Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sacramento, CA: Coroner: Man shot girlfriend, then self in Colonial Heights murder-suicide
The man found dead in his Colonial Heights home last week appears to have fatally shot his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself, according to the Sacramento County Coroner's Office.
Eugene K. Stevenson, 43, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest that authorities believe was self-inflicted, said Supervising Deputy Coroner Kim Gin. His girlfriend, Kassandra Atterberry, 41, died of multiple gunshot wounds, Gin said.
Last week, Sacramento police described the incident as a murder-suicide, but did not disclose the manner of death or who they believed was the assailant.
Stevenson and Atterberry were discovered in Stevenson's 15th Avenue home by a relative who had come to check on them after not hearing from them in a few days.
Atterberry's mother told The Bee last week that the theory that it was a murder-suicide seemed unbelievable to her family, who never saw the couple fight.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tucson, AZ: Tucson man faces life in prison after being convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend
TUCSON, Ariz. — A Tucson man is facing life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Pima County prosecutors say a jury rejected Scott Mediz's claim that he killed his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend in self-defense.
The Arizona Daily Star (http://bit.ly/Ope6ml) says the 33-year-old Mediz will get a life prison sentence with or without the possibility of parole on Oct. 29.
Authorities say Mediz brutally beat 30-year-old Jerry Lewis when he arrived at his girlfriend's home on Nov. 21, 2010.
They say Lewis was later stuffed into a car and died of positional asphyxiation.
Mediz's lawyer told jurors that Lewis was armed with a box cutter and a bat and Mediz acted in self-defense.
Pima County prosecutors say a jury rejected Scott Mediz's claim that he killed his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend in self-defense.
The Arizona Daily Star (http://bit.ly/Ope6ml) says the 33-year-old Mediz will get a life prison sentence with or without the possibility of parole on Oct. 29.
Authorities say Mediz brutally beat 30-year-old Jerry Lewis when he arrived at his girlfriend's home on Nov. 21, 2010.
They say Lewis was later stuffed into a car and died of positional asphyxiation.
Mediz's lawyer told jurors that Lewis was armed with a box cutter and a bat and Mediz acted in self-defense.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Kansas City, MO: KC police ID man who shot his ex-girlfriend, killed himself between Chiefs, Royals stadiums
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police have released the name of a man who killed himself after shooting and wounding his former girlfriend between the stadiums that are home to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/OC8TwZ ) reported that the shooter was 40-year-old Marcus L. Collins of Raytown.
He drove into the stadium Friday afternoon and apparently summoned his former girlfriend who was working as a parking lot attendant. Police said that when the 41-year-old woman approached, he shot at her several times. She tried to run, but was struck at least once in the abdomen.
Collins then shot himself. Police said he never got out of his car.
The woman survived, but police said she lost a kidney, her spleen, and parts of her pancreas and liver.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/OC8TwZ ) reported that the shooter was 40-year-old Marcus L. Collins of Raytown.
He drove into the stadium Friday afternoon and apparently summoned his former girlfriend who was working as a parking lot attendant. Police said that when the 41-year-old woman approached, he shot at her several times. She tried to run, but was struck at least once in the abdomen.
Collins then shot himself. Police said he never got out of his car.
The woman survived, but police said she lost a kidney, her spleen, and parts of her pancreas and liver.
Big Bear Lake, CA: Man 'drives car into California lake, killing his girlfriend and pet dog'
A 56-year-old man allegedly killed his girlfriend and their pet dog when he drove his car into a California lake, fleeing as the lay inside.
Ronald Michael Hitchcock was arrested on a murder charge after officers found him, soaking wet, yelling and trying to get through a locked gate at Meadow Park.
They believe he murdered his 53-year-old girlfriend Deborah Crouch, as well as their dog.
Police had been called by a concerned neighbour who heard Hitchcock's racket at around 6am on Saturday morning.
He had apparently recently driven his car into Big Bear lake and left it there, not far from where the couple lived together.
'He was kind of shivering because it was cold, and he was wet, and looked like he'd been drinking, woozy from drinky drinky,' one neighbour named Margaret Mathe told ABC.
Officers found Hitchcock at the gate whereupon he told them his car had gone into Big Bear Lake, for reasons unknown to him.
Two deputies, who are part of the Sheriff's Dive Team, went into the water and found the submerged car, with the bodies of his 53-year-old girlfriend Deborah Crouch and a dog.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene and Hitchcock was charged with murder.
He is being held in county jail without bail and scheduled to be arraigned at 12.30pm on Tuesday September 18.
According to the San Bernardino Sun Hitchcock had previously been arrested on July 9 on suspicion of battery on a spouse.
That charge was later dropped and he was convicted of disturbing the peace.
Ronald Michael Hitchcock was arrested on a murder charge after officers found him, soaking wet, yelling and trying to get through a locked gate at Meadow Park.
They believe he murdered his 53-year-old girlfriend Deborah Crouch, as well as their dog.
Police had been called by a concerned neighbour who heard Hitchcock's racket at around 6am on Saturday morning.
He had apparently recently driven his car into Big Bear lake and left it there, not far from where the couple lived together.
'He was kind of shivering because it was cold, and he was wet, and looked like he'd been drinking, woozy from drinky drinky,' one neighbour named Margaret Mathe told ABC.
Officers found Hitchcock at the gate whereupon he told them his car had gone into Big Bear Lake, for reasons unknown to him.
Two deputies, who are part of the Sheriff's Dive Team, went into the water and found the submerged car, with the bodies of his 53-year-old girlfriend Deborah Crouch and a dog.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene and Hitchcock was charged with murder.
He is being held in county jail without bail and scheduled to be arraigned at 12.30pm on Tuesday September 18.
According to the San Bernardino Sun Hitchcock had previously been arrested on July 9 on suspicion of battery on a spouse.
That charge was later dropped and he was convicted of disturbing the peace.
Eunice, LA: Convicted murder arrested in Shreveport accused of wife's death
SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -
More than 20 years after her brother, Michael Ensley's death, comedian and celebrity Niecy Nash was forced to relive that moment. Her brother's convicted killer, Robert Lee Heard, was arrested Saturday and charged with murder again.
Nash released a statement on the incident saying, "No family should have to endure the loss of a loved one at the hands of a previously convicted violent criminal."
Heard allegedly killed his wife, Demetra Doyle Heard, in the quiet community of Eunice, Louisiana on Saturday. Shortly after Demetra's body was found Eunice police enlisted the help of Shreveport police. Eunice detectives suspected Heard would head to the Ark-La-Tex since he has relatives in the Shreveport area.
Shreveport got a call that Heard was at the 1100 block of Prospect Street. The caller saw a car that matched the description that Eunice police gave to Shreveport outside a home on the street. Police approached the vehicle and the suspect was inside.
"When they tried to stop him at that point he fled and led them on a brief pursuit," said Bill Goodin with the Shreveport Police Department. "Eventually as he was exiting off of interstate 20 onto Jewella Avenue, he apparently struck a curb and blew out two of his tires. The officers were able to take him into custody without incident at that point."
Eunice police arrived shortly after that to take Heard back to south Louisiana where he was booked and charged with murder.
More than 20 years after her brother, Michael Ensley's death, comedian and celebrity Niecy Nash was forced to relive that moment. Her brother's convicted killer, Robert Lee Heard, was arrested Saturday and charged with murder again.
Nash released a statement on the incident saying, "No family should have to endure the loss of a loved one at the hands of a previously convicted violent criminal."
Heard allegedly killed his wife, Demetra Doyle Heard, in the quiet community of Eunice, Louisiana on Saturday. Shortly after Demetra's body was found Eunice police enlisted the help of Shreveport police. Eunice detectives suspected Heard would head to the Ark-La-Tex since he has relatives in the Shreveport area.
Shreveport got a call that Heard was at the 1100 block of Prospect Street. The caller saw a car that matched the description that Eunice police gave to Shreveport outside a home on the street. Police approached the vehicle and the suspect was inside.
"When they tried to stop him at that point he fled and led them on a brief pursuit," said Bill Goodin with the Shreveport Police Department. "Eventually as he was exiting off of interstate 20 onto Jewella Avenue, he apparently struck a curb and blew out two of his tires. The officers were able to take him into custody without incident at that point."
Eunice police arrived shortly after that to take Heard back to south Louisiana where he was booked and charged with murder.
Tamarac, FL: Woman remains critical in possible attempted murder-suicide
TAMARAC — A 37-year-old Tamarac woman was listed in critical condition late Monday after being hit by a shotgun blast in a possible attempted murder-suicide, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Deborah Anne Shannon was found wounded in an apartment on the 8300 block of Sands Point Boulevard about midnight Friday. Her estranged boyfriend Mario Rosdao Jr., 37, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound, according to the investigative report.
Deborah Anne Shannon was found wounded in an apartment on the 8300 block of Sands Point Boulevard about midnight Friday. Her estranged boyfriend Mario Rosdao Jr., 37, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound, according to the investigative report.
Sacramento, CA: Former Bakersfield woman killed in apparent murder-suicide
Sacramento police are investigating a murder-suicide involving a former Bakersfield woman after she and her boyfriend didn't show up for a family wedding. Officers believe the boyfriend shot her, then himself.
Edward Coleman and his girlfriend, Luv Land, were supposed to come to Bakersfield on Saturday for her cousin's wedding. When they didn't show up, her family got worried.
"They were talking about marriage," said Mae Beary, Land's aunt. They were talking about sharing their life together. "They were a happy-go-lucky couple."
Sacramento police say 38-year-old Coleman and 28-year-old Land argued Friday evening and that was the last time their families heard from them.
"When they were a 'no show,' I mean, I was very worried because my mom and I had feelings. You know how you can tell something has happened? I told my mom, I just don't feel good, and she said I don't either so I said well what's going on?" said Beary.
The couple was found dead inside their north Sacramento home Sunday morning. "The guy seems like he may have had problems. I don't know what his problems were, but taking a life is not the way to solve a problem. He should have got help," she continued.
Word of the couple's death spread quickly to Grant Union High School in north Sacramento, where Coleman worked as assistant football coach.
"He's a fun guy. He was always laughing, never a down type of guy. He was always positive, never negative," said Ezell Grant, a student athlete.
"When you're always feeling bad that you messed up or something, he would always come around and you know lift you up," said another student.
But, now Land's family in Bakersfield is left wondering what went tragically wrong. "She's going to be missed very deeply. She's going to be missed by the whole family," said Beary.
Land's aunt told 17 News she didn't know of any problems between the couple who had been dating for three years.
Edward Coleman and his girlfriend, Luv Land, were supposed to come to Bakersfield on Saturday for her cousin's wedding. When they didn't show up, her family got worried.
"They were talking about marriage," said Mae Beary, Land's aunt. They were talking about sharing their life together. "They were a happy-go-lucky couple."
Sacramento police say 38-year-old Coleman and 28-year-old Land argued Friday evening and that was the last time their families heard from them.
"When they were a 'no show,' I mean, I was very worried because my mom and I had feelings. You know how you can tell something has happened? I told my mom, I just don't feel good, and she said I don't either so I said well what's going on?" said Beary.
The couple was found dead inside their north Sacramento home Sunday morning. "The guy seems like he may have had problems. I don't know what his problems were, but taking a life is not the way to solve a problem. He should have got help," she continued.
Word of the couple's death spread quickly to Grant Union High School in north Sacramento, where Coleman worked as assistant football coach.
"He's a fun guy. He was always laughing, never a down type of guy. He was always positive, never negative," said Ezell Grant, a student athlete.
"When you're always feeling bad that you messed up or something, he would always come around and you know lift you up," said another student.
But, now Land's family in Bakersfield is left wondering what went tragically wrong. "She's going to be missed very deeply. She's going to be missed by the whole family," said Beary.
Land's aunt told 17 News she didn't know of any problems between the couple who had been dating for three years.
Shafter, CA: Murder-suicide eyed in deaths near Shafter
SHAFTER, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - Kern County investigators believe a man and woman were killed Monday night in a murder-suicide near Shafter.
The pair were found shot to death on the 29000 block of Orange Street. The coroner's office later identified the woman as 32-year-old Patricia Flores, but the man's name was withheld.
The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the pair were in a dating relationship and had a 9-month-old child. A 15-year-old boy was also at the home when the shooting happened, but the sheriff's office didn't clarify his relationship to the man and woman.
The couple lived in the home for around six months, the sheriff's office said. During that time, deputies were called to the home eight times for peace disturbances and theft reports.
The pair were found shot to death on the 29000 block of Orange Street. The coroner's office later identified the woman as 32-year-old Patricia Flores, but the man's name was withheld.
The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the pair were in a dating relationship and had a 9-month-old child. A 15-year-old boy was also at the home when the shooting happened, but the sheriff's office didn't clarify his relationship to the man and woman.
The couple lived in the home for around six months, the sheriff's office said. During that time, deputies were called to the home eight times for peace disturbances and theft reports.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Versailles, MO: Jury Selection Begins in Trial for Triple Murder
VERSAILLES, Mo. -- Jury selection is going on today in the trial of one of four men charged with the murders of three people in Laclede County three years ago.
Steven Pyykola is accused in the shooting deaths of Jeffrey Smith, 51, and his wife, Glenda Smith, 48. Both were found dead in their living room in Phillipsburg, Missouri in October 2009. The Smiths' daughter Miranda also lost her boyfriend, Zachary Porter, that same day. He was shot and killed in front of her in Lebanon.
Miranda Smith's former boyfriend, Josh Reyes, along with Pyykola, Jacky Wong, and Benjamin Stidham are all accused of carrying out the murders.
Court documents allege the men planned the killings for a week before shooting the Smiths in their home, and then Porter at Miranda Smith's apartment.
The trial was moved from Laclede County to Morgan County on a change of venue.
Steven Pyykola is accused in the shooting deaths of Jeffrey Smith, 51, and his wife, Glenda Smith, 48. Both were found dead in their living room in Phillipsburg, Missouri in October 2009. The Smiths' daughter Miranda also lost her boyfriend, Zachary Porter, that same day. He was shot and killed in front of her in Lebanon.
Miranda Smith's former boyfriend, Josh Reyes, along with Pyykola, Jacky Wong, and Benjamin Stidham are all accused of carrying out the murders.
Court documents allege the men planned the killings for a week before shooting the Smiths in their home, and then Porter at Miranda Smith's apartment.
The trial was moved from Laclede County to Morgan County on a change of venue.
El Cajon, CA: Former H.S. Track Star Accused of Killing Girlfriend Due in Court
EL CAJON (CNS) - A preliminary hearing is scheduled Monday for a former high school track and field star accused of fatally injuring his girlfriend in an assault at a Spring Valley home.
Roshawn Lamar Broadnax, 20, is charged with murder in the July death of 19-year-old Deazjnae Banks and is being held in lieu of $3 million bail. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.
A judge will decide at the end of the preliminary hearing whether there's enough evidence to order Broadnax to stand trial for Banks' slaying.
Deputies found the defendant tending to a gravely injured Banks in the 9500 block of Piedmont Street on July 10, San Diego County sheriff's homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit said.
Broadnax was immediately arrested on suspicion of attempted murder as paramedics took Banks to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where she was admitted in critical condition. Physicians removed her from life-support equipment two days later, according to Nesbit. Broadnax, who has a prior conviction for burglary, then was charged with murder.
Sheriff's officials have withheld the cause of Banks' death and details on what might have led to her death. She and Broadnax had been dating for about a year-and-a-half, according to Deputy District Attorney Danielle Hickman.
Broadnax ran track for Helix Charter High School in 2008, earning JV honor roll status for his performances in the 400 meters and triple jump as a sophomore.
Roshawn Lamar Broadnax, 20, is charged with murder in the July death of 19-year-old Deazjnae Banks and is being held in lieu of $3 million bail. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.
A judge will decide at the end of the preliminary hearing whether there's enough evidence to order Broadnax to stand trial for Banks' slaying.
Deputies found the defendant tending to a gravely injured Banks in the 9500 block of Piedmont Street on July 10, San Diego County sheriff's homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit said.
Broadnax was immediately arrested on suspicion of attempted murder as paramedics took Banks to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where she was admitted in critical condition. Physicians removed her from life-support equipment two days later, according to Nesbit. Broadnax, who has a prior conviction for burglary, then was charged with murder.
Sheriff's officials have withheld the cause of Banks' death and details on what might have led to her death. She and Broadnax had been dating for about a year-and-a-half, according to Deputy District Attorney Danielle Hickman.
Broadnax ran track for Helix Charter High School in 2008, earning JV honor roll status for his performances in the 400 meters and triple jump as a sophomore.
Capital Heights, MD: Police looking for man who allegedly killed ex-girlfriend after strip club argument
CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. — Prince George’s County police have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of a woman in Capitol Heights.
Police are looking for 33-year-old Michael Stewart of Upper Marlboro. Police believe he shot and killed his former girlfriend, 25-year-old Brittany McKinley, after fighting with her at the strip club where she worked.
