capabilities to Lee and that it was improperly installed, with deadly results. ADT officials declined to discuss the case, but in court filings they criticized local police forces for failing to arrest Van Keuren before the attack. In an ADT court motion, the company says that “Sadly, if the police departments had acted properly [] Van Keuren would have been in jail [] rather than carrying out the murder of Lee and her boyfriend.”
Link: http://www.startribune.com/local/east/91775814.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUss
Rowlett, TX: Rowlett Man Shoots And Kills Visitor
Elisabeth BrubakerThe 33 News Intern
April 23, 2010
ROWLETT, TEXAS - Rowlett Police responded to a reported shooting Thursday afternoon at 7314 B Amherst Drive. The alleged shooter Paul Gillam, 39, shot Dana Swindle, 29, several times and then fled the scene.
Police say Swindle went to the house with the intention of seeing her daughter who lives with Swindle's ex-mother in-law. Officials say Gillam and Swindle were arguing over custody of the child when Gillam started shooting.
Gillam is the boyfriend of Swindle's ex-mother in-law. He was found in Elgin. B Robertson Park near the location of the shooting.
Rowlett Fire and EMS responded to the scene, and Care Flighted Swindle to Baylor Dallas where she was pronounced dead.
The suspect Paul Gillam has been arrested and charged with murder.
April 23, 2010
ROWLETT, TEXAS - Rowlett Police responded to a reported shooting Thursday afternoon at 7314 B Amherst Drive. The alleged shooter Paul Gillam, 39, shot Dana Swindle, 29, several times and then fled the scene.
Police say Swindle went to the house with the intention of seeing her daughter who lives with Swindle's ex-mother in-law. Officials say Gillam and Swindle were arguing over custody of the child when Gillam started shooting.
Gillam is the boyfriend of Swindle's ex-mother in-law. He was found in Elgin. B Robertson Park near the location of the shooting.
Rowlett Fire and EMS responded to the scene, and Care Flighted Swindle to Baylor Dallas where she was pronounced dead.
The suspect Paul Gillam has been arrested and charged with murder.
Wichita Falls, TX: Texas man kills 1, wounds 4 before killing self
© 2010 The Associated Press
April 21, 2010, 9:22PM
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A 22-year-old man with a violent history shot up a crowded book store cafe, wounding four women, then walked down the street and killed a bar worker before holing up in a home where he killed himself, authorities said Wednesday.
Ross William Muehlberger's rampage, which ended early Wednesday after he shot himself in the head, may have been motivated by racial hatred, Police Sgt. Joe Snyder said.
"A recurring theme from witness statements was that the suspect was yelling racial epithets," Snyder said.
Witness Harmony Langford told the Wichita Falls Times Record News that the gunman shouted "White power!" before fatally shooting 23-year-old bar doorman Tim Donley.
Witnesses said Muehlberger walked into a book store cafe late Tuesday and started firing a shotgun, wounding four women.
Although both Muehlberger and Donley were white, three of the wounded women are black and the other is Hispanic, Snyder said. None of the women suffered life-threatening injuries, though three remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon.
Court records show Muehlberger was facing aggravated assault charges in the Oct. 19 stabbing of two men at a Lake Wichita park and had been sentenced to probation in 2008 after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery. He also was charged with aggravated assault on Dec. 31 for allegedly hitting and threatening to kill a girlfriend.
After shooting Donley, police chased Muehlberger to a home, then heard a gun shot from inside. A woman ran out, saying her brother had shot himself, and Snyder says officers found Muehlberger wounded in a bathroom.
Muehlberger died early Wednesday at a Wichita Falls hospital.
The Air Force and FBI are assisting in the investigation, as two of the wounded women were temporarily stationed at nearby Sheppard Air Force Base, base spokesman George Woodward said. They were listed in stable condition Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, he said.
Another victim was transported to the Dallas hospital, but her condition was not immediately available. The fourth victim was released from a Wichita Falls hospital, Snyder said.
April 21, 2010, 9:22PM
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A 22-year-old man with a violent history shot up a crowded book store cafe, wounding four women, then walked down the street and killed a bar worker before holing up in a home where he killed himself, authorities said Wednesday.
Ross William Muehlberger's rampage, which ended early Wednesday after he shot himself in the head, may have been motivated by racial hatred, Police Sgt. Joe Snyder said.
"A recurring theme from witness statements was that the suspect was yelling racial epithets," Snyder said.
