By Steven Alford, Mary Ann Cavazos
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
CORPUS CHRISTI — A 66-year-old man shot his wife Wednesday morning before turning the gun on himself with their two teenage children at home.
The woman survived and was later released from a hospital. The man died from a single gunshot wound to the head, said Ric Ortiz, chief investigator for the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Corpus Christi police found the man about 7:30 a.m. on the back patio of his home in the 300 block of Claremore Street, off Ocean Drive. The medical examiner’s office identified him as James P. Lynch Jr.
His wife, 52, suffered injuries from a bullet which grazed her head and shoulder, Corpus Christi police said. She was later released from Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial.
The couple’s 14-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son were home at the time of the shooting, police said.
“They heard the sound of the gunfire and found their mother wounded,” said Lt. Isaac Valencia, Corpus Christi Police Department.
Neighbors said the Lynch family moved to Corpus Christi from Las Vegas about a year ago.
“I never saw any conflict,” said Elliot Cooper, who lived next door to the family. “They seemed happy.”
The couple worked tirelessly for a local financial company, Cooper said.
“They were always at work or at home working on their computers,” he said. “You’d see Jim walking his dogs in the morning, but that was about it.”
Cooper heard a loud thud Wednesday morning, which he figured were children playing in the backyard behind his house. When that was followed by someone screaming he knew something was wrong.
Claremore Street was filled with police cars and emergency vehicles Wednesday morning following the shooting.
Neighbors stood nearby trying to find out what happened inside the home. By afternoon the house sat silent, two cars parked in the driveway.
Les Cassidy lives across the street from the home and said he rarely heard or saw them.
“It’s a surprise to us because things were pretty quiet over there,” Cassidy said. “We didn’t really ever see them.”
Police have not said what motive may have been behind the shooting.
“There was obviously a problem in the household, but we don’t want to speculate about what it was,” Valencia said.
Corpus Christi police have responded to more than 4,380 domestic violence cases this year, nearly 12 a day, police said.
A compilation of daily news articles from around the United States about deaths (including both people and animals) that appear to occur in the context of a past or present intimate relationship, focusing on 2009-present. (NOTE: this blog is limited to incidents that appear in the media and are captured by our search terms. We recognize this is not an exhaustive portrayal of all deaths resulting from intimate violence.) When is society going to realize intimate violence makes victims of us all?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Arapahoe County, CO: Deputies: Woman dead after apparent murder, attempted suicide
Christina Dickinson
ARAPAHOE COUNTY - A woman is dead after her husband allegedly killed her and then tried to kill himself overnight, deputies say.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson says 47-year-old Russell Brunecz called deputies around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, telling them he shot and killed his wife, 64-year-old Monique Brunecz, at their home in the 23800 block of East Archer Place after an argument.
Grayson says they took Brunecz into custody without incident, and say he had sustained self-inflicted knife wounds from an apparent suicide attempt, but his injuries were not considered to be life threatening.
Brunecz is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County Detentions Center on the felony charge of first-degree murder.
9Wants to Know discovered Russell Brunecz is a mechanic at Frontier Airlines, according to LinkedIn. We also discovered Monique Brunecz was a language arts teacher in the Aurora Public School District, but was let go in 2006 after being listed as a probationary employee, according to school board meeting minutes.
(KUSA-TV © 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
ARAPAHOE COUNTY - A woman is dead after her husband allegedly killed her and then tried to kill himself overnight, deputies say.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson says 47-year-old Russell Brunecz called deputies around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, telling them he shot and killed his wife, 64-year-old Monique Brunecz, at their home in the 23800 block of East Archer Place after an argument.
Grayson says they took Brunecz into custody without incident, and say he had sustained self-inflicted knife wounds from an apparent suicide attempt, but his injuries were not considered to be life threatening.
Brunecz is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County Detentions Center on the felony charge of first-degree murder.
9Wants to Know discovered Russell Brunecz is a mechanic at Frontier Airlines, according to LinkedIn. We also discovered Monique Brunecz was a language arts teacher in the Aurora Public School District, but was let go in 2006 after being listed as a probationary employee, according to school board meeting minutes.
(KUSA-TV © 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
Bronx, NY: Husband hunted after Bronx woman is found dead in apartment Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/12/30/2010-12-30_hunt_hubby_after_womans_death.html#ixzz19bIr7BiZ
A Bronx woman was found dead in her apartment Wednesday - and detectives are searching for her husband, who disappeared after the crime, sources said.
Tyshi Benson, 37, had an injury to her head and puncture wounds on her body when she was found in the bedroom of her Bruckner Blvd. home in Longwood about 12:30 p.m., sources said.
Investigators have been looking for her husband, Sydney Benson, but he has been missing since the gruesome discovery, the sources said.
"I'm shocked," said family friend Ernie Jernigan, 49. "I don't believe this happened."
Jernigan said he had a few beers with his pal Sydney Benson the night before.
"He's a good guy," he said. "He tried to provide for his family."
The couple had been married for about 10 years and shared two children, ages 5 and 10. No one has been charged.
Tyshi Benson, 37, had an injury to her head and puncture wounds on her body when she was found in the bedroom of her Bruckner Blvd. home in Longwood about 12:30 p.m., sources said.
Investigators have been looking for her husband, Sydney Benson, but he has been missing since the gruesome discovery, the sources said.
"I'm shocked," said family friend Ernie Jernigan, 49. "I don't believe this happened."
Jernigan said he had a few beers with his pal Sydney Benson the night before.
"He's a good guy," he said. "He tried to provide for his family."
The couple had been married for about 10 years and shared two children, ages 5 and 10. No one has been charged.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Arlington, TX: Police officer, two others found dead in Arlington apartment
BY SUSAN SCHROCK
sschrock@star-telegram.com
ARLINGTON -- A police officer responding to a family violence call Tuesday night was found dead in an apartment along with two other people, officials said.
The officer was not identified. Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said he was told the officer was female.
The identity of the other two people was not released. Cop-shooter's status as registered sex offender may have triggered his rage
Duarte Geraldino
The 33 News
Arlington, Texas
advertisement
Weeks before Barnes Samuel Nettles killed his ex-girlfriend, Kimberley Carter, Arlington Police Officer Jillian Michelle Smith, and took his own life, police were called to his girlfriend's apartment.
Nettles is a registered sex offender. His ex-girlfriend's parents did not want him dating her. Court recorders show Nettles was so angry about her parents disapproval that in September he ran up stairs to her third-floor apartment to confront her family. Court records show he attempted to choke her mother, "throw her over the railing of the stairs", and "threatened to kill and her husband."
A court date for that incident was drawing closer when on Tuesday night he picked up a gun and killed his ex-girlfriend and the officer.
About 7:30 Tuesday night Officer Jillian Smith went alone to take a domestic violence report. When she got to the third-floor apartment, she found Nettles' girlfriend and her 11 year old daughter. Moments later Police say Nettles came back waving his gun and took aim at the 11-year-old.
"And in doing so the officer moved toward the 11-year-old to protect her," Arlington Police spokesperson Tiara Ellis Richard said. Officer Smith died at the scene. The 11-year-old ran outside, and then police say Nettles killed his girlfriend and shot himself in the head.
NBC 5 said early Wednesday that one of the victims was the ex-wife of the domestic assault suspect.
The station described the officer as a rookie who was sent to the complex to take a report after the ex-wife told dispatchers that the suspect was not at the scene.
About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, the officer was on a call about a domestic assault at the Arbrook Park apartments in the 4600 block of Nandina Drive, said Tiara Richard, a police spokeswoman.
Shortly afterward, police received a 911 call about a shooting at the complex.
"When they responded, they discovered there were three deceased inside the apartment," Richard said. "One of these was the officer who had responded earlier."
Officers could be seen searching people and cars as they left the complex in the pouring rain late Tuesday.
Police would not say whether the domestic violence suspect was among the dead, but Richard said there was no indication that the suspect was at large Tuesday night.
Richard provided no further details. "We are still investigating to see what occurred," Richard said.
The officer is the second killed in the line of duty in Arlington this year, and the eighth in the department's history.
In January, Arlington officer Craig Story died when his police motorcycle and a school bus collided during a traffic stop on South Cooper Street. The 34-year-old officer's motorcycle caught fire in the crash.
Arlington police Sgt. Dace Clifton said: "Anytime an officer is lost in the line of duty, it's difficult. We do have a strong police family. Police officers know the job they do is dangerous. They come together to support each other in times like this."
Cluck said he learned of the fatal shooting from Police Chief Theron Bowman.
"He said, 'I've got some bad news,'" Cluck said. "An officer has been killed."
"Do you know him?" Cluck asked. "It's not a him. It's a her" was the chief's reply, Cluck said.
"Domestic violence is the most dangerous thing for a police officer to intervene," Cluck said. "Everybody's angry and fighting. I suspect the officer didn't know what she was getting into."
Susan Schrock, 817-390-7639
sschrock@star-telegram.com
ARLINGTON -- A police officer responding to a family violence call Tuesday night was found dead in an apartment along with two other people, officials said.
The officer was not identified. Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said he was told the officer was female.
The identity of the other two people was not released. Cop-shooter's status as registered sex offender may have triggered his rage
Duarte Geraldino
The 33 News
Arlington, Texas
advertisement
Weeks before Barnes Samuel Nettles killed his ex-girlfriend, Kimberley Carter, Arlington Police Officer Jillian Michelle Smith, and took his own life, police were called to his girlfriend's apartment.
Nettles is a registered sex offender. His ex-girlfriend's parents did not want him dating her. Court recorders show Nettles was so angry about her parents disapproval that in September he ran up stairs to her third-floor apartment to confront her family. Court records show he attempted to choke her mother, "throw her over the railing of the stairs", and "threatened to kill and her husband."
A court date for that incident was drawing closer when on Tuesday night he picked up a gun and killed his ex-girlfriend and the officer.
About 7:30 Tuesday night Officer Jillian Smith went alone to take a domestic violence report. When she got to the third-floor apartment, she found Nettles' girlfriend and her 11 year old daughter. Moments later Police say Nettles came back waving his gun and took aim at the 11-year-old.
"And in doing so the officer moved toward the 11-year-old to protect her," Arlington Police spokesperson Tiara Ellis Richard said. Officer Smith died at the scene. The 11-year-old ran outside, and then police say Nettles killed his girlfriend and shot himself in the head.
NBC 5 said early Wednesday that one of the victims was the ex-wife of the domestic assault suspect.
The station described the officer as a rookie who was sent to the complex to take a report after the ex-wife told dispatchers that the suspect was not at the scene.
About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, the officer was on a call about a domestic assault at the Arbrook Park apartments in the 4600 block of Nandina Drive, said Tiara Richard, a police spokeswoman.
Shortly afterward, police received a 911 call about a shooting at the complex.
"When they responded, they discovered there were three deceased inside the apartment," Richard said. "One of these was the officer who had responded earlier."
Officers could be seen searching people and cars as they left the complex in the pouring rain late Tuesday.
Police would not say whether the domestic violence suspect was among the dead, but Richard said there was no indication that the suspect was at large Tuesday night.
Richard provided no further details. "We are still investigating to see what occurred," Richard said.
The officer is the second killed in the line of duty in Arlington this year, and the eighth in the department's history.
In January, Arlington officer Craig Story died when his police motorcycle and a school bus collided during a traffic stop on South Cooper Street. The 34-year-old officer's motorcycle caught fire in the crash.
Arlington police Sgt. Dace Clifton said: "Anytime an officer is lost in the line of duty, it's difficult. We do have a strong police family. Police officers know the job they do is dangerous. They come together to support each other in times like this."
Cluck said he learned of the fatal shooting from Police Chief Theron Bowman.
"He said, 'I've got some bad news,'" Cluck said. "An officer has been killed."
"Do you know him?" Cluck asked. "It's not a him. It's a her" was the chief's reply, Cluck said.
"Domestic violence is the most dangerous thing for a police officer to intervene," Cluck said. "Everybody's angry and fighting. I suspect the officer didn't know what she was getting into."
Susan Schrock, 817-390-7639
Berks County, PA: Bodies in Pa. apartment ruled murder-suicide
Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania have ruled the case of a man and a woman whose bodies were found in a Berks County apartment as a murder-suicide.
Emergency dispatchers said the bodies of Edward Arrivello and Karen Wanner were found Tuesday morning in the apartment in Cumru Township.
Police said Wanner has moved out of the apartment where she had previously lived with Arrivello but returned for an unknown reason. She was stabbed multiple times and shot when she returned.
Advertisement
Investigators said Wanner was killed by Arrivello, who later shot himself.
Police say both Wanner and Arrivello were deaf and 54 years old.
December
Emergency dispatchers said the bodies of Edward Arrivello and Karen Wanner were found Tuesday morning in the apartment in Cumru Township.
Police said Wanner has moved out of the apartment where she had previously lived with Arrivello but returned for an unknown reason. She was stabbed multiple times and shot when she returned.
Advertisement
Investigators said Wanner was killed by Arrivello, who later shot himself.
Police say both Wanner and Arrivello were deaf and 54 years old.
December
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Triangle, VA: Park ranger pleads guilty to killing family
By AMANDA STEWART
TRIANGLE, Va. --
After shooting his wife and two stepchildren, Carrillo Dean stepped outside his house and called the police.
First, Dean called 911 and asked to speak to a police supervisor.
Then he hung up, called the police non-emergency number, identified himself as a Prince William County park ranger, and again asked for a supervisor.
Minutes ticked by as a dispatcher looked up the names of the supervisors on duty.
The dispatcher eventually found the name of a police sergeant who Dean knew.
“Can you have him call me at my residence?” Dean asked. “It’s an emergency.”
The emergency on that day, Feb. 12, 2009, was that Dean had shot his wife, 45-year-old Elizabeth Dean, and stepchildren Brittany Kirk, 14, and Connor Kirk, 13, inside their home in the 18400 block of Cedar Drive in Triangle. When police arrived Elizabeth Dean and Connor were dead.
Brittany was airlifted to an area hospital, where she died hours later.
At a hearing in Prince William Circuit Court Tuesday morning, Dean, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder.
A recording of Dean’s phone calls played during the hearing.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped several other felony charges against Dean and did not seek the death penalty. Dean faces life in prison when he is sentenced on April 1.
Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said defense attorneys planned to present evidence from a psychiatrist to prove that Dean was legally insane at the time of the shootings.
A psychiatrist hired by prosecutors found that Dean was not insane, but did “suffer from severe emotional problems,” Ebert said.
“As a result, I did not seek the death penalty,” Ebert said.
At the plea hearing, retired Prince William County police Sgt. Pete Paradis, the police supervisor who Dean asked to call him that night, testified about his conversation with Dean, which was not recorded.
“He asked me to get down there as soon as I could,” said Paradis, who had known Dean since high school.
Paradis said he asked what happened and Dean said, “Just get down here.”
Dean told Paradis there had been a domestic incident involving his wife.
When Paradis arrived, Dean met him outside the house.
Paradis said Dean seemed “very calm” and asked Paradis to handcuff him.
“I said, ‘I need to get inside and check on your family,’” Paradis said.
“It’s too late. They’re all dead. I killed them all,” Dean said.
Paradis said he then went inside the house. He heard moaning coming from one of the bedrooms and found Brittany Kirk in her bedroom, shot, but still alive. He then found Connor Kirk dead in his bed and Elizabeth Dean dead in the master bedroom suite.
Dean’s mother was also inside the house, in a basement room, uninjured.
Dean was taken to the police station, where Detective Quenton Sallows interviewed him.
“He stated that, in his words, he snapped,” Sallows testified Tuesday.
Dean said that his wife “had been nagging him for over two years and he couldn’t take it anymore,” Sallows said.
Dean said that night his wife was arguing with Brittany because she hadn’t done her math homework and with Connor because he hadn’t done his Bible study.
“In his mind he was in the middle of it all, in the middle of the fight and no one would listen to him,” Sallows said.
After the children went to bed, Dean said, his wife continued to argue with him, according to Sallows.
“He said he just couldn’t take it anymore,” Sallows said.
Dean took a 45-caliber handgun off of his dresser and shot his wife. He then walked down the hall to the children’s bedrooms and shot them. Connor was in bed when he was shot and Brittany was standing, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Dean was a park ranger in charge of patrolling parks in eastern Prince William County. He had worked for the Prince William County Park Authority for 23 years.
After the plea hearing, the victims’ family members remembered Connor as a bright straight-A student and Brittany as a popular, well-liked girl.
Kevin Reece Kirk, the teens’ father, said two weeks before his children were killed, they told him they wanted to live with him.
“They had told me they were old enough now to make their own decision and they wanted to come and live with me,” said Kirk, who carries a photo of a smiling Brittany and Connor in his wallet.
Kirk said he and other family members were hoping prosecutors would seek the death penalty and were frustrated with how long it took the case to reach its conclusion.
“This is not what we expected … ,” he said.
But, Kirk said, he understood that if the case went to trial, Dean could have been found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental health facility.
“At least we know he’s going to be in prison,” he said. “I hope he suffers as much as my children suffered.”
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-530-3908.
TRIANGLE, Va. --
After shooting his wife and two stepchildren, Carrillo Dean stepped outside his house and called the police.
First, Dean called 911 and asked to speak to a police supervisor.
Then he hung up, called the police non-emergency number, identified himself as a Prince William County park ranger, and again asked for a supervisor.
Minutes ticked by as a dispatcher looked up the names of the supervisors on duty.
The dispatcher eventually found the name of a police sergeant who Dean knew.
“Can you have him call me at my residence?” Dean asked. “It’s an emergency.”
The emergency on that day, Feb. 12, 2009, was that Dean had shot his wife, 45-year-old Elizabeth Dean, and stepchildren Brittany Kirk, 14, and Connor Kirk, 13, inside their home in the 18400 block of Cedar Drive in Triangle. When police arrived Elizabeth Dean and Connor were dead.
Brittany was airlifted to an area hospital, where she died hours later.
At a hearing in Prince William Circuit Court Tuesday morning, Dean, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder.
A recording of Dean’s phone calls played during the hearing.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped several other felony charges against Dean and did not seek the death penalty. Dean faces life in prison when he is sentenced on April 1.
Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said defense attorneys planned to present evidence from a psychiatrist to prove that Dean was legally insane at the time of the shootings.
A psychiatrist hired by prosecutors found that Dean was not insane, but did “suffer from severe emotional problems,” Ebert said.
“As a result, I did not seek the death penalty,” Ebert said.
At the plea hearing, retired Prince William County police Sgt. Pete Paradis, the police supervisor who Dean asked to call him that night, testified about his conversation with Dean, which was not recorded.
“He asked me to get down there as soon as I could,” said Paradis, who had known Dean since high school.
Paradis said he asked what happened and Dean said, “Just get down here.”
Dean told Paradis there had been a domestic incident involving his wife.
When Paradis arrived, Dean met him outside the house.
Paradis said Dean seemed “very calm” and asked Paradis to handcuff him.
“I said, ‘I need to get inside and check on your family,’” Paradis said.
“It’s too late. They’re all dead. I killed them all,” Dean said.
Paradis said he then went inside the house. He heard moaning coming from one of the bedrooms and found Brittany Kirk in her bedroom, shot, but still alive. He then found Connor Kirk dead in his bed and Elizabeth Dean dead in the master bedroom suite.
