Stacy Todd said she felt good seeing neighbors Robbie and Monica Griffin living together again after a split in their 18-year marriage.
Todd said the couple seemed happy as they tried to reconcile. They’d even begun exercising together, with the husband taking first-time neighborhood walks with his wife, Todd said.
But shortly after Jacksonville police cars flooded Todd’s cul-de-sac about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, she learned something very troubling still haunted 3493 Hickory Landing Court.
Police said Friday that Griffin, 43, shot his wife during an argument and then killed himself. Monica Griffin, 43, remained hospitalized Friday in critical condition.
Their son, Dylan, heard his mother yell to him, followed by what were two shots. He found the bodies and went to a neighbor’s home for help, Todd said. Police began arriving moments later in Glen Hollow, a subdivision of middle-class homes off New Berlin Road. Dylan, who Todd said was about 19 years old, was not injured.
The attack occurred five months after Monica Griffin filed for divorce, leading her husband to file a counter-petition. A court motion filed by the wife’s attorney July 31 indicated they were trying to reconcile.
Todd said she couldn’t believe the marriage ended in violence.
“I never would have imagined them, especially how wonderful they seemed to be doing,” she said.
Their son told WJXT-TV Channel 4 Thursday afternoon that his parents had argued in the past, but never were violent.
“I never saw it coming,” he said.
No one answered the door at the family’s home Friday.
The attempted murder and suicide is the latest in a series of such attacks this year on the First Coast. Eight other people have died in three domestic-related murder-suicides and a workplace murder-suicide in Jacksonville, while six have died in two double-murder/suicides in St. Johns County.
Court records show that Griffin, an electrician, and his wife, an office worker, were married in June 1994. Dylan is their only child, while Monica Griffin had another son and daughter they raised together, Todd said.
The couple moved into their newly built home about 10 years ago, about the same time as Todd and her family. Todd said the couple always seemed happy together, including periodic cookouts they attended at Todd’s home. She said Robert Griffin, known as Robbie, was an avid golfer, while his wife enjoyed exercising.
The Griffins separated in January 2011, records show. Todd said she knew of no trouble in the home, though she said Monica Griffin once expressed concerns about her husband’s drinking. The wife, who had moved out when they were separated, continued to visit her husband on at least some weekends, Todd said.
The divorce petitions give no details about marital strife. Monica Griffin sought alimony from her husband, whom she described as the primary breadwinner. He said neither should receive alimony. Each was seeking the marital home, which records show has an assessed value of $120,000.
Monica Griffin’s attorney filed a motion July 31 requesting that the proceedings be abated since the couple had been attending counseling and sought to seek more help.
Her attorney didn’t return messages left by the Times-Union, while her husband’s attorney said he didn’t know about the shootings and declined to comment.
Todd remained stunned by the attack Friday.
“They were just a normal family,” she said.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Jefferson, LA: Suspected murder-suicide in Jefferson
JEFFERSON, La. (AP) — The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating an apparent murder-suicide in the community of Jefferson.
A statement from Sheriff Newell Normand reports said the shooting was reported Saturday morning after a man found his parents at their home.
Homicide investigators said it appears that 89-year-old Branighan shot his wife, 89-year-old Clara Branighan then turned the gun on himself.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Suspected-murder-suicide-in-Jefferson-3849936.php#ixzz25v7WRhgx
A statement from Sheriff Newell Normand reports said the shooting was reported Saturday morning after a man found his parents at their home.
Homicide investigators said it appears that 89-year-old Branighan shot his wife, 89-year-old Clara Branighan then turned the gun on himself.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Suspected-murder-suicide-in-Jefferson-3849936.php#ixzz25v7WRhgx
New Brunswick, NJ: Jury finds NJ dad guilty in baby bridge death
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - A man who kidnapped his infant daughter from her grandmother's home and tossed the child over a New Jersey bridge into the icy river below was convicted Friday of her murder.
Shamsidden Abdur-Raheem, 24, bowed his head and showed little reaction as guilty verdicts for murder, kidnapping and related charges were read in state superior court in New Brunswick.
The child's mother, Venetta Benjamin, who testified during the trial, let out a quick gasp of air, tears rolling down her cheeks as the verdict was read. She later thanked all those "who have worked tirelessly on this case and verdict, to ensure justice for my daughter," adding; "God is good."
New Jersey's attorney general lauded the verdict, saying it was "a chapter in a tragedy, but a chapter that needed to be written," in a case that prompted an overhaul of the state's rules on issuing missing child alerts.
Abdur-Raheem admitted during the trial that he threw 3-month-old Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem off a Garden State Parkway bridge into the Raritan River on Feb. 16, 2010. But he claimed he believed the child already was dead from injuries she suffered during a fight with the baby's grandmother.
The infant's body was found on the shore of the Raritan two months later by passers-by.
The jury acquitted Abdur-Raheem of attempted murder of the baby's maternal grandmother, Leno Benjamin. The grandmother had been caring for the infant at her East Orange apartment while the child's mother was obtaining a restraining order against Abdur-Raheem. Jurors convicted him on lesser charges related to Abdur-Raheem assaulting the grandmother while taking the child.
Abdur-Raheem testified that during a struggle with the child's grandmother, the baby fell and hit her head.
But a state forensic anthropologist testified the skull fractures found on the baby were made at or about the time of death and that they were caused by a significant fall and not one of four feet or less.
During his testimony, Abdur-Raheem said he placed the infant in a knapsack, and pushed her out the passenger side window and off the Driscoll Bridge, into the river more than 100 feet below.
"I tossed my daughter off the bridge," he said. "I don't know why."
Family members said at the time of the baby's disappearance that the couple, who never married, had a bumpy relationship since they started dating as freshmen at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Abdur-Raheem, of Galloway Township, wore a suit, tie and glasses in court, and showed little reaction during the proceedings in front of State Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz. Abdur-Raheem's mother and father, both present in court for the verdict, declined to comment. His attorney, Michael Priarone, did not comment following the verdict, and did not return a call seeking comment.
Deputy Attorney General Andrew Fried, who prosecuted the case, said he appreciated that jurors seemed to have taken their time because they were taking the case seriously. The jury deliberated for four days and made several requests for clarification on legal points and to have testimony transcripts read to them.
"People came up to me and said: 'Why isn't there a verdict?'" Fried said. "Obviously this jury wanted to be very, very careful, and they took it very seriously, and obviously came out with the right verdict."
Abdur-Raheem faces a minimum of 40 years in prison on the murder and kidnapping charges and up to life in prison when he's sentenced Nov. 7, Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said.
The case prompted changes to the state's procedures for issuing Amber Alerts, information about a missing child broadcast on television and radio stations and posted on electronic highway message boards.
No alert was issued between the time Zara went missing and Abdur-Raheem was arrested because state law then discouraged use of the alerts in suspected domestic cases. Now, state police issue the alerts even in cases of suspected parental involvement in a child's abduction.
Shamsidden Abdur-Raheem, 24, bowed his head and showed little reaction as guilty verdicts for murder, kidnapping and related charges were read in state superior court in New Brunswick.