Witness Harmony Langford told the Wichita Falls Times Record News that the gunman shouted "White power!" before fatally shooting 23-year-old bar doorman Tim Donley.
Witnesses said Muehlberger walked into a book store cafe late Tuesday and started firing a shotgun, wounding four women.
Although both Muehlberger and Donley were white, three of the wounded women are black and the other is Hispanic, Snyder said. None of the women suffered life-threatening injuries, though three remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon.
Court records show Muehlberger was facing aggravated assault charges in the Oct. 19 stabbing of two men at a Lake Wichita park and had been sentenced to probation in 2008 after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery. He also was charged with aggravated assault on Dec. 31 for allegedly hitting and threatening to kill a girlfriend.
After shooting Donley, police chased Muehlberger to a home, then heard a gun shot from inside. A woman ran out, saying her brother had shot himself, and Snyder says officers found Muehlberger wounded in a bathroom.
Muehlberger died early Wednesday at a Wichita Falls hospital.
The Air Force and FBI are assisting in the investigation, as two of the wounded women were temporarily stationed at nearby Sheppard Air Force Base, base spokesman George Woodward said. They were listed in stable condition Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, he said.
Another victim was transported to the Dallas hospital, but her condition was not immediately available. The fourth victim was released from a Wichita Falls hospital, Snyder said.
Lake Jackson, TX: Man kills ex-wife, then himself
Lake Jackson murder-suicide followed bitter divorce, woman's lawyer says
By PEGGY O'HARE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 23, 2010, 12:17AM
The Lake Jackson woman shot to death by her ex-husband before he killed himself during a police chase had gone through a bitter, contentious divorce from him and suffered personal attacks from him on the Internet, her attorney said on Thursday.
Melissa Meza, 34, a Dow Chemical engineer, was shot multiple times in the front yard of her home Wednesday night by 42-year-old Curtis Boone Maynard, a registered nurse, who later shot himself. The couple had been divorced for more than a year.
Maynard also shot his 16-year-old stepdaughter, Celeste Morales, in the face inside the home before fleeing in his car. Morales remains in stable condition at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
Maynard and Meza's two children, a 12-year-old girl and 2-year-old girl, fled to a neighbor's house and were not hurt, said Lake Jackson police Lt. Paul Kibodeaux
“The 12-year-old picked the 2-year-old up and ran to the neighbor's house — very brave,” Kibodeaux said.
Lenette Terry, the Angleton attorney who represented Meza in her divorce from Maynard, called the slain woman's ex-husband “a nut.”
Divorce final last year
The divorce was very contentious, Terry said Thursday. Maynard “always did crazy things,” she said. “This guy also had some horrible things about her on the Internet and he sent them to her boss at Dow — she brought the stuff in to me and she reported it to the Lake Jackson Police Department.
“She knew she had to get out of this relationship with him. She knew she had to protect her kids. And she was right,” Terry said.
Maynard and Meza met in 1996. They married in August 2005 in Brazoria County, state records show. But the marriage soured in just three years, and Meza filed for divorce in December 2008.
The former couple also had a contested temporary hearing concerning the custody of their children. “She prevailed,” Terry recalled. “He would do things like leave the infant at home when he would go walk to Randall's (grocery store).”
In an angry blog railing against his divorce attorney, Maynard claimed that he and Meza had agreed during their marriage that he would not work on weekdays so he could stay home to care for their youngest daughter, and that he would work only on weekends, which he said put a significant dent in his income. He referred to himself as the “primary caregiver” of the youngest girl and said he had sought sole custody of their two daughters.
The couple's divorce became final in March 2009, but Maynard would not let go, even though Meza had a boyfriend.
On Wednesday, Maynard had been sending text messages to his ex-wife “throughout the day,” Kibodeaux said. Police don't yet know if she responded to him, but she complained about the text messages to a witness.
At 8:20 p.m., neighbors reported hearing gunshots at Meza's home in the 100 block of Post Oak, a quiet, tree-lined street of upper-middle-class houses. The teenager was shot inside the house, while Meza was shot in the front yard, Kibodeaux said.
“She was later shot more times in a different location, but close by, so I would think she was trying to take cover or concealment and was shot again,” Kibodeaux said. Meza had multiple wounds in the head and upper torso, he said.
First homicide in years
Maynard left a shotgun in the front yard, then got in his 1994 Lincoln sedan and drove away, Kibodeaux said. A neighbor followed Maynard's car while on the phone with 911, giving police information on which direction he was heading.