McKinley was found dead inside a vehicle shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. Another woman was treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to the hand.
Police say Stewart confronted McKinley at Irving’s Night Club in Capitol Heights, where she worked. He was thrown out by security, and police say he went to her home and waited for her. When the women arrived, police say Stewart opened the door and shot them.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Police are looking for 33-year-old Michael Stewart of Upper Marlboro. Police believe he shot and killed his former girlfriend, 25-year-old Brittany McKinley, after fighting with her at the strip club where she worked.
McKinley was found dead inside a vehicle shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. Another woman was treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to the hand.
Police say Stewart confronted McKinley at Irving’s Night Club in Capitol Heights, where she worked. He was thrown out by security, and police say he went to her home and waited for her. When the women arrived, police say Stewart opened the door and shot them.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
San Antonio, TX: Man killed by police in motel shootout ID'd
A man killed by police in a motel room shootout Friday has been identified as Daniel Schuck, 47.
Other patrons of the Days Inn at Interstate 35 near Weidner heard Schuck threatening his girlfriend and called police. When officers partly opened the door, Schuck threatened to kill his girlfriend if they entered.
As police forced open the door. Schuck fired a shot at them from behind a bed, but two officers returned fire — striking him in the torso several times and killing him, police said.
Schuck was pronounced dead at the scene.
Other patrons of the Days Inn at Interstate 35 near Weidner heard Schuck threatening his girlfriend and called police. When officers partly opened the door, Schuck threatened to kill his girlfriend if they entered.
As police forced open the door. Schuck fired a shot at them from behind a bed, but two officers returned fire — striking him in the torso several times and killing him, police said.
Schuck was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chesterfield, VA: Neighbors react to Chesterfield murder-suicide
CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -
Chesterfield Police say two shooting deaths in the Rayon Park subdivision appear to be the end result of a murder-suicide. David Brogdon and Donna Cheatham were both shot at a duplex on Rycliff Avenue.
Neighbors say they didn't hear gun shots nor did they suspect any tension between the couple.
When NBC12 arrived, Brogdon's next-door neighbors were washing blood off the car and the driveway where the woman was found.
"Just in a split second, he's gone-just gone," said his neighbor and good friend, Muriel Myers.
Myers, who has live in the duplex for 12 years and has been neighbors with Brogdon for more than three years. She says the former widower had been in a relationship with Donna Cheatham for over a year, and suspected nothing that would have escalated to this.
"I'm still grasping-can't wrap my mind around it," Myers said.
At 5:30 Friday evening, a neighbor across the street noticed Cheatham on the ground in between a red Camaro and gold Lexus under the carport.
"I looked over and it looked like a pile of clothes with a whole bunch of flies coming off of her," said the neighbor who discovered her. "There was a woman there. I immediately looked at the house and something told me to just go call police."
"I just freaked out and said where is my friend, Dave?" Myers added. "I wanted to go in the house, but my friend prevented me from doing that because I was starting to panic."
After police arrived, Myers says they found David Brogdon dead on his couch in the living room. She says signs of struggle were evident from the outside- a bloody hand print still stains the door. Police haven't said what led up to the shooting.
Myers says Brogdon worked as a dump truck driver. He was very handy and would always help her kids and neighbors with repairs.
"You could call on him," Myers noted. "He was helpful and very private. My heart goes out to their family. It's just sad someone has to lose their live. You never know what their argument was or what happened."
Neighbors say this is a quiet neighborhood, mostly with older people and families. They've never heard of this kind of violence here.
Right now forensic teams are still trying to determine how and when the shooting happened.
Stay with NBC12 for the latest developments.
Chesterfield Police say two shooting deaths in the Rayon Park subdivision appear to be the end result of a murder-suicide. David Brogdon and Donna Cheatham were both shot at a duplex on Rycliff Avenue.
Neighbors say they didn't hear gun shots nor did they suspect any tension between the couple.
When NBC12 arrived, Brogdon's next-door neighbors were washing blood off the car and the driveway where the woman was found.
"Just in a split second, he's gone-just gone," said his neighbor and good friend, Muriel Myers.
Myers, who has live in the duplex for 12 years and has been neighbors with Brogdon for more than three years. She says the former widower had been in a relationship with Donna Cheatham for over a year, and suspected nothing that would have escalated to this.
"I'm still grasping-can't wrap my mind around it," Myers said.
At 5:30 Friday evening, a neighbor across the street noticed Cheatham on the ground in between a red Camaro and gold Lexus under the carport.
"I looked over and it looked like a pile of clothes with a whole bunch of flies coming off of her," said the neighbor who discovered her. "There was a woman there. I immediately looked at the house and something told me to just go call police."
"I just freaked out and said where is my friend, Dave?" Myers added. "I wanted to go in the house, but my friend prevented me from doing that because I was starting to panic."
After police arrived, Myers says they found David Brogdon dead on his couch in the living room. She says signs of struggle were evident from the outside- a bloody hand print still stains the door. Police haven't said what led up to the shooting.
Myers says Brogdon worked as a dump truck driver. He was very handy and would always help her kids and neighbors with repairs.
"You could call on him," Myers noted. "He was helpful and very private. My heart goes out to their family. It's just sad someone has to lose their live. You never know what their argument was or what happened."
Neighbors say this is a quiet neighborhood, mostly with older people and families. They've never heard of this kind of violence here.
Right now forensic teams are still trying to determine how and when the shooting happened.
Stay with NBC12 for the latest developments.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Reedsport . OR: Standoff subject tormented girlfriend
The man who killed himself during a standoff with police in Reedsport Wednesday had a history of domestic violence, court documents show.
Benny Shawn Lee Pishione, 46, who went by 'Shawn," was arrested three times in Coos County following domestic incidents with the same 47-year-old woman he allegedly kidnapped from the Silver Dollar Tavern early Wednesday morning.
Three felony warrants, including possession of an explosive device, are still outstanding for Pishione's arrest in Washoe County, Nev., after police there say he threw a small bomb wrapped with BBs into the woman's sister's house on July 11, 2011.
Police said Pishione was targeting the woman, who was his estranged girlfriend.
Bipolar disorder
The woman, who asked The World to conceal her identity, said Pishione -- whom she had known for 15 years -- had bipolar disorder and had threatened to kill her and her family on multiple occasions.
'I guess he was obsessed with me," the woman said.
Three days after the bombing -- on July 14, 2011 -- Coos County Sheriff's deputies were called to the woman's home near Allegany. She told deputies Pishione -- in a 'meth psychosis" and carrying a semi-automatic pistol -- cut the phone lines to her house and broke in.
A restraining order the woman had against Pishione had expired hours earlier, and he had not been served with a new one, according to court documents.
The woman was able to grab a shotgun and keep Pishione at bay while he threatened her for over two hours. Pishione eventually left the house, and no one was harmed, court documents indicated.
Threatened daughter
While deputies were investigating the alleged burglary, they came across threats Pishione had made against the woman's now 17-year-old daughter, in which he said he would tie her up and let pit bulls attack her until she died.
Pishione left 21 other messages with the woman which included 'very graphic examples of how he was going to kill her family," according to court documents.
Police then tracked Pishione's cell phone to Madera, Calif., just about a 90-minute drive from where the woman's daughter was staying.
On July 16, two days after the alleged burglary, the woman called police and told them Pishione had sent her a message saying he had paid $5,000 to put a 'hit" on the woman's daughter.
That same day, police in Madera found and arrested Pishione, who had the same gun he had used in the alleged home invasion.
Recants complaint
Pishione was extradited to Coos County, but burglary and menacing charges against him were later dropped after Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said the woman recanted her original story.
The woman told The World she recanted because she couldn't handle Pishione's going to prison.
'Him going to prison wasn't going to work for me," she said.
'I don't understand my reasoning for protecting him for as long as I did. I haven't figured it out yet. I protected him to the end."
Pishione was convicted in November 2011 on 12 counts of violating a restraining order. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail. Pishione had been sentenced 90 days in jail in January 2011 after he was charged in September 2010 with on one count of violating a restraining order. Both convictions were in relation to restraining orders the woman had filed against Pishione.
Coos Bay kidnapping
The parking lot of the Silver Dollar Tavern was crowded with people when Pishione walked up to the woman's car with a brick and threatened her to let him in.
She unlocked the door, with her good friend sitting in the front seat, and the three drove to a convenience store to get cigarettes.
The woman convinced her friend to get out of the car, and Pishione ordered her to drive toward Reedsport.
'I just drove," the woman said. 'He was saying 'I just want to talk to you.' I figured he was going to kill me."
The two drove to a logging road in between Gardiner and Florence where the woman prepared herself to die.
She said she thought about her daughter a lot, but wasn't afraid to die because as she put it, 'I didn't fear death anymore after being with him."
'I kept asking if he was going to kill me," she said. 'He said 'I love you way too much to kill you.'"
Signaled suicide
The woman said it was clear Pishione wanted to end his life and wanted to talk to her before he did it.
After talking for a while, the woman convinced Pishione she wouldn't 'give him up" to police, and he let her go.
The next time the woman spoke to Pishione he was surrounded by police inside the Fir Grove motel in Reedsport.
Police located him there after searching for him following the alleged kidnapping. When they knocked on his door to talk to him, police say Pishione tried to jump out the back window but was unsuccessful.
He then asked police for permission to talk to the woman, and officers consented.
'He was at peace'
The woman said Pishione was very calm for the entire time they spoke, which she said was for about an hour.
'He was at peace with himself," she said.
'He said he was sorry and it wasn't my fault. He said he was OK with what he was doing and he couldn't go to prison."
The woman said Pishione had been telling her for months he was going to kill himself. She said he was off his medication for bipolar disorder.
'I knew he was going to do it," she said about Pishione killing himself.
'It's not good if anybody dies, but he is not suffering anymore."
Police enter room
When police entered his room around 2 p.m., with a K-9 officer, Pishione, locked in the bathroom, put a .38 caliber pistol beneath his chin and ended his life.
Reedsport police chief Mark Fandrey said they found three shell casings in the revolver, although it is unclear when or where Pishione was firing.
The woman said Pishione, whose father was a police officer in Fresno for 38 years, would 'never fire at police." She said his intent the entire time was to end his life.
'I don't want people to think of him as this bad person," she said. 'He was mentally ill. He helped a lot of people and was a good guy."
'A mad love affair'
Fandrey said he knew the standoff wouldn't end well and that police couldn't let him leave the motel for the safety of the woman and the community.
'Don't think that when this is done we don't second-guess ourselves," he said.
'But we have to weigh public safety and the (victim's) safety. We hoped he would come out and surrender. That wasn't the case."
The woman says she doesn't know why she tired to protect Pishione even though he caused her so much grief.
'We had a mad love affair," she said.
'I was madly in love with him. I guess when you are bi-polar you just get a thought in your head and you can't get it out.
'I will miss him."
Benny Shawn Lee Pishione, 46, who went by 'Shawn," was arrested three times in Coos County following domestic incidents with the same 47-year-old woman he allegedly kidnapped from the Silver Dollar Tavern early Wednesday morning.
Three felony warrants, including possession of an explosive device, are still outstanding for Pishione's arrest in Washoe County, Nev., after police there say he threw a small bomb wrapped with BBs into the woman's sister's house on July 11, 2011.
Police said Pishione was targeting the woman, who was his estranged girlfriend.
Bipolar disorder
The woman, who asked The World to conceal her identity, said Pishione -- whom she had known for 15 years -- had bipolar disorder and had threatened to kill her and her family on multiple occasions.
'I guess he was obsessed with me," the woman said.
Three days after the bombing -- on July 14, 2011 -- Coos County Sheriff's deputies were called to the woman's home near Allegany. She told deputies Pishione -- in a 'meth psychosis" and carrying a semi-automatic pistol -- cut the phone lines to her house and broke in.
A restraining order the woman had against Pishione had expired hours earlier, and he had not been served with a new one, according to court documents.
The woman was able to grab a shotgun and keep Pishione at bay while he threatened her for over two hours. Pishione eventually left the house, and no one was harmed, court documents indicated.
Threatened daughter
While deputies were investigating the alleged burglary, they came across threats Pishione had made against the woman's now 17-year-old daughter, in which he said he would tie her up and let pit bulls attack her until she died.
Pishione left 21 other messages with the woman which included 'very graphic examples of how he was going to kill her family," according to court documents.
Police then tracked Pishione's cell phone to Madera, Calif., just about a 90-minute drive from where the woman's daughter was staying.
On July 16, two days after the alleged burglary, the woman called police and told them Pishione had sent her a message saying he had paid $5,000 to put a 'hit" on the woman's daughter.
That same day, police in Madera found and arrested Pishione, who had the same gun he had used in the alleged home invasion.
Recants complaint
Pishione was extradited to Coos County, but burglary and menacing charges against him were later dropped after Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said the woman recanted her original story.
The woman told The World she recanted because she couldn't handle Pishione's going to prison.
'Him going to prison wasn't going to work for me," she said.
'I don't understand my reasoning for protecting him for as long as I did. I haven't figured it out yet. I protected him to the end."
Pishione was convicted in November 2011 on 12 counts of violating a restraining order. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail. Pishione had been sentenced 90 days in jail in January 2011 after he was charged in September 2010 with on one count of violating a restraining order. Both convictions were in relation to restraining orders the woman had filed against Pishione.
Coos Bay kidnapping
The parking lot of the Silver Dollar Tavern was crowded with people when Pishione walked up to the woman's car with a brick and threatened her to let him in.
She unlocked the door, with her good friend sitting in the front seat, and the three drove to a convenience store to get cigarettes.
The woman convinced her friend to get out of the car, and Pishione ordered her to drive toward Reedsport.
'I just drove," the woman said. 'He was saying 'I just want to talk to you.' I figured he was going to kill me."
The two drove to a logging road in between Gardiner and Florence where the woman prepared herself to die.
She said she thought about her daughter a lot, but wasn't afraid to die because as she put it, 'I didn't fear death anymore after being with him."
'I kept asking if he was going to kill me," she said. 'He said 'I love you way too much to kill you.'"
Signaled suicide
The woman said it was clear Pishione wanted to end his life and wanted to talk to her before he did it.
After talking for a while, the woman convinced Pishione she wouldn't 'give him up" to police, and he let her go.
The next time the woman spoke to Pishione he was surrounded by police inside the Fir Grove motel in Reedsport.
Police located him there after searching for him following the alleged kidnapping. When they knocked on his door to talk to him, police say Pishione tried to jump out the back window but was unsuccessful.
He then asked police for permission to talk to the woman, and officers consented.
'He was at peace'
The woman said Pishione was very calm for the entire time they spoke, which she said was for about an hour.
'He was at peace with himself," she said.
'He said he was sorry and it wasn't my fault. He said he was OK with what he was doing and he couldn't go to prison."
The woman said Pishione had been telling her for months he was going to kill himself. She said he was off his medication for bipolar disorder.
'I knew he was going to do it," she said about Pishione killing himself.
'It's not good if anybody dies, but he is not suffering anymore."
Police enter room
When police entered his room around 2 p.m., with a K-9 officer, Pishione, locked in the bathroom, put a .38 caliber pistol beneath his chin and ended his life.
Reedsport police chief Mark Fandrey said they found three shell casings in the revolver, although it is unclear when or where Pishione was firing.
The woman said Pishione, whose father was a police officer in Fresno for 38 years, would 'never fire at police." She said his intent the entire time was to end his life.
'I don't want people to think of him as this bad person," she said. 'He was mentally ill. He helped a lot of people and was a good guy."
'A mad love affair'
Fandrey said he knew the standoff wouldn't end well and that police couldn't let him leave the motel for the safety of the woman and the community.
'Don't think that when this is done we don't second-guess ourselves," he said.
'But we have to weigh public safety and the (victim's) safety. We hoped he would come out and surrender. That wasn't the case."
The woman says she doesn't know why she tired to protect Pishione even though he caused her so much grief.
'We had a mad love affair," she said.
'I was madly in love with him. I guess when you are bi-polar you just get a thought in your head and you can't get it out.
'I will miss him."
Charlotte, NC: CMPD brings suspect in wife’s death back to Charlotte
A Charlotte man who records appear to show served time on Florida’s Death Row nearly three decades ago was arrested in Charleston on Friday in the killing of his wife.
The arrest came after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police issued a murder warrant earlier Friday for Joseph Green Brown, 62, in the slaying Thursday night of Mamie Caldwell Brown, 71.
Officers from the Charleston Police Department arrested Brown without incident at a Holiday Inn Express, police said. Brown was returned late Friday to Charlotte, where he was interviewed by detectives and then taken to Mecklenburg jail. He remained in jail Saturday without bond.
Joseph Green Brown was sentenced to death after being convicted in 1974 by a Florida jury of raping and murdering Earlene Treva Barksdale. She was the owner of a clothing store and the wife of a well-known Tampa Bay-area attorney.