Dean’s mother was also inside the house, in a basement room, uninjured.
Dean was taken to the police station, where Detective Quenton Sallows interviewed him.
“He stated that, in his words, he snapped,” Sallows testified Tuesday.
Dean said that his wife “had been nagging him for over two years and he couldn’t take it anymore,” Sallows said.
Dean said that night his wife was arguing with Brittany because she hadn’t done her math homework and with Connor because he hadn’t done his Bible study.
“In his mind he was in the middle of it all, in the middle of the fight and no one would listen to him,” Sallows said.
After the children went to bed, Dean said, his wife continued to argue with him, according to Sallows.
“He said he just couldn’t take it anymore,” Sallows said.
Dean took a 45-caliber handgun off of his dresser and shot his wife. He then walked down the hall to the children’s bedrooms and shot them. Connor was in bed when he was shot and Brittany was standing, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Dean was a park ranger in charge of patrolling parks in eastern Prince William County. He had worked for the Prince William County Park Authority for 23 years.
After the plea hearing, the victims’ family members remembered Connor as a bright straight-A student and Brittany as a popular, well-liked girl.
Kevin Reece Kirk, the teens’ father, said two weeks before his children were killed, they told him they wanted to live with him.
“They had told me they were old enough now to make their own decision and they wanted to come and live with me,” said Kirk, who carries a photo of a smiling Brittany and Connor in his wallet.
Kirk said he and other family members were hoping prosecutors would seek the death penalty and were frustrated with how long it took the case to reach its conclusion.
“This is not what we expected … ,” he said.
But, Kirk said, he understood that if the case went to trial, Dean could have been found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental health facility.
“At least we know he’s going to be in prison,” he said. “I hope he suffers as much as my children suffered.”
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-530-3908.
St. Louisville, OH: Woman Found Dead Inside Home; Boyfriend Sought
Monday, December 27, 2010 10:11 PM
WBNS-10TV
Print Story
E-mail Story
ST. LOUISVILLE, Ohio — Authorities were searching for a man who called 911 and said that he killed his girlfriend.
The woman's body was found inside a South Main Street home a short time after the 911 call was placed, 10TV News reported.
Licking County deputies were called to the home and found the woman's body.
Her identity was not immediately released.
Initial reports indicated that the man being sought might have driven away from the home in a maroon 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix.
St. Louisville is a village in Licking County, located south of Utica.
Stay with 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
WBNS-10TV
Print Story
E-mail Story
ST. LOUISVILLE, Ohio — Authorities were searching for a man who called 911 and said that he killed his girlfriend.
The woman's body was found inside a South Main Street home a short time after the 911 call was placed, 10TV News reported.
Licking County deputies were called to the home and found the woman's body.
Her identity was not immediately released.
Initial reports indicated that the man being sought might have driven away from the home in a maroon 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix.
St. Louisville is a village in Licking County, located south of Utica.
Stay with 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
Jefferson County, OH: Sheriff: Man Killed Wife, Self With Children In Home
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio -- A Jefferson County man shot and killed his wife before killing himself while the couple's children were inside the home, the sheriff said.
The incident was called in to authorities at about 7 a.m. Tuesday and happened at a Sugar Grove home on State Route 152 near McClurg's Body Shop.
Sheriff Fred Abdalla said two children ages 10 and 17 were inside the home when the incident happened. Abdalla said the children were not harmed but heard what was happening. The bodies of their parents were found in a bedroom, he said. Police say 40-year-old Mike Barach and his wife, 36-year-old Tina were found dead yesterday morning in their home.
Abdalla said it's "a very tragic situation, especially with the two children."
Investigators said several firearms were found inside the home, but would not say what type of firearm was used in the killings.
The names of the victims had not been officially released as of 4:30 p.m. pending notification of all family members, but Abdalla said the husband was 40 years old and the wife was 36.
Abdalla said a motive was not immediately known, and investigators planned to interview the children, the oldest of whom called police to report the shootings.
The incident was called in to authorities at about 7 a.m. Tuesday and happened at a Sugar Grove home on State Route 152 near McClurg's Body Shop.
Sheriff Fred Abdalla said two children ages 10 and 17 were inside the home when the incident happened. Abdalla said the children were not harmed but heard what was happening. The bodies of their parents were found in a bedroom, he said. Police say 40-year-old Mike Barach and his wife, 36-year-old Tina were found dead yesterday morning in their home.
Abdalla said it's "a very tragic situation, especially with the two children."
Investigators said several firearms were found inside the home, but would not say what type of firearm was used in the killings.
The names of the victims had not been officially released as of 4:30 p.m. pending notification of all family members, but Abdalla said the husband was 40 years old and the wife was 36.
Abdalla said a motive was not immediately known, and investigators planned to interview the children, the oldest of whom called police to report the shootings.
Kennesaw, GA: U.S. based Ghanaian kills estrange wife, her boyfriend
KENNESAW, Ga, USA -- A US-based Ghanaian man has been charged with shooting two people to death early Saturday.
The bodies of Fatoumata Ntiamoah, 27, and Mohamed Zaine, 32, were found by Cobb County police around 4 a.m.
Investigators later arrested and charged Michael Abrah Ntiamoah, 32, with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and burglary.
Michael and Fatoumata Ntiamoah (Guinea national) were married at some point, Officer Joe Hernandez told the AJC on Sunday.
Fatoumata Ntiamoah was in a relationship with Mohamed Zaine, and they were living together when they were killed, Hernandez said.
Cobb police said they went to Bexley Place around 4 a.m. after someone called 911. Authorities found the couple shot to death inside the residence.
Michael Ntiamoah made his first court appearance Sunday morning and is being held at the Cobb County Jail without bond, .
Ntiamoah worked as a uniformed officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Virginia Dabbs, a spokeswoman for the agency, told the AJC.
Address records show Michael Ntiamoah had lived in Cobb County since October 2006 after moving from New Jersey.
Background Information
Michael got burnt in a vehicle accident, in Ghana, when he was about two years-old.
The estranged wife is from Guinea. Michael married and brought her to the U S. She tricked him into bringing her boyfriend to the US, thinking he was his brother.
When they divorced, She kicked him from his home and lived there with the "brother" boyfriend.
The bodies of Fatoumata Ntiamoah, 27, and Mohamed Zaine, 32, were found by Cobb County police around 4 a.m.
Investigators later arrested and charged Michael Abrah Ntiamoah, 32, with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and burglary.
Michael and Fatoumata Ntiamoah (Guinea national) were married at some point, Officer Joe Hernandez told the AJC on Sunday.
Fatoumata Ntiamoah was in a relationship with Mohamed Zaine, and they were living together when they were killed, Hernandez said.
Cobb police said they went to Bexley Place around 4 a.m. after someone called 911. Authorities found the couple shot to death inside the residence.
Michael Ntiamoah made his first court appearance Sunday morning and is being held at the Cobb County Jail without bond, .
Ntiamoah worked as a uniformed officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Virginia Dabbs, a spokeswoman for the agency, told the AJC.
Address records show Michael Ntiamoah had lived in Cobb County since October 2006 after moving from New Jersey.
Background Information
Michael got burnt in a vehicle accident, in Ghana, when he was about two years-old.
The estranged wife is from Guinea. Michael married and brought her to the U S. She tricked him into bringing her boyfriend to the US, thinking he was his brother.
When they divorced, She kicked him from his home and lived there with the "brother" boyfriend.
Waterloo, IL: Hearing today in Chris Coleman murder case
Waterloo, Ill. (KSDK) -- New developments are expected Tuesday in the Chris Coleman murder case.
Friends of Coleman's murdered wife, Sheri, are expected to testify in a Waterloo courtroom. Sheri and her two boys were found murdered in their Columbia, Illinois home in May 2009.
Prosecutors alleged Sheri made comments and sent text messages to several friends--that said among other things--that her husband Chris wanted a divorce and he beat her up.
The statements that could be damning to the defense's case.
One of the messages said: "Chris wants a divorce. He said me and my kids are in the way of his job. He told me he is leaving me for his job! But if Joyce (Meyer) finds out she will fire him. It got so bad I told Joyce."
At the time of the deaths, Chris Coleman was head of security for televangelist Joyce Meyer.
Police claim, Coleman killed his family because he was having an affair and couldn't divorce his wife because it was against Joyce Meyer Ministries policy--he would have been fired.
Friends of Coleman's murdered wife, Sheri, are expected to testify in a Waterloo courtroom. Sheri and her two boys were found murdered in their Columbia, Illinois home in May 2009.
Prosecutors alleged Sheri made comments and sent text messages to several friends--that said among other things--that her husband Chris wanted a divorce and he beat her up.
The statements that could be damning to the defense's case.
One of the messages said: "Chris wants a divorce. He said me and my kids are in the way of his job. He told me he is leaving me for his job! But if Joyce (Meyer) finds out she will fire him. It got so bad I told Joyce."
At the time of the deaths, Chris Coleman was head of security for televangelist Joyce Meyer.
Police claim, Coleman killed his family because he was having an affair and couldn't divorce his wife because it was against Joyce Meyer Ministries policy--he would have been fired.
Empire, WV: Holiday Marked by Murder, Suicide
December 28, 2010 - Compiled by Staff
EMPIRE - Two people are dead this morning after an apparent murder-suicide, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.
"We have a murder-suicide," said Abdalla about the incident that occurred around 7 a.m. today at a residence at 17618 County Road 152.
Abdalla, who declined to release the names of those involved pending notification of family members, said a man at the residence apparently shot and killed a woman before turning the gun on himself.
"There were two young girls there (during the shooting)," said the sheriff, adding both girls attended Toronto High School. "One of the girls called (Jefferson County) 911."
Abdalla didn't say what relationship there was between the victims, and the girls reportedly are staying with relatives.
He also declined to speculate on a motive, saying the incident is under investigation.
Sheriff's deputies collected evidence at the residence, while troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol controlled traffic. Many of the first-responders on the scene appeared visibly upset.
"All I can say is that this is a terrible thing to happen (a few days) after Christmas," said Clark Crago, chief of operations for the TEMS Joint Ambulance District.
The Jefferson County coroner also was called to the scene. No other details were available today.
Meanwhile, in Monroe County, a Woodsfield man has died after he reportedly shot himself as police were attempting to take him into custody.
Randy Ricer Jr. died of what Monroe County Sheriff Charles Black said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday while being pursued by police.
A pickup truck and firearms were reported stolen in a burglary on Ohio 26 north of Graysville, and investigators believed Ricer, son of the victim, had committed the crime. He was spotted driving the stolen truck, prompting Woodsfield police and deputies to pursue him back to the crime scene. On arrival, they saw Ricer with a firearm and tried to apprehend him.
Black said Ricer fled to the front of the truck before officers heard a shot fired. Ricer was found on the ground with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Graysville firehouse to await a medical helicopter but was pronounced dead before being airlifted.
In Belmont County, a 25-year-old Stewartsville man was found dead on Saturday night in his home just off Ohio 149. Sheriff's Department deputies and officials from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation spent nearly eight hours at the scene as it was unclear if the man had committed suicide or if his death was a homicide. An autopsy is being performed on the victim whose name has not been released. However, officials believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Neighbors reported they heard a gunshot on Saturday but did not think much of it as the man often shot guns. The man's body was discovered at about 8:30 p.m. on Christmas.
Mark Miller and Heather Ziegler contributed to this story.
EMPIRE - Two people are dead this morning after an apparent murder-suicide, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.
"We have a murder-suicide," said Abdalla about the incident that occurred around 7 a.m. today at a residence at 17618 County Road 152.
Abdalla, who declined to release the names of those involved pending notification of family members, said a man at the residence apparently shot and killed a woman before turning the gun on himself.
"There were two young girls there (during the shooting)," said the sheriff, adding both girls attended Toronto High School. "One of the girls called (Jefferson County) 911."
Abdalla didn't say what relationship there was between the victims, and the girls reportedly are staying with relatives.
He also declined to speculate on a motive, saying the incident is under investigation.
Sheriff's deputies collected evidence at the residence, while troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol controlled traffic. Many of the first-responders on the scene appeared visibly upset.
"All I can say is that this is a terrible thing to happen (a few days) after Christmas," said Clark Crago, chief of operations for the TEMS Joint Ambulance District.
The Jefferson County coroner also was called to the scene. No other details were available today.
Meanwhile, in Monroe County, a Woodsfield man has died after he reportedly shot himself as police were attempting to take him into custody.
Randy Ricer Jr. died of what Monroe County Sheriff Charles Black said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday while being pursued by police.
A pickup truck and firearms were reported stolen in a burglary on Ohio 26 north of Graysville, and investigators believed Ricer, son of the victim, had committed the crime. He was spotted driving the stolen truck, prompting Woodsfield police and deputies to pursue him back to the crime scene. On arrival, they saw Ricer with a firearm and tried to apprehend him.
Black said Ricer fled to the front of the truck before officers heard a shot fired. Ricer was found on the ground with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Graysville firehouse to await a medical helicopter but was pronounced dead before being airlifted.
In Belmont County, a 25-year-old Stewartsville man was found dead on Saturday night in his home just off Ohio 149. Sheriff's Department deputies and officials from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation spent nearly eight hours at the scene as it was unclear if the man had committed suicide or if his death was a homicide. An autopsy is being performed on the victim whose name has not been released. However, officials believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Neighbors reported they heard a gunshot on Saturday but did not think much of it as the man often shot guns. The man's body was discovered at about 8:30 p.m. on Christmas.
Mark Miller and Heather Ziegler contributed to this story.
Goldsboro, NC: Man, Woman Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide
By John Swartz / WCTI12.com
A mother of two is dead, and police say the man responsible was the children's father. Police said he later took his own life.
Goldsboro Police responded to a home on Slaughter Street early Sunday morning around 2:45.
When they arrived, they found 26-year-old Tequilla Barrett dead inside a car from apparent gunshot wounds.
Police also found 30-year-old Derris Oates injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Oates later died at Pitt memorial.
Police say Oates was the father of Barrett's two children, and had a relationship in the past.
A mother of two is dead, and police say the man responsible was the children's father. Police said he later took his own life.
Goldsboro Police responded to a home on Slaughter Street early Sunday morning around 2:45.
When they arrived, they found 26-year-old Tequilla Barrett dead inside a car from apparent gunshot wounds.
Police also found 30-year-old Derris Oates injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Oates later died at Pitt memorial.
Police say Oates was the father of Barrett's two children, and had a relationship in the past.
Abingdon, VA: Man says he shot his wife
Chassen R. Boies
By CLAIRE GALOFARO
Published: December 27, 2010
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – He still had blood on his hands when he left his townhouse the day after Christmas and drove two miles to turn himself in at the Abingdon Police Department. The station door was locked, police said, but a funeral procession was passing by. Chassen R. Boies, 26, flagged down the officer leading it.
“I just shot my wife,” he said when a police officer asked about his blood-covered hands, according to Abingdon Police Chief Tony Sullivan.
When officers arrived at Boies’s Maiden Street townhouse about 4 p.m. Sunday, they found his wife, 24-year-old Rebecca Boies, shot dead.
The couple had a baby daughter, Sullivan said. He would not say whether the child was in the house at the time of the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. The child now is in the care of her grandmother.
No neighbors reported hearing the shot, Sullivan said. Less than an hour passed between the killing and when Boies arrived at the police department. He did not know why Boies drove to the station, rather than just calling 911.
“After you do something so horrible, I think maybe there comes a moment of conscious thought – ‘I’ve done something wrong and I need to turn myself in,’ ” Sullivan said.
On Sunday, Chassen Boies was charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Washington County General District Court was closed Monday due to the weather, so he has not yet been arraigned.
Sullivan would not say what incited the killing or if drugs or alcohol were involved.
He said the department is still “putting the pieces together” about the couple who lived a quiet life on Maiden Drive, a tidy development of apartments, townhouses and single-family homes near downtown Abingdon.
After a killing, particularly one domestic in nature, Sullivan said, the law enforcement community asks itself it there was anything it could have done differently – if there were signs of trouble brewing left unchecked.
“But these people weren’t on our radar,” he said. “We have no history with them.”
Officers had never before been to the home, for domestic fights or otherwise, Sullivan said. Neither of the pair shows up in court records, not even for a traffic ticket.
The incident is the latest in a string of violent domestic episodes in Washington County. Sometimes, like in the Boies case, there is no warning, Sullivan said. Sometimes, there is.
Less than two weeks ago, a 29-year-old woman was stabbed nearly to death with a 6-inch boning knife in her Glade Spring home. Her embattled husband, Johnny Dwayne Counts, 37, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding and breaking and entering with the intent to commit malicious wounding. Neither of the two had protective orders against the other, but police had been to their house several times and charged the wife, Vanessa Counts, with domestic assault.
After the Dec. 16 incident, Vanessa Counts was taken to the hospital in critical condition; she was released a week later. Johnny Counts is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon.
In early November, 61-year-old Jane “Dixie” Waters Boyles was kidnapped, then killed, by her ex-boyfriend, Johnny Anthony Catanzaro. Boyles had a series of protective orders against Catanzaro and Sullivan said that, for years, his department had been working with her, trying to coax her out of the violent relationship.
One week after her final protective order against him, Catanzaro showed up at Boyles’s elderly parents’ Chilhowie home, tied them up and held them captive for more than seven hours. Then he pulled out a gun and forced them to lure their daughter to their house. When she arrived, he ambushed her, bound her wrists and ankles with zip ties and put her in his SUV. As Washington County deputies and Abingdon police officers tailed them, Catanzaro shot Boyles, then himself.
Sullivan doesn’t know if it’s due to cabin fever or alcohol or too much family togetherness, but he said the holidays tend to lead to violent domestic outbursts.
If you or a loved one is ready to leave a violent relationship, Bristol-based Abuse Alternatives operates a safe house and a 24-hour hot line at (423) 764-ABUSE.
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2531
By CLAIRE GALOFARO
Published: December 27, 2010
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – He still had blood on his hands when he left his townhouse the day after Christmas and drove two miles to turn himself in at the Abingdon Police Department. The station door was locked, police said, but a funeral procession was passing by. Chassen R. Boies, 26, flagged down the officer leading it.
“I just shot my wife,” he said when a police officer asked about his blood-covered hands, according to Abingdon Police Chief Tony Sullivan.
When officers arrived at Boies’s Maiden Street townhouse about 4 p.m. Sunday, they found his wife, 24-year-old Rebecca Boies, shot dead.
The couple had a baby daughter, Sullivan said. He would not say whether the child was in the house at the time of the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. The child now is in the care of her grandmother.
No neighbors reported hearing the shot, Sullivan said. Less than an hour passed between the killing and when Boies arrived at the police department. He did not know why Boies drove to the station, rather than just calling 911.
“After you do something so horrible, I think maybe there comes a moment of conscious thought – ‘I’ve done something wrong and I need to turn myself in,’ ” Sullivan said.
On Sunday, Chassen Boies was charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Washington County General District Court was closed Monday due to the weather, so he has not yet been arraigned.
Sullivan would not say what incited the killing or if drugs or alcohol were involved.
He said the department is still “putting the pieces together” about the couple who lived a quiet life on Maiden Drive, a tidy development of apartments, townhouses and single-family homes near downtown Abingdon.