The child's mother, Venetta Benjamin, who testified during the trial, let out a quick gasp of air, tears rolling down her cheeks as the verdict was read. She later thanked all those "who have worked tirelessly on this case and verdict, to ensure justice for my daughter," adding; "God is good."
New Jersey's attorney general lauded the verdict, saying it was "a chapter in a tragedy, but a chapter that needed to be written," in a case that prompted an overhaul of the state's rules on issuing missing child alerts.
Abdur-Raheem admitted during the trial that he threw 3-month-old Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem off a Garden State Parkway bridge into the Raritan River on Feb. 16, 2010. But he claimed he believed the child already was dead from injuries she suffered during a fight with the baby's grandmother.
The infant's body was found on the shore of the Raritan two months later by passers-by.
The jury acquitted Abdur-Raheem of attempted murder of the baby's maternal grandmother, Leno Benjamin. The grandmother had been caring for the infant at her East Orange apartment while the child's mother was obtaining a restraining order against Abdur-Raheem. Jurors convicted him on lesser charges related to Abdur-Raheem assaulting the grandmother while taking the child.
Abdur-Raheem testified that during a struggle with the child's grandmother, the baby fell and hit her head.
But a state forensic anthropologist testified the skull fractures found on the baby were made at or about the time of death and that they were caused by a significant fall and not one of four feet or less.
During his testimony, Abdur-Raheem said he placed the infant in a knapsack, and pushed her out the passenger side window and off the Driscoll Bridge, into the river more than 100 feet below.
"I tossed my daughter off the bridge," he said. "I don't know why."
Family members said at the time of the baby's disappearance that the couple, who never married, had a bumpy relationship since they started dating as freshmen at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Abdur-Raheem, of Galloway Township, wore a suit, tie and glasses in court, and showed little reaction during the proceedings in front of State Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz. Abdur-Raheem's mother and father, both present in court for the verdict, declined to comment. His attorney, Michael Priarone, did not comment following the verdict, and did not return a call seeking comment.
Deputy Attorney General Andrew Fried, who prosecuted the case, said he appreciated that jurors seemed to have taken their time because they were taking the case seriously. The jury deliberated for four days and made several requests for clarification on legal points and to have testimony transcripts read to them.
"People came up to me and said: 'Why isn't there a verdict?'" Fried said. "Obviously this jury wanted to be very, very careful, and they took it very seriously, and obviously came out with the right verdict."
Abdur-Raheem faces a minimum of 40 years in prison on the murder and kidnapping charges and up to life in prison when he's sentenced Nov. 7, Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said.
The case prompted changes to the state's procedures for issuing Amber Alerts, information about a missing child broadcast on television and radio stations and posted on electronic highway message boards.
No alert was issued between the time Zara went missing and Abdur-Raheem was arrested because state law then discouraged use of the alerts in suspected domestic cases. Now, state police issue the alerts even in cases of suspected parental involvement in a child's abduction.
Charlotte, NC: Police say Charlotte fatal shooting is domestic violence
A 37-year-old Charlotte man has been charged with fatally shooting a man he found inside a parked car with his wife Friday night.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Marcus Darnell Turner has been jailed for allegedly killing a man whom he told police he had never seen before. Dead in the incident was Derrick Lee Miller, 41.
Police say they were called about 10:45 p.m. Friday to the NorthPark Business Park, in the 6700 block of NorthPark Boulevard, after reports that a man had been shot. They found Miller on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was declared dead a short time later after Medic arrived.
Investigators took the alleged shooter, who they say remained at the scene, and two other people to headquarters for questioning.
A police spokesman said Turner found his wife and Miller together in the car, and they say he shot him, then called 911. Investigators called it an apparent case of domestic violence.
Nobody else was injured. Police ask that anyone with information in the case call detectives at 704-432-TIPS, or leave information with Crime Stoppers, 704-334-1600.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Marcus Darnell Turner has been jailed for allegedly killing a man whom he told police he had never seen before. Dead in the incident was Derrick Lee Miller, 41.
Police say they were called about 10:45 p.m. Friday to the NorthPark Business Park, in the 6700 block of NorthPark Boulevard, after reports that a man had been shot. They found Miller on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was declared dead a short time later after Medic arrived.
Investigators took the alleged shooter, who they say remained at the scene, and two other people to headquarters for questioning.
A police spokesman said Turner found his wife and Miller together in the car, and they say he shot him, then called 911. Investigators called it an apparent case of domestic violence.
Nobody else was injured. Police ask that anyone with information in the case call detectives at 704-432-TIPS, or leave information with Crime Stoppers, 704-334-1600.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sunnyvale, CA: Court document: Sunnyvale convicted killer got away with previous murder
A Sunnyvale wallpaper hanger, recently sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for strangling his mail-order bride, also killed one of his previous girlfriends -- but got away with murder by staging the scene to look like a drowning, court documents allege.
Now, law enforcement in Santa Clara County are calling on authorities in Goshen, N.Y., to open an investigation of the 1993 "drowning'' of Gary Swierski's then-girlfriend Hilda Gonzalez-Tapia Muhammad.
Swierski, they say, has a long record of viciously abusing women and should be convicted of killing Muhammad 19 years ago to make doubly sure he's never freed to prey on anyone else.
"Usually we prosecute individuals who've committed bad acts,'' Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker said. "But this is one of the rare instances where we prosecuted an evil man for despicably evil acts."
Late last month, Swierski, 51, was sentenced for strangling his 28-year-old wife, Reina, in 2005 and dumping her body in the Santa Cruz Mountains with the help of his terrified teenage daughter. Jurors took just one day to convict him of first-degree murder.
But for years, Swierski had managed to evade justice by reporting his wife as missing. He successfully removed all traces of her murder from their house, where he choked her to death after learning she intended to leave him for another man.
Sunnyvale detectives suspected the burly Swierski from the very first after neighbors said he routinely abused Reina, a native of Honduras. But his wife's skull wasn't found by hikers in Castle Rock State Park until 2008.
Still, there was nothing rock-solid tying Swierski to the homicide until early last year. That's when his daughter, Eva -- wracked with guilt and under constant threats from her father to keep mum or else -- reported he'd killed Reina and then coerced her into helping him hide the body.
During the investigation into Reina's killing, detectives concluded Swierski was a serial abuser who had also killed Muhammad nearly two decades ago.
'Red flags'
The trail of abuse begins with Mansueta Casinillo, a native of the Philippines, who like Reina met Swierski through a pen-pal service. The two began writing in 1981 and were engaged in 1984. Casinillo moved to Middletown, N.Y., about 90 minutes north of New York City, married Swierski and had a child with him.
During the recent trial, Casinillo testified that Swierski spit in her food, backhanded her and forced her to have sexual relations with him against her will. The abuse reached a point where Casinillo sent a letter to her sister declaring if she ever went missing, the defendant was responsible. In 1992, Casinillo fled to California with their child Eva, whom he also abused.
In 1993, Swierski met Muhammad, a native of Chile who moved in with him in Middletown in April and died two months later -- ostensibly by drowning.