Brown was scheduled for execution Oct. 17, 1983, but a federal judge ordered a stay 15 hours before he was to be put to death. Records show the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in early 1986, saying the prosecution knowingly allowed false testimony from a leading witness.
Investigators say Brown is known to use several aliases, including Shabaka WaQlimi.
Florida criminal records list Brown with three birthdates, one of which matches the date on the Charlotte murder warrant.
Lawyers and anti-death penalty activists who knew him said he had moved to Charlotte years ago. They were shocked at the charge against him.
“I’m astonished that he’s a suspect,” said Colman McCarthy, a nationally known activist and former Washington Post columnist who now leads the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington. “I ardently hope that it is not true. It just breaks your heart.”
According to a 1999 story in the St. Petersburg Times, the prosecutor in the case remained convinced afterward that Brown had been responsible.
Richard Blumenthal, now a U.S. senator from Connecticut, represented Brown on appeal as a volunteer attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
‘Apparent trauma’ to body
CMPD investigators say they found Mamie Brown’s body in her residence at the Oaks Apartments, in the 8000 block of Shadow Oaks Drive. That is off W.T. Harris Boulevard, between Old Statesville and West Sugar Creek roads.
Detectives say they received a call about 9 p.m. Thursday to check the residence. When officers arrived, they found Brown on the floor. She had suffered “apparent trauma,” according to police.
Officers went door to door in the community overnight, trying to find out whether anyone saw or heard anything near the apartment. Detectives roped off the area around Brown’s apartment during the night, scouring the inside of the residence and the exterior grounds for clues.
Several people who said they were relatives were on the scene but declined to speak with reporters.
The Oaks Apartments is a quiet, gated complex.
One neighbor, who declined to give his name, said the Browns were always on their balcony outside, smiling and waving to neighbors.
“She was the nicest lady in the neighborhood,” he said.
Neighbor Rob Lee lives a floor above the Browns’ apartment. He said he didn’t know them well, but that ever since he returned a missing purse to Mamie Brown, they were very friendly toward him.
“They were always nice and waved,” Lee said.
Lee said he first learned of Brown’s death when he was going downstairs to walk his dog and saw police at the Browns’ door.
Lee also said he heard a police officer saying they found a body in the bathtub.
“It’s just unfortunate that it happened here, and it’s unfortunate it happened at all,” he said.
LeMarcus Pride, who lives in the complex but said he didn’t know the Browns, said he found the news of the killing disturbing.
“They’re cold-blooded to kill a 71-year-old person,” Pride said. “They’ll kill anyone if they’ll kill a 71-year-old woman.”
Time in Washington
After being released from prison in Florida, Joseph Brown eventually moved to the Washington area.
“I knew Shabaka (Joseph Brown) very well, and he spoke to my classes many times,” said McCarthy, who also taught law at Georgetown and American universities. “Of course I’m astonished, and I’m just,” he paused, “astonished. But you know, I don’t know enough about the situation.”
He described Brown as a good man who was proud of his two daughters and who gave inspirational talks about death penalty opposition.
“I’ve always found him to be reliable, honest and very generous,” McCarthy said. “His talks were always factual, well-grounded, and he had a good sense of humor. He knew how to connect with an audience.”
McCarthy said that Brown had worked in a soup kitchen in Washington after his release from prison.
Brown then worked at the Father McKenna Center, which serves homeless men, but only one employee there remembered meeting him.
Brown later moved to Charlotte, McCarthy said. Neighbors said the Browns had been living at the Oaks for at least five years.
McCarthy said he didn’t know what Brown or his wife did for a living.
2000 assault case in Md.
Criminal records show Brown was charged with second-degree assault in 2000 in Maryland, was found guilty and received a suspended jail sentence. Records also show he was charged in South Carolina in 1990 with forgery, burglary and pointing a weapon, but he was not prosecuted.
“It doesn’t fit the Joseph Green Brown that I know,” said Tampa attorney Michael Shea, who defended Brown on the Florida murder charge and is convinced of his innocence there. The two appeared together on television shows and spoke at law schools.
“He was a very nice guy, very calm, collected,” Shea said. “… When he got out, you would never have known that he had been in prison.”
Shea said he heard from Brown every Christmas after his release from prison. Brown met his wife in Washington, he said, and the couple retired to North Carolina.
They had some financial problems, he said, and Brown once called to ask for part of the royalties from a book on the Florida case that Shea wrote.
Anyone with information about Mamie Brown’s death is asked to call detectives at 704-432-TIPS, or leave information with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
The arrest came after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police issued a murder warrant earlier Friday for Joseph Green Brown, 62, in the slaying Thursday night of Mamie Caldwell Brown, 71.
Officers from the Charleston Police Department arrested Brown without incident at a Holiday Inn Express, police said. Brown was returned late Friday to Charlotte, where he was interviewed by detectives and then taken to Mecklenburg jail. He remained in jail Saturday without bond.
Joseph Green Brown was sentenced to death after being convicted in 1974 by a Florida jury of raping and murdering Earlene Treva Barksdale. She was the owner of a clothing store and the wife of a well-known Tampa Bay-area attorney.
Brown was scheduled for execution Oct. 17, 1983, but a federal judge ordered a stay 15 hours before he was to be put to death. Records show the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in early 1986, saying the prosecution knowingly allowed false testimony from a leading witness.
Investigators say Brown is known to use several aliases, including Shabaka WaQlimi.
Florida criminal records list Brown with three birthdates, one of which matches the date on the Charlotte murder warrant.
Lawyers and anti-death penalty activists who knew him said he had moved to Charlotte years ago. They were shocked at the charge against him.
“I’m astonished that he’s a suspect,” said Colman McCarthy, a nationally known activist and former Washington Post columnist who now leads the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington. “I ardently hope that it is not true. It just breaks your heart.”
According to a 1999 story in the St. Petersburg Times, the prosecutor in the case remained convinced afterward that Brown had been responsible.
Richard Blumenthal, now a U.S. senator from Connecticut, represented Brown on appeal as a volunteer attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
‘Apparent trauma’ to body
CMPD investigators say they found Mamie Brown’s body in her residence at the Oaks Apartments, in the 8000 block of Shadow Oaks Drive. That is off W.T. Harris Boulevard, between Old Statesville and West Sugar Creek roads.
Detectives say they received a call about 9 p.m. Thursday to check the residence. When officers arrived, they found Brown on the floor. She had suffered “apparent trauma,” according to police.
Officers went door to door in the community overnight, trying to find out whether anyone saw or heard anything near the apartment. Detectives roped off the area around Brown’s apartment during the night, scouring the inside of the residence and the exterior grounds for clues.
Several people who said they were relatives were on the scene but declined to speak with reporters.
The Oaks Apartments is a quiet, gated complex.
One neighbor, who declined to give his name, said the Browns were always on their balcony outside, smiling and waving to neighbors.
“She was the nicest lady in the neighborhood,” he said.
Neighbor Rob Lee lives a floor above the Browns’ apartment. He said he didn’t know them well, but that ever since he returned a missing purse to Mamie Brown, they were very friendly toward him.
“They were always nice and waved,” Lee said.
Lee said he first learned of Brown’s death when he was going downstairs to walk his dog and saw police at the Browns’ door.
Lee also said he heard a police officer saying they found a body in the bathtub.
“It’s just unfortunate that it happened here, and it’s unfortunate it happened at all,” he said.
LeMarcus Pride, who lives in the complex but said he didn’t know the Browns, said he found the news of the killing disturbing.
“They’re cold-blooded to kill a 71-year-old person,” Pride said. “They’ll kill anyone if they’ll kill a 71-year-old woman.”
Time in Washington
After being released from prison in Florida, Joseph Brown eventually moved to the Washington area.
“I knew Shabaka (Joseph Brown) very well, and he spoke to my classes many times,” said McCarthy, who also taught law at Georgetown and American universities. “Of course I’m astonished, and I’m just,” he paused, “astonished. But you know, I don’t know enough about the situation.”
He described Brown as a good man who was proud of his two daughters and who gave inspirational talks about death penalty opposition.
“I’ve always found him to be reliable, honest and very generous,” McCarthy said. “His talks were always factual, well-grounded, and he had a good sense of humor. He knew how to connect with an audience.”
McCarthy said that Brown had worked in a soup kitchen in Washington after his release from prison.
Brown then worked at the Father McKenna Center, which serves homeless men, but only one employee there remembered meeting him.
Brown later moved to Charlotte, McCarthy said. Neighbors said the Browns had been living at the Oaks for at least five years.
McCarthy said he didn’t know what Brown or his wife did for a living.
2000 assault case in Md.
Criminal records show Brown was charged with second-degree assault in 2000 in Maryland, was found guilty and received a suspended jail sentence. Records also show he was charged in South Carolina in 1990 with forgery, burglary and pointing a weapon, but he was not prosecuted.
“It doesn’t fit the Joseph Green Brown that I know,” said Tampa attorney Michael Shea, who defended Brown on the Florida murder charge and is convinced of his innocence there. The two appeared together on television shows and spoke at law schools.
“He was a very nice guy, very calm, collected,” Shea said. “… When he got out, you would never have known that he had been in prison.”
Shea said he heard from Brown every Christmas after his release from prison. Brown met his wife in Washington, he said, and the couple retired to North Carolina.
They had some financial problems, he said, and Brown once called to ask for part of the royalties from a book on the Florida case that Shea wrote.
Anyone with information about Mamie Brown’s death is asked to call detectives at 704-432-TIPS, or leave information with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Monterey, CA: Monterey professor arrested in ex-wife's death
A distinguished Naval Postgraduate School professor and internationally recognized financial expert has been arrested in connection with the death of his ex-wife, whose body was found south of Gilroy last week.
Lawrence R. Jones, 69, the area chairman at NPS for Financial Management, was arrested late Thursday in Los Angeles after San Benito County Sheriff's investigators conducted a search of his home on Spray Avenue in Monterey.
The search followed the identification of the body of Norife Herrera Jones, 29, the professor's wife of about five years. The couple divorced recently, Monterey police Lt. Leslie Sonne said.
San Benito County Sheriff's investigators had been trying to identify the dead woman found Sept. 7 on Cannon Drive off Highway 101 south of Gilroy. Once identification was made, investigators issued orders to search Jones' home.
"Our investigation led to Monterey," Sheriff's Sgt. Tony Lamonica said. "Once we searched the scene, there was enough evidence to determine a homicide had occurred here."
An autopsy of Herrera Jones has been conducted, but investigators would not discuss its results or how they believe she died.
Jones is being held as the "primary suspect," Lamonica said. A team of investigators were en route to question him and bring him back to Monterey, Lamonica said.
Law enforcement officers have not determined if Jones was trying to flee.
The multi-agency search of the Spray Avenue home that included members of the San Benito County Sheriff's Office, the Monterey Police Department and the FBI began late Thursday. Neighbors said they saw a handful of police cars and about two dozen law enforcement officers canvass Jones' home. The FBI became involved in the case at the request of the San Benito County Sheriff's Office in its attempt to identify Herrera Jones' body.
A team of about 20 investigators returned Friday to the Spray Avenue house. Clad with white lab suits and blue gloves, they began gathering evidence in the garage of the two-story cream color home at 1 p.m. and continued into the early evening.
As investigators unloaded equipment, put on their lab suits and set up a blue tent, neighbors gathered in nearby homes, wondering what could have happened.
Larry Jones has lived on Spray Avenue since 1987, when he began teaching at NPS, according to public records. He mostly kept to himself, neighbors said, but his presence was hard to miss.
Next-door neighbor Sat Kirtan Khalsa said Jones remarried about five years ago.
The change in the professor was noticeable, Khalsa said. The previously reserved Jones began extolling the virtues of his wife, telling everyone how happy he was.
"He raved on and on about how great everything was going," she said. "He was a quiet person so it was unusual. It's about the only thing he shared with us over the years."
Jones told his neighbors he was in the import/export business. The story coincided with his frequent absences.
In reality, Jones is an internationally recognized financial management expert who worked as a visiting consultant for the Asian Development Bank, as a visiting scholar at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and the University of Siena in Italy.
His curriculum vitae on the NPS website lists his research interests in public management reform, change, budgeting; in national defense policy, and business-government relations and government regulatory policy.
NPS spokesperson Alan Richmond referred questions to the San Benito Sheriff's Office and said he would have no comments.
Retired NPS professor Jerry McCaffrey, who co-authored articles with Jones, said he knew little about his home life. McCaffrey retired to Green Bay five years ago, so he's had little news from his former colleague since then.
"Professor Jones is very distinguished at NPS," he said. "This is too bad. This saddens all of us."
Although Jones communicated little with neighbors, they were privy to some of his emotional outbursts.
One night more than a year ago, Khalsa was awakened by the sound of Jones' Lexus ramming into a truck parked on the street. The truck had been pushed into Khalsa's driveway, and the police arrived shortly afterward.
"They thought it was my truck," she said. "They took him away in handcuffs."
Records show Jones was arrested on April 11, 2011 by Monterey Police. Lt. Sonne; declined to speak about Jones' encounters with her department.
The last time neighbors remember seeing Jones was Monday, when he appeared to be putting out the garbage but was going in and out of the house, seemingly confused. Neighbors didn't know he had already divorced Herrera Jones, and they had not seen her for a while.
"I'm in shock," Khalsa said. "I don't like to think of things like that, but they do happen. Two people I knew, one is dead and the other one in jail. It's awful."
Lawrence R. Jones, 69, the area chairman at NPS for Financial Management, was arrested late Thursday in Los Angeles after San Benito County Sheriff's investigators conducted a search of his home on Spray Avenue in Monterey.
The search followed the identification of the body of Norife Herrera Jones, 29, the professor's wife of about five years. The couple divorced recently, Monterey police Lt. Leslie Sonne said.
San Benito County Sheriff's investigators had been trying to identify the dead woman found Sept. 7 on Cannon Drive off Highway 101 south of Gilroy. Once identification was made, investigators issued orders to search Jones' home.
"Our investigation led to Monterey," Sheriff's Sgt. Tony Lamonica said. "Once we searched the scene, there was enough evidence to determine a homicide had occurred here."
An autopsy of Herrera Jones has been conducted, but investigators would not discuss its results or how they believe she died.
Jones is being held as the "primary suspect," Lamonica said. A team of investigators were en route to question him and bring him back to Monterey, Lamonica said.
Law enforcement officers have not determined if Jones was trying to flee.
The multi-agency search of the Spray Avenue home that included members of the San Benito County Sheriff's Office, the Monterey Police Department and the FBI began late Thursday. Neighbors said they saw a handful of police cars and about two dozen law enforcement officers canvass Jones' home. The FBI became involved in the case at the request of the San Benito County Sheriff's Office in its attempt to identify Herrera Jones' body.
A team of about 20 investigators returned Friday to the Spray Avenue house. Clad with white lab suits and blue gloves, they began gathering evidence in the garage of the two-story cream color home at 1 p.m. and continued into the early evening.
As investigators unloaded equipment, put on their lab suits and set up a blue tent, neighbors gathered in nearby homes, wondering what could have happened.
Larry Jones has lived on Spray Avenue since 1987, when he began teaching at NPS, according to public records. He mostly kept to himself, neighbors said, but his presence was hard to miss.
Next-door neighbor Sat Kirtan Khalsa said Jones remarried about five years ago.
The change in the professor was noticeable, Khalsa said. The previously reserved Jones began extolling the virtues of his wife, telling everyone how happy he was.
"He raved on and on about how great everything was going," she said. "He was a quiet person so it was unusual. It's about the only thing he shared with us over the years."
Jones told his neighbors he was in the import/export business. The story coincided with his frequent absences.
In reality, Jones is an internationally recognized financial management expert who worked as a visiting consultant for the Asian Development Bank, as a visiting scholar at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and the University of Siena in Italy.
His curriculum vitae on the NPS website lists his research interests in public management reform, change, budgeting; in national defense policy, and business-government relations and government regulatory policy.
NPS spokesperson Alan Richmond referred questions to the San Benito Sheriff's Office and said he would have no comments.
Retired NPS professor Jerry McCaffrey, who co-authored articles with Jones, said he knew little about his home life. McCaffrey retired to Green Bay five years ago, so he's had little news from his former colleague since then.
"Professor Jones is very distinguished at NPS," he said. "This is too bad. This saddens all of us."
Although Jones communicated little with neighbors, they were privy to some of his emotional outbursts.
One night more than a year ago, Khalsa was awakened by the sound of Jones' Lexus ramming into a truck parked on the street. The truck had been pushed into Khalsa's driveway, and the police arrived shortly afterward.
"They thought it was my truck," she said. "They took him away in handcuffs."
Records show Jones was arrested on April 11, 2011 by Monterey Police. Lt. Sonne; declined to speak about Jones' encounters with her department.