After a killing, particularly one domestic in nature, Sullivan said, the law enforcement community asks itself it there was anything it could have done differently – if there were signs of trouble brewing left unchecked.
“But these people weren’t on our radar,” he said. “We have no history with them.”
Officers had never before been to the home, for domestic fights or otherwise, Sullivan said. Neither of the pair shows up in court records, not even for a traffic ticket.
The incident is the latest in a string of violent domestic episodes in Washington County. Sometimes, like in the Boies case, there is no warning, Sullivan said. Sometimes, there is.
Less than two weeks ago, a 29-year-old woman was stabbed nearly to death with a 6-inch boning knife in her Glade Spring home. Her embattled husband, Johnny Dwayne Counts, 37, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding and breaking and entering with the intent to commit malicious wounding. Neither of the two had protective orders against the other, but police had been to their house several times and charged the wife, Vanessa Counts, with domestic assault.
After the Dec. 16 incident, Vanessa Counts was taken to the hospital in critical condition; she was released a week later. Johnny Counts is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon.
In early November, 61-year-old Jane “Dixie” Waters Boyles was kidnapped, then killed, by her ex-boyfriend, Johnny Anthony Catanzaro. Boyles had a series of protective orders against Catanzaro and Sullivan said that, for years, his department had been working with her, trying to coax her out of the violent relationship.
One week after her final protective order against him, Catanzaro showed up at Boyles’s elderly parents’ Chilhowie home, tied them up and held them captive for more than seven hours. Then he pulled out a gun and forced them to lure their daughter to their house. When she arrived, he ambushed her, bound her wrists and ankles with zip ties and put her in his SUV. As Washington County deputies and Abingdon police officers tailed them, Catanzaro shot Boyles, then himself.
Sullivan doesn’t know if it’s due to cabin fever or alcohol or too much family togetherness, but he said the holidays tend to lead to violent domestic outbursts.
If you or a loved one is ready to leave a violent relationship, Bristol-based Abuse Alternatives operates a safe house and a 24-hour hot line at (423) 764-ABUSE.
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2531
Kalispell, MT: No bail for murder suspect
Posted: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 2:00 am | Updated: 8:04 pm, Mon Dec 27, 2010.
By Eric Schwartz/The Daily Inter Lake |
The man accused of gunning down a woman and her daughter on Christmas Day in a driveway west of Kalispell will be held without bail after an initial appearance Monday in Flathead County District Court.
Tyler Michael Miller, 34, was led into the courtroom — his blue jail garb bulging because of a bulletproof vest underneath — as the command staff of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement officials looked on.
Miller stared intently at Butch Hurlbert and mouthed several words before taking a seat.
Butch Hurlbert is the father of 35-year-old Jaimi Hurlbert and grandfather of 15-year-old Alyssa Burkett, the victims of Saturday’s double homicide.
Judge Stewart Stadler advised Miller of two charges of deliberate homicide against him and scheduled an arraignment for Jan. 13.
Deputy County Attorney Alison Howard asked that Miller — who in 2009 had his last name legally changed from Cheetham — be held without bond after Stadler initially set bail at $1 million.
She said prosecutors are considering the death penalty for Miller after he allegedly admitted carrying out the murders.
Stadler asked Miller if he would have the ability to bail himself out.
“Absolutely not,” Miller said. “If I did, I’m not interested.”
Relatives of Jaimi Hurlbert say that Miller and Hurlbert have a 17-month-old daughter, but Hurlbert had ended their relationship about two months ago. The end of the relationship caused Miller to act erratically and aggressively, according to family members.
Miller was arrested Saturday almost two hours after a 911 call from his mother, Cindy Regnier, on Block Crest Court west of Kalispell. A responding sheriff’s deputy found Hurlbert dead at the scene while Burkett was clinging to life, suffering from a bullet wound in her back. She later died after being transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
Miller was found in an vacant trailer on Ashley Hills Road about a mile from where he allegedly abandoned a stolen pickup truck. Law officers followed footprints in the snow from the vehicle to the trailer where Miller was arrested without incident.
Sheriff Mike Meehan said Monday that Miller exhibited signs of intoxication when he was placed in custody, but the sheriff could not confirm reports that Miller was high on methamphetamine.
Monday’s court appearance was the latest in a string of events that began early Friday morning when the Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at a home in Evergreen.
A caller reported that Miller was pounding on the front door of a home and looking for Jaimi Hurlbert, who was not at the residence.
Meehan confirmed that a deputy found Miller walking down a nearby road at 5:28 a.m. The woman who reported the disturbance did not want to press charges and the deputy determined that Miller was banging on the door but not trying to gain access, Meehan said.
Miller was given a ride home in a patrol car, Meehan said, adding that there was no evidence a crime had been committed.
Hurlbert’s father contacted the Sheriff’s Office less than two hours later at about 7:10 a.m. Friday. He reported receiving a telephone call from Miller, who allegedly left a voice-mail threatening Butch Hurlbert.
Meehan said a responding deputy took a recording of the message, which later was forwarded to the Flathead County Attorney’s Office where an arrest warrant would have been considered.
Friday, though, was a government holiday and both District Court and Justice Court were closed, slowing what might have been a faster process, Meehan said.
“I can honestly say that my officers did everything they could possibly do at the time with what they had to work with,” Meehan said.
Later Friday, Jaimi Hurlbert filed a harassment report at the Kalispell Police Department before heading in to work at the Scoreboard Pub and Casino. According to dispatch logs, she said that Miller had threatened to kill “her, her family, her friends and himself.”
She said she was concerned Miller would confront her at work.
Several hours later, at about 11:30 p.m., Miller arrived at the Scoreboard Pub and Casino, according to employees and police reports.
Miller allegedly had entered the Woodland Park Drive business in pursuit of Hurlbert, who had been standing outside. Miller reportedly grabbed her phone — which later was found outside — and threatened Hurlbert and other people inside.
Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nassett said officers who arrived on the scene initially thought Miller was inside his vehicle parked nearby. The department’s armored vehicle — nicknamed BEAR — responded to the scene because Miller was believed to have a firearm.
Nasset said the bar was locked down for the safety of patrons and employees.
It was determined at 12:42 a.m. Saturday that Miller was not in the vehicle.
Nasset said the search didn’t stop there, and that officers — including himself — searched for Miller for three hours. His mother’s home on Block Crest Court — where Hurlbert and Burkett later were shot — was not checked because officers were not aware he might have fled there, Nasset said.
“I think the guys did everything they could,” Nasset said. “They tried to make arrangements for [Hurlbert] to go to a safe location, but she wouldn’t go to a shelter.”
Instead, Hurlbert went to her father’s house where she celebrated Christmas on Saturday morning with Burkett. Butch Hulbert said his daughter and Burkett went to pick up her infant daughter at Regnier’s house, where they ultimately were shot and killed.
“They got out of the car and were walking to the door,” Butch Hulbert said, citing conversations with law enforcement officials. “He [Miller] pushed the door open, shot Jaimi and shot Alyssa, then fled.”
Nasset said Jaimi Hurlbert previously had been advised to obtain a protection order or to press charges against Miller, but she had declined to do so.
“Even though you do everything you think you can do and give all the advice you can, people will still second-guess it,” Nasset said.
Relatives of Jaimi Hurlbert and her daughter have criticized the response of both the Sheriff’s Office and the Kalispell Police Department. They say Miller should have been arrested before he had a chance to carry out his threats to kill.
“This just shouldn’t have been allowed to happen,” Butch Hurlbert said.
Nasset said he understands the frustration of the family and in no way blames Jaimi Hurlbert for what transpired the day after the incident at the Scoreboard.
“Ultimately there is only one person to blame and that’s the suspect,” Nasset said.
Miller has a lengthy criminal history in the Flathead Valley dating back to June 1995 when he was convicted of burglary, theft and possession of dangerous drugs. For those crimes, he was sentenced to 60 months in prison by District Judge Ted Lympus.
According to court documents, before his 18th birthday, Miller had been convicted of about a dozen charges ranging from theft and methamphetamine possession to assault and resisting arrest.
In August 1998, he was convicted of criminal mischief in Flathead County District Court but received a suspended sentence.
His last conviction, according to the Montana Department of Corrections, was in August 2003 in Silver Bow County for escape. He was sentenced to a year in prison for that offense.
Miller was released from Montana State Prison in 2008 but was still on parole prior to his arrest Saturday.
Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com
By Eric Schwartz/The Daily Inter Lake |
The man accused of gunning down a woman and her daughter on Christmas Day in a driveway west of Kalispell will be held without bail after an initial appearance Monday in Flathead County District Court.
Tyler Michael Miller, 34, was led into the courtroom — his blue jail garb bulging because of a bulletproof vest underneath — as the command staff of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement officials looked on.
Miller stared intently at Butch Hurlbert and mouthed several words before taking a seat.
Butch Hurlbert is the father of 35-year-old Jaimi Hurlbert and grandfather of 15-year-old Alyssa Burkett, the victims of Saturday’s double homicide.
Judge Stewart Stadler advised Miller of two charges of deliberate homicide against him and scheduled an arraignment for Jan. 13.
Deputy County Attorney Alison Howard asked that Miller — who in 2009 had his last name legally changed from Cheetham — be held without bond after Stadler initially set bail at $1 million.
She said prosecutors are considering the death penalty for Miller after he allegedly admitted carrying out the murders.
Stadler asked Miller if he would have the ability to bail himself out.
“Absolutely not,” Miller said. “If I did, I’m not interested.”
Relatives of Jaimi Hurlbert say that Miller and Hurlbert have a 17-month-old daughter, but Hurlbert had ended their relationship about two months ago. The end of the relationship caused Miller to act erratically and aggressively, according to family members.
Miller was arrested Saturday almost two hours after a 911 call from his mother, Cindy Regnier, on Block Crest Court west of Kalispell. A responding sheriff’s deputy found Hurlbert dead at the scene while Burkett was clinging to life, suffering from a bullet wound in her back. She later died after being transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
Miller was found in an vacant trailer on Ashley Hills Road about a mile from where he allegedly abandoned a stolen pickup truck. Law officers followed footprints in the snow from the vehicle to the trailer where Miller was arrested without incident.
Sheriff Mike Meehan said Monday that Miller exhibited signs of intoxication when he was placed in custody, but the sheriff could not confirm reports that Miller was high on methamphetamine.
Monday’s court appearance was the latest in a string of events that began early Friday morning when the Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at a home in Evergreen.
A caller reported that Miller was pounding on the front door of a home and looking for Jaimi Hurlbert, who was not at the residence.
Meehan confirmed that a deputy found Miller walking down a nearby road at 5:28 a.m. The woman who reported the disturbance did not want to press charges and the deputy determined that Miller was banging on the door but not trying to gain access, Meehan said.
Miller was given a ride home in a patrol car, Meehan said, adding that there was no evidence a crime had been committed.
Hurlbert’s father contacted the Sheriff’s Office less than two hours later at about 7:10 a.m. Friday. He reported receiving a telephone call from Miller, who allegedly left a voice-mail threatening Butch Hurlbert.
Meehan said a responding deputy took a recording of the message, which later was forwarded to the Flathead County Attorney’s Office where an arrest warrant would have been considered.
Friday, though, was a government holiday and both District Court and Justice Court were closed, slowing what might have been a faster process, Meehan said.
“I can honestly say that my officers did everything they could possibly do at the time with what they had to work with,” Meehan said.
Later Friday, Jaimi Hurlbert filed a harassment report at the Kalispell Police Department before heading in to work at the Scoreboard Pub and Casino. According to dispatch logs, she said that Miller had threatened to kill “her, her family, her friends and himself.”
She said she was concerned Miller would confront her at work.
Several hours later, at about 11:30 p.m., Miller arrived at the Scoreboard Pub and Casino, according to employees and police reports.
Miller allegedly had entered the Woodland Park Drive business in pursuit of Hurlbert, who had been standing outside. Miller reportedly grabbed her phone — which later was found outside — and threatened Hurlbert and other people inside.
Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nassett said officers who arrived on the scene initially thought Miller was inside his vehicle parked nearby. The department’s armored vehicle — nicknamed BEAR — responded to the scene because Miller was believed to have a firearm.
Nasset said the bar was locked down for the safety of patrons and employees.
It was determined at 12:42 a.m. Saturday that Miller was not in the vehicle.
Nasset said the search didn’t stop there, and that officers — including himself — searched for Miller for three hours. His mother’s home on Block Crest Court — where Hurlbert and Burkett later were shot — was not checked because officers were not aware he might have fled there, Nasset said.
“I think the guys did everything they could,” Nasset said. “They tried to make arrangements for [Hurlbert] to go to a safe location, but she wouldn’t go to a shelter.”
Instead, Hurlbert went to her father’s house where she celebrated Christmas on Saturday morning with Burkett. Butch Hulbert said his daughter and Burkett went to pick up her infant daughter at Regnier’s house, where they ultimately were shot and killed.
“They got out of the car and were walking to the door,” Butch Hulbert said, citing conversations with law enforcement officials. “He [Miller] pushed the door open, shot Jaimi and shot Alyssa, then fled.”
Nasset said Jaimi Hurlbert previously had been advised to obtain a protection order or to press charges against Miller, but she had declined to do so.
“Even though you do everything you think you can do and give all the advice you can, people will still second-guess it,” Nasset said.
Relatives of Jaimi Hurlbert and her daughter have criticized the response of both the Sheriff’s Office and the Kalispell Police Department. They say Miller should have been arrested before he had a chance to carry out his threats to kill.
“This just shouldn’t have been allowed to happen,” Butch Hurlbert said.
Nasset said he understands the frustration of the family and in no way blames Jaimi Hurlbert for what transpired the day after the incident at the Scoreboard.
“Ultimately there is only one person to blame and that’s the suspect,” Nasset said.
Miller has a lengthy criminal history in the Flathead Valley dating back to June 1995 when he was convicted of burglary, theft and possession of dangerous drugs. For those crimes, he was sentenced to 60 months in prison by District Judge Ted Lympus.
According to court documents, before his 18th birthday, Miller had been convicted of about a dozen charges ranging from theft and methamphetamine possession to assault and resisting arrest.
In August 1998, he was convicted of criminal mischief in Flathead County District Court but received a suspended sentence.
His last conviction, according to the Montana Department of Corrections, was in August 2003 in Silver Bow County for escape. He was sentenced to a year in prison for that offense.
Miller was released from Montana State Prison in 2008 but was still on parole prior to his arrest Saturday.
Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com
Johnstown, OH: Person Of Interest In Slaying Shoots Self As Deputies Approach
Tuesday, December 28, 2010 6:06 AM
JOHNSTOWN, Ohio — A man sought in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend shot himself in the head as deputies closed in on him early Tuesday morning.
A news release issued by the Licking County Sheriff's office said that Phillip Mascari was hospitalized in Columbus with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said they found Mascari shortly before 4 a.m. in a rural area on Van Fossen Road, located west of state Route 657. Mascari, 43, exited his vehicle and shot himself in the head as deputies approached, the Licking County Sheriff's office said.
No shots were fired by deputies.
Mascari was considered a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, Katherine Russ.
Russ, 37, was found shot to death on Monday inside a home on South Main Street in St. Lousiville.
Investigators said they found her body after a man called 911 and said that he had killed his girlfriend.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
JOHNSTOWN, Ohio — A man sought in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend shot himself in the head as deputies closed in on him early Tuesday morning.
A news release issued by the Licking County Sheriff's office said that Phillip Mascari was hospitalized in Columbus with life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said they found Mascari shortly before 4 a.m. in a rural area on Van Fossen Road, located west of state Route 657. Mascari, 43, exited his vehicle and shot himself in the head as deputies approached, the Licking County Sheriff's office said.
No shots were fired by deputies.
Mascari was considered a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, Katherine Russ.
Russ, 37, was found shot to death on Monday inside a home on South Main Street in St. Lousiville.
Investigators said they found her body after a man called 911 and said that he had killed his girlfriend.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
Rhode Island: Shooting sets record for domestic-violence deaths
A killing in Providence on Sunday set a dubious record in Rhode Island. It was the 13th death in Rhode Island related to domestic violence in 2010.
State advocates call 2010 the deadliest year for domestic violence since they started keeping records in 1980.
Police said 30-year-old Pedro DeJesus was gunned down Sunday by his girlfriend's nephew, 19-year-old Dujuan Powell, after Powell tried breaking up a fight between the couple in their Academy Avenue apartment.
"It's absolutely alarming to see this many homicides related to domestic violence in such a short period of time," said Deborah DeBare of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Three of this year's 13 domestic-violence deaths came in the past three weeks.
On Christmas Day, Staria Silva was found dead in her East Providence apartment. Her 9-month-old twin daughters were just feet from their mother's body. Police later arrested the twins' father -- 35-year-old Raymond Grundy of Warwick -- for violating a no-contact order. Police said the couple had a long documented history of domestic violence.
On Dec. 20, Tracey Pytka's body was found by her 14-year-old son. She had been stabbed to death in her Cumberland bedroom. Police said Pytka threw her husband, Peter Pytka, out of the house three weeks before the killing. He now faces charges.
Friends and family say the relationship was toxic and full of abuse.
"We clearly have a long way to go to try to prevent domestic violence tragedies like this but also how important it is the entire community can understand the warning signs, that there's help available and how to reach out to friends or family members who may be in an abusive relationship," DeBare said.
There are six domestic violence agencies statewide ready to spring into action. Call the state helpline at 800-494-8100.
State advocates call 2010 the deadliest year for domestic violence since they started keeping records in 1980.
Police said 30-year-old Pedro DeJesus was gunned down Sunday by his girlfriend's nephew, 19-year-old Dujuan Powell, after Powell tried breaking up a fight between the couple in their Academy Avenue apartment.
"It's absolutely alarming to see this many homicides related to domestic violence in such a short period of time," said Deborah DeBare of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Three of this year's 13 domestic-violence deaths came in the past three weeks.
On Christmas Day, Staria Silva was found dead in her East Providence apartment. Her 9-month-old twin daughters were just feet from their mother's body. Police later arrested the twins' father -- 35-year-old Raymond Grundy of Warwick -- for violating a no-contact order. Police said the couple had a long documented history of domestic violence.
On Dec. 20, Tracey Pytka's body was found by her 14-year-old son. She had been stabbed to death in her Cumberland bedroom. Police said Pytka threw her husband, Peter Pytka, out of the house three weeks before the killing. He now faces charges.
Friends and family say the relationship was toxic and full of abuse.
"We clearly have a long way to go to try to prevent domestic violence tragedies like this but also how important it is the entire community can understand the warning signs, that there's help available and how to reach out to friends or family members who may be in an abusive relationship," DeBare said.
There are six domestic violence agencies statewide ready to spring into action. Call the state helpline at 800-494-8100.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Titusville, OH: Titusville man, charged in girlfriend's death, dies
TITUSVILLE -- The man charged with homicide after his girlfriend's frozen body was found, has died.
Michael P. Brooker, 35, died Sunday afternoon at a Pittsburgh hospital, Crawford County District Attorney Francis Schultz said.
Brooker had been charged Wednesday by Titusville police after the body of Renee Rose Gates, 23, was found covered in snow behind her Titusville apartment complex.