When Lake Jackson police caught up to Maynard's car heading northward on Texas 288 slightly above the 65 mph speed limit, Maynard shot himself in the head with another gun, a semi-automatic rifle, while he was driving, police said.
Maynard's car then veered on to the highway shoulder, where it struck a sport utility vehicle occupied by a mother and her two children that had pulled over to yield to the emergency vehicles. The gunman's car then veered into the grass and back across the highway's two northbound lanes before stopping on the inside shoulder.
The woman and two children inside the SUV hit by Maynard suffered no obvious injuries, but were taken to an Angleton hospital as a precaution, Kibodeaux said.
Police said they have not found anything in writing to indicate that Maynard had planned on taking violent action against anyone, but said they still must review his and his former wife's cell phone records.
“We have seen a few e-mails (from Maynard), but mainly they were character attacks and no indication there would be action taken,” Kibodeaux said.
Meza and Maynard's daughters are now staying with a close family friend, police said.
Child Protective Services caseworkers are meeting with the children's maternal and paternal grandparents about making more permanent living arrangements, Kibodeaux said.
Meza's death marked the first homicide in Lake Jackson in about a decade, the police lieutenant said.
peggy.ohare@chron.com
By PEGGY O'HARE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 23, 2010, 12:17AM
The Lake Jackson woman shot to death by her ex-husband before he killed himself during a police chase had gone through a bitter, contentious divorce from him and suffered personal attacks from him on the Internet, her attorney said on Thursday.
Melissa Meza, 34, a Dow Chemical engineer, was shot multiple times in the front yard of her home Wednesday night by 42-year-old Curtis Boone Maynard, a registered nurse, who later shot himself. The couple had been divorced for more than a year.
Maynard also shot his 16-year-old stepdaughter, Celeste Morales, in the face inside the home before fleeing in his car. Morales remains in stable condition at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
Maynard and Meza's two children, a 12-year-old girl and 2-year-old girl, fled to a neighbor's house and were not hurt, said Lake Jackson police Lt. Paul Kibodeaux
“The 12-year-old picked the 2-year-old up and ran to the neighbor's house — very brave,” Kibodeaux said.
Lenette Terry, the Angleton attorney who represented Meza in her divorce from Maynard, called the slain woman's ex-husband “a nut.”
Divorce final last year
The divorce was very contentious, Terry said Thursday. Maynard “always did crazy things,” she said. “This guy also had some horrible things about her on the Internet and he sent them to her boss at Dow — she brought the stuff in to me and she reported it to the Lake Jackson Police Department.
“She knew she had to get out of this relationship with him. She knew she had to protect her kids. And she was right,” Terry said.
Maynard and Meza met in 1996. They married in August 2005 in Brazoria County, state records show. But the marriage soured in just three years, and Meza filed for divorce in December 2008.
The former couple also had a contested temporary hearing concerning the custody of their children. “She prevailed,” Terry recalled. “He would do things like leave the infant at home when he would go walk to Randall's (grocery store).”
In an angry blog railing against his divorce attorney, Maynard claimed that he and Meza had agreed during their marriage that he would not work on weekdays so he could stay home to care for their youngest daughter, and that he would work only on weekends, which he said put a significant dent in his income. He referred to himself as the “primary caregiver” of the youngest girl and said he had sought sole custody of their two daughters.
The couple's divorce became final in March 2009, but Maynard would not let go, even though Meza had a boyfriend.
On Wednesday, Maynard had been sending text messages to his ex-wife “throughout the day,” Kibodeaux said. Police don't yet know if she responded to him, but she complained about the text messages to a witness.
At 8:20 p.m., neighbors reported hearing gunshots at Meza's home in the 100 block of Post Oak, a quiet, tree-lined street of upper-middle-class houses. The teenager was shot inside the house, while Meza was shot in the front yard, Kibodeaux said.
“She was later shot more times in a different location, but close by, so I would think she was trying to take cover or concealment and was shot again,” Kibodeaux said. Meza had multiple wounds in the head and upper torso, he said.
First homicide in years
Maynard left a shotgun in the front yard, then got in his 1994 Lincoln sedan and drove away, Kibodeaux said. A neighbor followed Maynard's car while on the phone with 911, giving police information on which direction he was heading.