The last time neighbors remember seeing Jones was Monday, when he appeared to be putting out the garbage but was going in and out of the house, seemingly confused. Neighbors didn't know he had already divorced Herrera Jones, and they had not seen her for a while.
"I'm in shock," Khalsa said. "I don't like to think of things like that, but they do happen. Two people I knew, one is dead and the other one in jail. It's awful."
Valrico, FL: Valrico man charged with murder after claiming wife committed suicide
VALRICO, Fla.- A Valrico man who called 9-1-1 at first claiming his wife committed suicide, six months later is now charged with murder in the death of his 38-year-old wife.
Emergency crews were called to the home on Pearson Road March 18th after Colin Maloney reported his 38-year-old wife Felicia was unresponsive. Paramedics and Sheriff's investigators arrived finding an electrical cord which Mr. Maloney said his wife used to hang herself from the bedpost.
The Sheriff's office says at the time, Maloney changed his story several times. Paramedics also noted marks on Felicia's neck that were later determined not to be consistent with a hanging.
The Medical Examiner's office has since ruled the death a homicide, detectives obtaining an arrest warrant for Maloney. He was arrested Friday at the Valrico Cracker Barrel without incident charged with second degree murder.
"It was just relief. We've been waiting for this," said Felicia Maloney's brother, Chris Biddles. "It's been killing us knowing this is going on day to day, knowing he is still doing his thing."
Biddles says his sister's husband grew increasingly erratic after Felicia's death. He also claims Maloney was addicted to opiates and had a history of problems with his sister.
"He went to a music festival a couple days after the death. It didn't make sense. He wasn't grieving by any means."
Felicia's brother isn't the only one relieved over news of the arrest.
"I said thank God it's over," Kimberly Burke told her husband after learning Colin was behind bars.
The Burke's say their neighbor randomly invaded their home, kicking in their door one night, then driving his car into the front of their house the next.
"He goes 'I'm the devil. I'm here to take you with me,'" recalls Mr. Burke.
Maloney spent three days in jail and was set to stand trail following the alleged attack on his neighbors. Those charges will likely now take a back seat to his new murder charges.
The Burkes say they do not mind one bit. They believe justice for Felicia is more important.
"Justice you know. She doesn't have a word no more," said Mr. Burke.
As for Felicia's brother, he is encouraged friends and family will finally know the truth.
"I want people to know she loved life, she loved her child... and that she didn't commit suicide."
Emergency crews were called to the home on Pearson Road March 18th after Colin Maloney reported his 38-year-old wife Felicia was unresponsive. Paramedics and Sheriff's investigators arrived finding an electrical cord which Mr. Maloney said his wife used to hang herself from the bedpost.
The Sheriff's office says at the time, Maloney changed his story several times. Paramedics also noted marks on Felicia's neck that were later determined not to be consistent with a hanging.
The Medical Examiner's office has since ruled the death a homicide, detectives obtaining an arrest warrant for Maloney. He was arrested Friday at the Valrico Cracker Barrel without incident charged with second degree murder.
"It was just relief. We've been waiting for this," said Felicia Maloney's brother, Chris Biddles. "It's been killing us knowing this is going on day to day, knowing he is still doing his thing."
Biddles says his sister's husband grew increasingly erratic after Felicia's death. He also claims Maloney was addicted to opiates and had a history of problems with his sister.
"He went to a music festival a couple days after the death. It didn't make sense. He wasn't grieving by any means."
Felicia's brother isn't the only one relieved over news of the arrest.
"I said thank God it's over," Kimberly Burke told her husband after learning Colin was behind bars.
The Burke's say their neighbor randomly invaded their home, kicking in their door one night, then driving his car into the front of their house the next.
"He goes 'I'm the devil. I'm here to take you with me,'" recalls Mr. Burke.
Maloney spent three days in jail and was set to stand trail following the alleged attack on his neighbors. Those charges will likely now take a back seat to his new murder charges.
The Burkes say they do not mind one bit. They believe justice for Felicia is more important.
"Justice you know. She doesn't have a word no more," said Mr. Burke.
As for Felicia's brother, he is encouraged friends and family will finally know the truth.
"I want people to know she loved life, she loved her child... and that she didn't commit suicide."
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
New Castle, DE: Police: Delaware man, 24, murdered his girlfriend
NEW CASTLE, Del. - September 12, 2012 (WPVI) -- Police have arrested a New Castle man for the murder of his girlfriend.
Wade Smith, 24, is charged with first degree murder and weapons offenses.
New Castle County Police say Smith shot and killed Ashleigh Close, sometime before 12:30 a.m. Monday at the Pine Valley Apartment complex on South DuPont Highway in New Castle.
Police say Smith, a convicted felon, was not allowed to have or use firearms of any kind.
He is being held without bail at the Howard Young Correctional Institute in Wilmington.
Wade Smith, 24, is charged with first degree murder and weapons offenses.
New Castle County Police say Smith shot and killed Ashleigh Close, sometime before 12:30 a.m. Monday at the Pine Valley Apartment complex on South DuPont Highway in New Castle.
Police say Smith, a convicted felon, was not allowed to have or use firearms of any kind.
He is being held without bail at the Howard Young Correctional Institute in Wilmington.
Orangeburg, SC: Deputies: Man killed girlfriend, hid body under pile of trash
ORANGEBURG, SC (WIS) - An Orangeburg man has been arrested and charged with killing his girlfriend several months ago.
Officials say 26-year-old Carlos Kemp has been charged with murder in the beating death of 28-year-old Ebony Renne Bryant in May.
Bryant's body was found last week under a pile of trash.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said officers had been contacted in late June by Bryant's father, who said he had not heard from his daughter in more than a month.
Ravenell says officers questioned Kemp then and says Kemp provided information about Bryant that was later determined to be false.
According to an arrest warrant, Kemp admitted to killing Bryant.
Investigators said the domestic dispute started over money.
Erwin Davis lives at the Alva Street address where Bryant's body was found.
"Friday afternoon, I was sitting on my porch and all of a sudden I see cops coming from everywhere," Davis said. "Scared the the heck out me."
Kemp appeared before a magistrate Tuesday who advised him on his rights. It was not clear if he has an attorney.
Officials say 26-year-old Carlos Kemp has been charged with murder in the beating death of 28-year-old Ebony Renne Bryant in May.
Bryant's body was found last week under a pile of trash.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said officers had been contacted in late June by Bryant's father, who said he had not heard from his daughter in more than a month.
Ravenell says officers questioned Kemp then and says Kemp provided information about Bryant that was later determined to be false.
According to an arrest warrant, Kemp admitted to killing Bryant.
Investigators said the domestic dispute started over money.
Erwin Davis lives at the Alva Street address where Bryant's body was found.
"Friday afternoon, I was sitting on my porch and all of a sudden I see cops coming from everywhere," Davis said. "Scared the the heck out me."
Kemp appeared before a magistrate Tuesday who advised him on his rights. It was not clear if he has an attorney.
Fort Lauderdale, FL: Fort Lauderdale man charged with wife's murder
A Fort Lauderdale man confessed to a friend that he stabbed his wife to death, police said.
Alberto Ramos, 49, was ordered held without bond in Broward County jail during his first appearance court hearing on Wednesday.
Ramos is charged with the first-degree murder of his spouse, Danitza Gomez Reyes.
Ramos allegedly killed his wife in their home in the 600 block of Antioch Avenue, according to a police report. Afterward, he took "30 to 40 pills" and, police believe, self-inflicted superficial cuts on his forearms.
About 9 a.m. Tuesday, Ramos called his friend, Jorge Rodriguez, and told him that he had killed his wife the night before during a struggle, police said.
Ramos repeatedly told his friend: "I have killed my wife," according to the police report.
Rodriguez called police to report the murder and Ramos offered police a non-existent address. After getting a description of the building from Rodriguez, police found the scene of the crime and saw a bloodied Ramos walk out of his apartment, the report said.
At that point, Ramos was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher reporting that he had killed Reyes, police said.
Detectives discovered Reyes face down inside the apartment's rear bedroom with a pool of blood around her head. Several knives were also found near her body, police said.
The police report contained no indication of a motive for the killing.
Ramos was ordered held without bond in Broward County jail during his first appearance court hearing Wednesday.
Alberto Ramos, 49, was ordered held without bond in Broward County jail during his first appearance court hearing on Wednesday.
Ramos is charged with the first-degree murder of his spouse, Danitza Gomez Reyes.
Ramos allegedly killed his wife in their home in the 600 block of Antioch Avenue, according to a police report. Afterward, he took "30 to 40 pills" and, police believe, self-inflicted superficial cuts on his forearms.
About 9 a.m. Tuesday, Ramos called his friend, Jorge Rodriguez, and told him that he had killed his wife the night before during a struggle, police said.
Ramos repeatedly told his friend: "I have killed my wife," according to the police report.
Rodriguez called police to report the murder and Ramos offered police a non-existent address. After getting a description of the building from Rodriguez, police found the scene of the crime and saw a bloodied Ramos walk out of his apartment, the report said.
At that point, Ramos was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher reporting that he had killed Reyes, police said.
Detectives discovered Reyes face down inside the apartment's rear bedroom with a pool of blood around her head. Several knives were also found near her body, police said.
The police report contained no indication of a motive for the killing.
Ramos was ordered held without bond in Broward County jail during his first appearance court hearing Wednesday.
Austin, TX: Wife accused of torching husband that died from burns
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A 29-year-old Austin man whom police say was set on fire by his wife last April has died of his burns.
The Bexar County medical examiner's office has ruled Bimal Patel's death at San Antonio Military Medical Center on Saturday a homicide. He had been in the hospital's burn unit since April 17, when Austin police responding to a reported domestic disturbance found him severely burned on his apartment floor.
His 25-year-old wife, Shriya Biman Patel, has remained in Travis County Jail in Austin on arson and aggravated assault counts since. Bond remains $1 million with a charge upgrade expected.
Investigators had said the woman lured her husband into a bathtub with the promise of a massage. Instead, they say she poured gasoline on him and set him afire.
The Bexar County medical examiner's office has ruled Bimal Patel's death at San Antonio Military Medical Center on Saturday a homicide. He had been in the hospital's burn unit since April 17, when Austin police responding to a reported domestic disturbance found him severely burned on his apartment floor.
His 25-year-old wife, Shriya Biman Patel, has remained in Travis County Jail in Austin on arson and aggravated assault counts since. Bond remains $1 million with a charge upgrade expected.
Investigators had said the woman lured her husband into a bathtub with the promise of a massage. Instead, they say she poured gasoline on him and set him afire.
Memphis, TN: Frayser woman on trial for 2010 shooting death of husband
When Memphis police arrived at the small one-story home on Balfour in Frayser two years ago, Robert Houston was dead from five gunshot wounds and his body was wrapped in a blue blanket on the kitchen floor.
His wife Angela, now on trial for first-degree murder, said she shot him in self-defense when his drinking, threats and abuse had finally gone too far.
"In the beginning, the marriage was peachy and rosy, but as it progressed she was in a reign of terror living with Robert Houston," defense attorney Arthur Horne told a Criminal Court jury Tuesday. "This man gave her no choice. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to go because he locked them in the house and he had the keys. He'd say to her and her kids, 'I've just got to kill all of y'all.'"
State prosecutor Carla Taylor told jurors, however, that Angela Houston told her husband's sister two weeks earlier that she was going to kill Robert Houston because she was "tired of him messing around" with other women.
"Despite his shortcomings, there were many who loved Robert Houston," Taylor said in her opening statement. "Angela Houston did not have to kill him."
The shooting occurred the evening of April 7, 2010, at their home at 4009 Balfour, where the couple lived with three of her four children by a previous marriage, including two young boys and a teenaged daughter.
Angela Houston, now 45, told police she shot her 51-year-old husband during an altercation and that she feared he was reaching for a gun.
After the shooting, she left the house with her children, took them to a motel and returned to the house several hours later with a friend, Robert Wesson, to see if her husband was dead or alive.
Wesson told the jury he was nervous about going into the house, knowing of Houston's temper and weight-lifter physique.
"I said 'Leave the door open in case he's playing possum,'" he testified, adding that he peeked into the bedroom and saw Houston lying on the bed at an odd angle. "I saw him and I thought he might be drunk. I touched his lower leg and it was cold, but I thought it could just be cold feet. Then I looked at his face and could see he was dead."
Wesson said Houston was wearing white socks, black jeans and a white tank top undershirt, a garment he referred to several times as "a wife beater." Houston had been arrested at least twice on domestic violence charges.
He said Angela Houston convinced him to help her drag the body off the bed, down the hallway and into the kitchen.
"She was like 'What I ... what I ... what I need to do?'" Wesson continued, adding that at one point she wet her pants from nervousness and had to change clothes. "She was just shaking. She was thinking of putting the body in the Camaro, but I said 'He's stiff as a board. He'd never fit.' I told her to call police."
Her family members eventually called police and Angela Houston gave a statement of admission, saying she shot her husband "to keep him back off us because I was afraid of him killing me and my kids like he said he gonna do."
The trial before Judge James Lammey resumes Wednesday.
Angela Houston is free on $150,000 bond. She faces life in prison if convicted as charged.
His wife Angela, now on trial for first-degree murder, said she shot him in self-defense when his drinking, threats and abuse had finally gone too far.
"In the beginning, the marriage was peachy and rosy, but as it progressed she was in a reign of terror living with Robert Houston," defense attorney Arthur Horne told a Criminal Court jury Tuesday. "This man gave her no choice. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to go because he locked them in the house and he had the keys. He'd say to her and her kids, 'I've just got to kill all of y'all.'"
State prosecutor Carla Taylor told jurors, however, that Angela Houston told her husband's sister two weeks earlier that she was going to kill Robert Houston because she was "tired of him messing around" with other women.
"Despite his shortcomings, there were many who loved Robert Houston," Taylor said in her opening statement. "Angela Houston did not have to kill him."
The shooting occurred the evening of April 7, 2010, at their home at 4009 Balfour, where the couple lived with three of her four children by a previous marriage, including two young boys and a teenaged daughter.
Angela Houston, now 45, told police she shot her 51-year-old husband during an altercation and that she feared he was reaching for a gun.
After the shooting, she left the house with her children, took them to a motel and returned to the house several hours later with a friend, Robert Wesson, to see if her husband was dead or alive.
Wesson told the jury he was nervous about going into the house, knowing of Houston's temper and weight-lifter physique.
"I said 'Leave the door open in case he's playing possum,'" he testified, adding that he peeked into the bedroom and saw Houston lying on the bed at an odd angle. "I saw him and I thought he might be drunk. I touched his lower leg and it was cold, but I thought it could just be cold feet. Then I looked at his face and could see he was dead."
Wesson said Houston was wearing white socks, black jeans and a white tank top undershirt, a garment he referred to several times as "a wife beater." Houston had been arrested at least twice on domestic violence charges.
He said Angela Houston convinced him to help her drag the body off the bed, down the hallway and into the kitchen.
"She was like 'What I ... what I ... what I need to do?'" Wesson continued, adding that at one point she wet her pants from nervousness and had to change clothes. "She was just shaking. She was thinking of putting the body in the Camaro, but I said 'He's stiff as a board. He'd never fit.' I told her to call police."
Her family members eventually called police and Angela Houston gave a statement of admission, saying she shot her husband "to keep him back off us because I was afraid of him killing me and my kids like he said he gonna do."
The trial before Judge James Lammey resumes Wednesday.
Angela Houston is free on $150,000 bond. She faces life in prison if convicted as charged.
Gate City, VA: Scott woman faces additional charges in husband's death
GATE CITY — A Southwest Virginia woman was indicted by a Scott County grand jury Tuesday on multiple felony counts for allegedly shooting her husband earlier this year and leaving his dead body in their home for several weeks.
Melissa Justice Napier, 40, Possum Creek Road, was indicted on four charges — first-degree murder, concealment of a dead body, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and attempting to defile a dead body — that stem from the March killing of Billy Ray Napier, 74.
Melissa Napier had previously been arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and defiling a human body.
Scott County Commonwealth's Attorney Marcus McClung said his office decided to bring additional charges before the grand jury as the result of the ongoing investigation of the case.
"Oftentimes, if you feel that someone is a threat to society, you want to bring charges immediately. And you're dealing with everything that's going on -- the investigation is still ongoing -- so it's not unusual after you've gathered all the evidence for the charges to increase," McClung said. "So after another evaluation of the case, we felt these charges were warranted, so we brought them.
"We were hopeful the true bill would be returned, and it was, so now we're just ready to get on with the case."
McClung said Melissa Napier would have a hearing date scheduled in Scott County Circuit Court in the coming days.
Melissa Napier's 14-year-old daughter, whose name has not been released by authorities, has also been charged with first-degree murder stemming from her father's death. Scott County prosecutors said last week they will try the girl as an adult. A preliminary hearing for the juvenile is set for Nov. 19.
Melissa Napier is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield, while her daughter is in custody at the Highlands Juvenile Correctional Facility in Bristol, Va.