Following his arraignment, Brooker had been held without bail in the Crawford County Correctional Facility in Saegertown. He was taken to a hospital a couple days ago, Schultz said. Brooker's death was believed to have been related to liver problems, officials said.
Schultz said the investigation into Gates' homicide will continue. Results of an autopsy to determine her cause of death weren't yet available.
Michael P. Brooker, 35, died Sunday afternoon at a Pittsburgh hospital, Crawford County District Attorney Francis Schultz said.
Brooker had been charged Wednesday by Titusville police after the body of Renee Rose Gates, 23, was found covered in snow behind her Titusville apartment complex.
Following his arraignment, Brooker had been held without bail in the Crawford County Correctional Facility in Saegertown. He was taken to a hospital a couple days ago, Schultz said. Brooker's death was believed to have been related to liver problems, officials said.
Schultz said the investigation into Gates' homicide will continue. Results of an autopsy to determine her cause of death weren't yet available.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Laurel County, KY: Family Mourning the Loss of Son, Found Stabbed to Death
Family Mourns After Man Found Stabbed to Death
A Laurel County family says for the years to follow, Christmas will never be the same. Police found 29-year-old Chris Allen stabbed to death yesterday lying on a driveway.
Police arrested Roi Lynn Collett, Allen's girlfriend. Now, Chris Allen's mother has words for her son's alleged killer, and they may surprise you.
"He called me yesterday morning and he said Mommy he said it's Christmas and I'm coming over," says Judy Collins. Chris Allen never came, instead police found him lying on a driveway on Whitley Street stabbed in the chest.
"I just wanted to go and hug him and be with him. Things will never be the same without him I don't know what I'll do now," says Collins.
Collins says she still doesn't understand why this happened to her son, who deeply loved his family.
Police believe they know who is responsible, Allen's girlfriend of three years, Roi Lynn Collett.
"I'm hurt, but I still love her," says Collins.
Collins says she has forgiveness in her heart for her son's alleged killer. But she still wants to know why her son was taken away on Christmas morning. "He's my baby and I lost him and I don't have him anymore. I just don't know what I'm going to do now."
Chris Allen's funeral will be 11:00 a.m. At the Bowling Funeral Home in Laurel County. The funeral home is accepting donations to help with funeral costs.
A Laurel County family says for the years to follow, Christmas will never be the same. Police found 29-year-old Chris Allen stabbed to death yesterday lying on a driveway.
Police arrested Roi Lynn Collett, Allen's girlfriend. Now, Chris Allen's mother has words for her son's alleged killer, and they may surprise you.
"He called me yesterday morning and he said Mommy he said it's Christmas and I'm coming over," says Judy Collins. Chris Allen never came, instead police found him lying on a driveway on Whitley Street stabbed in the chest.
"I just wanted to go and hug him and be with him. Things will never be the same without him I don't know what I'll do now," says Collins.
Collins says she still doesn't understand why this happened to her son, who deeply loved his family.
Police believe they know who is responsible, Allen's girlfriend of three years, Roi Lynn Collett.
"I'm hurt, but I still love her," says Collins.
Collins says she has forgiveness in her heart for her son's alleged killer. But she still wants to know why her son was taken away on Christmas morning. "He's my baby and I lost him and I don't have him anymore. I just don't know what I'm going to do now."
Chris Allen's funeral will be 11:00 a.m. At the Bowling Funeral Home in Laurel County. The funeral home is accepting donations to help with funeral costs.
East Providence, RI: Update: Mother killed; twin babies found crying in home
10:45 AM Sun, Dec 26, 2010
Kate Bramson Email
By Kate Bramson
and Paul Parker
Journal Staff Writers
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A 35-year-old woman was killed in her home and found by her mother on Christmas Day, as the victim's 9-month-old twin daughters lay crying.
The police are now investigating what they say appears to be a domestic-related homicide, Police Chief Joseph H. Tavares said in the lobby of the police station shortly before 11 p.m. on Christmas.
The police on Sunday identified the woman as Staria Silva of 9 Fifth St.
Tavares said the Silva's mother called the police to her daughter's home just before 2 p.m. After speaking with possible witnesses, Tavares said, the police issued a bulletin to all officers and surrounding police departments with the description of a male suspect and the man's vehicle.
The suspect -- Raymond Grundy, 35, also of 9 Fifth St. -- was arrested in Warwick and turned over to the East Providence police, Tavares said. He and the woman had what Tavares described as "a substantial relationship that included a history of domestic violence." He is being held at the station and is charged with violating a restraining order, Tavares said.
In early November, Grundy was arrested and charged with domestic simple assault against Silva, the police said. On Nov. 8, the day the charges were lodged in District Court, the judge issued an order barring Grundy from contacting Silva.
Further details on the November incident were not immediately available.
Outside Silva's home Christmas night, family and friends huddled on the street in the cold darkness, kept back from the home by yellow police tape -- crying and raging over the woman's death.
This was the twins' first Christmas, sobbed Rachel Murray, who identified herself as the woman's cousin. Murray's mother, Linda Sparfven, is the victim's godmother, and she had tried to get into the home Christmas morning when she heard the babies crying, Murray said.
At about 10:30 p.m., a police officer walked out of the home, carrying one of the little girls in an infant car seat. The victim's mother left the home then, too. And someone else carried the other baby, also in an infant car seat. The friends and family in the street rushed toward the babies and cooed at the girls, through tears.
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," one woman cried as she looked into the baby's face. "Hi, my pretty girl."
The girls would be going home with their mother's mother, Murray said.
The original version of this story was posted at 12:03 a.m. Sunday.
Kate Bramson Email
By Kate Bramson
and Paul Parker
Journal Staff Writers
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A 35-year-old woman was killed in her home and found by her mother on Christmas Day, as the victim's 9-month-old twin daughters lay crying.
The police are now investigating what they say appears to be a domestic-related homicide, Police Chief Joseph H. Tavares said in the lobby of the police station shortly before 11 p.m. on Christmas.
The police on Sunday identified the woman as Staria Silva of 9 Fifth St.
Tavares said the Silva's mother called the police to her daughter's home just before 2 p.m. After speaking with possible witnesses, Tavares said, the police issued a bulletin to all officers and surrounding police departments with the description of a male suspect and the man's vehicle.
The suspect -- Raymond Grundy, 35, also of 9 Fifth St. -- was arrested in Warwick and turned over to the East Providence police, Tavares said. He and the woman had what Tavares described as "a substantial relationship that included a history of domestic violence." He is being held at the station and is charged with violating a restraining order, Tavares said.
In early November, Grundy was arrested and charged with domestic simple assault against Silva, the police said. On Nov. 8, the day the charges were lodged in District Court, the judge issued an order barring Grundy from contacting Silva.
Further details on the November incident were not immediately available.
Outside Silva's home Christmas night, family and friends huddled on the street in the cold darkness, kept back from the home by yellow police tape -- crying and raging over the woman's death.
This was the twins' first Christmas, sobbed Rachel Murray, who identified herself as the woman's cousin. Murray's mother, Linda Sparfven, is the victim's godmother, and she had tried to get into the home Christmas morning when she heard the babies crying, Murray said.
At about 10:30 p.m., a police officer walked out of the home, carrying one of the little girls in an infant car seat. The victim's mother left the home then, too. And someone else carried the other baby, also in an infant car seat. The friends and family in the street rushed toward the babies and cooed at the girls, through tears.
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," one woman cried as she looked into the baby's face. "Hi, my pretty girl."
The girls would be going home with their mother's mother, Murray said.
The original version of this story was posted at 12:03 a.m. Sunday.
Hempfield, PA: Hempfield man killed by state trooper
Police say victim ignored orders to drop handgun
Sunday, December 26, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Neighbors said Jeffrey Yohman and his wife often argued, sometimes so loudly that they could be heard from several houses down the road.
The two fought on the porch of their Hempfield home Friday about an hour before state troopers were called to the home and fatally shot Mr. Yohman, 51, who they said ignored their orders to drop his handgun. State police in Greensburg on Saturday offered few glimpses into the shooting, nor did they shed light on the domestic dispute that drove them to the Yohman home in the 1300 block of Swede Hill Road about 4:15 p.m.
Mr. Yohman physically confronted the first trooper who arrived, forcing him over a front porch railing and onto the ground several feet below, a state police spokesman wrote in a short statement.
Mr. Yohman then ran back into his house and retrieved a handgun, which troopers said he pointed at them once he returned outside. A trooper, whom police would not identify, opened fire on Mr. Yohman when he "became more aggressive," and refused to obey orders that he drop the weapon.
He was pronounced dead at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital. The first-responding officer, also unidentified in the statement, was treated at the same hospital for a head laceration, suffered after falling over the railing.
Tina Capasso, who lives a few doors down, said shell casings littered the street, but it was unclear from which weapon or weapons they were fired. The police spokesman didn't say whether Mr. Yohman shot at the officers and couldn't be reached for further comment.
Ms. Capasso was drawn into the afternoon commotion by her dogs' incessant barking, which muffled the sound of gunfire. But she looked out from the corner of her garage and saw Mr. Yohman collapse in the snow of his yard.
Troopers with rifles ran back and fourth, she said, including one who was clutching his bloodied face.
"You could see everyone emptying their clips right there in the road," she said.
As for Mr. Yohman, she said, he was the type of neighbor who kept to himself, though he would often argue with his wife. Ms. Capasso could only guess what triggered their ongoing disagreements.
"I guess probably the holiday put stress on it," she said.
Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck told reporters at the scene on Friday that holiday stress may, indeed, have had something to do with the domestic dispute.
A woman who answered the door at the Yohman home on Saturday declined to comment.
Sadie Gurman: sgurman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1878.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Neighbors said Jeffrey Yohman and his wife often argued, sometimes so loudly that they could be heard from several houses down the road.
The two fought on the porch of their Hempfield home Friday about an hour before state troopers were called to the home and fatally shot Mr. Yohman, 51, who they said ignored their orders to drop his handgun. State police in Greensburg on Saturday offered few glimpses into the shooting, nor did they shed light on the domestic dispute that drove them to the Yohman home in the 1300 block of Swede Hill Road about 4:15 p.m.
Mr. Yohman physically confronted the first trooper who arrived, forcing him over a front porch railing and onto the ground several feet below, a state police spokesman wrote in a short statement.
Mr. Yohman then ran back into his house and retrieved a handgun, which troopers said he pointed at them once he returned outside. A trooper, whom police would not identify, opened fire on Mr. Yohman when he "became more aggressive," and refused to obey orders that he drop the weapon.
He was pronounced dead at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital. The first-responding officer, also unidentified in the statement, was treated at the same hospital for a head laceration, suffered after falling over the railing.
Tina Capasso, who lives a few doors down, said shell casings littered the street, but it was unclear from which weapon or weapons they were fired. The police spokesman didn't say whether Mr. Yohman shot at the officers and couldn't be reached for further comment.
Ms. Capasso was drawn into the afternoon commotion by her dogs' incessant barking, which muffled the sound of gunfire. But she looked out from the corner of her garage and saw Mr. Yohman collapse in the snow of his yard.
Troopers with rifles ran back and fourth, she said, including one who was clutching his bloodied face.
"You could see everyone emptying their clips right there in the road," she said.
As for Mr. Yohman, she said, he was the type of neighbor who kept to himself, though he would often argue with his wife. Ms. Capasso could only guess what triggered their ongoing disagreements.
"I guess probably the holiday put stress on it," she said.
Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck told reporters at the scene on Friday that holiday stress may, indeed, have had something to do with the domestic dispute.
A woman who answered the door at the Yohman home on Saturday declined to comment.
Sadie Gurman: sgurman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1878.
Carmel, NY: Husband charged with wife's murder
CARMEL - The husband of a 19-year-old woman who was murdered at home Friday morning has been charged with killing her.
Putnam County Sheriff Donald Smith said Paul Amay, 25, arrested Saturday on murder charges for killing Graciela Zhingri Amay, 19.
Smith said Amay is alleged to have strangled his wife outside their 34 Agor Lane, Mahopac Falls home and then dragged her inside where he stabbed her repeatedly in the chest.
Amay is in the United States illegally from Ecuador, said Smith. ICE has been notified, he said.
Amay and his wife lived with the victim's parents.
Her husband, who was wanted as a person of interest, was picked up Friday evening in Ossining and returned to Carmel for questioning, said Smith.
Mrs. Amay was a 2008 graduate of Mahopac High School and had been a BOCES Student of Distinction.
Police said they had been summoned to the home on several occasions for previous domestic violence disputes involving the young couple. Friday morning, Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies were asked to check on the woman’s welfare and her body was found on the floor of their home.
Putnam County Sheriff Donald Smith said Paul Amay, 25, arrested Saturday on murder charges for killing Graciela Zhingri Amay, 19.
Smith said Amay is alleged to have strangled his wife outside their 34 Agor Lane, Mahopac Falls home and then dragged her inside where he stabbed her repeatedly in the chest.
Amay is in the United States illegally from Ecuador, said Smith. ICE has been notified, he said.
Amay and his wife lived with the victim's parents.
Her husband, who was wanted as a person of interest, was picked up Friday evening in Ossining and returned to Carmel for questioning, said Smith.
Mrs. Amay was a 2008 graduate of Mahopac High School and had been a BOCES Student of Distinction.
Police said they had been summoned to the home on several occasions for previous domestic violence disputes involving the young couple. Friday morning, Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies were asked to check on the woman’s welfare and her body was found on the floor of their home.
Provo, UT: Utah restaurateur and wife dead in apparent murder-suicide: report
Last Updated: 6:52 PM, December 26, 2010
Posted: 6:51 PM, December 26, 2010
A Utah restaurateur and his wife were killed Christmas night in an apparent murder-suicide, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Sunday.
The bodies of Steven Runolfson, who co-founded the Salt Lake City French restaurant La Caille, and his wife Lisa, were found dead in bed in a hotel room in Provo, Utah around 9:45pm Saturday. Provo police Sgt. Reed Van Wagoner said Steven Runolfson, 56, apparently shot his 57-year-old wife and then shot himself.
"It was an agreement between the two of them," Van Wagoner said. "They had called and left a message with family that they were not coming home and not to have a service for them."
In March 2010, Steven Runolfson and his La Caille partner David Johnson were sued by former partner Mark Haug, who alleged that Runolfson and Johnson had breached a 1993 partnership agreement. Haug won his case and was awarded $4.7 million.
Posted: 6:51 PM, December 26, 2010
A Utah restaurateur and his wife were killed Christmas night in an apparent murder-suicide, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Sunday.
The bodies of Steven Runolfson, who co-founded the Salt Lake City French restaurant La Caille, and his wife Lisa, were found dead in bed in a hotel room in Provo, Utah around 9:45pm Saturday. Provo police Sgt. Reed Van Wagoner said Steven Runolfson, 56, apparently shot his 57-year-old wife and then shot himself.
"It was an agreement between the two of them," Van Wagoner said. "They had called and left a message with family that they were not coming home and not to have a service for them."
In March 2010, Steven Runolfson and his La Caille partner David Johnson were sued by former partner Mark Haug, who alleged that Runolfson and Johnson had breached a 1993 partnership agreement. Haug won his case and was awarded $4.7 million.
Fort Campbell, TN: Fort Campbell MP arrested in shooting death
Authorities arrest Fort Campbell MP
BY BRIAN EASON
THE LEAF-CHRONICLE
A military police officer reportedly shot and killed his girlfriend early Christmas morning after a fight at their home, according to police.
Samantha Marie Miller, 34, of 1488 Buchanon Drive, was taken to Gateway Medical Center by ambulance and then transferred to Vanderbilt University Hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound to the head.
Miller died late Saturday afternoon, Clarksville Police spokesman Officer Jim Knoll said.
Timothy Andrew Putnam, 27, also of 1488 Buchanon Drive, was charged with criminal attempted homicide following the incident early Saturday morning, according to a news release sent by Knoll.
The release said Miller and Putnam had been arguing, and Putnam allegedly grabbed her by the hair with a gun in his hand.
When police arrived at about 2:45 a.m., Putnam told them he'd shot Miller by accident, the release said.
Miller's 12-year-old child called 911, according to dispatch logs. He and four other children were home at the time, the logs said. The children have been released into the care of a family member, Knoll said.
Knoll said Putnam is a member of the 561st Military Police Company. He is being held without bond, and an upgraded homicide charge will be pursued through the court system, Knoll added.
It was the second major incident this week involving an MP at Fort Campbell.
Staff Sgt. Ian J. Kriebel is facing attempted murder and assault charges after he allegedly stabbed an MP repeatedly in the neck and upper torso, according to a Fort Campbell news release. The MP, who was not identified, shot Kriebel once and was in stable condition Friday.
BY BRIAN EASON
THE LEAF-CHRONICLE
A military police officer reportedly shot and killed his girlfriend early Christmas morning after a fight at their home, according to police.
Samantha Marie Miller, 34, of 1488 Buchanon Drive, was taken to Gateway Medical Center by ambulance and then transferred to Vanderbilt University Hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound to the head.
Miller died late Saturday afternoon, Clarksville Police spokesman Officer Jim Knoll said.
Timothy Andrew Putnam, 27, also of 1488 Buchanon Drive, was charged with criminal attempted homicide following the incident early Saturday morning, according to a news release sent by Knoll.
The release said Miller and Putnam had been arguing, and Putnam allegedly grabbed her by the hair with a gun in his hand.
When police arrived at about 2:45 a.m., Putnam told them he'd shot Miller by accident, the release said.
Miller's 12-year-old child called 911, according to dispatch logs. He and four other children were home at the time, the logs said. The children have been released into the care of a family member, Knoll said.
Knoll said Putnam is a member of the 561st Military Police Company. He is being held without bond, and an upgraded homicide charge will be pursued through the court system, Knoll added.
It was the second major incident this week involving an MP at Fort Campbell.
Staff Sgt. Ian J. Kriebel is facing attempted murder and assault charges after he allegedly stabbed an MP repeatedly in the neck and upper torso, according to a Fort Campbell news release. The MP, who was not identified, shot Kriebel once and was in stable condition Friday.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Temecula, CA: The bodies of the pair were found Christmas Eve in the residence in the 30000 block of Milano Road.
BY JOSE ARBALLO JR., SWRNN
Friday, December 24, 2010
A man and woman were found dead in a Temecula home in what officials are calling a murder-suicide, said Sgt. Scott Brown.
The bodies of the pair were found in the residence in the 30000 block of Milano Road, Brown said in a news release. The initial call was for a medical aide at 4:27 a.m.
The bodies of John Reyes, 49, and Nichelle Nelson, 43, were found Christmas Eve, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. It appeared Reyes killed Nelson then committed suicide.
“The initial assessment of the scene is that it is a domestic violence related homicide and, both the victim and suspect are deceased,” Brown said.”There is no outstanding suspect.”
Brown said more information with be released as the investigation progresses.
Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding can call Investigator James Campos at the Central Homicide Unit at 760-393-3500 or Investigator Darin Gray at the Southwest Station at 951-696-3000.
Friday, December 24, 2010
A man and woman were found dead in a Temecula home in what officials are calling a murder-suicide, said Sgt. Scott Brown.