After her death, Swierski moved to California, where he met Elizabeth Armijo, a native of Bolivia who was working at a Burger King in Sunnyvale. She left him in 1996 immediately after he first lashed out by punching her and grabbing her throat, squeezing to the point where she nearly lost consciousness. To avoid prosecution, Swierski reported that Armijo was in the country illegally, and she was deported.
One of the original detectives in Reina's case, Lt. Craig Anderson of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, said he suspected Muhammad's death was not accidental after conferring with police back East and reading their coroner's report.
"There were a lot of red flags," Anderson said. "One of the original officers, I learned secondhand, was highly suspicious. But Swierski complained about him, and the officer was ultimately told to drop it."
The drowning itself didn't make sense to police. Muhammad was a champion swimmer who worked out at a local college. Yet her body was found after midnight in a wetland in the Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area in Wurtsboro, N.Y., not normally used for swimming. She was fully clothed in a purple jumpsuit with her shoes still on, eight feet from shallow water.
Swierski reported she had accidentally drowned after they had dinner at a Red Lobster. And the Orange County pathologist found the cause of death to be asphyxia due to drowning.
Blunt trauma
But a top Santa Clara County coroner, who closely examined Muhammad's autopsy photographs and the pathologist's report, found several signs that she had died far more violently.
Among them: florid petechiae on the face, an indication consistent with an asphyxia death but very unusual for a drowning. There were also superficial abrasions to her face, which suggest smothering, and tongue bite marks that also lend support for strangulation. The report also noted there was blunt force trauma to the right side of her head that was never explained.
Dr. Michelle A. Jorden, Santa Clara County's assistant medical examiner, also found a hemorrhage around the cervix and uterus. That, in conjunction with torn clothing around the pelvis area, suggests forcible or rough sexual intercourse, she concluded.
Braker tried to get the judge's permission to use the information in Swierski's recent trial. But Judge Diane Northway rejected the request on the grounds that the issue would require a time-consuming mini-trial within the murder trial on whether Muhammad's death was a homicide or not. In the end, Braker, who was named the office's prosecutor of the year in 2010, didn't need the macabre story to handily win the case.
But local law enforcement officials still hope their New York counterparts will prosecute Swierski for Muhammad's death. In Orange County, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kass, who first learned about the case Wednesday from this newspaper, was noncommittal, saying, "I'm not in a position to comment as to what we may or may not do." But he jotted down prosecutor Braker's phone number.
Now, law enforcement in Santa Clara County are calling on authorities in Goshen, N.Y., to open an investigation of the 1993 "drowning'' of Gary Swierski's then-girlfriend Hilda Gonzalez-Tapia Muhammad.
Swierski, they say, has a long record of viciously abusing women and should be convicted of killing Muhammad 19 years ago to make doubly sure he's never freed to prey on anyone else.
"Usually we prosecute individuals who've committed bad acts,'' Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker said. "But this is one of the rare instances where we prosecuted an evil man for despicably evil acts."
Late last month, Swierski, 51, was sentenced for strangling his 28-year-old wife, Reina, in 2005 and dumping her body in the Santa Cruz Mountains with the help of his terrified teenage daughter. Jurors took just one day to convict him of first-degree murder.
But for years, Swierski had managed to evade justice by reporting his wife as missing. He successfully removed all traces of her murder from their house, where he choked her to death after learning she intended to leave him for another man.
Sunnyvale detectives suspected the burly Swierski from the very first after neighbors said he routinely abused Reina, a native of Honduras. But his wife's skull wasn't found by hikers in Castle Rock State Park until 2008.
Still, there was nothing rock-solid tying Swierski to the homicide until early last year. That's when his daughter, Eva -- wracked with guilt and under constant threats from her father to keep mum or else -- reported he'd killed Reina and then coerced her into helping him hide the body.
During the investigation into Reina's killing, detectives concluded Swierski was a serial abuser who had also killed Muhammad nearly two decades ago.
'Red flags'
The trail of abuse begins with Mansueta Casinillo, a native of the Philippines, who like Reina met Swierski through a pen-pal service. The two began writing in 1981 and were engaged in 1984. Casinillo moved to Middletown, N.Y., about 90 minutes north of New York City, married Swierski and had a child with him.
During the recent trial, Casinillo testified that Swierski spit in her food, backhanded her and forced her to have sexual relations with him against her will. The abuse reached a point where Casinillo sent a letter to her sister declaring if she ever went missing, the defendant was responsible. In 1992, Casinillo fled to California with their child Eva, whom he also abused.
In 1993, Swierski met Muhammad, a native of Chile who moved in with him in Middletown in April and died two months later -- ostensibly by drowning.
After her death, Swierski moved to California, where he met Elizabeth Armijo, a native of Bolivia who was working at a Burger King in Sunnyvale. She left him in 1996 immediately after he first lashed out by punching her and grabbing her throat, squeezing to the point where she nearly lost consciousness. To avoid prosecution, Swierski reported that Armijo was in the country illegally, and she was deported.
One of the original detectives in Reina's case, Lt. Craig Anderson of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, said he suspected Muhammad's death was not accidental after conferring with police back East and reading their coroner's report.
"There were a lot of red flags," Anderson said. "One of the original officers, I learned secondhand, was highly suspicious. But Swierski complained about him, and the officer was ultimately told to drop it."
The drowning itself didn't make sense to police. Muhammad was a champion swimmer who worked out at a local college. Yet her body was found after midnight in a wetland in the Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area in Wurtsboro, N.Y., not normally used for swimming. She was fully clothed in a purple jumpsuit with her shoes still on, eight feet from shallow water.
Swierski reported she had accidentally drowned after they had dinner at a Red Lobster. And the Orange County pathologist found the cause of death to be asphyxia due to drowning.
Blunt trauma
But a top Santa Clara County coroner, who closely examined Muhammad's autopsy photographs and the pathologist's report, found several signs that she had died far more violently.
Among them: florid petechiae on the face, an indication consistent with an asphyxia death but very unusual for a drowning. There were also superficial abrasions to her face, which suggest smothering, and tongue bite marks that also lend support for strangulation. The report also noted there was blunt force trauma to the right side of her head that was never explained.
Dr. Michelle A. Jorden, Santa Clara County's assistant medical examiner, also found a hemorrhage around the cervix and uterus. That, in conjunction with torn clothing around the pelvis area, suggests forcible or rough sexual intercourse, she concluded.
Braker tried to get the judge's permission to use the information in Swierski's recent trial. But Judge Diane Northway rejected the request on the grounds that the issue would require a time-consuming mini-trial within the murder trial on whether Muhammad's death was a homicide or not. In the end, Braker, who was named the office's prosecutor of the year in 2010, didn't need the macabre story to handily win the case.
But local law enforcement officials still hope their New York counterparts will prosecute Swierski for Muhammad's death. In Orange County, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kass, who first learned about the case Wednesday from this newspaper, was noncommittal, saying, "I'm not in a position to comment as to what we may or may not do." But he jotted down prosecutor Braker's phone number.