The indictment against Melissa Napier came after her charges were bounded over to the grand jury during an appearance last month in Scott County General District Court.
Prosecutors presented evidence at that hearing alleging that Billy Ray Napier was shot in the head on March 20 in the bedroom of the couple's Possum Creek Road home. His remains were discovered by authorities nearly three weeks later.
Prosecutors also accused Melissa Napier of telling family members her husband had been killed in an automobile accident that occurred in Michigan.
Melissa Napier has been in custody since turning herself in to authorities on April 13.
Her husband's body was discovered the day before following a missing person complaint that was filed by a concerned relative.
Authorities searched the couple's home and found Billy Ray Napier's decomposing body lying on a bed in the residence.
An autopsy determined he died from gunshot wounds to the back of the head.
Authorities also found several holes dug in the back yard, as well as hay bales and gasoline in the kitchen of the home, while conducting their search.
Melissa Justice Napier, 40, Possum Creek Road, was indicted on four charges — first-degree murder, concealment of a dead body, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and attempting to defile a dead body — that stem from the March killing of Billy Ray Napier, 74.
Melissa Napier had previously been arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and defiling a human body.
Scott County Commonwealth's Attorney Marcus McClung said his office decided to bring additional charges before the grand jury as the result of the ongoing investigation of the case.
"Oftentimes, if you feel that someone is a threat to society, you want to bring charges immediately. And you're dealing with everything that's going on -- the investigation is still ongoing -- so it's not unusual after you've gathered all the evidence for the charges to increase," McClung said. "So after another evaluation of the case, we felt these charges were warranted, so we brought them.
"We were hopeful the true bill would be returned, and it was, so now we're just ready to get on with the case."
McClung said Melissa Napier would have a hearing date scheduled in Scott County Circuit Court in the coming days.
Melissa Napier's 14-year-old daughter, whose name has not been released by authorities, has also been charged with first-degree murder stemming from her father's death. Scott County prosecutors said last week they will try the girl as an adult. A preliminary hearing for the juvenile is set for Nov. 19.
Melissa Napier is being held without bond at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield, while her daughter is in custody at the Highlands Juvenile Correctional Facility in Bristol, Va.
The indictment against Melissa Napier came after her charges were bounded over to the grand jury during an appearance last month in Scott County General District Court.
Prosecutors presented evidence at that hearing alleging that Billy Ray Napier was shot in the head on March 20 in the bedroom of the couple's Possum Creek Road home. His remains were discovered by authorities nearly three weeks later.
Prosecutors also accused Melissa Napier of telling family members her husband had been killed in an automobile accident that occurred in Michigan.
Melissa Napier has been in custody since turning herself in to authorities on April 13.
Her husband's body was discovered the day before following a missing person complaint that was filed by a concerned relative.
Authorities searched the couple's home and found Billy Ray Napier's decomposing body lying on a bed in the residence.
An autopsy determined he died from gunshot wounds to the back of the head.
Authorities also found several holes dug in the back yard, as well as hay bales and gasoline in the kitchen of the home, while conducting their search.
Warren, AR: Regional library director, wife found dead of an apparent murder-suicide
The director of the Southeast Arkansas Regional Library and his wife were found dead in their Warren home Tuesday morning, apparently from a murder-suicide.
The bodies of Kim Patterson, 64, and his wife, Sandra, 52, were found in a sitting room off the main bedroom of their home at 316 East Cedar Street, according to Lt. Shaun Hildreth, a criminal investigator with the Warren Police Department. Mrs. Patterson had suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper torso and Mr. Patterson had sustained a gunshot wound to the head, Hildreth stated. He confirmed that a gun was found on the scene, but declined to specify what kind.
Hildreth said that an acquaintance of the couple, who found it unusual that she had not heard from Mr. Patterson Tuesday morning and could not reach him, contacted police and asked them to check on the couple. All of the couple's vehicles were parked at the residence.
When police arrived at 9:20 a.m., Hildreth said, they found the door unlocked and lights on inside the residence. They entered around and discovered the bodies.
At this time, Hildreth told the Advance, police believe Mr. Patterson shot his wife then turned the gun on himself. The investigation is continuing, he said, and the bodies have been taken to the state crime lab in Little Rock.
As regional library director, Patterson was a leader in the campaign to pass a half-cent sales tax to construct a new library at the intersection of Jefferson and Main streets. Bids are set to be opened on the building next month.
The regional library board has set an emergency meeting for 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, Sept. 12).
Sioux Falls, SD: SD salon manager dies trying to protect employee
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Worried about an escalating conflict, Amanda Connors drove up to the door of the hair salon she managed and confronted her employee's boyfriend, who had just kidnapped his two kids after being hit with a protection order and domestic violence arrest.
The heroic decision cost Connors her life, but the mother's was spared.
Police said Connors was leaving the Sioux Falls salon Tuesday afternoon when she saw Tyrone Leeon Smith, 38, with the kids in the parking lot. She phoned the store from her car to warn her employees, including Smith's girlfriend, then pulled her car up. Smith exchanged words with Connors as he stood in the Cost Cutters doorway before fatally shooting Connors in the head.
As her red sedan accelerated into a parked SUV, Smith ducked inside, fired another shot and then zip-tied his girlfriend and her three co-workers.
A half hour later, Smith let the employees go and put a bullet in his head, police said.
"I personally don't think his intent was to go to that scene and to kill Amanda," said Sioux Falls police Chief Doug Barthels. "It was unfortunate that it happened the way it did.
"Frankly, I kind of see her as a hero."
The escalation between Smith and his live-in girlfriend began Sunday evening when Smith was arrested on a domestic assault charge. He walked out of jail Monday after pleading not guilty. Heidi Weber was granted a temporary protection order barring Smith from coming within 500 feet of her, their 7-week-old son, their 17-month daughter, her 9-year-old daughter and their home.
Smith's third ex-wife, Delana Austin of Madison, said Wednesday that she had tried to warn Smith's girlfriend, police, prosecutors and judges about him.
"There's no reason she needed to die," Austin said of Connors. "I've been warning them. I've been trying to tell people. I've been doing it since I've been blue in the face and no one would listen."
Weber in her petition said Smith became angry when he found out she had gone through the phone bill. She said he pushed her onto the bed and put his hands around her neck. Smith's 17-year-old son and the teen's mother, Smith's first wife, filed a second petition saying the teen tried to grab his dad during the confrontation and was threatened.
The incident at Cost Cutters was the first contact between Smith and Weber since the altercation, said Sioux Falls police Capt. Greg VandeKamp. Everything that could have been legally done to protect Weber and the kids was done, he said, noting a protection order simply orders no contact.
"It is a piece of paper," VandeKamp said. "It is an order, and just like a posted speed limit, not everyone is going to obey it."
Just before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Smith barged into the baby sitter's house, grabbed the kids, zip-tied the woman to a chair and removed her cellphone's battery. Four minutes later, police received a call about an accident in the salon parking lot. When officers arrived, they found the crashed car and bystanders attending to the bleeding woman. Smith went back inside, locked the doors and fired a shot that went through a wall and grazed an employee's leg. She was not injured, VandeKamp said.
No customers were in the store, but Smith tied up the employees and made it clear he planned to hurt himself. Within a half hour, Weber persuaded Smith to let everyone go. As the employees left, they heard a single gunshot, VandeKamp said.
A SWAT team surrounded the salon and closed off three blocks on Sioux Falls' busiest street. Just before 4 p.m., officers stormed in and found Smith's body.
Cost Cutters remained closed Wednesday. Outside was a makeshift memorial that included candles, teddy bears, flowers, handwritten notes and a pair of black heels with balloons attached.
"It's kind of scary. I never thought anything like this would happen here," 33-year-old Lindsey Iron Road, who stopped to take a picture.
Austin said she had tried to warn Weber before Weber left Smith.
"I just told her, 'For safety you don't go back to him. Don't tell him. Don't do anything. Just don't go there,'" she said.
Minnehaha County court records show Austin filed protection orders requests in 2009 and 2010. Both were dismissed at her request. Records also show numerous protection order petitions filed by Smith against Austin, her family members and a friend of hers.
Austin left Smith in September 2010 and went back to her hometown in Indiana. She says Smith filed a protection order falsely accusing her of threatening to kill herself and their daughter.
"He's a chameleon," Austin said. "He could change his persona to meet whoever the judge was to make them feel like he was the victim.
Connors' killing was the second homicide this year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city, Barthels said.
The heroic decision cost Connors her life, but the mother's was spared.
Police said Connors was leaving the Sioux Falls salon Tuesday afternoon when she saw Tyrone Leeon Smith, 38, with the kids in the parking lot. She phoned the store from her car to warn her employees, including Smith's girlfriend, then pulled her car up. Smith exchanged words with Connors as he stood in the Cost Cutters doorway before fatally shooting Connors in the head.
As her red sedan accelerated into a parked SUV, Smith ducked inside, fired another shot and then zip-tied his girlfriend and her three co-workers.
A half hour later, Smith let the employees go and put a bullet in his head, police said.
"I personally don't think his intent was to go to that scene and to kill Amanda," said Sioux Falls police Chief Doug Barthels. "It was unfortunate that it happened the way it did.
"Frankly, I kind of see her as a hero."
The escalation between Smith and his live-in girlfriend began Sunday evening when Smith was arrested on a domestic assault charge. He walked out of jail Monday after pleading not guilty. Heidi Weber was granted a temporary protection order barring Smith from coming within 500 feet of her, their 7-week-old son, their 17-month daughter, her 9-year-old daughter and their home.
Smith's third ex-wife, Delana Austin of Madison, said Wednesday that she had tried to warn Smith's girlfriend, police, prosecutors and judges about him.
"There's no reason she needed to die," Austin said of Connors. "I've been warning them. I've been trying to tell people. I've been doing it since I've been blue in the face and no one would listen."
Weber in her petition said Smith became angry when he found out she had gone through the phone bill. She said he pushed her onto the bed and put his hands around her neck. Smith's 17-year-old son and the teen's mother, Smith's first wife, filed a second petition saying the teen tried to grab his dad during the confrontation and was threatened.
The incident at Cost Cutters was the first contact between Smith and Weber since the altercation, said Sioux Falls police Capt. Greg VandeKamp. Everything that could have been legally done to protect Weber and the kids was done, he said, noting a protection order simply orders no contact.
"It is a piece of paper," VandeKamp said. "It is an order, and just like a posted speed limit, not everyone is going to obey it."
Just before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Smith barged into the baby sitter's house, grabbed the kids, zip-tied the woman to a chair and removed her cellphone's battery. Four minutes later, police received a call about an accident in the salon parking lot. When officers arrived, they found the crashed car and bystanders attending to the bleeding woman. Smith went back inside, locked the doors and fired a shot that went through a wall and grazed an employee's leg. She was not injured, VandeKamp said.
No customers were in the store, but Smith tied up the employees and made it clear he planned to hurt himself. Within a half hour, Weber persuaded Smith to let everyone go. As the employees left, they heard a single gunshot, VandeKamp said.
A SWAT team surrounded the salon and closed off three blocks on Sioux Falls' busiest street. Just before 4 p.m., officers stormed in and found Smith's body.
Cost Cutters remained closed Wednesday. Outside was a makeshift memorial that included candles, teddy bears, flowers, handwritten notes and a pair of black heels with balloons attached.
"It's kind of scary. I never thought anything like this would happen here," 33-year-old Lindsey Iron Road, who stopped to take a picture.
Austin said she had tried to warn Weber before Weber left Smith.
"I just told her, 'For safety you don't go back to him. Don't tell him. Don't do anything. Just don't go there,'" she said.
Minnehaha County court records show Austin filed protection orders requests in 2009 and 2010. Both were dismissed at her request. Records also show numerous protection order petitions filed by Smith against Austin, her family members and a friend of hers.
Austin left Smith in September 2010 and went back to her hometown in Indiana. She says Smith filed a protection order falsely accusing her of threatening to kill herself and their daughter.
"He's a chameleon," Austin said. "He could change his persona to meet whoever the judge was to make them feel like he was the victim.
Connors' killing was the second homicide this year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city, Barthels said.
Honea Path, SC: Honea Path couple die in murder-suicide, the coroner said
The deaths of an elderly Honea Path couple has been ruled a murder-suicide, the coroner said Friday.
A granddaughter of Robert and Bertha Beasley, both in their 80s, found them in their home, at 127 Eastview St., Thursday about 2:15 p.m., Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said.
She ran to a neighbor’s home, and authorities were notified, he said.
Found in their bedroom, Beasley is believed to have shot his wife in the head and then turned the gun himself either late Wednesday or early Thursday, Shore said.
He said that “a limited autopsy” will be conducted today at 10:30 a.m.
The Pruitt Funeral Homes in Honea Path is handling the arrangements. Funeral plans were still incomplete early Friday, a spokesman said.
A granddaughter of Robert and Bertha Beasley, both in their 80s, found them in their home, at 127 Eastview St., Thursday about 2:15 p.m., Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said.
She ran to a neighbor’s home, and authorities were notified, he said.
Found in their bedroom, Beasley is believed to have shot his wife in the head and then turned the gun himself either late Wednesday or early Thursday, Shore said.
He said that “a limited autopsy” will be conducted today at 10:30 a.m.
The Pruitt Funeral Homes in Honea Path is handling the arrangements. Funeral plans were still incomplete early Friday, a spokesman said.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Terre Haute, IN: UPDATE:Wife killed in Terre Haute stabbing
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A man called 911 and admitted to killing his wife in a stabbing on Terre Haute's south side, Monday night.
Just before 11:00 p.m., the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from man at 4400 S. 8th St., Terre Haute, which he stated he had just killed his wife with a knife.
Deputies arrived to the scene they were met at the front door of the residence by the homeowner, Robbie Spitler, who immediately surrendered to police without incident.
Inside the residence, Deputies found an unresponsive Shawn Singhurse Spitler, Robbie Spitler's wife.
Shawn had suffered from multiple stab wounds to her chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Vigo County Detectives investigating the case, it didn't appear that Shawn put up any struggle.
Robbie Spitler was arrested and taken to the Vigo County Jail in connection to the murder of Shawn Singhurse Spitler
On Tuesday, Spitler appeared in court, facing one preliminary charge of murder. Spitler is being held without bond.
When asked by Judge David Bolk whether he would like to make a statement, Spitler paused and said only "I killed my wife."
News 10's Joe Astrouski will have more information for you Tuesday night.
News 10 will have more information for you as it becomes available.
Just before 11:00 p.m., the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from man at 4400 S. 8th St., Terre Haute, which he stated he had just killed his wife with a knife.
Deputies arrived to the scene they were met at the front door of the residence by the homeowner, Robbie Spitler, who immediately surrendered to police without incident.
Inside the residence, Deputies found an unresponsive Shawn Singhurse Spitler, Robbie Spitler's wife.
Shawn had suffered from multiple stab wounds to her chest, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Vigo County Detectives investigating the case, it didn't appear that Shawn put up any struggle.
Robbie Spitler was arrested and taken to the Vigo County Jail in connection to the murder of Shawn Singhurse Spitler
On Tuesday, Spitler appeared in court, facing one preliminary charge of murder. Spitler is being held without bond.
When asked by Judge David Bolk whether he would like to make a statement, Spitler paused and said only "I killed my wife."
News 10's Joe Astrouski will have more information for you Tuesday night.
News 10 will have more information for you as it becomes available.
South Hutchinson, KS: South Hutchinson authorities release names in murder-suicide case
South Hutchinson Police have released the names of the husband and wife who were found dead over the weekend in an apparent murder-suicide. South Hutchinson Police Chief Scott Jones said in a news release that at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, officers and Reno County Sheriff's deputies responded to the reports of shots being fired at a home at 229 East Avenue C in South Hutchinson.
When law enforcement arrived, they found the bodies of 42 year-old Paul B. Cooper and 41 year-old Sarah j. Cooper inside. Their deaths have been ruled a murder-suicide.
An investigation discovered that the couple had been arguing into the early morning hours. Chief Jones said Paul Cooper eventually brought out a high-powered rifle and shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.
When law enforcement arrived, they found the bodies of 42 year-old Paul B. Cooper and 41 year-old Sarah j. Cooper inside. Their deaths have been ruled a murder-suicide.
An investigation discovered that the couple had been arguing into the early morning hours. Chief Jones said Paul Cooper eventually brought out a high-powered rifle and shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.
Raleigh, NC: Cameron Village shooting victim sought help for domestic violence
RALEIGH, N.C. --
The Cary mother of three, who police say was shot and killed by her ex-husband at Cameron Village Monday, had been battling with him for the last few years, according to court documents obtained by NBC-17.
Raleigh Police says Kathleen Ann Bertrand, 41, was fatally shot in front of her workplace, Pier 1 Imports, by her ex, Christopher John Bertrand, 42, of Hoover, Ala.