The bodies of the pair were found in the residence in the 30000 block of Milano Road, Brown said in a news release. The initial call was for a medical aide at 4:27 a.m.
The bodies of John Reyes, 49, and Nichelle Nelson, 43, were found Christmas Eve, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. It appeared Reyes killed Nelson then committed suicide.
“The initial assessment of the scene is that it is a domestic violence related homicide and, both the victim and suspect are deceased,” Brown said.”There is no outstanding suspect.”
Brown said more information with be released as the investigation progresses.
Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding can call Investigator James Campos at the Central Homicide Unit at 760-393-3500 or Investigator Darin Gray at the Southwest Station at 951-696-3000.
Painesville, OH: Man who killed ex-girlfriend with car sentenced to 45 years in prison
Wednesday, December 22, 2010, 5:50 PM
By Tonya Sams, The Plain Dealer
PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- A 25-year-old Eastlake man was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison Wednesday in Lake County Common Pleas Court for running down and killing his ex-girlfriend, according to Lake County Prosecutors.
Todd O'Brien was found guilty on Dec. 8 of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, violating a protection order, felonious assault and failure to stop after running over his ex-girlfriend Kayelee Martin, 23, according to Lake County Common Pleas Court documents.
About 3:30 p.m. on June 15, O'Brien ran over Martin, the mother of his 4-year old son, and dragged her body around the Cambridge Condominiums parking lot on Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township.
Martin had a restraining order against O'Brien for stalking and was on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator at the time of the incident. She died on the scene.
O'Brien turned himself into the State Highway Patrol later that day.
By Tonya Sams, The Plain Dealer
PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- A 25-year-old Eastlake man was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison Wednesday in Lake County Common Pleas Court for running down and killing his ex-girlfriend, according to Lake County Prosecutors.
Todd O'Brien was found guilty on Dec. 8 of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, violating a protection order, felonious assault and failure to stop after running over his ex-girlfriend Kayelee Martin, 23, according to Lake County Common Pleas Court documents.
About 3:30 p.m. on June 15, O'Brien ran over Martin, the mother of his 4-year old son, and dragged her body around the Cambridge Condominiums parking lot on Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township.
Martin had a restraining order against O'Brien for stalking and was on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator at the time of the incident. She died on the scene.
O'Brien turned himself into the State Highway Patrol later that day.
Shawnee, OK: Pottawatomie County prosecutor says man will face murder charge in wife's death
Shawnee man is accused of stabbing his wife Dec. 14. She died Wednesday.
BY ANN KELLEY akelley@opubco.com
Published: December 24, 2010
SHAWNEE — A Shawnee man may face a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of his wife of 50 years.
Linda Carol Hilburn, 67, died Wednesday at OU Medical Center.
Her husband, Rexford Earl Hilburn, 71, is charged in Pottawatomie County District Court with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, but the complaint is expected to be amended Monday.
District Attorney Richard Smothermon said he intends to file a first-degree murder charge against Hilburn now that the man's wife is dead.
“Justice demands it, regardless of the circumstances,” Smothermon said.
The couple's granddaughter, Amy Wollard, said her grandfather is suffering from mental health problems and would never intentionally hurt his wife.
Hilburn is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The stabbing occurred Dec. 14 in the Hilburn's home at 4617 Gracelann.
Authorities allege Linda Hilburn was in the bathroom when her husband attacked her with a kitchen knife.
BY ANN KELLEY akelley@opubco.com
Published: December 24, 2010
SHAWNEE — A Shawnee man may face a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of his wife of 50 years.
Linda Carol Hilburn, 67, died Wednesday at OU Medical Center.
Her husband, Rexford Earl Hilburn, 71, is charged in Pottawatomie County District Court with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, but the complaint is expected to be amended Monday.
District Attorney Richard Smothermon said he intends to file a first-degree murder charge against Hilburn now that the man's wife is dead.
“Justice demands it, regardless of the circumstances,” Smothermon said.
The couple's granddaughter, Amy Wollard, said her grandfather is suffering from mental health problems and would never intentionally hurt his wife.
Hilburn is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The stabbing occurred Dec. 14 in the Hilburn's home at 4617 Gracelann.
Authorities allege Linda Hilburn was in the bathroom when her husband attacked her with a kitchen knife.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Caldwell, ID: Former Fallon resident sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder
By Steve Puterski
Lahontan Valley News
Shawn Raecke/Idaho Statesman Former Fallon resident Sheryl Sasenbery, 47, was sentenced by Judge Juneal Kerrick to 25 years in prison for a second degree murder charge last week. Sasenbery pleaded guilty to second degree murder for stabbing her roommate and boyfriend Walter Lisenbee to death in their Caldwell home on June 16, 2009.
A former Fallon woman who killed an ex-Naval Air Station Fallon federal firefighter was sentenced to 25 years in prison last week in Idaho's Third District Court.
According to the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise, Sherryl Lynn Sasenbery, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder for the killing of Walter Lisenbee, 66, in Caldwell, Idaho. The two were reported to be involved in a romantic relationship and moved to Idaho to be closer to Lisenbee's family.
Sasenbery is eligible for parole after 10 years.
According to the Statesman, Sasenbery killed Lisenbee on June 18, 2009. She called 911 to report the stabbing and told Caldwell police that Lisenbee attacked her after she accused him of stealing money.
Sasenbery said she protected herself by striking Lisenbee with a paperweight and with a butcher's knife. Sasenbery told investigators that Lisenbee attacked her with a hammer and stabbed her in the stomach, according to Boise, Idaho TV station KBOI.
Sasenbery was taken to the hospital where investigators said the only injury to Sasenbery was a cut on a finger.
Authorities said the self-defense claim was false, stating the likely motive was Sasenbery thought Lisenbee was going to leave her and take $6,500 she received from her mother's estate.
Various media reports state Sasenbery stabbed Lisenbee numerous times in the head, left knee, right shoulder and sliced his throat.
Sasenbery was originally charged with first-degree murder.
Lahontan Valley News
Shawn Raecke/Idaho Statesman Former Fallon resident Sheryl Sasenbery, 47, was sentenced by Judge Juneal Kerrick to 25 years in prison for a second degree murder charge last week. Sasenbery pleaded guilty to second degree murder for stabbing her roommate and boyfriend Walter Lisenbee to death in their Caldwell home on June 16, 2009.
A former Fallon woman who killed an ex-Naval Air Station Fallon federal firefighter was sentenced to 25 years in prison last week in Idaho's Third District Court.
According to the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise, Sherryl Lynn Sasenbery, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder for the killing of Walter Lisenbee, 66, in Caldwell, Idaho. The two were reported to be involved in a romantic relationship and moved to Idaho to be closer to Lisenbee's family.
Sasenbery is eligible for parole after 10 years.
According to the Statesman, Sasenbery killed Lisenbee on June 18, 2009. She called 911 to report the stabbing and told Caldwell police that Lisenbee attacked her after she accused him of stealing money.
Sasenbery said she protected herself by striking Lisenbee with a paperweight and with a butcher's knife. Sasenbery told investigators that Lisenbee attacked her with a hammer and stabbed her in the stomach, according to Boise, Idaho TV station KBOI.
Sasenbery was taken to the hospital where investigators said the only injury to Sasenbery was a cut on a finger.
Authorities said the self-defense claim was false, stating the likely motive was Sasenbery thought Lisenbee was going to leave her and take $6,500 she received from her mother's estate.
Various media reports state Sasenbery stabbed Lisenbee numerous times in the head, left knee, right shoulder and sliced his throat.
Sasenbery was originally charged with first-degree murder.
Somerset, PA: Indianapolis woman found dead in Pennsylvania hotel
Somerset, Pa. — Authorities in Somerset, Pennsylvania say two people were found shot to death inside a hotel room. One of the dead was a woman from Indianapolis, identified as 39-year-old Amy Estes.
Estes was found dead in a bed at the Days Inn just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A 42-year-old man, identified as Paul D. Linhart of Marlton, New Jersey was found dead on the floor.
Police say the two arrived in separate cars at the hotel on December 21st. Her family believes her boyfriend (Linhart) killed her then turned the gun on himself.
Fox59 News spoke with Amy's estranged husband who says he knew she was having a relationship with Linhart. He said Amy called him a few days ago saying Linhart was violent and she was coming back to Indianapolis.
Police are now calling the deaths a murder-suicide.
"We're probably just for the benefit of the families, survivors, just trying to unravel things for them... looking to see how these folks knew each other, what type of relationship they have, why they chose Somerset. At this point, we think {it was} just coincidental, {a} point on map between their two homes," said Somerset Police Chief Randy Cox.
Police are waiting for autopsy results to reveal who shot whom. Estes' family said Linhart carried a gun and beat up Amy a few weeks ago.
Estes was found dead in a bed at the Days Inn just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A 42-year-old man, identified as Paul D. Linhart of Marlton, New Jersey was found dead on the floor.
Police say the two arrived in separate cars at the hotel on December 21st. Her family believes her boyfriend (Linhart) killed her then turned the gun on himself.
Fox59 News spoke with Amy's estranged husband who says he knew she was having a relationship with Linhart. He said Amy called him a few days ago saying Linhart was violent and she was coming back to Indianapolis.
Police are now calling the deaths a murder-suicide.
"We're probably just for the benefit of the families, survivors, just trying to unravel things for them... looking to see how these folks knew each other, what type of relationship they have, why they chose Somerset. At this point, we think {it was} just coincidental, {a} point on map between their two homes," said Somerset Police Chief Randy Cox.
Police are waiting for autopsy results to reveal who shot whom. Estes' family said Linhart carried a gun and beat up Amy a few weeks ago.
Jacksonville, FL: Woman choked and killed by estranged boyfriend
By Kevin Rincon @ December 22, 2010
26-year-old Latoya Latresa Jones got into an argument with her estranged boyfriend. During that argument 25-year-old Kevin Christopher Jones (no relation) stabbed her and forced her to drive to a hospital.
The two were driving on the Northside. On the way to the hospital they argued again and he reached over to the driver's side and began to strangle her.
She was choked until she became unconscious.
As the car drifted off the road Jones jumped out of the vehicle and watched as the car slammed into a utility pole. She crashed near the 400 block of Clark Road.
Police say Jones fled on foot and was arrested later that night.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue initially thought she was shot but during an autopsy the Medical Examiner's office determined it was a stab wound. Doctors then determined she died from strangulation and not from the crash or from the stab wound.
Jones was arrested by police on murder charges. He was the one that actually called police and admitted to having choked her. He even demonstrated how he did it on a detective by grabbing his throat and squeezing.
26-year-old Latoya Latresa Jones got into an argument with her estranged boyfriend. During that argument 25-year-old Kevin Christopher Jones (no relation) stabbed her and forced her to drive to a hospital.
The two were driving on the Northside. On the way to the hospital they argued again and he reached over to the driver's side and began to strangle her.
She was choked until she became unconscious.
As the car drifted off the road Jones jumped out of the vehicle and watched as the car slammed into a utility pole. She crashed near the 400 block of Clark Road.
Police say Jones fled on foot and was arrested later that night.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue initially thought she was shot but during an autopsy the Medical Examiner's office determined it was a stab wound. Doctors then determined she died from strangulation and not from the crash or from the stab wound.
Jones was arrested by police on murder charges. He was the one that actually called police and admitted to having choked her. He even demonstrated how he did it on a detective by grabbing his throat and squeezing.
Columbia, TN: Maury County man accused of stabbing girlfriend to death last April
5:36 PM CST, December 23, 2010
COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Maury County have arrested a Spring Hill man in the stabbing death of his girlfriend eight months ago.
According to The Daily Herald, Jeff Quintana was charged Wednesday night with first-degree murder in the death of Stefanie Cavanaugh.
Her body was found last April in a driveway leading to an abandoned house alongside a county road. She had been missing a week.
COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities in Maury County have arrested a Spring Hill man in the stabbing death of his girlfriend eight months ago.
According to The Daily Herald, Jeff Quintana was charged Wednesday night with first-degree murder in the death of Stefanie Cavanaugh.
Her body was found last April in a driveway leading to an abandoned house alongside a county road. She had been missing a week.
Litchfield, CT: Winsted man says he didn't cause girlfriend's death
BY BRIGITTE RUTHMAN REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
LITCHFIELD -- Peter Sebben insists he didn't cause his estranged girlfriend's death a decade ago, and insists the state reneged on a deal that would have ended his prosecution on manslaughter charges and kept him from prison.
The deal was withdrawn after a Superior Court judge heard from 27-year-old Tanya McKay's parents, who want Sebben prosecuted for causing her mortal head injuries. The case is now being challenged at the state's Appellate Court level, where it could be held up for years.
State attorneys can't move forward with criminal prosecution until the Appellate Court rules on Sebben's claim that the plea agreement should be honored, and that his trial strategy has already been revealed. Sebben, an auditor with the state's Department of Revenue Services, appeared Thursday in Litchfield Superior Court where the case was continued.
Suspicions were raised after Sebben delivered McKay to the emergency room at 5:30 a.m. New Year's Day, 2000, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. He claimed she had struck her head on the floor of his Winsted home before they went to bed that New Year's Eve, and that he awoke to find her vomiting and soiling the bed. Police found no evidence in the sheets or her clothing to support his claim. She died six days later at Hartford Hospital and the state's medical examiner declared her death of blunt force trauma a homicide.
LITCHFIELD -- Peter Sebben insists he didn't cause his estranged girlfriend's death a decade ago, and insists the state reneged on a deal that would have ended his prosecution on manslaughter charges and kept him from prison.
The deal was withdrawn after a Superior Court judge heard from 27-year-old Tanya McKay's parents, who want Sebben prosecuted for causing her mortal head injuries. The case is now being challenged at the state's Appellate Court level, where it could be held up for years.
State attorneys can't move forward with criminal prosecution until the Appellate Court rules on Sebben's claim that the plea agreement should be honored, and that his trial strategy has already been revealed. Sebben, an auditor with the state's Department of Revenue Services, appeared Thursday in Litchfield Superior Court where the case was continued.
Suspicions were raised after Sebben delivered McKay to the emergency room at 5:30 a.m. New Year's Day, 2000, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. He claimed she had struck her head on the floor of his Winsted home before they went to bed that New Year's Eve, and that he awoke to find her vomiting and soiling the bed. Police found no evidence in the sheets or her clothing to support his claim. She died six days later at Hartford Hospital and the state's medical examiner declared her death of blunt force trauma a homicide.
Ft. Thomas, OH: Cheryl McCafferty up for parole
BY JIM HANNAH • JHANNAH@NKY.COM • DECEMBER 24, 2010
FORT THOMAS - Cheryl McCafferty is hopeful, but scared, about her upcoming parole hearing, a friend says.
"She is doing fine," said Jackie Herman, who has exchanged letters with McCafferty every month since she was convicted in March 2009 of fatally shooting her husband, Robert McCafferty, in their Fort Thomas home. "Prison is not very good, but from what I gather, her spirits are pretty good."
Cheryl McCafferty's parole hearing is Jan. 13. Under Kentucky law, she is eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of the 18-year sentence she was given for first-degree manslaughter.
• Photos: McCafferty evidence
• Photos: McCafferty sentencing
• Photos: McCafferty found guilty
While McCafferty, 46, has declined interview requests since her arrest, Herman said there is a group of about 70 women who are lobbying for McCafferty's parole. Herman said it does society no good to continue to have her in prison.
"She could be out and teaching women how to cope with domestic violence," said Herman, who befriended McCafferty after attending her trial out of curiosity.
Robert McCafferty's father, 81-year-old Richard McCafferty, would not say if Robert McCafferty's family would oppose parole.
Campbell Commonwealth's Attorney Michelle Snodgrass said she will speak to the parole board but wouldn't reveal what she planned to say.
"For the family's sake, I just don't want to say anything more at this point," she said.
McCafferty testified at her trial that she killed her husband in June 2007 because she feared for her life because of prior spousal abuse. She told authorities that her 44-year-old husband was trying to kill her, so she shot him in bed while their children slept in another part of the home.
Cheryl McCafferty's parents, Tom and Betty Gosney, said they did not wish to make a public statement.
McCafferty's daughter, Molly, 19, is living with the Gosneys in Erlanger, working and attending the University of Cincinnati. She transferred this year from the University of Louisville to be closer to her brother, said a member of Cheryl McCafferty's family.
Herman said she was planning to send the parole board what she described as a heart-touching essay about the "shapes and forms" domestic violence takes that was written by Molly for a college course.
McCafferty's son, 16-year-old Patrick, is living with Robert McCafferty's sister, Mary Beth Exeler, and attending Highlands High School in Fort Thomas.
Eight people are authorized to visit Cheryl McCafferty at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women. The prison is just east of Louisville in Pewee Valley, about a 90-minute drive from Fort Thomas. It averages 682 inmates that are held in a campus-style setting with multiple housing units, double and single bunked. The prison holds everyone from women convicted of non-violent crimes to the only woman on Kentucky's Death Row.
McCafferty's visitor list includes the Gosneys, sister Jill Provenzano, and former neighbors Mary Jo Wickelhause and Suzanna Lorenz. One, or both, of Cheryl McCafferty's children have visited her every week since she was sent to prison, the family member said.
• Photos: McCafferty on trial
• Photos: McCafferty arraignment
• Photos: Bob McCafferty
Cheryl McCafferty has been a model prisoner, according to corrections department records. While she once earned more than $80,000 per year as an advertising sales representative for The Cincinnati Enquirer, she now does stitching and embroidery for the Division of Correctional Industries.
She has completed a 20-week program designed to present inmates with information necessary to help them with their re-entry into society and is receiving job training, according to the corrections department records.
Two members of the parole board will conduct the hearing in person or via teleconference. Their decision must be unanimous for an offender to be granted parole. If not, a majority decision must then be rendered by a vote of the full nine-member parole board.
The board can parole McCafferty with specific conditions, defer a decision for a specific number of months or years or order McCafferty to serve out her entire sentence.
FORT THOMAS - Cheryl McCafferty is hopeful, but scared, about her upcoming parole hearing, a friend says.
"She is doing fine," said Jackie Herman, who has exchanged letters with McCafferty every month since she was convicted in March 2009 of fatally shooting her husband, Robert McCafferty, in their Fort Thomas home. "Prison is not very good, but from what I gather, her spirits are pretty good."
Cheryl McCafferty's parole hearing is Jan. 13. Under Kentucky law, she is eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of the 18-year sentence she was given for first-degree manslaughter.
• Photos: McCafferty evidence
• Photos: McCafferty sentencing
• Photos: McCafferty found guilty
While McCafferty, 46, has declined interview requests since her arrest, Herman said there is a group of about 70 women who are lobbying for McCafferty's parole. Herman said it does society no good to continue to have her in prison.
"She could be out and teaching women how to cope with domestic violence," said Herman, who befriended McCafferty after attending her trial out of curiosity.
Robert McCafferty's father, 81-year-old Richard McCafferty, would not say if Robert McCafferty's family would oppose parole.
Campbell Commonwealth's Attorney Michelle Snodgrass said she will speak to the parole board but wouldn't reveal what she planned to say.
"For the family's sake, I just don't want to say anything more at this point," she said.
McCafferty testified at her trial that she killed her husband in June 2007 because she feared for her life because of prior spousal abuse. She told authorities that her 44-year-old husband was trying to kill her, so she shot him in bed while their children slept in another part of the home.