Amarillo, TX: Amarillo man gets probation for girlfriend's death
AMARILLO, Texas -- A Texas Panhandle man who ran over and killed his girlfriend must serve probation and spend the next 10 anniversaries of her death in jail.
A judge in Amarillo on Tuesday sentenced 45-year-old Michael Paul Buse of Amarillo.
Buse pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Dairy Strout. Investigators believe the couple argued before the woman was run over and died last Oct. 10.
Buse has been sentenced to 10 years' probation, plus must serve 120 days in jail. The jail time began Tuesday with a 111-day term. A judge also ordered Buse to spend a day in jail each Oct. 10 for the next nine years to mark the anniversary of Strout's death.
A judge in Amarillo on Tuesday sentenced 45-year-old Michael Paul Buse of Amarillo.
Buse pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Dairy Strout. Investigators believe the couple argued before the woman was run over and died last Oct. 10.
Buse has been sentenced to 10 years' probation, plus must serve 120 days in jail. The jail time began Tuesday with a 111-day term. A judge also ordered Buse to spend a day in jail each Oct. 10 for the next nine years to mark the anniversary of Strout's death.
Amarillo, TX: Amarillo man gets probation for girlfriend's death
AMARILLO, Texas -- A Texas Panhandle man who ran over and killed his girlfriend must serve probation and spend the next 10 anniversaries of her death in jail.
A judge in Amarillo on Tuesday sentenced 45-year-old Michael Paul Buse of Amarillo.
Buse pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Dairy Strout. Investigators believe the couple argued before the woman was run over and died last Oct. 10.
Buse has been sentenced to 10 years' probation, plus must serve 120 days in jail. The jail time began Tuesday with a 111-day term. A judge also ordered Buse to spend a day in jail each Oct. 10 for the next nine years to mark the anniversary of Strout's death.
A judge in Amarillo on Tuesday sentenced 45-year-old Michael Paul Buse of Amarillo.
Buse pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Dairy Strout. Investigators believe the couple argued before the woman was run over and died last Oct. 10.
Buse has been sentenced to 10 years' probation, plus must serve 120 days in jail. The jail time began Tuesday with a 111-day term. A judge also ordered Buse to spend a day in jail each Oct. 10 for the next nine years to mark the anniversary of Strout's death.
Bradenton, FL: Man charged with killing girlfriend in Bradenton
MANATEE -- Cornelius Baskin was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, Regina Nunez.
Nunez's mother found the 23-year-old dead June 7 inside her residence at Bayshore on the Lakes Apartments, 4203 24th Street West.
An autopsy showed Nunez died by manual asphyxiation with time of death during the afternoon or evening hours of June 6.
An upset Nunez called a friend about 11 a.m. that morning to talk about a fight between Baskin and her, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Nunez's outgoing cell phone activity ended about 3 p.m, documents state.
The partially undressed victim was found lying in bed. Nunez's cell phone, with a smashed screen, was lying near her and there were other signs of foul play at the scene, according to the arrest warrant issued Tuesday.
Baskin, Nunez's live-in boyfriend, was quickly named a person of interest.
"It's a case we've been putting together since she was murdered," said Dave Bristow, sheriff's office spokesman. "We developed him as a suspect the day we went out there. We've just been developing the case and building the case since then."
A former roommate of Nunez said the couple had been fighting since December and Nunez often had bruises.
When he was told June 8 of his girlfriend's death, Baskin "showed no emotion or concern" and "seemed unwilling to aid in the investigation of her death," according to the warrant. Baskin told detectives he was last at the apartment on June 6 and left while Nunez was sleeping.
Baskin's cell phone records place him near the apartment complex during the time frame in which Nunez was killed. DNA found at the scene and on Nunez's body, clothing and cell phone matched Baskin's profile, according to the warrant. Those facts and circumstances led the State Attorney's Office to file charges.
Baskin was admitted early June 7 to the Manatee Memorial Hospital Psych Unit, after his behavior led his father to seek help, documents state. Security footage shows Baskin attempting to escape the hospital about 8:30 a.m on June 7.
That morning, Baskin's father called law enforcement from the hospital to check the apartment, but hung up when he could not provide an address. Some of Baskin's family members were seen trying to gain access to Nunez's apartment, according to the sheriff's office. Baskin's father was also the person who notified Nunez's mother to check on her daughter, the warrant states.
Baskin was arrested Tuesday afternoon near his last known place of residence without incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Fifteen of the county's 19 deaths investigated as homicides this year have fallen in the Manatee County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction. Six of those remain unsolved. Arrests have been made in five cases and one was determined a murder-suicide. Two were ruled self-defense. There is an active warrant for Javier Aguilar in the slaying of Natividad Faudoa.
Nunez's mother found the 23-year-old dead June 7 inside her residence at Bayshore on the Lakes Apartments, 4203 24th Street West.
An autopsy showed Nunez died by manual asphyxiation with time of death during the afternoon or evening hours of June 6.
An upset Nunez called a friend about 11 a.m. that morning to talk about a fight between Baskin and her, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Nunez's outgoing cell phone activity ended about 3 p.m, documents state.
The partially undressed victim was found lying in bed. Nunez's cell phone, with a smashed screen, was lying near her and there were other signs of foul play at the scene, according to the arrest warrant issued Tuesday.
Baskin, Nunez's live-in boyfriend, was quickly named a person of interest.
"It's a case we've been putting together since she was murdered," said Dave Bristow, sheriff's office spokesman. "We developed him as a suspect the day we went out there. We've just been developing the case and building the case since then."
A former roommate of Nunez said the couple had been fighting since December and Nunez often had bruises.
When he was told June 8 of his girlfriend's death, Baskin "showed no emotion or concern" and "seemed unwilling to aid in the investigation of her death," according to the warrant. Baskin told detectives he was last at the apartment on June 6 and left while Nunez was sleeping.
Baskin's cell phone records place him near the apartment complex during the time frame in which Nunez was killed. DNA found at the scene and on Nunez's body, clothing and cell phone matched Baskin's profile, according to the warrant. Those facts and circumstances led the State Attorney's Office to file charges.
Baskin was admitted early June 7 to the Manatee Memorial Hospital Psych Unit, after his behavior led his father to seek help, documents state. Security footage shows Baskin attempting to escape the hospital about 8:30 a.m on June 7.
That morning, Baskin's father called law enforcement from the hospital to check the apartment, but hung up when he could not provide an address. Some of Baskin's family members were seen trying to gain access to Nunez's apartment, according to the sheriff's office. Baskin's father was also the person who notified Nunez's mother to check on her daughter, the warrant states.
Baskin was arrested Tuesday afternoon near his last known place of residence without incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Fifteen of the county's 19 deaths investigated as homicides this year have fallen in the Manatee County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction. Six of those remain unsolved. Arrests have been made in five cases and one was determined a murder-suicide. Two were ruled self-defense. There is an active warrant for Javier Aguilar in the slaying of Natividad Faudoa.