When Lake Jackson police caught up to Maynard's car heading northward on Texas 288 slightly above the 65 mph speed limit, Maynard shot himself in the head with another gun, a semi-automatic rifle, while he was driving, police said.
Maynard's car then veered on to the highway shoulder, where it struck a sport utility vehicle occupied by a mother and her two children that had pulled over to yield to the emergency vehicles. The gunman's car then veered into the grass and back across the highway's two northbound lanes before stopping on the inside shoulder.
The woman and two children inside the SUV hit by Maynard suffered no obvious injuries, but were taken to an Angleton hospital as a precaution, Kibodeaux said.
Police said they have not found anything in writing to indicate that Maynard had planned on taking violent action against anyone, but said they still must review his and his former wife's cell phone records.
“We have seen a few e-mails (from Maynard), but mainly they were character attacks and no indication there would be action taken,” Kibodeaux said.
Meza and Maynard's daughters are now staying with a close family friend, police said.
Child Protective Services caseworkers are meeting with the children's maternal and paternal grandparents about making more permanent living arrangements, Kibodeaux said.
Meza's death marked the first homicide in Lake Jackson in about a decade, the police lieutenant said.
peggy.ohare@chron.com
South Bend, IN: Ex-girlfriend in love triangle murder testifies
Woman calls former boyfriend volatile; recounts victim's shooting.
By ALICIA GALLEGOS Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND -- When it was all over, Alexandra Stahly calmly exited the courtroom and walked toward a nearby doorway, where she collapsed into tears.
Court officials stooped to comfort the young woman who had just testified at her former boyfriend's murder trial, as Stahly held her head in her hands and sobbed.
The woman's emotional account Thursday shed light into her rocky relationship with Arden Balmer Jr. and the night he allegedly killed his best friend after discovering a shattering secret.
Balmer, 28, is charged with murder and criminal confinement in the death of 30-year-old David Lawton. Thursday marked the second day of trial testimony.
Stahly told jurors she and Balmer had been dating for two years when she tried to end the relationship, referring to Balmer as a controlling and possessive man who prevented Stahly from spending time with friends.Balmer was crushed by the breakup, she said and threatened to commit suicide. Stahly and Lawson never told Balmer they had started dating, and later living together at Stahly's home, she testified.
The woman described being called to Balmer's house with Lawton on the evening of his death because Balmer said he needed help. The three were in his backyard when Stahly recalled Balmer pulling a handgun from the front of his shirt and pointing it at Lawton.
"I pulled two shotguns out from under your chin and you betrayed me," Stahly said Balmer told Lawton. The woman said she believed Balmer was referring to an alleged suicide attempt once made by Lawton.
When he saw the gun, Lawton turned to Stahly and mouthed the word, "run," Stahly said, and later, "I love you."
"I ran toward Arden to try and stop him from shooting Dave," Stahly said, her voice breaking. "I was pulling on his shoulder as the gun went off... I was screaming at the top of my lungs, 'stop shooting!' "After firing at Lawton six times, Balmer dragged Stahly inside the house, she said, where she remained for at least 30 minutes before she was able to escape.
When asked by deputy prosecutor Joel Gabrielse if Stahly believed Balmer was insane during the murder, Stahly said she did not.
But upon cross-examination, defense attorney James Korpal asked Stahly if she remembered telling police after the shooting that Balmer was "delusional," and "unstable." Stahly said she did not recall saying that.
Korpal also pointed out that Stahly knew that Balmer had been seeing a therapist and visited the therapist with Balmer on several occasions.
Stahly confirmed that Balmer had previously spoken about hearing "a voice," and that she knew of a visit he made to Madison Center in July 2009.Korpal also questioned Stahly about why she did not admit to having taken the more than 20 sexual photographs and a video found on Lawton's phone when interviewed by police.
Stahly said she had not remembered taking the photos at first, but told officers at a later interview.
Near the end of his examination, Korpal asked if Stahly was aware of the effect she and Lawton's relationship might have had on Balmer.
"You knew that might cause Arden to go off the deep end?"
Stahly hesitated. "Yes, I did," she said, her voice shaking."You knew he might commit suicide?"
"Yes, that was on our mind."
The trial for Balmer resumes today at 1 p.m.
Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:
agallegos@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6368
By ALICIA GALLEGOS Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND -- When it was all over, Alexandra Stahly calmly exited the courtroom and walked toward a nearby doorway, where she collapsed into tears.