Cheryl McCafferty's parents, Tom and Betty Gosney, said they did not wish to make a public statement.
McCafferty's daughter, Molly, 19, is living with the Gosneys in Erlanger, working and attending the University of Cincinnati. She transferred this year from the University of Louisville to be closer to her brother, said a member of Cheryl McCafferty's family.
Herman said she was planning to send the parole board what she described as a heart-touching essay about the "shapes and forms" domestic violence takes that was written by Molly for a college course.
McCafferty's son, 16-year-old Patrick, is living with Robert McCafferty's sister, Mary Beth Exeler, and attending Highlands High School in Fort Thomas.
Eight people are authorized to visit Cheryl McCafferty at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women. The prison is just east of Louisville in Pewee Valley, about a 90-minute drive from Fort Thomas. It averages 682 inmates that are held in a campus-style setting with multiple housing units, double and single bunked. The prison holds everyone from women convicted of non-violent crimes to the only woman on Kentucky's Death Row.
McCafferty's visitor list includes the Gosneys, sister Jill Provenzano, and former neighbors Mary Jo Wickelhause and Suzanna Lorenz. One, or both, of Cheryl McCafferty's children have visited her every week since she was sent to prison, the family member said.
• Photos: McCafferty on trial
• Photos: McCafferty arraignment
• Photos: Bob McCafferty
Cheryl McCafferty has been a model prisoner, according to corrections department records. While she once earned more than $80,000 per year as an advertising sales representative for The Cincinnati Enquirer, she now does stitching and embroidery for the Division of Correctional Industries.
She has completed a 20-week program designed to present inmates with information necessary to help them with their re-entry into society and is receiving job training, according to the corrections department records.
Two members of the parole board will conduct the hearing in person or via teleconference. Their decision must be unanimous for an offender to be granted parole. If not, a majority decision must then be rendered by a vote of the full nine-member parole board.
The board can parole McCafferty with specific conditions, defer a decision for a specific number of months or years or order McCafferty to serve out her entire sentence.
Cummings, GA: Wife Charged in Fatal Fire That Killed Husband
By Jay Black @ December 24, 2010 3:09 AM Permalink | Comments (0)
CUMMING (AP) -- A Forsyth County woman has been charged with setting a fatal house fire that killed her husband.
Authorities charged 34-year-old Kim Smith and her ``acquaintance'' Peter Delaney with first degree arson and felony murder in the Oct. 22 fire that killed 37-year-old Mike Smith.
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers said the fire originated in the master bedroom Smith shared with his wife. Shivers said he was rescued in the adjoining bathroom and transported to a local hospital but died hours later.
CUMMING (AP) -- A Forsyth County woman has been charged with setting a fatal house fire that killed her husband.
Authorities charged 34-year-old Kim Smith and her ``acquaintance'' Peter Delaney with first degree arson and felony murder in the Oct. 22 fire that killed 37-year-old Mike Smith.
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers said the fire originated in the master bedroom Smith shared with his wife. Shivers said he was rescued in the adjoining bathroom and transported to a local hospital but died hours later.
Oklahoma City, OK: Police Say Husband Shot, Killed Wife Neighbors In Shock After Fatal Shooting
Police said the shooting happened at a home in the 1300 block of Fleetwood Drive, near Lake Overhosler shortly after 9 p.m.
Investigators said when they arrived at the scene, they found 50-year-old Rebecca Sedille shot in the head. She was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said after questioning the victim's husband, 24-year-old Arthur John Sedille, he was arrested on one count of first-degree murder.
Police did not say what led up to the shooting. Investigators later said that Sedille told them the shooting was an accident.
KOCO-TV could not find any criminal records for Sedille.
Police have not filed any charges against Sedille yet. He is being held in the Oklahoma County Jail.
Neighbors said they live in a quiet community and that they are shocked by the shooting.
"It really hits home when its right next door and you see these people every day," neighbor Shari Mize said.
Neighbors said the couple kept to themselves and had been in the house for about six months.
Resident Josh Wright said, "You never know who lives beside you. You never know what's gone on in the house beside you."
Investigators said when they arrived at the scene, they found 50-year-old Rebecca Sedille shot in the head. She was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said after questioning the victim's husband, 24-year-old Arthur John Sedille, he was arrested on one count of first-degree murder.
Police did not say what led up to the shooting. Investigators later said that Sedille told them the shooting was an accident.
KOCO-TV could not find any criminal records for Sedille.
Police have not filed any charges against Sedille yet. He is being held in the Oklahoma County Jail.
Neighbors said they live in a quiet community and that they are shocked by the shooting.
"It really hits home when its right next door and you see these people every day," neighbor Shari Mize said.
Neighbors said the couple kept to themselves and had been in the house for about six months.
Resident Josh Wright said, "You never know who lives beside you. You never know what's gone on in the house beside you."
Lake Norfolk, AR: Three Family Members Found Dead on Christmas Eve
Posted: Dec 24, 2010 4:39 PM EST
Updated: Dec 24, 2010 4:39 PM EST
Around 9:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, the Baxter County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting that a woman was seen lying on the floor inside her house.
Police responded to 124 Forest Hills Dr., which is in the Robinson Point area of Lake Norfork, East of Mountain Home. Sheriff's Deputies and an officer with the Arkansas State Police arrived at the residence at approximately 9:11 a.m. to investigate.
After forcing their way in, police discovered the bodies of 52-year-old Harry D. Svensson, 56-year-old Louise Scensson and 20-year-old Victor Robles. Each had suffered gunshot wounds. The preliminary investigation determined that the three persons were a man and his wife, who lived at the residence, as well as her son, who was visiting from out of state.
Sheriff's Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and the Baxter County Coroner's Office were called to the residence. The evidence at the scene suggests that the husband shot and killed his wife and her son, then shot and killed himself. However, no conclusions have been reached and the investigation is still ongoing.
A handgun was found at the scene and taken into evidence, as well spent shell casings and other items of evidentiary value.
The bodies have been transferred to the custody of the State Medical Examiner's Office for transport to Little Rock for autopsy. The results of the autopsies will not be known for several days.
Updated: Dec 24, 2010 4:39 PM EST
Around 9:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, the Baxter County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting that a woman was seen lying on the floor inside her house.
Police responded to 124 Forest Hills Dr., which is in the Robinson Point area of Lake Norfork, East of Mountain Home. Sheriff's Deputies and an officer with the Arkansas State Police arrived at the residence at approximately 9:11 a.m. to investigate.
After forcing their way in, police discovered the bodies of 52-year-old Harry D. Svensson, 56-year-old Louise Scensson and 20-year-old Victor Robles. Each had suffered gunshot wounds. The preliminary investigation determined that the three persons were a man and his wife, who lived at the residence, as well as her son, who was visiting from out of state.
Sheriff's Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and the Baxter County Coroner's Office were called to the residence. The evidence at the scene suggests that the husband shot and killed his wife and her son, then shot and killed himself. However, no conclusions have been reached and the investigation is still ongoing.
A handgun was found at the scene and taken into evidence, as well spent shell casings and other items of evidentiary value.
The bodies have been transferred to the custody of the State Medical Examiner's Office for transport to Little Rock for autopsy. The results of the autopsies will not be known for several days.
Colorado Springs, CO: Springs man arrested for killing puppy
Posted: 12.24.2010 at 10:02 AM
A Colorado Springs man was arrested after he reportedly killed his
girlfriends puppy.
Springs police were called Thursday night to the 1100 block of Mazatlan
Circle on the report of a domestic disturbance. The woman told police
she left the home to "cool off" after she had a verbal altercation with her
live-in boyfriend. While she was gone, her boyfriend, Christopher Blackstone,
tried to contact her through text messages and phone calls, but she didn't
respond.
She became concerned when one of the text messages stated that he
killed her puppy because she refused to return her calls.
The woman returned to the home and discovered the puppy dead inside a
dumpster. Blackstone was arrested for cruelty to animals and harassment.
He was also charged with felony criminal mischief when he kicked and
damaged a police vehicle.
A Colorado Springs man was arrested after he reportedly killed his
girlfriends puppy.
Springs police were called Thursday night to the 1100 block of Mazatlan
Circle on the report of a domestic disturbance. The woman told police
she left the home to "cool off" after she had a verbal altercation with her
live-in boyfriend. While she was gone, her boyfriend, Christopher Blackstone,
tried to contact her through text messages and phone calls, but she didn't
respond.
She became concerned when one of the text messages stated that he
killed her puppy because she refused to return her calls.
The woman returned to the home and discovered the puppy dead inside a
dumpster. Blackstone was arrested for cruelty to animals and harassment.
He was also charged with felony criminal mischief when he kicked and
damaged a police vehicle.
Fairdale, WV: Murder Suicide Under Investigation in Raleigh County
Posted Thursday, December 23, 2010 ; 08:38 PM | View Comments | Post Comment
Updated Thursday, December 23, 2010; 09:58 PM
Sheriff's Deputies are looking into the deadly incident.
By Doug Fritz
FAIRDALE -- Investigators say a double murder suicide occurred on Maple Road in Fairdale on Thursday, Dec. 23. It happened 4:20 p.m.
Neighbors tell 59 news that a man killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. Deputies are still looking into what may have led to the shooting. The names of the victims and the shooter have not been released.
WVNS is following this story and will have more information as it becomes available.
Updated Thursday, December 23, 2010; 09:58 PM
Sheriff's Deputies are looking into the deadly incident.
By Doug Fritz
FAIRDALE -- Investigators say a double murder suicide occurred on Maple Road in Fairdale on Thursday, Dec. 23. It happened 4:20 p.m.
Neighbors tell 59 news that a man killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. Deputies are still looking into what may have led to the shooting. The names of the victims and the shooter have not been released.
WVNS is following this story and will have more information as it becomes available.
Tucson, AZ: Apparent Murder-Suicide in Tucson
Updated: Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010, 10:08 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010, 10:08 PM MST
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Tucson police say a married couple have been found dead in at an apartment complex in an apparent murder-suicide.
Police say officers were called out Wednesday night to an apartment complex in the 7400 block of East Speedway.
They say the victims are a 63-year-old woman and her 57-year-old husband. Police say the two died of gunshot wounds but they won't disclose who the shooter was. The names of the man and woman aren't immediately available.
The Arizona Daily Star says the bodies were found by the woman's brother, who lives in the same apartment complex and hadn't heard from his sister since Sunday.
The Star says the man told police that his sister had recently been diagnosed with a serious illness.
Published : Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010, 10:08 PM MST
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Tucson police say a married couple have been found dead in at an apartment complex in an apparent murder-suicide.
Police say officers were called out Wednesday night to an apartment complex in the 7400 block of East Speedway.
They say the victims are a 63-year-old woman and her 57-year-old husband. Police say the two died of gunshot wounds but they won't disclose who the shooter was. The names of the man and woman aren't immediately available.
The Arizona Daily Star says the bodies were found by the woman's brother, who lives in the same apartment complex and hadn't heard from his sister since Sunday.
The Star says the man told police that his sister had recently been diagnosed with a serious illness.
Lake Charles, LA: Lake Charles husband who apparently shot wife then self, dies
Posted: Dec 22, 2010 10:05 AM EST
Updated: Dec 23, 2010 5:10 PM EST
UPDATE: Gurfy Jospeh Leger who shot and murdered his wife, then turned the gun on himself has died. An autopsy will be conducted.
Investigators say they believe a Lake Charles man shot his wife then turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide Tuesday night.
Patrol Commander James McGee with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, tells 12NewsNow.Com dispatchers received a call around 6 p.m. about a man threatening his wife at a home in the 3700 block of Heard Road. When deputies arrived they found the body of Ethel Leger, 82, who had died from a gunshot. Her husband, Gurfy Joseph Leger, 85, was beading from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Christus Hospital St. Patrick's in Lake Charles.
Deputy McGee says the shooting remains under investigation.
Updated: Dec 23, 2010 5:10 PM EST
UPDATE: Gurfy Jospeh Leger who shot and murdered his wife, then turned the gun on himself has died. An autopsy will be conducted.
Investigators say they believe a Lake Charles man shot his wife then turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide Tuesday night.
Patrol Commander James McGee with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, tells 12NewsNow.Com dispatchers received a call around 6 p.m. about a man threatening his wife at a home in the 3700 block of Heard Road. When deputies arrived they found the body of Ethel Leger, 82, who had died from a gunshot. Her husband, Gurfy Joseph Leger, 85, was beading from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Christus Hospital St. Patrick's in Lake Charles.
Deputy McGee says the shooting remains under investigation.
Nashville, TN: Depuities: 1 Survives Attempted Murder-Suicide Woman, Man Found Shot In Stewart County
The Stewart County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating an attempted murder-suicide.
Deputies said they were called to a domestic violence disturbance on Sparrow Lane in the Leatherwood Resort area. They said they found two people shot.
The woman was rushed to a hospital and is expected to survive. The man was already dead.
Authorities said the couple, whose names haven't been released, had a history of domestic violence.
Deputies said they were called to a domestic violence disturbance on Sparrow Lane in the Leatherwood Resort area. They said they found two people shot.
The woman was rushed to a hospital and is expected to survive. The man was already dead.
Authorities said the couple, whose names haven't been released, had a history of domestic violence.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Meridian, MS: Family Found Dead: Parents and 2 Children Apparent Murder Suicide
December 23, 2010 09:40 PM EST
A family has been found dead in their Mississippi home all decorated for Christmas. The parents and their four and 5-year-old boys appear to be victims of a murder-suicide. They were found by the man's father.
According to news reports, the unmarried couple and their children were found when the man’s father returned home from work. The grandfather, who lived in the same house, found the man and one child in one room and the mother in another. One child was found dead in the hall. Police say “some” of the victims died of gunshot wounds but released no information as to any other forms of death.
The home, just outside of Meridian, Mississippi was cheerfully decorated for Christmas. The father and his son had been living in the home for some time. However, the mother and children had just moved in about a week ago. This leaves a lot of questions to be answered. One can only grieve for their loved ones. The community where the family was found dead must now be dealing with the shock of this Christmas tragedy.
Angel Milan and her two sons, David, 5, (left) and Daniel, 4, died Thursday in Lauderdale County in an apparent murder-suicide. The boys' father, David "Ross" Killough, is believed to have killed them before taking his own life. (Special to The Clarion-Ledger)
A family has been found dead in their Mississippi home all decorated for Christmas. The parents and their four and 5-year-old boys appear to be victims of a murder-suicide. They were found by the man's father.
According to news reports, the unmarried couple and their children were found when the man’s father returned home from work. The grandfather, who lived in the same house, found the man and one child in one room and the mother in another. One child was found dead in the hall. Police say “some” of the victims died of gunshot wounds but released no information as to any other forms of death.
The home, just outside of Meridian, Mississippi was cheerfully decorated for Christmas. The father and his son had been living in the home for some time. However, the mother and children had just moved in about a week ago. This leaves a lot of questions to be answered. One can only grieve for their loved ones. The community where the family was found dead must now be dealing with the shock of this Christmas tragedy.
Angel Milan and her two sons, David, 5, (left) and Daniel, 4, died Thursday in Lauderdale County in an apparent murder-suicide. The boys' father, David "Ross" Killough, is believed to have killed them before taking his own life. (Special to The Clarion-Ledger)
Middleburg, FL: Man, woman dead in apparent murder-suicide
MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Authorities say a north Florida man fatally shot his girlfriend and then killed himself.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office reports that deputies responded Thursday afternoon to a shooting at the Middleburg home. The dead woman's juvenile daughter had heard the shots and ran to neighbor's house to call 911.
The sheriff's office did not release the names of the man or woman, but records show the home's owner, George Chaney, filed paperwork last week to evict Kathryn Jackson. Neighbors say the two were going through a breakup.
The state Department of Children and Families has taken the girl and was looking to place her in the care of relatives.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office reports that deputies responded Thursday afternoon to a shooting at the Middleburg home. The dead woman's juvenile daughter had heard the shots and ran to neighbor's house to call 911.
The sheriff's office did not release the names of the man or woman, but records show the home's owner, George Chaney, filed paperwork last week to evict Kathryn Jackson. Neighbors say the two were going through a breakup.
The state Department of Children and Families has taken the girl and was looking to place her in the care of relatives.
Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg man charged with homicide in shooting death of his girlfriend
Published: Thursday, December 23, 2010, 5:41 PM Updated: Thursday, December 23, 2010, 7:06 PM
By The Patriot-News
Harrisburg police said Miguel Figueroa-Novoa, 23, has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal attempt at homicide and carrying a firearm without a license in the shootings of his girlfriend and her mother this morning. His girlfriend, Yarelis "Nicole" Berrios, 19, was killed and her mother, Lithz Serrano, 44, was injured.
Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. and Deputy District Attorney John C. Baer consulted on the charges, Harrisburg police said.
Police said Figueroa-Novoa shot Berrios and Serrano about 6 this morning in an Ivey Lane apartment the three shared, along with Berrios and Figueroa-Novoa's toddler son. Police said the couple had been having relationship problems.
Serrano's 9-year-old granddaughter, who had been spending the night, witnessed the shooting, escaped to a neighbor's home and called 911. Neither she nor the little boy were hurt.
Berrios suffered gunshot wounds to the torso, police said. Serrano is in critical condition at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after surgery. Figeuroa-Novoa is also hospitalized in critical condition with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face, police said.
DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News/file
The investigation continues, and anyone with information may contact Harrisburg police Det. Matthew Taylor at 717-255-3187 or mtaylor@cityofhbg.com or Sgt. Dennis Sorensen at 717-255-6586 or dsorensen@cityofhbg.com.
By The Patriot-News
Harrisburg police said Miguel Figueroa-Novoa, 23, has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal attempt at homicide and carrying a firearm without a license in the shootings of his girlfriend and her mother this morning. His girlfriend, Yarelis "Nicole" Berrios, 19, was killed and her mother, Lithz Serrano, 44, was injured.
Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. and Deputy District Attorney John C. Baer consulted on the charges, Harrisburg police said.
Police said Figueroa-Novoa shot Berrios and Serrano about 6 this morning in an Ivey Lane apartment the three shared, along with Berrios and Figueroa-Novoa's toddler son. Police said the couple had been having relationship problems.
Serrano's 9-year-old granddaughter, who had been spending the night, witnessed the shooting, escaped to a neighbor's home and called 911. Neither she nor the little boy were hurt.
Berrios suffered gunshot wounds to the torso, police said. Serrano is in critical condition at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after surgery. Figeuroa-Novoa is also hospitalized in critical condition with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face, police said.
DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News/file
The investigation continues, and anyone with information may contact Harrisburg police Det. Matthew Taylor at 717-255-3187 or mtaylor@cityofhbg.com or Sgt. Dennis Sorensen at 717-255-6586 or dsorensen@cityofhbg.com.
Greenville, SC: Man accused of killing wife in Travelers Rest pleads guilty
Man accused of killing wife in Travelers Rest pleads guilty
GREENVILLE, SC --
A Greenville County man accused of killing his ex-wife's boyfriend while their children cowered in a nearby bedroom has pleaded guilty to avoid a possible death sentence.