El Reno, OK: Judge: Quickly select jury in Okla. murder trial
EL RENO, Okla. (AP) — A judge warned prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday that he wants a jury quickly selected in the murder trial of an Oklahoma man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and her four children.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 17 in the case of Joshua Durcho, who could face the death penalty if convicted. Attorneys will select 12 jurors from a pool of 120 Canadian County residents, and District Judge Gary Miller said he wants a jury seated by Sept. 21 so testimony can get under way.
"I'm not going to drag this thing out over five, six, seven weeks," Miller said during a brief hearing Tuesday.
Durcho is accused of fatally strangling 25-year-old Summer Rust and her children — 3-year-old Evynn Garas, 4-year-old Teagin Rust and 7-year-old daughters Kirsten and Autumn Rust — in the family's El Reno apartment in the January 2009. Prosecutors allege Durcho also sexually abused the 7-year-old girls.
If Durcho is convicted, jurors would decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison. Durcho has pleaded not guilty.
The judge will question prospective jurors in groups of 15. But each person will be questioned privately about his or her views on the death penalty and whether pre-trial publicity about the case has had any influence, Assistant District Attorney Paul Hesse said. Jurors will be questioned individually to prevent their answers to the questions from influencing other jurors.
Dozens of witnesses will likely testify during the trial, which is expected to last at least three weeks.
Defense attorney Wayne Woodyard said that if his client is convicted, he will present evidence of Durcho's mental capacity to help him avoid the death penalty. The judge has already rejected defense claims that Durcho meets the legal definition of mentally retarded, which would make him ineligible for the death penalty.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 17 in the case of Joshua Durcho, who could face the death penalty if convicted. Attorneys will select 12 jurors from a pool of 120 Canadian County residents, and District Judge Gary Miller said he wants a jury seated by Sept. 21 so testimony can get under way.
"I'm not going to drag this thing out over five, six, seven weeks," Miller said during a brief hearing Tuesday.
Durcho is accused of fatally strangling 25-year-old Summer Rust and her children — 3-year-old Evynn Garas, 4-year-old Teagin Rust and 7-year-old daughters Kirsten and Autumn Rust — in the family's El Reno apartment in the January 2009. Prosecutors allege Durcho also sexually abused the 7-year-old girls.
If Durcho is convicted, jurors would decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison. Durcho has pleaded not guilty.
The judge will question prospective jurors in groups of 15. But each person will be questioned privately about his or her views on the death penalty and whether pre-trial publicity about the case has had any influence, Assistant District Attorney Paul Hesse said. Jurors will be questioned individually to prevent their answers to the questions from influencing other jurors.
Dozens of witnesses will likely testify during the trial, which is expected to last at least three weeks.
Defense attorney Wayne Woodyard said that if his client is convicted, he will present evidence of Durcho's mental capacity to help him avoid the death penalty. The judge has already rejected defense claims that Durcho meets the legal definition of mentally retarded, which would make him ineligible for the death penalty.
Queens, NY: Queens woman stabs husband in neck, killing him: police
A Queens couple’s stormy romance ended in death Wednesday when the wife plunged a knife into her husband’s neck, police said.
Anna Adams then called the cops from inside her black Range Rover with their two kids, sources said.
“My husband is covered with blood,” she told a 911 operator, sources said.
When police arrived at the Jamaica section home, they found 45-year-old Jeffery Perkins dead on a floor from a stab wounded in the neck.
“There are pockets of blood at other locations in the house (and) the handle of a knife broken off,” the source added.
Adams, 38, who sources said was Perkins’ common-law wife, was taken into custody with her two kids, ages 3 and 12. She is expected to be charged with murder.
Neighbors said Adams was a controlling shrew.
“He was an angel, she was crazy,” said neighbor Deborah Lyking, 57.
“The woman was the aggressor,” added another neighbor, Herbert Cook, 86. “He was quiet.”
Police said the pair had been arguing in their home on a tranquil block of 145th Ave., before Perkins was stabbed around 4:30 a.m.
Neighbors said the mild-mannered victim invested thousands of dollars into sprucing-up the house he had bought last year.
“You should see him straightening up,” Lyking said. “I always say, ‘Damn, why don’t he come here and clean?’”
They said police had been to the residence several times before the fatal stabbing.
“They had a party a while back,” Lyking said. “The cops were here.”
Adams moved out the next day, she said, but came back a few days later.
Anna Adams then called the cops from inside her black Range Rover with their two kids, sources said.
“My husband is covered with blood,” she told a 911 operator, sources said.
When police arrived at the Jamaica section home, they found 45-year-old Jeffery Perkins dead on a floor from a stab wounded in the neck.
“There are pockets of blood at other locations in the house (and) the handle of a knife broken off,” the source added.
Adams, 38, who sources said was Perkins’ common-law wife, was taken into custody with her two kids, ages 3 and 12. She is expected to be charged with murder.
Neighbors said Adams was a controlling shrew.
“He was an angel, she was crazy,” said neighbor Deborah Lyking, 57.
“The woman was the aggressor,” added another neighbor, Herbert Cook, 86. “He was quiet.”
Police said the pair had been arguing in their home on a tranquil block of 145th Ave., before Perkins was stabbed around 4:30 a.m.
Neighbors said the mild-mannered victim invested thousands of dollars into sprucing-up the house he had bought last year.
“You should see him straightening up,” Lyking said. “I always say, ‘Damn, why don’t he come here and clean?’”
They said police had been to the residence several times before the fatal stabbing.
“They had a party a while back,” Lyking said. “The cops were here.”
Adams moved out the next day, she said, but came back a few days later.
San Bernardino, CA: Wife Stabbed by Husband Dies Two Days Later
SAN BERNARDINO – A woman stabbed by her husband at home on Sunday died two days later at a nearby hospital, police said.
Police arrested Duane Magee, 50, of San Bernardino after he called the emergency number to say he had stabbed his wife over marital problems, said Lt. Paul Williams. Velda Magee, 56, died at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in nearby Colton. Police, who have investigated several homicides this year, reached its 37th with her death.
Police arrived at the Magee’s home in the 3200 block of North Greystone Rd., discovering both the husband, who was arrested immediately, and the wife suffering from multiple stab wounds. The knife apparently used in the crime was recovered, said Williams.
Williams said dispatch had received a call at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday from the suspect. He said the stab wounds suffered by Velda Magee “were severe.” She was taken to the hospital where she underwent immediate surgery, but the wounds were too severe, said police. Velda Magee died at the hospital on Tuesday.
Williams said the district attorney will review the case against Duane Magee, who had the charges updated from attempted murder to murder after his wife’s death, on Wednesday. Duane Magee was taken and booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Williams reported that two other murders took place over the weekend which, counting Velda Magee’s death, bring the total number of San Bernardino homicides to 37 in 2012.
Police arrested Duane Magee, 50, of San Bernardino after he called the emergency number to say he had stabbed his wife over marital problems, said Lt. Paul Williams. Velda Magee, 56, died at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in nearby Colton. Police, who have investigated several homicides this year, reached its 37th with her death.