He shot himself to death a few blocks away from the shopping center, shortly after the murder.
The couple's three young children are now in the custody of family members.
Sources told NBC-17's Jonathan Carlson, local authorities have been in contact with ATF agents and others in Alabama, to determine where and when the murder weapon was purchased.
NBC-17 learned Tuesday through property records checks, court documents, and interviews, the couple and their three young children, lived in Knightdale until they divorced.
Christopher Bertrand had worked at a paper company in Raleigh from 2007-09, according to a LinkedIn profile. He then worked as a warehouse manager at Adams Produce in Hoover, Ala., beginning in 2009. That company filed for bankruptcy in May.
Once divorced, Kathleen got the house, but the house went into foreclosure, and she later moved to Cary. Meanwhile, Christopher Bertrand settled in Alabama, where he remained until the shooting.
NBC-17 learned, Kathleen sought help for domestic violence at Interact of Wake County. The same office that was assisting Agata Filipska Vellotti, before the Raleigh mom was shot to death by her estranged husband in the Wakefield area of Raleigh last month.
In court documents, detailing the Bertrand's domestic troubles, Kathleen made it clear she feared for her safety. In 2010, after Kathleen took the children, of Christopher she wrote, "He has said he has nothing to live for if he cant be with his children." She continued, "He told my mom that she would never see him again."
The documents also claim, according to Kathleen Bertrand, not only was there physical assaults, her husband was under a CPS investigation for inappropriate sexual contact with a neighborhood child, and the couple's own children were being evaluated for signs of sexual abuse.
According to online records and interviews, Kathleen worked as a lawyer, before her children were born, and she moved into a position at Pier 1.
The Cary mother of three, who police say was shot and killed by her ex-husband at Cameron Village Monday, had been battling with him for the last few years, according to court documents obtained by NBC-17.
Raleigh Police says Kathleen Ann Bertrand, 41, was fatally shot in front of her workplace, Pier 1 Imports, by her ex, Christopher John Bertrand, 42, of Hoover, Ala.
He shot himself to death a few blocks away from the shopping center, shortly after the murder.
The couple's three young children are now in the custody of family members.
Sources told NBC-17's Jonathan Carlson, local authorities have been in contact with ATF agents and others in Alabama, to determine where and when the murder weapon was purchased.
NBC-17 learned Tuesday through property records checks, court documents, and interviews, the couple and their three young children, lived in Knightdale until they divorced.
Christopher Bertrand had worked at a paper company in Raleigh from 2007-09, according to a LinkedIn profile. He then worked as a warehouse manager at Adams Produce in Hoover, Ala., beginning in 2009. That company filed for bankruptcy in May.
Once divorced, Kathleen got the house, but the house went into foreclosure, and she later moved to Cary. Meanwhile, Christopher Bertrand settled in Alabama, where he remained until the shooting.
NBC-17 learned, Kathleen sought help for domestic violence at Interact of Wake County. The same office that was assisting Agata Filipska Vellotti, before the Raleigh mom was shot to death by her estranged husband in the Wakefield area of Raleigh last month.
In court documents, detailing the Bertrand's domestic troubles, Kathleen made it clear she feared for her safety. In 2010, after Kathleen took the children, of Christopher she wrote, "He has said he has nothing to live for if he cant be with his children." She continued, "He told my mom that she would never see him again."
The documents also claim, according to Kathleen Bertrand, not only was there physical assaults, her husband was under a CPS investigation for inappropriate sexual contact with a neighborhood child, and the couple's own children were being evaluated for signs of sexual abuse.
According to online records and interviews, Kathleen worked as a lawyer, before her children were born, and she moved into a position at Pier 1.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Louisville, KY: Police: Louisville teen fatally stabbed 17-year-old girlfriend
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A teenage boy has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old Saturday night.
Investigators said the two were dating.
Shively police said the 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with one count. His identification is not being released because he is a minor.
The victim has been identified as Darnishia Peoples, 17.
Officers went to the 2200 block of Peaslee Road at about 9:20 p.m. on a report of a stabbing. Police found the victim with stab wounds, and she was taken to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m.
The preliminary report from the medical examiner's office indicated the Peoples died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries to the body.
The suspect's father said his son is innocent.
Investigators said the two were dating.
Shively police said the 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with one count. His identification is not being released because he is a minor.
The victim has been identified as Darnishia Peoples, 17.
Officers went to the 2200 block of Peaslee Road at about 9:20 p.m. on a report of a stabbing. Police found the victim with stab wounds, and she was taken to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:04 p.m.
The preliminary report from the medical examiner's office indicated the Peoples died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries to the body.
The suspect's father said his son is innocent.
Fitchburg, WI: Police: Ex-boyfriend is suspect in fatal stabbing
FITCHBURG, Wis. (AP) — Police say a suspect is still at large in a fatal weekend stabbing in Fitchburg.
Thirty-nine-year-old Willie Taylor was killed and his girlfriend was injured in the attack Saturday at the woman's apartment. Police say a former boyfriend of the woman is the suspect.
The State Journal (http://tinyurl.com/9oh9e2e ) reports the 25-year-old suspect has a violent criminal history. He pleaded guilty in 2008 for his part in the kidnapping and torture of a 20-year-old Spring Green man in rural Cottage Grove.
Thirty-nine-year-old Willie Taylor was killed and his girlfriend was injured in the attack Saturday at the woman's apartment. Police say a former boyfriend of the woman is the suspect.
The State Journal (http://tinyurl.com/9oh9e2e ) reports the 25-year-old suspect has a violent criminal history. He pleaded guilty in 2008 for his part in the kidnapping and torture of a 20-year-old Spring Green man in rural Cottage Grove.
Scottsdale, AZ: Father 'killed young sons, aged five and one, in revenge against his wife who left him because he was sleeping with prostitutes'
An Arizona man who stands accused of murdering his two sons at the height of a bitter divorce battle with his wife will stand trial beginning this week.
Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of Andre Leteve, who is accused of gunning down his two young sons Alec, 5, and Asher, 1, in Scottsdale on March 31, 2010.
Prosecutors are out to prove that Leteve, who was 39 at the time, shot his sons as an act of vengeance against his estranged wife Laurie, with whom he was locked in a bitter divorce battle.
Their marriage reportedly soured after she discovered that he had cheated on her with prostitutes.
A court document obtained by The Arizona Republic read: 'The state claims one of the motives for killing the sons was revenge because Laurie, [his] wife and the children's mother, left him after finding out that [he] had sex with multiple prostitutes.'
The document went on: 'Laurie was dating someone else at the time of the shootings. The other motive stems from the defendant's poor finances at the time of the shooting.'
Leteve reportedly has difficulty speaking after he tried to kill himself.
Cops said that moments after killing his Alec and Asher, Leteve stuck the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger, but the bullet went through his nose and he survived.
n a 911 call made moments after the shootings, Leteve can be heard saying: 'I just shot and killed my sons and shot myself.'
Leteve was taken to a hospital for treatment of his facial injuries, and taken into custody after his release.
KTVK reported that Leteve told detectives that he killed the boys because their mother was preparing to move them with her to Florida.
Relatives told the network that the divorce was not a messy one, and that there were no indications that Leteve would commit such an act.
Defense attorney Greg Parzych told The Republic: 'We don't feel comfortable talking about our theories of the case on the brink of jury selection, other than to say that for the past two years, we have been working diligently and thoroughly to ensure that Mr Leteve gets the best possible trial he can.'
100 witnesses are reportedly expected to testify. Opening statements are slated to begin on October 9.
If convicted, Leteve could face the death penalty.
Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of Andre Leteve, who is accused of gunning down his two young sons Alec, 5, and Asher, 1, in Scottsdale on March 31, 2010.
Prosecutors are out to prove that Leteve, who was 39 at the time, shot his sons as an act of vengeance against his estranged wife Laurie, with whom he was locked in a bitter divorce battle.
Their marriage reportedly soured after she discovered that he had cheated on her with prostitutes.
A court document obtained by The Arizona Republic read: 'The state claims one of the motives for killing the sons was revenge because Laurie, [his] wife and the children's mother, left him after finding out that [he] had sex with multiple prostitutes.'
The document went on: 'Laurie was dating someone else at the time of the shootings. The other motive stems from the defendant's poor finances at the time of the shooting.'
Leteve reportedly has difficulty speaking after he tried to kill himself.
Cops said that moments after killing his Alec and Asher, Leteve stuck the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger, but the bullet went through his nose and he survived.
n a 911 call made moments after the shootings, Leteve can be heard saying: 'I just shot and killed my sons and shot myself.'
Leteve was taken to a hospital for treatment of his facial injuries, and taken into custody after his release.
KTVK reported that Leteve told detectives that he killed the boys because their mother was preparing to move them with her to Florida.
Relatives told the network that the divorce was not a messy one, and that there were no indications that Leteve would commit such an act.
Defense attorney Greg Parzych told The Republic: 'We don't feel comfortable talking about our theories of the case on the brink of jury selection, other than to say that for the past two years, we have been working diligently and thoroughly to ensure that Mr Leteve gets the best possible trial he can.'
100 witnesses are reportedly expected to testify. Opening statements are slated to begin on October 9.
If convicted, Leteve could face the death penalty.
Edmond, OK: Edmond man killed at estranged wife's home
EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Police in Edmond say a man was shot and killed at the home of his estranged wife after allegedly attacking another man inside the home.
The man killed in the Sunday shooting was identified Monday as 24-year-old Michael Ford. Police spokeswoman Jennifer Monroe told reporters that Ford had gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
Monroe did not immediately return a phone call to The Associated Press.
Monroe says Ford had keys to the home and arrived Sunday to find the man inside with his estranged wife. Monroe says Ford apparently went back to his vehicle and returned to the home with a knife — then was shot.
The names of the second man and the woman were not immediately released and Monroe says there have been no arrests.
The man killed in the Sunday shooting was identified Monday as 24-year-old Michael Ford. Police spokeswoman Jennifer Monroe told reporters that Ford had gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
Monroe did not immediately return a phone call to The Associated Press.
Monroe says Ford had keys to the home and arrived Sunday to find the man inside with his estranged wife. Monroe says Ford apparently went back to his vehicle and returned to the home with a knife — then was shot.
The names of the second man and the woman were not immediately released and Monroe says there have been no arrests.
Newfoundland, PA: Police: Man killed wife, 50 dogs seized in Pa.
NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. -- Police say a man killed his wife in a northeastern Pennsylvania home where officials later seized more than 50 beagles.
Officials say 52-year-old Donnalynn Schroeder died in surgery after being shot early Sunday at the home she shared with her husband in Newfoundland, Wayne County.
Fifty-nine-year-old Bertrand Schroeder is charged in her death. It's not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
Police say more than 50 beagles, mostly puppies, were seized from the home after the killing. Trooper Kelly Todd tells The Times-Tribune of Scranton ( http://bit.ly/RNq7Xk) that animal cruelty charges are pending.
Officials say 52-year-old Donnalynn Schroeder died in surgery after being shot early Sunday at the home she shared with her husband in Newfoundland, Wayne County.
Fifty-nine-year-old Bertrand Schroeder is charged in her death. It's not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
Police say more than 50 beagles, mostly puppies, were seized from the home after the killing. Trooper Kelly Todd tells The Times-Tribune of Scranton ( http://bit.ly/RNq7Xk) that animal cruelty charges are pending.
Butler, NJ: Defense seeking to bar Butler woman's confessions in husband's slaying
A Butler woman with multiple sclerosis, accused of shooting her husband to death in May 2010, allegedly told police “I think I shot my husband” and later said she was “never going to see the kids again and neither was he because I shot him.”
But the attorney for Amalia Mirasola, who uses a wheelchair, is seeking to have those confessions dismissed on grounds they weren’t voluntary, as the long delayed case returns to the front burner.
During a conference today in Superior Court in Morristown, Judge Robert Gilson scheduled a hearing for Oct. 24 on the motion to suppress the statements, and scheduled the case for trial on Dec. 4.
Mirasola, now 47, allegedly shot Carl Mirasola, 43, six times on May 22, 2010 while he slept and their three children were nearby in the house. She is accused of murder and a weapons charge.
When police arrived at the home that morning, Mirasola said, “I think I shot my husband,” according to Butler Police Sgt. Robert Findura.
Defense attorney Kalman Geist, in court papers, said that statement should not be allowed because the officer had asked Mirasola “what happened” and “elicited a confession” without reading her rights.
The second statement regarding the children, made to Detective Colleen Pascale, should be ruled inadmissible, Geist said, because at that point Mirasola had been arrested and had said she didn’t want to talk anymore.
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor David Bruno argued in court papers that both statements should be allowed because they were “spontaneous’ and Mirasola was “under no obligation to talk.” Even though she had invoked her Miranda rights, Mirasola “actually initiated the conversation” when she made the second confession, Bruno said.
Mirasola, who has been free since posting $250,000 bail on June 11, 2010, did not attend today’s hearing. In a letter to the court, Geist said she waived her right to attend because she is hospitalized at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains for treatment of a urinary tract infection.
In a separate letter to the court, Mirasola asked the judge to get the long delayed case to trial as soon as possible. Under a court order, she said, she has not been allowed to see her children since her arrest in May 2010. “I have not even heard their voices,” she said.
The three children have been placed with relatives, according to court records.
The oldest daughter, who was 13 at the time, said she “heard her mother shoot her father,” according to Detective Pascale. The girl said she had been sleeping but was woken by gunshots. The girl also said her father was dating another woman and that she wanted to live with her younger siblings with that woman, according to Pascale.
Amalia Mirasola, meanwhile, said her husband “had stopped paying the mortgage and the house was in foreclosure,” Pascale said.
At the time of the shooting, Mirasola’s attorney and others said the couple had been having marital problems since Mirasola was diagnosed with MS and were in the process of getting a divorce.
But the attorney for Amalia Mirasola, who uses a wheelchair, is seeking to have those confessions dismissed on grounds they weren’t voluntary, as the long delayed case returns to the front burner.
During a conference today in Superior Court in Morristown, Judge Robert Gilson scheduled a hearing for Oct. 24 on the motion to suppress the statements, and scheduled the case for trial on Dec. 4.
Mirasola, now 47, allegedly shot Carl Mirasola, 43, six times on May 22, 2010 while he slept and their three children were nearby in the house. She is accused of murder and a weapons charge.
When police arrived at the home that morning, Mirasola said, “I think I shot my husband,” according to Butler Police Sgt. Robert Findura.
Defense attorney Kalman Geist, in court papers, said that statement should not be allowed because the officer had asked Mirasola “what happened” and “elicited a confession” without reading her rights.
The second statement regarding the children, made to Detective Colleen Pascale, should be ruled inadmissible, Geist said, because at that point Mirasola had been arrested and had said she didn’t want to talk anymore.
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor David Bruno argued in court papers that both statements should be allowed because they were “spontaneous’ and Mirasola was “under no obligation to talk.” Even though she had invoked her Miranda rights, Mirasola “actually initiated the conversation” when she made the second confession, Bruno said.
Mirasola, who has been free since posting $250,000 bail on June 11, 2010, did not attend today’s hearing. In a letter to the court, Geist said she waived her right to attend because she is hospitalized at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains for treatment of a urinary tract infection.
In a separate letter to the court, Mirasola asked the judge to get the long delayed case to trial as soon as possible. Under a court order, she said, she has not been allowed to see her children since her arrest in May 2010. “I have not even heard their voices,” she said.
The three children have been placed with relatives, according to court records.
The oldest daughter, who was 13 at the time, said she “heard her mother shoot her father,” according to Detective Pascale. The girl said she had been sleeping but was woken by gunshots. The girl also said her father was dating another woman and that she wanted to live with her younger siblings with that woman, according to Pascale.
Amalia Mirasola, meanwhile, said her husband “had stopped paying the mortgage and the house was in foreclosure,” Pascale said.
At the time of the shooting, Mirasola’s attorney and others said the couple had been having marital problems since Mirasola was diagnosed with MS and were in the process of getting a divorce.
Delta, OH: Police investigate murder/suicide in Fulton Co.
DELTA -- On Sunday, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office identified the man and woman whose bodies were found outside a home in Delta Saturday afternoon. 24-year-old Katie Roberts and 30-year-old Justin Roberts were found deceased at 2097 County Road 6. Police found a rifle and a knife at the scene.
Police say that the couple were married, but recently separated. Autopsies will be performed today to determine the exact cause of death to both victims. The case remains under investigation by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Police say that the couple were married, but recently separated. Autopsies will be performed today to determine the exact cause of death to both victims. The case remains under investigation by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Missouri Heights, CO: Identities released in Missouri Heights murder-suicide
Eagle County authorities have identified the two people killed in an apparent murder-suicide shooting Saturday in Missouri Heights as Andrew and Judi Mazeika.
Authorities have not said who they believe the shooter was, but that the incident appears to be a murder-suicide. An autopsy to be performed Monday will help determine the cause of death, according to Eagle County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jessie Mosher.