Multiple media outlets report that 39-year-old Frederick Van Anderson was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after pleading guilty to the 2008 murder of Steven Gray of Travelers Rest. His trial had been set for Jan. 3.
Police say Anderson broke into his ex-wife's home and shot Gray at least twice with a shotgun.
Authorities say Anderson called for his ex-wife as she and the children hid in a nearby bedroom, then walked several blocks and fired at least 10 shots into his former mother-in-law's home.
Four children were at the second home, but no one was hurt.
GREENVILLE, SC --
A Greenville County man accused of killing his ex-wife's boyfriend while their children cowered in a nearby bedroom has pleaded guilty to avoid a possible death sentence.
Multiple media outlets report that 39-year-old Frederick Van Anderson was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after pleading guilty to the 2008 murder of Steven Gray of Travelers Rest. His trial had been set for Jan. 3.
Police say Anderson broke into his ex-wife's home and shot Gray at least twice with a shotgun.
Authorities say Anderson called for his ex-wife as she and the children hid in a nearby bedroom, then walked several blocks and fired at least 10 shots into his former mother-in-law's home.
Four children were at the second home, but no one was hurt.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
New Caney, TX: New Caney woman gets 4 years for boyfriend’s death
Posted: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 10:41 pm | Updated: 12:03 am, Wed Dec 22, 2010.
By Jamie L. Bridges
A 40-year-old New Caney woman accused of killing her boyfriend in 2008 was sentenced to four years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.
Karen Yvonne Colson originally was indicted for the murder of her 42-year-old boyfriend, Tracey Cooley, in January 2009, but evidence came to light after the original indictment suggesting she was intoxicated at the time of the incidence, said Joel Daniels, assistant Montgomery County District Attorney.
Cooley was killed July 11, 2008, after Colson ran over him in her Ford Taurus while trying to leave his Porter residence in the 21100 block of West Memorial Drive, after a family violence incident, according to Montgomery County Sheriff’s officials.
At the time of the incident, investigators said Cooley tried to prevent his girlfriend from driving off by lying down underneath Colson’s car.
Investigators said Colson knew Cooley was underneath her car and intentionally ran over him and attempted to leave with Cooley trapped beneath the car.
“The family of the victim was very happy of the results,” Daniels said. “The judge reached a reasonable and fair result under the circumstances.”
Additional evidence came forward, Daniels said, calling into question whether the incident was intentional.
“It turned out that the evidence presented that she was very intoxicated on Soma at the time,” Daniels said.
A doctor had prescribed the muscle relaxer medication to Colson, who tested above the normal therapeutic limits in her blood after the incident, Daniels said.
Cooley’s family members testified during the sentencing punishment that Colson didn’t appear to know she hit him right after the accident, Daniels said.
Intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony, carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
Jamie L. Bridges can be reached at jbridges@hcnonline.com.
By Jamie L. Bridges
A 40-year-old New Caney woman accused of killing her boyfriend in 2008 was sentenced to four years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.
Karen Yvonne Colson originally was indicted for the murder of her 42-year-old boyfriend, Tracey Cooley, in January 2009, but evidence came to light after the original indictment suggesting she was intoxicated at the time of the incidence, said Joel Daniels, assistant Montgomery County District Attorney.
Cooley was killed July 11, 2008, after Colson ran over him in her Ford Taurus while trying to leave his Porter residence in the 21100 block of West Memorial Drive, after a family violence incident, according to Montgomery County Sheriff’s officials.
At the time of the incident, investigators said Cooley tried to prevent his girlfriend from driving off by lying down underneath Colson’s car.
Investigators said Colson knew Cooley was underneath her car and intentionally ran over him and attempted to leave with Cooley trapped beneath the car.
“The family of the victim was very happy of the results,” Daniels said. “The judge reached a reasonable and fair result under the circumstances.”
Additional evidence came forward, Daniels said, calling into question whether the incident was intentional.
“It turned out that the evidence presented that she was very intoxicated on Soma at the time,” Daniels said.
A doctor had prescribed the muscle relaxer medication to Colson, who tested above the normal therapeutic limits in her blood after the incident, Daniels said.
Cooley’s family members testified during the sentencing punishment that Colson didn’t appear to know she hit him right after the accident, Daniels said.
Intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony, carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
Jamie L. Bridges can be reached at jbridges@hcnonline.com.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Kennesaw, GA: Estranged Husband Charged in Double Murder
By Jay Black @ December 20, 2010 4:05 AM
KENNESAW (WSB Radio/WSB-TV) -- Bond was denied for the man charged with killing his estranged wife and her boyfriend in Kennesaw Saturday morning.
Michael Ntiamoah, 32, shot and killed Fatoumata Ntiamoah, 27, and Mohamed Zaine, 32, inside a home in the Villas at Barrett Lakes Subdivision, police said.
A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 2 Action news he heard at least 15 shots fired around 4 a.m. Saturday morning when he heard at least 15 shots fired. The neighbor said one victim was found in the home, the other in the grass by his neighbor's front door.
"Information started developing quickly from officers at the scene, and they were able to get a lookout for an individual they may have been looking for, Cobb County police spokesman Joe Hernandez said.
Police said they found the suspect Michael Ntiamoah not far from the home after a 17-hour search.
Michael Ntiamoah and Fatoumata Ntiamoah were married, but she was living with Zaine when they were killed, police said.
Michael Ntiamoah is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated assault and burglary.
KENNESAW (WSB Radio/WSB-TV) -- Bond was denied for the man charged with killing his estranged wife and her boyfriend in Kennesaw Saturday morning.
Michael Ntiamoah, 32, shot and killed Fatoumata Ntiamoah, 27, and Mohamed Zaine, 32, inside a home in the Villas at Barrett Lakes Subdivision, police said.
A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 2 Action news he heard at least 15 shots fired around 4 a.m. Saturday morning when he heard at least 15 shots fired. The neighbor said one victim was found in the home, the other in the grass by his neighbor's front door.
"Information started developing quickly from officers at the scene, and they were able to get a lookout for an individual they may have been looking for, Cobb County police spokesman Joe Hernandez said.
Police said they found the suspect Michael Ntiamoah not far from the home after a 17-hour search.
Michael Ntiamoah and Fatoumata Ntiamoah were married, but she was living with Zaine when they were killed, police said.
Michael Ntiamoah is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of aggravated assault and burglary.
Dayton, OH: Inmate indicted on murder for 1997 beating of ex-girlfriend
By Doug Page, Staff Writer
8:06 PM Tuesday, December 21, 2010
DAYTON — A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted an Allen Correctional Institution inmate on a murder charge in the 1997 New Year’s Eve beating of his ex-girlfriend.
The woman, Deborah Nooks, was left blind, brain-damaged and only able to communicate for years by blinking her eyes. She spent 13 years in a nursing home, dying in early August 2009.
Ralph E. Donaldson pleaded guilty March 17, 1997, to attempted murder and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He also was to serve up to 12 years for violating his parole on aggravated robbery charges.
Following Nooks’ death in 2009, her family pressed prosecutors to file murder charges.
“We never gave up,” Nooks’ sister, Annette Dillard, said Tuesday on hearing of Monday’s indictment. “Our prayers have been answered.”
Donaldson has an initial court appearance Jan. 4 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, according to Greg Flannagan of the Prosecutor’s Office.
According to court records, Donaldson and Nooks, both parolees, met at a halfway house in 1995. Nooks had served four years on a robbery conviction and Donaldson 11 years of a 33-year sentence for aggravated robbery.
Authorities knew Nooks and Donaldson were in a relationship — a violation of their paroles — and warned them to break it off. In 1996 alone, Donaldson violated his parole three times, but it was never revoked.
When Nooks tried to break off the relationship that New Year’s Eve, Donaldson attacked her, including stomping her head with his boots.
8:06 PM Tuesday, December 21, 2010
DAYTON — A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted an Allen Correctional Institution inmate on a murder charge in the 1997 New Year’s Eve beating of his ex-girlfriend.
The woman, Deborah Nooks, was left blind, brain-damaged and only able to communicate for years by blinking her eyes. She spent 13 years in a nursing home, dying in early August 2009.
Ralph E. Donaldson pleaded guilty March 17, 1997, to attempted murder and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He also was to serve up to 12 years for violating his parole on aggravated robbery charges.
Following Nooks’ death in 2009, her family pressed prosecutors to file murder charges.
“We never gave up,” Nooks’ sister, Annette Dillard, said Tuesday on hearing of Monday’s indictment. “Our prayers have been answered.”
Donaldson has an initial court appearance Jan. 4 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, according to Greg Flannagan of the Prosecutor’s Office.
According to court records, Donaldson and Nooks, both parolees, met at a halfway house in 1995. Nooks had served four years on a robbery conviction and Donaldson 11 years of a 33-year sentence for aggravated robbery.
Authorities knew Nooks and Donaldson were in a relationship — a violation of their paroles — and warned them to break it off. In 1996 alone, Donaldson violated his parole three times, but it was never revoked.
When Nooks tried to break off the relationship that New Year’s Eve, Donaldson attacked her, including stomping her head with his boots.
Gladwin, MI: Gladwin County Man Shot and Killed
Posted: 12/21/2010
A Gladwin man is dead after investigators say a woman shot him in the chest.
Police say Jeffrey Beougher was found dead at his home in Gladwin Township around 5:00pm Monday. Police say Windy Hill shot and killed him. Hill faced a judge this afternoon and remains in jail on open murder charges.
Investigators say the two lived together, but it is not clear if they were in a relationship.
Hill also has a history of domestic violence.
Northern Michigan's News Leader is working to update you with new details on this story.
Gladwin Co. Woman Accused of Murdering Long-Time Boyfriend
Posted: 12/21/2010
Investigators say this Gladwin County woman shot and killed her boyfriend, then called police and told them about it.
Troopers believe Windy Hill murdered her long-time boyfriend, Jeffrey Beougher. Beougher was found dead when police arrived on scene. Investigators say Hill called police and an investigation lead troopers to believe Hill was the murderer.
The deadly shooting happened around 5 p.m. Monday in their Gladwin Township home.
Northern Michigan's News Leader knows Hill and Beougher were living together when this murder happened. What we don't know is why Beougher was killed.
Hill faces charges of open murder and committing a felony with a firearm. She could spend the rest of her life in jail.
9&10's Cali O'Rourke and photojournalist Eli Gardiner spent all day researching the investigation, they have the latest on this case
A Gladwin man is dead after investigators say a woman shot him in the chest.
Police say Jeffrey Beougher was found dead at his home in Gladwin Township around 5:00pm Monday. Police say Windy Hill shot and killed him. Hill faced a judge this afternoon and remains in jail on open murder charges.
Investigators say the two lived together, but it is not clear if they were in a relationship.
Hill also has a history of domestic violence.
Northern Michigan's News Leader is working to update you with new details on this story.
Gladwin Co. Woman Accused of Murdering Long-Time Boyfriend
Posted: 12/21/2010
Investigators say this Gladwin County woman shot and killed her boyfriend, then called police and told them about it.
Troopers believe Windy Hill murdered her long-time boyfriend, Jeffrey Beougher. Beougher was found dead when police arrived on scene. Investigators say Hill called police and an investigation lead troopers to believe Hill was the murderer.
The deadly shooting happened around 5 p.m. Monday in their Gladwin Township home.
Northern Michigan's News Leader knows Hill and Beougher were living together when this murder happened. What we don't know is why Beougher was killed.
Hill faces charges of open murder and committing a felony with a firearm. She could spend the rest of her life in jail.
9&10's Cali O'Rourke and photojournalist Eli Gardiner spent all day researching the investigation, they have the latest on this case
Portland, OR: Portland Man Sentenced In Girlfriend's Slaying
POSTED: 2:44 pm PST December 20, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A Portland man who killed his girlfriend and then cut himself has been sentenced to life in prison.
Miguel Camellon Montalvo, 35, pleaded guilty to murder constituting domestic violence in a plea hearing today in Portland.
Although he was sentenced to life in prison, Camellon Montalvo will have the possibility of parole after 25 years. He would remain on post-prison supervision for the rest of his life if granted parole.
Camellon Montalvo killed 28-year-old Lindsay Babb at her home in the 600 block of North Alberta Street on June 22.
When police arrived, they found Babb's body and Camellon Montalvo with self-inflicted stab wounds. He was taken to a hospital and later arrested.
Babb graduated from high school in Eugene. She was heavily involved in the Oregon Sports Union Rugby Club in the Portland area.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A Portland man who killed his girlfriend and then cut himself has been sentenced to life in prison.
Miguel Camellon Montalvo, 35, pleaded guilty to murder constituting domestic violence in a plea hearing today in Portland.
Although he was sentenced to life in prison, Camellon Montalvo will have the possibility of parole after 25 years. He would remain on post-prison supervision for the rest of his life if granted parole.
Camellon Montalvo killed 28-year-old Lindsay Babb at her home in the 600 block of North Alberta Street on June 22.
When police arrived, they found Babb's body and Camellon Montalvo with self-inflicted stab wounds. He was taken to a hospital and later arrested.
Babb graduated from high school in Eugene. She was heavily involved in the Oregon Sports Union Rugby Club in the Portland area.
La Jolla, CA: Poway Man Kills Self in Front of Girlfriend in 4S Ranch Shopping Center
The 22-year-old man cut his throat with a box cutter in front of several people, officials said.
By Shauntel Lowe | Email the author | December 19, 2010
A 22-year-old man from Poway cut his throat with a box cutter in front of his girlfriend and others in a 4S Ranch shopping center on Saturday, an official said.
He died an hour later at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, an investigator at the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office said.
The man's name is not being released because he committed suicide, said Lt. Jim Duffy of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Duffy said the department received three 911 calls around 4:15 p.m. Saturday saying the man had cut his throat in the parking lot of the Cost Plus World Market on Reserve Drive off 4S Ranch Parkway.
One of the 911 calls came from the man's girlfriend, who works at one of the shopping center businesses, Duffy said.
The man had lost a lot of blood and his skin was pale when authorities arrived. He was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and pronounced dead, Duffy said.
Updated 1:50 p.m.: Adds that the man was from Poway, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office.
By Shauntel Lowe | Email the author | December 19, 2010
A 22-year-old man from Poway cut his throat with a box cutter in front of his girlfriend and others in a 4S Ranch shopping center on Saturday, an official said.
He died an hour later at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, an investigator at the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office said.
The man's name is not being released because he committed suicide, said Lt. Jim Duffy of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Duffy said the department received three 911 calls around 4:15 p.m. Saturday saying the man had cut his throat in the parking lot of the Cost Plus World Market on Reserve Drive off 4S Ranch Parkway.
One of the 911 calls came from the man's girlfriend, who works at one of the shopping center businesses, Duffy said.
The man had lost a lot of blood and his skin was pale when authorities arrived. He was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and pronounced dead, Duffy said.
Updated 1:50 p.m.: Adds that the man was from Poway, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner's Office.
Lawrenceville, GA: Man Accused Of Killing His Girlfriend In Gwinnett
Posted: 4:20 pm EST December 21, 2010
Updated: 6:55 pm EST December 21, 2010
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- A Lawrenceville man is accused of killing his girlfriend.
Lawrenceville police arrested Allen Dewayne Williams, 49, on Sunday, after they received a call from his home requesting an ambulance.
Williams is charged with felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault.
"When the officer got there, they found (a) person deceased at that location," Lawrenceville police Sgt. Brad Grove told Channel 2 Action News reporter Manuel Bojorquez.
The victim's name is listed in court documents as Betty Ann Ranow, who also lived in the home on the 900 block of Buford Drive.
"She was really the best woman I've ever known," said a family friend, who did not want to give his name.
"Really, one of the hardest workers, she never complained when she was working and just doing a good job," the friend said.
Officers are not saying what they believe led to the murder, since the investigation is ongoing. An arrest warrant for Williams shows police arrested him because they found evidence that he struck Ranow "with his fists" at the home Sunday.
Officers were back at the residence Tuesday afternoon looking for more evidence. They were also looking to speak with witnesses who may have seen or heard something from the businesses that surround the home.
Williams is scheduled to have a court hearing on Jan. 4.
Updated: 6:55 pm EST December 21, 2010
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- A Lawrenceville man is accused of killing his girlfriend.
Lawrenceville police arrested Allen Dewayne Williams, 49, on Sunday, after they received a call from his home requesting an ambulance.
Williams is charged with felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault.
"When the officer got there, they found (a) person deceased at that location," Lawrenceville police Sgt. Brad Grove told Channel 2 Action News reporter Manuel Bojorquez.
The victim's name is listed in court documents as Betty Ann Ranow, who also lived in the home on the 900 block of Buford Drive.
"She was really the best woman I've ever known," said a family friend, who did not want to give his name.
"Really, one of the hardest workers, she never complained when she was working and just doing a good job," the friend said.
Officers are not saying what they believe led to the murder, since the investigation is ongoing. An arrest warrant for Williams shows police arrested him because they found evidence that he struck Ranow "with his fists" at the home Sunday.
Officers were back at the residence Tuesday afternoon looking for more evidence. They were also looking to speak with witnesses who may have seen or heard something from the businesses that surround the home.
Williams is scheduled to have a court hearing on Jan. 4.
Happy Camp, CA: Happy Camp woman killed in Orleans shooting
Happy Camp, Calif. —
A Happy Camp man is being held in the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of murder after he shot his wife Saturday.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department reported in a recent press release that at approximately 4:05 a.m. Saturday, they were asked to respond to Happy Camp, where 30-year-old James Roberts had brought his wife, 24-year-old Breonna Roberts, after shooting her in Orleans, about 45 miles southwest of Happy Camp.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department reported that at about 3 a.m., they received a report that there had been a shooting on State Route 96 near Orleans Elementary School.
Deputies learned that earlier in the evening that Breonna and two friends had been inside a bar in Happy Camp. When they left the bar they discovered their truck, a brown Ford flatbed, had been stolen, according to an HCSD press release. Breonna called her husband and asked for his help.
James picked up the group, and they decided to look for the stolen vehicle, the HCSD release said. They traveled south on SR 96 toward Orleans. About one mile north of Orleans they found the unoccupied truck parked along the highway. The group continued along the highway, reportedly looking for anybody who may have stolen the vehicle.
When they arrived in Orleans they saw a group of juveniles near the elementary school, whom they approached, the release said. Witnesses indicated that Breonna became involved in a physical fight with the group of juveniles, and at some point during that confrontation, James returned to his vehicle and retrieved a firearm.
During the continuing fight, James’ firearm discharged, striking his wife, whom he then placed inside his vehicle and drove back to Happy Camp, the HCSD release said. There he made contact with ambulance personnel at the ambulance staging area. Ambulance personnel pronounced Breonna dead at the scene at around 4:20 a.m.
Sheriff’s deputies from both the HCSD and SCSO arrived in Happy Camp and arrested Roberts for murder.
James is expected to be arraigned in Humboldt County Court on Wednesday.
According to the SCSO release, the SCSO is assisting with the investigation, but the HCSD maintains jurisdiction of this investigation.
This case is still under investigation, and the HCSD is asking anyone with information about this case to call Detective Wayne Hanson at (707) 268-3639.