Court officials stooped to comfort the young woman who had just testified at her former boyfriend's murder trial, as Stahly held her head in her hands and sobbed.
The woman's emotional account Thursday shed light into her rocky relationship with Arden Balmer Jr. and the night he allegedly killed his best friend after discovering a shattering secret.
Balmer, 28, is charged with murder and criminal confinement in the death of 30-year-old David Lawton. Thursday marked the second day of trial testimony.
Stahly told jurors she and Balmer had been dating for two years when she tried to end the relationship, referring to Balmer as a controlling and possessive man who prevented Stahly from spending time with friends.Balmer was crushed by the breakup, she said and threatened to commit suicide. Stahly and Lawson never told Balmer they had started dating, and later living together at Stahly's home, she testified.
The woman described being called to Balmer's house with Lawton on the evening of his death because Balmer said he needed help. The three were in his backyard when Stahly recalled Balmer pulling a handgun from the front of his shirt and pointing it at Lawton.
"I pulled two shotguns out from under your chin and you betrayed me," Stahly said Balmer told Lawton. The woman said she believed Balmer was referring to an alleged suicide attempt once made by Lawton.
When he saw the gun, Lawton turned to Stahly and mouthed the word, "run," Stahly said, and later, "I love you."
"I ran toward Arden to try and stop him from shooting Dave," Stahly said, her voice breaking. "I was pulling on his shoulder as the gun went off... I was screaming at the top of my lungs, 'stop shooting!' "After firing at Lawton six times, Balmer dragged Stahly inside the house, she said, where she remained for at least 30 minutes before she was able to escape.
When asked by deputy prosecutor Joel Gabrielse if Stahly believed Balmer was insane during the murder, Stahly said she did not.
But upon cross-examination, defense attorney James Korpal asked Stahly if she remembered telling police after the shooting that Balmer was "delusional," and "unstable." Stahly said she did not recall saying that.
Korpal also pointed out that Stahly knew that Balmer had been seeing a therapist and visited the therapist with Balmer on several occasions.
Stahly confirmed that Balmer had previously spoken about hearing "a voice," and that she knew of a visit he made to Madison Center in July 2009.Korpal also questioned Stahly about why she did not admit to having taken the more than 20 sexual photographs and a video found on Lawton's phone when interviewed by police.
Stahly said she had not remembered taking the photos at first, but told officers at a later interview.
Near the end of his examination, Korpal asked if Stahly was aware of the effect she and Lawton's relationship might have had on Balmer.
"You knew that might cause Arden to go off the deep end?"
Stahly hesitated. "Yes, I did," she said, her voice shaking."You knew he might commit suicide?"
"Yes, that was on our mind."
The trial for Balmer resumes today at 1 p.m.
Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:
agallegos@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6368
Dolton, IL: Ex-boyfriend charged in beating death of Dana Hayes
April 22, 1:18 PMChicago Crime ExaminerDeborah O'Malley
Bond is set at $12 million dollars for a Dolton man charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Terrence Coulter, 33, is charged with first degree murder in the death of Dana Hayes, 35.
Hayes' body was found March 23 in a wooded area in Thorton. She was beaten to death.
Hayes was last seen alive by her family January 25 after she dropped her son off at Richmond East High School. According to the Cook County State's Attorneys office, on that same day, Hayes and Coulter were seen at a South Holland motel and that is where she was killed.
It is not clear if Hayes had gone to the hotel voluntarily.
Coulter had been scheduled to go on trial for stabbing Hayes more than a dozen times in 2007. She also had an order of protection taken out against him since he was free on bond while awaiting trial.
On January 29, police searched Coulter's home and recovered a gun. He's been jailed on a felony weapons charge ever since.
Bond is set at $12 million dollars for a Dolton man charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Terrence Coulter, 33, is charged with first degree murder in the death of Dana Hayes, 35.
Hayes' body was found March 23 in a wooded area in Thorton. She was beaten to death.
Hayes was last seen alive by her family January 25 after she dropped her son off at Richmond East High School. According to the Cook County State's Attorneys office, on that same day, Hayes and Coulter were seen at a South Holland motel and that is where she was killed.
It is not clear if Hayes had gone to the hotel voluntarily.
Coulter had been scheduled to go on trial for stabbing Hayes more than a dozen times in 2007. She also had an order of protection taken out against him since he was free on bond while awaiting trial.
On January 29, police searched Coulter's home and recovered a gun. He's been jailed on a felony weapons charge ever since.
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