Andrew Mazeika was 68, and Judi Mazeika was 54, Mosher said. They were married.
A neighbor of the couple called 911 around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to report hearing screaming, followed by shots fired. Authorities responding to the scene found Judi Mazeika deceased in the front lawn of a home on Vega Drive. Andrew Mazeika was also in the yard, alive but in critical condition. He was transported by Basalt EMS to Valley View Medical Center in Glenwood Springs, where he died. Both had gunshot wounds.
Mosher said a handgun was used in the shooting, but she could not say how many shots were fired.
She also added that Eagle County deputies had never responded to reports of domestic violence involving the couple. They had owned a home in the neighborhood since 1988, according to Eagle County property records.
The couple had an adult daughter, who was not present at the time of the shooting, Mosher said.
Judy Mazeika worked seasonally for the Aspen Skiing Co., and Andrew Mazeika was a former employee of the company, SkiCo spokesman Jeff Hanle confirmed.
“We are deeply saddened at this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Hanle said in a statement.
Friends of the family also said that Andrew Mazeika had recently battled cancer, but had seen his health improve.
A neighbor on Vega Drive, who asked that his name not be used, said the incident was shocking, and that he hadn’t seen signs of trouble before the shooting.
“They were great neighbors and good people,” the person said. “That’s about all I can tell you.”
Missouri Heights is located in between El Jebel and Carbondale, and is in the portion of the Roaring Fork Valley under the jurisdiction of Eagle County.
Authorities have not said who they believe the shooter was, but that the incident appears to be a murder-suicide. An autopsy to be performed Monday will help determine the cause of death, according to Eagle County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jessie Mosher.
Andrew Mazeika was 68, and Judi Mazeika was 54, Mosher said. They were married.
A neighbor of the couple called 911 around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to report hearing screaming, followed by shots fired. Authorities responding to the scene found Judi Mazeika deceased in the front lawn of a home on Vega Drive. Andrew Mazeika was also in the yard, alive but in critical condition. He was transported by Basalt EMS to Valley View Medical Center in Glenwood Springs, where he died. Both had gunshot wounds.
Mosher said a handgun was used in the shooting, but she could not say how many shots were fired.
She also added that Eagle County deputies had never responded to reports of domestic violence involving the couple. They had owned a home in the neighborhood since 1988, according to Eagle County property records.
The couple had an adult daughter, who was not present at the time of the shooting, Mosher said.
Judy Mazeika worked seasonally for the Aspen Skiing Co., and Andrew Mazeika was a former employee of the company, SkiCo spokesman Jeff Hanle confirmed.
“We are deeply saddened at this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Hanle said in a statement.
Friends of the family also said that Andrew Mazeika had recently battled cancer, but had seen his health improve.
A neighbor on Vega Drive, who asked that his name not be used, said the incident was shocking, and that he hadn’t seen signs of trouble before the shooting.
“They were great neighbors and good people,” the person said. “That’s about all I can tell you.”
Missouri Heights is located in between El Jebel and Carbondale, and is in the portion of the Roaring Fork Valley under the jurisdiction of Eagle County.
Bay Minette, AL: Police investigate apparent murder-suicide
BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WALA) - An ongoing domestic dispute between a husband and wife ended in an apparent murder-suicide in Bay Minette on Sunday, according to police.
When officers made it to the Driftwood Convenience store on Highway 59 around 8:30 a.m., they were too late to save the life of Linda Milstid, the clerk who pushed the panic alarm minutes earlier.
Bay Minette Police Chief Michael Rowland said 41-year-old Mark Milstid had gone to his wife's job armed with a shotgun.
"When the officers arrived they discovered two victims, two gunshot victims. The clerk, who was a female, and the male subject who we later identified as her husband," Police Chief Michael Rowland said.
Rowland said, through their preliminary investigation, the department called the incident a murder-suicide stemming from problems at home between Linda and Mark Milstid. Rowland said surveillance video, which captured the entire tragic event, confirms the preliminary investigation.
Police said Linda Milstid was in the process of filing for divorce.
"He came into the store with a shotgun and fired several rounds, striking her and also killed himself," Rowland said.
Linda Milstid, 41, was found dead behind the counter inside the store. She had been shot twice with the shotgun. Mark Milstid was also behind the counter, and police initially thought he was dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
Officers went outside and called for backup and medical personnel.
That's when, Rowland said, the injured man staggered outside and collapsed in the parking lot. Mark Milstid died at the hospital.
Chief Rowland said before Milstid went to his wife's job in Bay Minette he set fire to his own mobile home in Perdido. When fire fighters arrived on that scene, the home on Coleman Road was fully engulfed in flames.
"You know it's a tragic thing and we always are concerned about domestic issues and domestic violence. This is going to be a pretty extensive investigation into the circumstances of this case, but we're satisfied at this particular point that it is a homicide suicide," the chief said.
When officers made it to the Driftwood Convenience store on Highway 59 around 8:30 a.m., they were too late to save the life of Linda Milstid, the clerk who pushed the panic alarm minutes earlier.
Bay Minette Police Chief Michael Rowland said 41-year-old Mark Milstid had gone to his wife's job armed with a shotgun.
"When the officers arrived they discovered two victims, two gunshot victims. The clerk, who was a female, and the male subject who we later identified as her husband," Police Chief Michael Rowland said.
Rowland said, through their preliminary investigation, the department called the incident a murder-suicide stemming from problems at home between Linda and Mark Milstid. Rowland said surveillance video, which captured the entire tragic event, confirms the preliminary investigation.
Police said Linda Milstid was in the process of filing for divorce.
"He came into the store with a shotgun and fired several rounds, striking her and also killed himself," Rowland said.
Linda Milstid, 41, was found dead behind the counter inside the store. She had been shot twice with the shotgun. Mark Milstid was also behind the counter, and police initially thought he was dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
Officers went outside and called for backup and medical personnel.
That's when, Rowland said, the injured man staggered outside and collapsed in the parking lot. Mark Milstid died at the hospital.
Chief Rowland said before Milstid went to his wife's job in Bay Minette he set fire to his own mobile home in Perdido. When fire fighters arrived on that scene, the home on Coleman Road was fully engulfed in flames.
"You know it's a tragic thing and we always are concerned about domestic issues and domestic violence. This is going to be a pretty extensive investigation into the circumstances of this case, but we're satisfied at this particular point that it is a homicide suicide," the chief said.
Topeka, KS: Murder Suicide Confirmed In Apartment Shooting
TOPEKA, Kan (WIBW) --Police have identified the two people found dead at the Pines Apartment Complex, which has been confirmed as a murder suicide.
They have been identified as 22-year-old Kahlyn Heine and 26-year-old Jeremiah Campbell, both of Topeka.
Authorities say Campbell was the shooter.
Topeka Police are still investigating the two deaths. Officers say they were called around 9:30 Saturday morning (9/8), to The Pines Apartments at 238 SW Gage Blvd., regarding vandalism.
Police say a woman had found a bullet hole in the wall of her apartment. Law enforcement officials on the scene were led to an adjacent apartment, where they found two individuals dead.
Officials say the couple was out with friends hour before the shootings.
Police are still investigating. If you have any information, call Detective Scott Dickey at (785) 368-9029, or Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.
They have been identified as 22-year-old Kahlyn Heine and 26-year-old Jeremiah Campbell, both of Topeka.
Authorities say Campbell was the shooter.
Topeka Police are still investigating the two deaths. Officers say they were called around 9:30 Saturday morning (9/8), to The Pines Apartments at 238 SW Gage Blvd., regarding vandalism.
Police say a woman had found a bullet hole in the wall of her apartment. Law enforcement officials on the scene were led to an adjacent apartment, where they found two individuals dead.
Officials say the couple was out with friends hour before the shootings.
Police are still investigating. If you have any information, call Detective Scott Dickey at (785) 368-9029, or Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Marshfield, WI: Marshfield woman found dead, neck slashed, official says
MARSHFIELD — An 18-year-old Marshfield woman was found dead Friday night with her throat slashed and a stab wound in her back, and her fiance turned himself in to police early Saturday and is in the Wood County Jail.
Maisie E. McCullough’s death remained under investigation Saturday, and police did not reveal any motives or circumstances surrounding the incident. She died at about 10 p.m. Friday night from knife wounds, according to Wood County Deputy Coroner Charles Evans, who was present for an autopsy conducted Saturday in Portage.
The autopsy showed McCullough’s jugular and carotid artery were severed with a knife and she was stabbed once in the back, Evans said.
Gabriel Luis Campos, 20, who lived with McCullough and was the father of her 2-year-old son, contacted law enforcement officials at 4:22 a.m. Saturday from a Wisconsin Rapids motel and said he wanted to turn himself in.
Campos said his son, who had been considered missing, was with him and asleep.
Three Marshfield police officers and three Wisconsin Rapids officers arrested Campos and impounded his vehicle. Campos was booked into the Wood County Jail, where he remained Saturday night, according to jail staff members. According to the police report, Campos had no weapons, drugs or alcohol at the time he was arrested.
Marshfield Police Department officers learned of McCullough’s death when they responded to a call at 10:06 p.m. Friday from 1310 E. Blodgett St., a single-family home in a residential section of the city.
Mcullough was dead when officers arrived at the scene, said Police Sgt. Nick Poeschel.
Olson was McCullough’s fiance and Olson’s mother lived at the home with him, McCullough and the child, Evans said.
State circuit court records show Campos legally changed his name to Derek Michael Olson in 2010.
Across the street from the home Saturday, neighbors were saddened at the turn of events.
“It’s terrible. Nothing like this has ever happened around here,” said an elderly neighbor, who described McCullough as a young woman she occasionally saw playing outside with a young child.
“Everyone around here is surprised about this. This is very sad,” said Jennifer Terry, who lives directly across the street from the home. Terry’s daughter knew McCullough, she said, and described her as “a sweetheart, a nice girl.”
McCullough was a 2012 graduate of Marshfield High School.
Nothing unusual was noticed or seen at the house Friday where McCullough was found dead, Terry said.
Police officers in conjunction with the the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory and Wisconsin State Patrol were at the scene throughout Saturday. Yellow police tape circled the perimeter of the property but was later removed.
No further information was released Saturday.
A toxicology report on the body, which would show whether drugs were involved, will be completed in two to three weeks, Evans said.
Maisie E. McCullough’s death remained under investigation Saturday, and police did not reveal any motives or circumstances surrounding the incident. She died at about 10 p.m. Friday night from knife wounds, according to Wood County Deputy Coroner Charles Evans, who was present for an autopsy conducted Saturday in Portage.
The autopsy showed McCullough’s jugular and carotid artery were severed with a knife and she was stabbed once in the back, Evans said.
Gabriel Luis Campos, 20, who lived with McCullough and was the father of her 2-year-old son, contacted law enforcement officials at 4:22 a.m. Saturday from a Wisconsin Rapids motel and said he wanted to turn himself in.
Campos said his son, who had been considered missing, was with him and asleep.
Three Marshfield police officers and three Wisconsin Rapids officers arrested Campos and impounded his vehicle. Campos was booked into the Wood County Jail, where he remained Saturday night, according to jail staff members. According to the police report, Campos had no weapons, drugs or alcohol at the time he was arrested.
Marshfield Police Department officers learned of McCullough’s death when they responded to a call at 10:06 p.m. Friday from 1310 E. Blodgett St., a single-family home in a residential section of the city.
Mcullough was dead when officers arrived at the scene, said Police Sgt. Nick Poeschel.
Olson was McCullough’s fiance and Olson’s mother lived at the home with him, McCullough and the child, Evans said.
State circuit court records show Campos legally changed his name to Derek Michael Olson in 2010.
Across the street from the home Saturday, neighbors were saddened at the turn of events.
“It’s terrible. Nothing like this has ever happened around here,” said an elderly neighbor, who described McCullough as a young woman she occasionally saw playing outside with a young child.
“Everyone around here is surprised about this. This is very sad,” said Jennifer Terry, who lives directly across the street from the home. Terry’s daughter knew McCullough, she said, and described her as “a sweetheart, a nice girl.”
McCullough was a 2012 graduate of Marshfield High School.
Nothing unusual was noticed or seen at the house Friday where McCullough was found dead, Terry said.
Police officers in conjunction with the the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory and Wisconsin State Patrol were at the scene throughout Saturday. Yellow police tape circled the perimeter of the property but was later removed.
No further information was released Saturday.
A toxicology report on the body, which would show whether drugs were involved, will be completed in two to three weeks, Evans said.
Dania Beach, FL: Dania Beach man kills girlfriend, hangs himself at Greenbelt Park, police say
A man found hanging from a tree in Greenbelt Park on Sunday morning apparently first killed his girlfriend before turning to suicide, authorities said.
The body of Louise Attardi-Cramer, 50, dead from blunt force trauma, was discovered in her bedroom early Sunday, said Keyla Concepcion, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office.
About four hours later, Michael Kanuf, 49, was found by a couple taking a morning stroll through a secluded area of the park adjacent to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Concepcion said.
Police say Kanuf left a note outside a relative's home admitting to the crime and saying that he was going to commit suicide.
After receiving a call at about 6:30 a.m. requesting that the Sheriff's Office perform a welfare check of Attardi-Cramer, police found her body in her home in the 5300 block of Southwest 29th Way, Concepcion said.
Police spent the next several hours, Concepcion said, searching for Kanuf, the father of Attardi-Cramer's teenage son.
When the couple made the grisly discovery in the park, they called 911. The body was confirmed to be Kanuf, Concepcion said.
When reached by telephone Sunday afternoon, a relative of Attardi-Cramer's declined to comment: "This is a time of mourning for the family and nobody wants to talk about what's going on."
Records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show that Kanuf is a registered sexual offender stemming from a 1993 conviction out of Miami-Dade County for lewd or lascivious fondling of a child younger than 16.
The murder-suicide investigation is ongoing.
The body of Louise Attardi-Cramer, 50, dead from blunt force trauma, was discovered in her bedroom early Sunday, said Keyla Concepcion, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office.
About four hours later, Michael Kanuf, 49, was found by a couple taking a morning stroll through a secluded area of the park adjacent to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Concepcion said.
Police say Kanuf left a note outside a relative's home admitting to the crime and saying that he was going to commit suicide.
After receiving a call at about 6:30 a.m. requesting that the Sheriff's Office perform a welfare check of Attardi-Cramer, police found her body in her home in the 5300 block of Southwest 29th Way, Concepcion said.
Police spent the next several hours, Concepcion said, searching for Kanuf, the father of Attardi-Cramer's teenage son.
When the couple made the grisly discovery in the park, they called 911. The body was confirmed to be Kanuf, Concepcion said.
When reached by telephone Sunday afternoon, a relative of Attardi-Cramer's declined to comment: "This is a time of mourning for the family and nobody wants to talk about what's going on."
Records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show that Kanuf is a registered sexual offender stemming from a 1993 conviction out of Miami-Dade County for lewd or lascivious fondling of a child younger than 16.
The murder-suicide investigation is ongoing.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Charlottesville, VA: Former US college lacrosse player sentenced to 23 years for ex-girlfriend's beating death
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A former college lacrosse player who killed his ex-girlfriend in a drunken rage received a 23-year prison sentence Thursday in a case that forever changed the school's attitudes toward relationship violence and made it easier for abuse victims in the state to obtain restraining orders.
George W. Huguely V had three years trimmed from a jury's recommended sentence of 26 years for the May 2010 slaying of Yeardley Love. Huguely, 24, could be released in less than 20 years.
"Unlike Ms. Love, Mr. Huguely still has the majority of his life ahead of him," Charlottesville Circuit Judge Edward Hogshire told the court.
Asked by the judge if he wanted to address the court before sentencing, a shackled and tearful Huguely turned to Love's mother, Sharon Love, and sister Lexie and said, "I'm so sorry for your loss and I hope you find peace."
Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was convicted in February of the second-degree murder of Love, 22, of Cockeysville, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Jurors also found Huguely guilty of grand larceny for stealing Love's computer from her apartment.
Huguely and Love, both seniors and varsity lacrosse players at the University of Virginia, had a volatile relationship that spiraled into Huguely's deadly confrontation with Love late on the night of May 2, 2010, after a day of heavy drinking and golfing by Huguely. Love was found the next morning, her battered face in a blood-soaked pillow.
During a 3 1/2-hour sentencing hearing, prosecutor David Chapman presented witnesses who described violent incidents involving Huguely before he killed Love. They included the beating of a friend who went home with Love after a party and the unprovoked punching of another person after a night of drinking. He also angrily wrapped his hands around a young woman in a bar after she told her father, his former high school lacrosse coach, to talk to Huguely about his heavy drinking.
"Sooner or later he was going to seriously injure or kill someone," Chapman said.
Huguely's attorneys acknowledged he drank too much, but Chapman disagreed that was the problem.