A Happy Camp man is being held in the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of murder after he shot his wife Saturday.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department reported in a recent press release that at approximately 4:05 a.m. Saturday, they were asked to respond to Happy Camp, where 30-year-old James Roberts had brought his wife, 24-year-old Breonna Roberts, after shooting her in Orleans, about 45 miles southwest of Happy Camp.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department reported that at about 3 a.m., they received a report that there had been a shooting on State Route 96 near Orleans Elementary School.
Deputies learned that earlier in the evening that Breonna and two friends had been inside a bar in Happy Camp. When they left the bar they discovered their truck, a brown Ford flatbed, had been stolen, according to an HCSD press release. Breonna called her husband and asked for his help.
James picked up the group, and they decided to look for the stolen vehicle, the HCSD release said. They traveled south on SR 96 toward Orleans. About one mile north of Orleans they found the unoccupied truck parked along the highway. The group continued along the highway, reportedly looking for anybody who may have stolen the vehicle.
When they arrived in Orleans they saw a group of juveniles near the elementary school, whom they approached, the release said. Witnesses indicated that Breonna became involved in a physical fight with the group of juveniles, and at some point during that confrontation, James returned to his vehicle and retrieved a firearm.
During the continuing fight, James’ firearm discharged, striking his wife, whom he then placed inside his vehicle and drove back to Happy Camp, the HCSD release said. There he made contact with ambulance personnel at the ambulance staging area. Ambulance personnel pronounced Breonna dead at the scene at around 4:20 a.m.
Sheriff’s deputies from both the HCSD and SCSO arrived in Happy Camp and arrested Roberts for murder.
James is expected to be arraigned in Humboldt County Court on Wednesday.
According to the SCSO release, the SCSO is assisting with the investigation, but the HCSD maintains jurisdiction of this investigation.
This case is still under investigation, and the HCSD is asking anyone with information about this case to call Detective Wayne Hanson at (707) 268-3639.
Las Vegas, NV: Wife, three suspects indicted in Nellis airman's murder
Updated: Dec 21, 2010 6:32 PM EST
28-year-old Staff Sgt. Paet was shot and killed December 1 in the driveway of his home on Alta Monte Court in Mountain's Edge.
Michelle Paet, 29; Michael Rodriguez, 31; Corry Hawkins, 33; and Jessica Austin, 23, were arrested shortly after the murder.
Michelle Paet admitted to police on December 7 that she and Rodriguez had planned the murder of her husband, and that the two were romantically involved and planned to develop a relationship after the murder.
Tuesday the four were indicted Tuesday on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and burglary.
Click here to read the indictment
They are currently in custody on a no bail status and they are scheduled for arraignment on January 4.
28-year-old Staff Sgt. Paet was shot and killed December 1 in the driveway of his home on Alta Monte Court in Mountain's Edge.
Michelle Paet, 29; Michael Rodriguez, 31; Corry Hawkins, 33; and Jessica Austin, 23, were arrested shortly after the murder.
Michelle Paet admitted to police on December 7 that she and Rodriguez had planned the murder of her husband, and that the two were romantically involved and planned to develop a relationship after the murder.
Tuesday the four were indicted Tuesday on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and burglary.
Click here to read the indictment
They are currently in custody on a no bail status and they are scheduled for arraignment on January 4.
Anaheim, CA: Two County Rampage Leaves Two Dead
A shooting rampage early Sunday morning left one man dead in Anaheim and another wounded in Koreatown before the gunman fatally shot himself, reports KTLA.
The suspect, 54-year-old Young Choi of Los Angeles allegedly shot and killed the boyfriend of his ex-wife, 55-year-old Fung Yoon in Anaheim then drove 35 miles to Koreatown where he got into a dispute with a second man, 58-year-old Ick Choi.
Anaheim police responded to a the first call about 4:15 a.m. and arrived at an apartment on North West Street to find Yoon with several gunshot wounds. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital and died shortly after 5 a.m.
Los Angeles police responded around 5:30 a.m. to find the second victim standing in the street in Koreatown with a gunshot wound. Officers heard a shot and found the gunman on the sidewalk several houses away with a self-inflicted wound to the head.
The suspect and second victim -- who was in critical condition, but expected to live --were not related but longtime friends, reports KTLA. According to police, the motive in that shooting was apparently caused by an ongoing dispute.
The suspect, 54-year-old Young Choi of Los Angeles allegedly shot and killed the boyfriend of his ex-wife, 55-year-old Fung Yoon in Anaheim then drove 35 miles to Koreatown where he got into a dispute with a second man, 58-year-old Ick Choi.
Anaheim police responded to a the first call about 4:15 a.m. and arrived at an apartment on North West Street to find Yoon with several gunshot wounds. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital and died shortly after 5 a.m.
Los Angeles police responded around 5:30 a.m. to find the second victim standing in the street in Koreatown with a gunshot wound. Officers heard a shot and found the gunman on the sidewalk several houses away with a self-inflicted wound to the head.
The suspect and second victim -- who was in critical condition, but expected to live --were not related but longtime friends, reports KTLA. According to police, the motive in that shooting was apparently caused by an ongoing dispute.
Angola, IN: Ind. woman gets 45-years for ax killing of husband
ANGOLA, Ind. — A northeastern Indiana woman who pleaded guilty to killing her husband by hitting him in the head several times with an ax has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Steuben Superior Judge William Fee gave 45-year-old Norma Jean Mote of Angola the minimum term for murder on Monday. Mote agreed to a plea deal last month in which she admitted to killing her husband, Kevin, at the couple's home near Angola.
Police say he was found dead in a second-floor bedroom and the couple's two teenage boys were home at the time of the attack.
Radio station WLKI-FM in Angola reported Norma Jean Mote testified she and her husband had a lot of arguments during a 15-year marriage and she was mad at him for lying about marijuana smoking.
Steuben Superior Judge William Fee gave 45-year-old Norma Jean Mote of Angola the minimum term for murder on Monday. Mote agreed to a plea deal last month in which she admitted to killing her husband, Kevin, at the couple's home near Angola.
Police say he was found dead in a second-floor bedroom and the couple's two teenage boys were home at the time of the attack.
Radio station WLKI-FM in Angola reported Norma Jean Mote testified she and her husband had a lot of arguments during a 15-year marriage and she was mad at him for lying about marijuana smoking.
Santa Ana, CA: OC man convicted of killing wife, dumping body
(12-21) 06:47 PST Santa Ana, Calif. (AP) --
A man who suffocated his wife and dumped her body on a freeway in East Los Angeles has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Thirty-nine-year-old Angel Cerna was sentenced Monday in Orange County. He was convicted last week of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say he killed Gabriella Herrera in November of 2006 after an argument at their Anaheim home. He drove her body into Los Angeles County and dumped it along State Route 60, then went to work.
The woman's two children by previous relationships woke to discover their mother gone.
Prosecutors say two days after the killing, Cerna moved out of the home without telling anyone and quit his job.
Cerna was living in Santa Ana when he was arrested in 2007.
A man who suffocated his wife and dumped her body on a freeway in East Los Angeles has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Thirty-nine-year-old Angel Cerna was sentenced Monday in Orange County. He was convicted last week of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say he killed Gabriella Herrera in November of 2006 after an argument at their Anaheim home. He drove her body into Los Angeles County and dumped it along State Route 60, then went to work.
The woman's two children by previous relationships woke to discover their mother gone.
Prosecutors say two days after the killing, Cerna moved out of the home without telling anyone and quit his job.
Cerna was living in Santa Ana when he was arrested in 2007.
Joliet, IL: Joliet woman gets 8 years for killing abusive boyfriend
December 21, 2010 6:10 PM | No Comments
A Joliet woman who fatally stabbed her abusive boyfriend in the neck after an argument over a cell phone was sentenced today to 8 years in prison.
Patrick Ann Parks, 49, who earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2007 death of Danny Williams, was diagnosed with battered woman's syndrome by experts hired by both prosecutors and her defense team.
Her attorney, Jeff Tomczak, said their expert found Parks suffered repeated "physical, sexual and emotional abuse."
He said records show Parks had been treated for injuries Williams inflicted, including being hit on the head with a brandy bottle and being struck in the face with a skillet.
Judge Carla Alessio-Policandriotes noted that in many of the records, Parks was found to have been drinking and that she failed to cooperate when authorities tried to prosecute Williams.
"Danny Williams and Patrick Parks were certainly co-dependent," the judge said. "Based on their history, at some point an act like this was inevitable."
On Oct. 27, 2007, Parks returned to her new apartment at 22 Cagwin Ave. to find Williams doing drugs. The two and a third man did some drinking but later fought when Williams wouldn't return Park's cell phone.
"I want my phone," the third man heard Parks say before she plunged a butcher knife into Williams' neck.
Tomczak argued that Parks knew the cell phone was a lifeline if Williams again decided to beat her.
But Assistant State's Attorney Matthew Guzman argued the circumstances showed "anger and drinking" played a role in Parks' actions.
Willie Mae Moore, Williams' mother, and his sister Sandra Moore said after the hearing they were disappointed with the judge's decision.
Parks likely will serve about a year in prison after being credited for the three years she's already spent in jail.
"She got off easy," Moore said. "I don't think it was justice."
Sandra Moore, who runs a Joliet clothing store, said she stopped undergoing treatments for cancer for a time out of guilt for not going to help her brother that night.
"I know if I would've gone he would've been alive today," she said in court.
Parks, in a statement read by one of her attorneys, apologized for what she did and asked the judge to give her a second chance at life, saying she hoped one day to return to her home state of Arkansas.
-- Steve Schmadeke
A Joliet woman who fatally stabbed her abusive boyfriend in the neck after an argument over a cell phone was sentenced today to 8 years in prison.
Patrick Ann Parks, 49, who earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2007 death of Danny Williams, was diagnosed with battered woman's syndrome by experts hired by both prosecutors and her defense team.
Her attorney, Jeff Tomczak, said their expert found Parks suffered repeated "physical, sexual and emotional abuse."
He said records show Parks had been treated for injuries Williams inflicted, including being hit on the head with a brandy bottle and being struck in the face with a skillet.
Judge Carla Alessio-Policandriotes noted that in many of the records, Parks was found to have been drinking and that she failed to cooperate when authorities tried to prosecute Williams.
"Danny Williams and Patrick Parks were certainly co-dependent," the judge said. "Based on their history, at some point an act like this was inevitable."
On Oct. 27, 2007, Parks returned to her new apartment at 22 Cagwin Ave. to find Williams doing drugs. The two and a third man did some drinking but later fought when Williams wouldn't return Park's cell phone.
"I want my phone," the third man heard Parks say before she plunged a butcher knife into Williams' neck.
Tomczak argued that Parks knew the cell phone was a lifeline if Williams again decided to beat her.
But Assistant State's Attorney Matthew Guzman argued the circumstances showed "anger and drinking" played a role in Parks' actions.
Willie Mae Moore, Williams' mother, and his sister Sandra Moore said after the hearing they were disappointed with the judge's decision.
Parks likely will serve about a year in prison after being credited for the three years she's already spent in jail.
"She got off easy," Moore said. "I don't think it was justice."
Sandra Moore, who runs a Joliet clothing store, said she stopped undergoing treatments for cancer for a time out of guilt for not going to help her brother that night.
"I know if I would've gone he would've been alive today," she said in court.
Parks, in a statement read by one of her attorneys, apologized for what she did and asked the judge to give her a second chance at life, saying she hoped one day to return to her home state of Arkansas.
-- Steve Schmadeke
Pine Springs, TX: Family in shock after man kills wife and himself
Posted: Dec 21, 2010 7:20 PM EST
Updated: Dec 21, 2010 7:31 PM EST
SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Investigators said Billie Hays shot his wife, Bonnie, before killing himself in an apparent murder suicide. Sheriff's deputies were called to their property in the Pine Springs community multiple times on Monday but said the motive for the shooting is still unclear. Family members said the couple never fought.
"We feel confident that the investigation shows that Mr. Hays shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself. We don't want the people in Pine Springs thinking there is a murderer running around out there," Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said.
"Disbelief, disbelief. Cause I can't see him doing it. It's something brought him over the edge that he couldn't come back from," Larry Boyd said.
Boyd said his parents were married for more than 35 years. He said Billie was a deacon at his church, and Bonnie worked for an East Texas nursing home. Two of their sons and another couple lived on their property in the Pine Springs community.
"My mom would take any body in that needed help. She was a good woman. She was a stern woman, but she was a good woman...They had problems with grandchildren and kids and stuff like that, but between them, no, I never seen them argue," Boyd said.
The motive remains unclear, but investigators say these family problems may have prompted the shooting.
"We know there was a lot of trauma and drama going on with family members," Sheriff Smith said.
Sheriff Smith said his deputies were called to Hays's property three times Monday. They responded to an assault report an hour before the shooting happened, but officials and family members have not linked the pieces together.
"There is rumors going around, but you can't believe rumors until you get facts," Boyd said.
Updated: Dec 21, 2010 7:31 PM EST
SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Investigators said Billie Hays shot his wife, Bonnie, before killing himself in an apparent murder suicide. Sheriff's deputies were called to their property in the Pine Springs community multiple times on Monday but said the motive for the shooting is still unclear. Family members said the couple never fought.
"We feel confident that the investigation shows that Mr. Hays shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself. We don't want the people in Pine Springs thinking there is a murderer running around out there," Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said.
"Disbelief, disbelief. Cause I can't see him doing it. It's something brought him over the edge that he couldn't come back from," Larry Boyd said.
Boyd said his parents were married for more than 35 years. He said Billie was a deacon at his church, and Bonnie worked for an East Texas nursing home. Two of their sons and another couple lived on their property in the Pine Springs community.
"My mom would take any body in that needed help. She was a good woman. She was a stern woman, but she was a good woman...They had problems with grandchildren and kids and stuff like that, but between them, no, I never seen them argue," Boyd said.
The motive remains unclear, but investigators say these family problems may have prompted the shooting.
"We know there was a lot of trauma and drama going on with family members," Sheriff Smith said.
Sheriff Smith said his deputies were called to Hays's property three times Monday. They responded to an assault report an hour before the shooting happened, but officials and family members have not linked the pieces together.
"There is rumors going around, but you can't believe rumors until you get facts," Boyd said.
Arlington, TX: 2 dead in apparent murder, suicide in Arlington
Dec. 20, 2010, 11:32AM
ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington police say a woman and her ex-boyfriend died in an apparent murder and a suicide at their home.
Police say the woman's 19-year-old daughter early Monday discovered her mother dead in a bedroom. The victim was 44-year-old Margarita Santos-Najera.
Police say the teen hid in a closet with her unharmed infant child and called 911.
Police who were arriving heard a gunshot from within the house. Officers discovered the body of 41-year-old Antonio Astello in another bedroom.
Investigators believe the pair had split up, but Astello was still temporarily living in the home and he killed Santos-Najera, then took his own life.
The daughter's name was not immediately released by police.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington police say a woman and her ex-boyfriend died in an apparent murder and a suicide at their home.
Police say the woman's 19-year-old daughter early Monday discovered her mother dead in a bedroom. The victim was 44-year-old Margarita Santos-Najera.
Police say the teen hid in a closet with her unharmed infant child and called 911.
Police who were arriving heard a gunshot from within the house. Officers discovered the body of 41-year-old Antonio Astello in another bedroom.
Investigators believe the pair had split up, but Astello was still temporarily living in the home and he killed Santos-Najera, then took his own life.
The daughter's name was not immediately released by police.
Sun City, FL: Deputies find Sun City couple dead in apparent murder-suicide
By Ileana Morales, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Dec 21, 2010 05:37 AM
SUN CITY — Authorities said Tuesday they don't know why a Sun City man shot and killed his wife before he shot and killed himself.
Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies found the bodies of Lucy and Jay Pruett in their bedroom Monday night at 726 Ojai Ave. Both were 58. Each died from a gunshot to the head.
"There didn't seem to be any motive," said Debbie Carter, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. "Family members didn't know why that would've happened."
Deputies arrived at the house about 10:30 p.m. with relatives and a friend of the couple after a call for a welfare check. Their daughter and a family friend had not heard from the Pruetts in two days.
Daughter Julie Wills said she hopes her mother rests in peace. They also have a son, Sean Pruett, living in California.
"My mother was a loving, kind person. She wouldn't hurt a fly. She never did," Wills, 36, said. "She was the best person in this whole world. The sweetest thing in the world. And she didn't deserve that."
There were no prior law enforcement calls to the couple's house, Carter said.
The couple was married for 40 years, said Travis Bunn, Lucy's brother. He can't imagine what happened.
"We're still in shock, you know. It just happened last night," Bunn said. "She was loved by everybody."
She was an outgoing, fun-loving woman from Bryan, Texas, Bunn said. She later moved to Biloxi, Miss. with Jay, who eventually retired from the U.S. Air Force. She also worked in the offices at Keesler Air Force Base.
They moved two years ago to Florida to be closer to their daughter, Wills, and their three grandchildren living in Wesley Chapel.
They started renting the home on Ojai Avenue just over a year ago. She played bingo every Monday night at a nearby community hall and won just a few weeks ago. She enjoyed reading and watching old movies.
Construction was scheduled to begin this week for a house the couple planned in Wesley Chapel or Zephyrhills, Bunn said.
"She seemed to be very happy," Bunn, 60, said.
Bunn declined to comment about Lucy's husband, Jay.
Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Ileana Morales can be reached at 813-226-3386 or imorales@sptimes.com.
Posted: Dec 21, 2010 05:37 AM
SUN CITY — Authorities said Tuesday they don't know why a Sun City man shot and killed his wife before he shot and killed himself.
Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies found the bodies of Lucy and Jay Pruett in their bedroom Monday night at 726 Ojai Ave. Both were 58. Each died from a gunshot to the head.
"There didn't seem to be any motive," said Debbie Carter, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. "Family members didn't know why that would've happened."
Deputies arrived at the house about 10:30 p.m. with relatives and a friend of the couple after a call for a welfare check. Their daughter and a family friend had not heard from the Pruetts in two days.
Daughter Julie Wills said she hopes her mother rests in peace. They also have a son, Sean Pruett, living in California.
"My mother was a loving, kind person. She wouldn't hurt a fly. She never did," Wills, 36, said. "She was the best person in this whole world. The sweetest thing in the world. And she didn't deserve that."
There were no prior law enforcement calls to the couple's house, Carter said.
The couple was married for 40 years, said Travis Bunn, Lucy's brother. He can't imagine what happened.
"We're still in shock, you know. It just happened last night," Bunn said. "She was loved by everybody."
She was an outgoing, fun-loving woman from Bryan, Texas, Bunn said. She later moved to Biloxi, Miss. with Jay, who eventually retired from the U.S. Air Force. She also worked in the offices at Keesler Air Force Base.
They moved two years ago to Florida to be closer to their daughter, Wills, and their three grandchildren living in Wesley Chapel.
They started renting the home on Ojai Avenue just over a year ago. She played bingo every Monday night at a nearby community hall and won just a few weeks ago. She enjoyed reading and watching old movies.
Construction was scheduled to begin this week for a house the couple planned in Wesley Chapel or Zephyrhills, Bunn said.
"She seemed to be very happy," Bunn, 60, said.
Bunn declined to comment about Lucy's husband, Jay.
Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Ileana Morales can be reached at 813-226-3386 or imorales@sptimes.com.