Police arrived at the Magee’s home in the 3200 block of North Greystone Rd., discovering both the husband, who was arrested immediately, and the wife suffering from multiple stab wounds. The knife apparently used in the crime was recovered, said Williams.
Williams said dispatch had received a call at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday from the suspect. He said the stab wounds suffered by Velda Magee “were severe.” She was taken to the hospital where she underwent immediate surgery, but the wounds were too severe, said police. Velda Magee died at the hospital on Tuesday.
Williams said the district attorney will review the case against Duane Magee, who had the charges updated from attempted murder to murder after his wife’s death, on Wednesday. Duane Magee was taken and booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Williams reported that two other murders took place over the weekend which, counting Velda Magee’s death, bring the total number of San Bernardino homicides to 37 in 2012.
Grand Chute, WI: Former Appleton firefighter denied new trial in estranged wife's shooting death
An appeals court on Wednesday determined a former Appleton firefighter convicted of his estranged wife’s murder can’t claim he acted in the heat of passion, because he initiated the fatal confrontation.
Wisconsin’s District 3 Court of Appeals based in Wausau upheld Scott E. Schmidt’s Outagamie County conviction on a count of first-degree intentional homicide in the 2009 death of Kelly Wing Schmidt.
Schmidt, 41, sought a new trial, arguing he was wrongly prohibited from presenting an adequate provocation, or “heat of passion,” defense at trial. He said he lost control after taunting and threats that day, which followed years of emotional abuse and recent financial troubles. Schmidt claimed he heard the shots, but had no memory of pulling the trigger.
“If Schmidt acted in the heat of passion, it was because he deliberately chose to ignite the fire,” the decision says.
Schmidt shot Wing Schmidt three times in the head with a handgun on April 17, 2009, outside the home they once shared on E. Edgewood Drive in Grand Chute. She died hours later.
The adequate provocation defense requires a showing that a victim acted so provocatively that an ordinary person would’ve completely lost self control. Outagamie Judge John Des Jardins took testimony in chambers from Schmidt at a pre-trial hearing before determining the defense wouldn’t be allowed.
Schmidt claimed Wing Schmidt was “emotionally and psychologically abusive” throughout their relationship. He said she threatened to his children from him in the time that led up to the shooting.
“I don’t know where she was or where I was,” he told Des Jardins. “I just heard the shot. I don’t remember seeing the gun or nothing.”
Schmidt claims he went to the home that day to gather some tools from the garage. He said he and Wing Schmidt had normal conversation for a time before the situation became heated.
The appeals court noted several flaws in Schmidt’s argument. Among them was Schmidt’s acknowledgment he confronted Wing Schmidt about her relationship with another man in the moments that led up to the shooting.
“Schmidt himself was the initial provocateur,” the decision said.
The court also questioned Schmidt’s explanation for having a loaded gun on his person during the confrontation.
Schmidt said he recalled having the pistol stored in a garage cabinet when he went into get some bicycles down for the children. He said he grabbed it and put it in his pants, because it wasn’t safe to keep there.
“No reasonable person would leave a loaded handgun stored in a garage where multiple children might access it,” the decision says. “Thus, the only reasonable inference is that he loaded the pistol that morning.”
The appeals court said Schmidt’s argument further failed because he had prior knowledge of Wing Schmidt’s relationship with another man and endured past threats regarding his children. Both provided “an adequate cooling off period.”
Had a judge allowed and a jury accepted Schmidt’s heat of passion defense, the charge would have been reduced from first- to second-degree intentional homicide. First-degree intentional homicide carries an automatic life sentence, while a second-degree conviction carries up to 40 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision.
Schmidt also sought a new trial on the grounds he was denied assistance of counsel during the hearing in Des Jardins’ chambers. The appeals court also rejected that argument
Schmidt also was convicted of bail jumping and first-degree reckless endangerment. He didn’t address those convictions in his appeal.
Schmidt is serving a life prison sentence. He will be eligible to apply for release onto extended supervision on Jan. 1, 2050, when he will be 79 years old.
Wisconsin’s District 3 Court of Appeals based in Wausau upheld Scott E. Schmidt’s Outagamie County conviction on a count of first-degree intentional homicide in the 2009 death of Kelly Wing Schmidt.
Schmidt, 41, sought a new trial, arguing he was wrongly prohibited from presenting an adequate provocation, or “heat of passion,” defense at trial. He said he lost control after taunting and threats that day, which followed years of emotional abuse and recent financial troubles. Schmidt claimed he heard the shots, but had no memory of pulling the trigger.
“If Schmidt acted in the heat of passion, it was because he deliberately chose to ignite the fire,” the decision says.
Schmidt shot Wing Schmidt three times in the head with a handgun on April 17, 2009, outside the home they once shared on E. Edgewood Drive in Grand Chute. She died hours later.
The adequate provocation defense requires a showing that a victim acted so provocatively that an ordinary person would’ve completely lost self control. Outagamie Judge John Des Jardins took testimony in chambers from Schmidt at a pre-trial hearing before determining the defense wouldn’t be allowed.
Schmidt claimed Wing Schmidt was “emotionally and psychologically abusive” throughout their relationship. He said she threatened to his children from him in the time that led up to the shooting.
“I don’t know where she was or where I was,” he told Des Jardins. “I just heard the shot. I don’t remember seeing the gun or nothing.”
Schmidt claims he went to the home that day to gather some tools from the garage. He said he and Wing Schmidt had normal conversation for a time before the situation became heated.
The appeals court noted several flaws in Schmidt’s argument. Among them was Schmidt’s acknowledgment he confronted Wing Schmidt about her relationship with another man in the moments that led up to the shooting.
“Schmidt himself was the initial provocateur,” the decision said.
The court also questioned Schmidt’s explanation for having a loaded gun on his person during the confrontation.
Schmidt said he recalled having the pistol stored in a garage cabinet when he went into get some bicycles down for the children. He said he grabbed it and put it in his pants, because it wasn’t safe to keep there.
“No reasonable person would leave a loaded handgun stored in a garage where multiple children might access it,” the decision says. “Thus, the only reasonable inference is that he loaded the pistol that morning.”
The appeals court said Schmidt’s argument further failed because he had prior knowledge of Wing Schmidt’s relationship with another man and endured past threats regarding his children. Both provided “an adequate cooling off period.”
Had a judge allowed and a jury accepted Schmidt’s heat of passion defense, the charge would have been reduced from first- to second-degree intentional homicide. First-degree intentional homicide carries an automatic life sentence, while a second-degree conviction carries up to 40 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision.
Schmidt also sought a new trial on the grounds he was denied assistance of counsel during the hearing in Des Jardins’ chambers. The appeals court also rejected that argument
Schmidt also was convicted of bail jumping and first-degree reckless endangerment. He didn’t address those convictions in his appeal.
Schmidt is serving a life prison sentence. He will be eligible to apply for release onto extended supervision on Jan. 1, 2050, when he will be 79 years old.
Freeport, NY: Man Is Charged in Wife's Death
A Long Island man was charged with murder on Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed his wife to death and then set her on fire using gasoline, a Nassau County Police spokesman said.
Loventino Cassadean, 49 years old, of Freeport, was charged with murdering Felicia Cassadean, 22, in their home Monday morning.
He is accused of leaving her body on a bed in the front bedroom of the house, dousing the bed and an area immediately around it with gasoline and lighting it on fire in what detectives believe may have been an attempt to cover up the alleged murder, the police spokesman said.
Police believe the alleged murder stemmed from a months-long dispute related to criminal sex act charges filed against Mr. Cassadean in April involving another person, the spokesman said. According to court officials, Mr. Cassadean is accused of sodomy in that incident.
Mr. Cassadean pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Tuesday morning and was ordered held without bail, court officials said.
The Nassau County medical examiner was conducting an autopsy of Ms. Cassadean's body to determine an exact cause of death.
Firefighters responding to a house fire around 6 a.m. Monday at 117 Craig Ave. in Freeport, found Ms. Cassadean's body near the front of the house, police said. Around the same time, Mr. Cassadean flagged down a responding Freeport police officer a short distance from the home, police said.
After being interviewed by the officer, Mr. Cassadean was arrested, police said. Police wouldn't go into details of the conversation between Mr. Loventino and the officer.
Authorities said the investigation is continuing and it will be up to the Nassau County district attorney's office to determine whether other charges will be filed
Loventino Cassadean, 49 years old, of Freeport, was charged with murdering Felicia Cassadean, 22, in their home Monday morning.
He is accused of leaving her body on a bed in the front bedroom of the house, dousing the bed and an area immediately around it with gasoline and lighting it on fire in what detectives believe may have been an attempt to cover up the alleged murder, the police spokesman said.
Police believe the alleged murder stemmed from a months-long dispute related to criminal sex act charges filed against Mr. Cassadean in April involving another person, the spokesman said. According to court officials, Mr. Cassadean is accused of sodomy in that incident.
Mr. Cassadean pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Tuesday morning and was ordered held without bail, court officials said.
The Nassau County medical examiner was conducting an autopsy of Ms. Cassadean's body to determine an exact cause of death.
Firefighters responding to a house fire around 6 a.m. Monday at 117 Craig Ave. in Freeport, found Ms. Cassadean's body near the front of the house, police said. Around the same time, Mr. Cassadean flagged down a responding Freeport police officer a short distance from the home, police said.
After being interviewed by the officer, Mr. Cassadean was arrested, police said. Police wouldn't go into details of the conversation between Mr. Loventino and the officer.
Authorities said the investigation is continuing and it will be up to the Nassau County district attorney's office to determine whether other charges will be filed
Tampa, FL: Tampa police name two involved in apparent murder-suicide
TAMPA — Luis Roberson Rodriguez and Jamie Kimble had been dating on and off for years, police say, and on Monday, he picked her up at Tampa International Airport.
Kimble, 31, was returning from London, police say, where she had been visiting a new beau. Soon after she arrived in Tampa, she and Rodriguez, 39, started arguing. Investigators are not sure what the fight was about, only that it ended at about 7:45 p.m. in the West Shore area, when Rodriguez punched Kimble several times in the car.
She jumped out of the vehicle, and then, police say, Rodriguez shot her several times. He drove down the street, did a U-turn and shot himself in the head, police say. Both died at the hospital.
Investigators are calling it a murder-suicide and are investigating. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday.
Kimble lived in Holmes Beach, and Rodriguez was from Orlando, authorities say, though it appears he recently moved to Kansas City, Mo.
She attended the University of North Carolina, records show, where she made the dean's list.
Friends and family gathered at Kimble's family's North Carolina house Tuesday. They declined to comment, as did Rodriguez's family in Orlando.
Kimble, 31, was returning from London, police say, where she had been visiting a new beau. Soon after she arrived in Tampa, she and Rodriguez, 39, started arguing. Investigators are not sure what the fight was about, only that it ended at about 7:45 p.m. in the West Shore area, when Rodriguez punched Kimble several times in the car.
She jumped out of the vehicle, and then, police say, Rodriguez shot her several times. He drove down the street, did a U-turn and shot himself in the head, police say. Both died at the hospital.
Investigators are calling it a murder-suicide and are investigating. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday.
Kimble lived in Holmes Beach, and Rodriguez was from Orlando, authorities say, though it appears he recently moved to Kansas City, Mo.
She attended the University of North Carolina, records show, where she made the dean's list.
Friends and family gathered at Kimble's family's North Carolina house Tuesday. They declined to comment, as did Rodriguez's family in Orlando.
Copley Township, OH: Copley Township police investigating apparent murder-suicide of elderly couple
COPLEY TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Police in Copley Township are investigating what the chief said appears to be a murder-suicide.
A family member found the couple, who is in their 80s, dead in their bed Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at their home on Aberth Drive near Henetta Avenue, according to Copley Township Police Chief Michael Mier.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office said the two people found dead have been identified as 89-year-old Genevive Wellspring and her husband, 86-year-old Dayton Wellspring. Both died of a gunshot wound.
Mier said a note was left and other information suggested that this was a murder-suicide.
"There was some indication that at least one of the two had some health issues," said Mier in a news release.
Officers also recovered the handgun believed to have been used in the killings. Police are not yet saying who they believe pulled the trigger.
The medical examiner's office is expected to perform autopsies on the couple.
Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.
A family member found the couple, who is in their 80s, dead in their bed Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at their home on Aberth Drive near Henetta Avenue, according to Copley Township Police Chief Michael Mier.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office said the two people found dead have been identified as 89-year-old Genevive Wellspring and her husband, 86-year-old Dayton Wellspring. Both died of a gunshot wound.
Mier said a note was left and other information suggested that this was a murder-suicide.
"There was some indication that at least one of the two had some health issues," said Mier in a news release.
Officers also recovered the handgun believed to have been used in the killings. Police are not yet saying who they believe pulled the trigger.
The medical examiner's office is expected to perform autopsies on the couple.
Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.
Inman, SC: Update: Inman Woman Charged With Murder In Shooting Of Boyfriend
An Inman woman is accused of shooting a man Monday morning in Spartanburg County.
Deputies say they were called to a home on Rushmore Drive where they found 38-year-old Steven McDowell shot to death.
Investigators say Sharon Nicole Miller killed McDowell during a domestic violence incident.
Miller is charged with one count of murder and is being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
The motive in the case has not yet been identified.
McDowell was on home detention after being charged with murder in 2010 in a 2001 death according to The Associated Press. Two other people also are charged in the death of 34-year-old Michael Smith of Spartanburg.
The State Law Enforcement Division background check on Miller shows a number of charges filed and convictions against her dating back more than 20 years.
Miller was convicted of grand larceny in 1991 and had a conviction for receiving stolen goods in 1999.
SLED's report also shows convictions for fraudulent checks and shoplifting. The arrest Monday is the first on her record since 2001.
Deputies say they were called to a home on Rushmore Drive where they found 38-year-old Steven McDowell shot to death.
Investigators say Sharon Nicole Miller killed McDowell during a domestic violence incident.
Miller is charged with one count of murder and is being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
The motive in the case has not yet been identified.
McDowell was on home detention after being charged with murder in 2010 in a 2001 death according to The Associated Press. Two other people also are charged in the death of 34-year-old Michael Smith of Spartanburg.
The State Law Enforcement Division background check on Miller shows a number of charges filed and convictions against her dating back more than 20 years.
Miller was convicted of grand larceny in 1991 and had a conviction for receiving stolen goods in 1999.
SLED's report also shows convictions for fraudulent checks and shoplifting. The arrest Monday is the first on her record since 2001.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Columbus, GA: UPDATE: Police call Sunday shooting a murder-suicide
The man who shot and killed a 27-year-old Columbus woman Sunday has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, say police, who are calling the slaying a murder-suicide.
Stanley Lesure, 24, died Sunday night at the Medical Center after having shot and killed Ryeika Ingersoll, with whom he had fathered a child.
Police Lt. John McMichael said the two were not living together, but that the shooting took place at Lesure’s 24th Street apartment near Hannan Academy.
Apparently Lesure was tending Ingersoll’s three children Saturday night while she and a girlfriend went out, McMichael said. The women returned and stayed the night at Lesure’s apartment.
In the morning, an argument broke out between Lesure and Ingersoll, witnesses told police. Lesure pulled a 9mm pistol, shot Ingersoll multiple times, then turned the gun on himself, McMichael said.
“Sometime in the morning, apparently they got into some kind of dispute about their relationship,” McMichael said. “He consequently produced a handgun and shot and killed her, then shot himself.”
Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower said Ingersoll was shot multiple times.
Three of Ingersoll’s children and two other adults were present when the shooting took place, McMichael said.
McMichael said the 9mm pistol was the only weapon found at the scene.
Deputy coroner Freeman Worley pronounced Ingersoll dead at 1:40 p.m. Saturday. Lesure died at about 8:30 p.m.
Ingersoll’s body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
Stanley Lesure, 24, died Sunday night at the Medical Center after having shot and killed Ryeika Ingersoll, with whom he had fathered a child.
Police Lt. John McMichael said the two were not living together, but that the shooting took place at Lesure’s 24th Street apartment near Hannan Academy.
Apparently Lesure was tending Ingersoll’s three children Saturday night while she and a girlfriend went out, McMichael said. The women returned and stayed the night at Lesure’s apartment.
In the morning, an argument broke out between Lesure and Ingersoll, witnesses told police. Lesure pulled a 9mm pistol, shot Ingersoll multiple times, then turned the gun on himself, McMichael said.
“Sometime in the morning, apparently they got into some kind of dispute about their relationship,” McMichael said. “He consequently produced a handgun and shot and killed her, then shot himself.”
Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower said Ingersoll was shot multiple times.
Three of Ingersoll’s children and two other adults were present when the shooting took place, McMichael said.
McMichael said the 9mm pistol was the only weapon found at the scene.
Deputy coroner Freeman Worley pronounced Ingersoll dead at 1:40 p.m. Saturday. Lesure died at about 8:30 p.m.
Ingersoll’s body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.
Coolspring, PA: Police probe death of Pa. couple as murder-suicide
COOLSPRING, Pa. -- State police in western Pennsylvania say the deaths of a man and woman found in a remote area appear to have been a murder-suicide.
Police in Jefferson County say people riding all-terrain vehicles found the bodies in a vehicle along an abandoned rail line in a remote area of Oliver Township on Saturday afternoon.
The county coroner's office identified the victims as 46-year-old Ricky Lee Miller and 54-year-old Kathryn Divins of New Bethlehem. Both died of single gunshot wounds
Investigators said the two were involved in a long-term relationship and lived together, and had come to the area for the holiday weekend.
Investigators say believe Miller apparently shot Divins and then himself Friday or Saturday. Police say tere is no indication that anyone else was involved, but the investigation continues.
Police in Jefferson County say people riding all-terrain vehicles found the bodies in a vehicle along an abandoned rail line in a remote area of Oliver Township on Saturday afternoon.
The county coroner's office identified the victims as 46-year-old Ricky Lee Miller and 54-year-old Kathryn Divins of New Bethlehem. Both died of single gunshot wounds
Investigators said the two were involved in a long-term relationship and lived together, and had come to the area for the holiday weekend.
Investigators say believe Miller apparently shot Divins and then himself Friday or Saturday. Police say tere is no indication that anyone else was involved, but the investigation continues.
Los Angeles, CA: Girlfriend arrested for stabbing death of boyfriend at Alondra Boulevard apartment complex on Saturday
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide detectives are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stabbing death of a man that occurred on Saturday, September 1, at 2:50 AM, in the 10100 block of Alondra Boulevard, Bellflower.
Detectives learned that Bellflower deputies responded to the location in regards to a disturbance call. While at the location, they found a man stabbed to death.
After further investigation, deputies found the suspect was still inside the location. The suspect, the victims girlfriend, was arrested for murder and booked at Lakewood Station in lieu of a million dollars bail.
The name of the suspect and the victim are not being released at this time.
Detectives learned that Bellflower deputies responded to the location in regards to a disturbance call. While at the location, they found a man stabbed to death.
After further investigation, deputies found the suspect was still inside the location. The suspect, the victims girlfriend, was arrested for murder and booked at Lakewood Station in lieu of a million dollars bail.
The name of the suspect and the victim are not being released at this time.
Laguna Hills, CA: Laguna Hills man arrested, accused in stabbing death of girlfriend
LAGUNA HILLS – Derek Pinski, 25, of Laguna Hills, was arrested this weekend on suspicion of stabbing to death his girlfriend in a Laguna Hills home, police said.
Alexandra Joyce Tang, 24, of Santa Barbara, was stabbed to death inside a home in the 22000 block of Caminito Tasquillo in Laguna Hills about 11 a.m. Saturday, according to the Orange County Sherriff's Department.
Paramedics arrived to find the homeowner performing CPR on Tang. She was declared dead at the scene.
Nine hours later, her boyfriend, Pinski, was picked up 350 miles away – in Mesa, Ariz.
Orange County Sheriff's investigators, with help from the Mesa Police Department, arrested Pinski in connection with Tang's death. Investigators are in Mesa interviewing Pinski and collecting evidence.
Pinski will be extradited to Orange County, where he will be charged on suspicion of murder, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Alexandra Joyce Tang, 24, of Santa Barbara, was stabbed to death inside a home in the 22000 block of Caminito Tasquillo in Laguna Hills about 11 a.m. Saturday, according to the Orange County Sherriff's Department.
Paramedics arrived to find the homeowner performing CPR on Tang. She was declared dead at the scene.
Nine hours later, her boyfriend, Pinski, was picked up 350 miles away – in Mesa, Ariz.
Orange County Sheriff's investigators, with help from the Mesa Police Department, arrested Pinski in connection with Tang's death. Investigators are in Mesa interviewing Pinski and collecting evidence.
Pinski will be extradited to Orange County, where he will be charged on suspicion of murder, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)