"The issue, your honour, is not too much alcohol," he told Hogshire. "The issue here is too much violence."
In a police interrogation video played at his trial, Huguely admitted he and Love had a physical confrontation over their on-again, off-again two-year relationship but he denied inflicting the fatal injuries Love suffered. He said she had banged her head against her bedroom wall.
A coroner concluded she died of blunt force trauma.
Love's death followed several months of tension between the two young athletes. Former teammates and friends testified that each accused the other of infidelity and they described incidents of Huguely's escalating drinking.
The Huguely family, many of whom attended the sentencing hearing but did not testify, issued a statement after the sentencing, calling it "a sad day for our family." They also echoed one of Huguely's attorneys, Francis McQ. Lawrence, in his defence of Huguely.
"We continue to believe what Mr. Lawrence said within hours of meeting George, on May 3, 2010: 'Yeardley's death was not intended but an accident with a tragic outcome.' "
Love's family did not address the sentencing hearing but issued a statement that read in part: "We find no joy in others' sorrow."
Lawrence attempted to counter Chapman's depiction of Huguely as a brutish drunk by presenting family members who described him as thoughtful, caring and attentive to the needs of others.
A white-cassocked Roman Catholic priest who had visited Huguely in jail weekly since his arrest more than two years ago described Huguely as spiritual and never saw flashes of anger.
"It's not the same person, the person that the media portrays as the wild, out-of-control person," the Rev. Joseph Scordo said. He described Huguely as his "spiritual grandson."
Chapman argued for the full 26-year sentence recommended by jurors, arguing that Huguely would still be a relatively young man after serving his time. For the Loves, however, "There's nothing left but loss and sorrow, in many ways."
Yeardley Love was to be her sister Lexie's maid-of-honour at her upcoming wedding. "The maid of honour will be missing," Chapman said as Lexie dabbed tears from her face. "He took from them their future as a family."
In reducing Huguely's sentencing, Hogshire strayed from tradition. Virginia judges typically heed a jury's sentence recommendations.
Huguely's attorneys sought a sentence reduction to 14 years.
Virginia has no parole but Huguely could reduce his sentence by 15 per cent if he earns credits by participating in prison programs and stays out of trouble. He also would be credited with time served, leaving him with 18 years in prison.
Love's mother, Sharon Love, has filed two lawsuits seeking nearly $60 million. One is aimed at Huguely while the other claims the University of Virginia and athletic department officials and coaches ignored Huguely's drinking and violent behaviour.
Huguely was arrested in Lexington in 2008 after a drunken confrontation with a police officer.
Love's death has had a lasting impact in Virginia and at the university. It's easier now for abuse victims in Virginia to get a restraining order and students must tell the university if they have ever been arrested.
School officials and students also have tried to make the culture on campus one in which people look out for each other and aren't afraid to report relationship violence.
George W. Huguely V had three years trimmed from a jury's recommended sentence of 26 years for the May 2010 slaying of Yeardley Love. Huguely, 24, could be released in less than 20 years.
"Unlike Ms. Love, Mr. Huguely still has the majority of his life ahead of him," Charlottesville Circuit Judge Edward Hogshire told the court.
Asked by the judge if he wanted to address the court before sentencing, a shackled and tearful Huguely turned to Love's mother, Sharon Love, and sister Lexie and said, "I'm so sorry for your loss and I hope you find peace."
Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was convicted in February of the second-degree murder of Love, 22, of Cockeysville, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Jurors also found Huguely guilty of grand larceny for stealing Love's computer from her apartment.
Huguely and Love, both seniors and varsity lacrosse players at the University of Virginia, had a volatile relationship that spiraled into Huguely's deadly confrontation with Love late on the night of May 2, 2010, after a day of heavy drinking and golfing by Huguely. Love was found the next morning, her battered face in a blood-soaked pillow.
During a 3 1/2-hour sentencing hearing, prosecutor David Chapman presented witnesses who described violent incidents involving Huguely before he killed Love. They included the beating of a friend who went home with Love after a party and the unprovoked punching of another person after a night of drinking. He also angrily wrapped his hands around a young woman in a bar after she told her father, his former high school lacrosse coach, to talk to Huguely about his heavy drinking.
"Sooner or later he was going to seriously injure or kill someone," Chapman said.
Huguely's attorneys acknowledged he drank too much, but Chapman disagreed that was the problem.
"The issue, your honour, is not too much alcohol," he told Hogshire. "The issue here is too much violence."
In a police interrogation video played at his trial, Huguely admitted he and Love had a physical confrontation over their on-again, off-again two-year relationship but he denied inflicting the fatal injuries Love suffered. He said she had banged her head against her bedroom wall.
A coroner concluded she died of blunt force trauma.
Love's death followed several months of tension between the two young athletes. Former teammates and friends testified that each accused the other of infidelity and they described incidents of Huguely's escalating drinking.
The Huguely family, many of whom attended the sentencing hearing but did not testify, issued a statement after the sentencing, calling it "a sad day for our family." They also echoed one of Huguely's attorneys, Francis McQ. Lawrence, in his defence of Huguely.
"We continue to believe what Mr. Lawrence said within hours of meeting George, on May 3, 2010: 'Yeardley's death was not intended but an accident with a tragic outcome.' "
Love's family did not address the sentencing hearing but issued a statement that read in part: "We find no joy in others' sorrow."
Lawrence attempted to counter Chapman's depiction of Huguely as a brutish drunk by presenting family members who described him as thoughtful, caring and attentive to the needs of others.
A white-cassocked Roman Catholic priest who had visited Huguely in jail weekly since his arrest more than two years ago described Huguely as spiritual and never saw flashes of anger.
"It's not the same person, the person that the media portrays as the wild, out-of-control person," the Rev. Joseph Scordo said. He described Huguely as his "spiritual grandson."
Chapman argued for the full 26-year sentence recommended by jurors, arguing that Huguely would still be a relatively young man after serving his time. For the Loves, however, "There's nothing left but loss and sorrow, in many ways."
Yeardley Love was to be her sister Lexie's maid-of-honour at her upcoming wedding. "The maid of honour will be missing," Chapman said as Lexie dabbed tears from her face. "He took from them their future as a family."
In reducing Huguely's sentencing, Hogshire strayed from tradition. Virginia judges typically heed a jury's sentence recommendations.
Huguely's attorneys sought a sentence reduction to 14 years.
Virginia has no parole but Huguely could reduce his sentence by 15 per cent if he earns credits by participating in prison programs and stays out of trouble. He also would be credited with time served, leaving him with 18 years in prison.
Love's mother, Sharon Love, has filed two lawsuits seeking nearly $60 million. One is aimed at Huguely while the other claims the University of Virginia and athletic department officials and coaches ignored Huguely's drinking and violent behaviour.
Huguely was arrested in Lexington in 2008 after a drunken confrontation with a police officer.
Love's death has had a lasting impact in Virginia and at the university. It's easier now for abuse victims in Virginia to get a restraining order and students must tell the university if they have ever been arrested.
School officials and students also have tried to make the culture on campus one in which people look out for each other and aren't afraid to report relationship violence.
Phoenix, AZ: Arizona lesbian couple found dead in likely murder-suicide
A lesbian couple from Arizona have been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.
It is thought that 32-year-old Dallas Augustine – the daughter of a Nevada lawmaker who was murdered in 2006 – is thought to have shot her partner, 50-year-old Jessie McCaskill, before turning the gun on herself.
The bodies of the two women were found on Monday at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. The alleged murder weapon, a handgun, was found at the crime scene. The women will undergo autopsies tomorrow.
A neighbor told AZcentral.com that the two women, who had been together since 2004, “fought like cat and dog” behind closed doors, and that their rows could often be heard from outside their home.
Interviews with friends and family revealed there had been problems in the relationship.
A neighbour said the women were packing up the house because the lease was up and that both were moving out to be closer to their jobs.
Ms Augustine worked for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Florence, Southeast of Phoenix. Her mother, Kathy Augustine, who was a Nevada state controller, was murdered in her Reno home in 2006 by her husband, now serving a life sentence.
Ms Augustine’s uncle told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that his niece had suffered serious problems but refused to ask her family for any help: “I believe there’s been some substance abuse, and I think probably some mental health issues.
“Basically she cut off contact with our family. By choice.”
Crime analyst Chelsea Hoffman said: “Same-sex couples are not immune to the same relationship issues that affect everyone else. They face the same levels of tension, the same situations that drive wedges between each other, the same scenarios that ultimately lead to breakups – or worse.
“Dallas Augustine and Jessie McCaskill were obviously in love, for they didn’t desire being apart. Whatever led to this horrible tragedy may never be known.”
It is thought that 32-year-old Dallas Augustine – the daughter of a Nevada lawmaker who was murdered in 2006 – is thought to have shot her partner, 50-year-old Jessie McCaskill, before turning the gun on herself.
The bodies of the two women were found on Monday at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. The alleged murder weapon, a handgun, was found at the crime scene. The women will undergo autopsies tomorrow.
A neighbor told AZcentral.com that the two women, who had been together since 2004, “fought like cat and dog” behind closed doors, and that their rows could often be heard from outside their home.
Interviews with friends and family revealed there had been problems in the relationship.
A neighbour said the women were packing up the house because the lease was up and that both were moving out to be closer to their jobs.
Ms Augustine worked for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Florence, Southeast of Phoenix. Her mother, Kathy Augustine, who was a Nevada state controller, was murdered in her Reno home in 2006 by her husband, now serving a life sentence.
Ms Augustine’s uncle told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that his niece had suffered serious problems but refused to ask her family for any help: “I believe there’s been some substance abuse, and I think probably some mental health issues.
“Basically she cut off contact with our family. By choice.”
Crime analyst Chelsea Hoffman said: “Same-sex couples are not immune to the same relationship issues that affect everyone else. They face the same levels of tension, the same situations that drive wedges between each other, the same scenarios that ultimately lead to breakups – or worse.
“Dallas Augustine and Jessie McCaskill were obviously in love, for they didn’t desire being apart. Whatever led to this horrible tragedy may never be known.”
Ocala, FL: Ocala teen mother found dead in home
OCALA, Fla. — A teen mother was found dead inside an Ocala home on Thursday.
Investigators said Shankera Smith, 18, was found dead inside a house on Southwest First Street. Family members said Smith had recently moved to the house with her boyfriend, Joseph Lenard Dennis.
Police said Dennis is being investigated in connection with Smith's death. Smith had a 2-month-old boy with Dennis. Family members said the couple's relationship was abusive.
Dennis was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Thursday after a diaper bag containing a gun was left by Dennis at an acquaintance's house, according to the arrest report.
Detectives said when Dennis showed up at the acquaintance's home, the resident said, "We know what you did and don't want you here." They called police after Dennis left.
Investigators said they found Dennis' orange Crocs and a bag containing the 9-mm handgun, baby clothes, baby bottles with formula and a dirty diaper. Officials said the firearm had an empty magazine and a spent shell casing inside the chamber.
During his initial appearance Friday, Dennis was appointed a public defender and is being held without bond.
Court records show Dennis was arrested in May for false imprisonment and kidnapping, obstruction of justice/intimating a witness or victim and battery.
Friday morning a shelter hearing was held concerning the child, and a judge ruled that the baby would stay in the custody of Dennis' mother, Myrtle Davis, and he would be able to have supervised video conferences at the jail with the child.
Dennis told the court he had $500 at the jail to give to his mother for help with the child.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Ocala Police Department.
Investigators said Shankera Smith, 18, was found dead inside a house on Southwest First Street. Family members said Smith had recently moved to the house with her boyfriend, Joseph Lenard Dennis.
Police said Dennis is being investigated in connection with Smith's death. Smith had a 2-month-old boy with Dennis. Family members said the couple's relationship was abusive.
Dennis was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Thursday after a diaper bag containing a gun was left by Dennis at an acquaintance's house, according to the arrest report.
Detectives said when Dennis showed up at the acquaintance's home, the resident said, "We know what you did and don't want you here." They called police after Dennis left.
Investigators said they found Dennis' orange Crocs and a bag containing the 9-mm handgun, baby clothes, baby bottles with formula and a dirty diaper. Officials said the firearm had an empty magazine and a spent shell casing inside the chamber.
During his initial appearance Friday, Dennis was appointed a public defender and is being held without bond.
Court records show Dennis was arrested in May for false imprisonment and kidnapping, obstruction of justice/intimating a witness or victim and battery.
Friday morning a shelter hearing was held concerning the child, and a judge ruled that the baby would stay in the custody of Dennis' mother, Myrtle Davis, and he would be able to have supervised video conferences at the jail with the child.
Dennis told the court he had $500 at the jail to give to his mother for help with the child.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Ocala Police Department.
Leawood, KS: Dead Leawood couple identified
Police have identified the Leawood couple found dead Tuesday in their home.
Elisabeth Juergens, 48, and Jurgen “Eric” Juergens, 55, were both found dead of gunshots wounds. Leawood police said the coroner has ruled the deaths a murder-suicide. But police did not disclose who was the shooter.
Police were called about 1:40 p.m. Tuesday to the Juergens’ home at 2211 W. 104th St., after being asked by a relative to check on the couple’s welfare.
Elisabeth Juergens, 48, and Jurgen “Eric” Juergens, 55, were both found dead of gunshots wounds. Leawood police said the coroner has ruled the deaths a murder-suicide. But police did not disclose who was the shooter.
Police were called about 1:40 p.m. Tuesday to the Juergens’ home at 2211 W. 104th St., after being asked by a relative to check on the couple’s welfare.
Dallas, TX: Family says Dallas woman was killed because of medical condition
"I hope he rots in prison," says Benjamin Bolden, the brother of Cicely Bolden who was murdered Thursday in her Highland Village Drive apartment.
"She did not deserve this," he says. Bolden says his sister was HIV Positive, but that she didn't keep her medical condition a secret. He says he'd be surprised that Bolden didn't share that information with her boyfriend, Larry Dunn. Who apparently told police he killed her because she didn't tell him until after the two had sex.
Thursday afternoon, Dunn went to Bolden's apartment, and about two hours later, her two children, ages 7 & 8 found their mother's body.
"They were crying, so I went over to see what was wrong," says Latotya Arnett who lives across the hall from Bolden. The ladies were friends. Their children played together all the time.
"It was horrible. I took them inside with me. I feel for those kids," says Arnett.
Arnett also says Bolden was not quiet about her status. She can't believe that Dunn didn't know before Thursday.
Arnett lit 3 candles outside Bolden's apartment. And other neighbors have added stuffed animals. The kids are now staying with family.
Dunn is in the Dallas County Jail charged with murder.
"She did not deserve this," he says. Bolden says his sister was HIV Positive, but that she didn't keep her medical condition a secret. He says he'd be surprised that Bolden didn't share that information with her boyfriend, Larry Dunn. Who apparently told police he killed her because she didn't tell him until after the two had sex.
Thursday afternoon, Dunn went to Bolden's apartment, and about two hours later, her two children, ages 7 & 8 found their mother's body.
"They were crying, so I went over to see what was wrong," says Latotya Arnett who lives across the hall from Bolden. The ladies were friends. Their children played together all the time.
"It was horrible. I took them inside with me. I feel for those kids," says Arnett.
Arnett also says Bolden was not quiet about her status. She can't believe that Dunn didn't know before Thursday.
Arnett lit 3 candles outside Bolden's apartment. And other neighbors have added stuffed animals. The kids are now staying with family.
Dunn is in the Dallas County Jail charged with murder.
Erie, PA: Western Pa. woman asks judge to dismiss statements to investigators before homicide trial
A woman accused of having killed her boyfriend in his apartment while his infant son was in a nearby room is asking a judge to throw out her statements to police.
The Erie Times-News (http://bit.ly/P8NH0f ) says an attorney for 31-year-old Rachel Kozloff told Erie County Judge Shad Connelly on Friday that investigators "deceived" his client by telling her she wasn't going to be arrested before interviews in April.
Kozloff is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime in the April 12 shooting death of 31-year-old Michael Henry.
Authorities say Kozloff told investigators she and Henry got into a physical altercation in his apartment on the night of the shooting. Henry's 6-month-old son was in a crib in a nearby room.
The Erie Times-News (http://bit.ly/P8NH0f ) says an attorney for 31-year-old Rachel Kozloff told Erie County Judge Shad Connelly on Friday that investigators "deceived" his client by telling her she wasn't going to be arrested before interviews in April.
Kozloff is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime in the April 12 shooting death of 31-year-old Michael Henry.
Authorities say Kozloff told investigators she and Henry got into a physical altercation in his apartment on the night of the shooting. Henry's 6-month-old son was in a crib in a nearby room.
Allentown, PA: Allentown woman found stabbed; boyfriend faces homicide charge, police say
An Allentown woman was killed early this morning and her boyfriend is charged with homicide, the Allentown police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's announced this afternoon.
Lauren Wolstenholme, 31, of the 400 block of South 18th Street, was pronounced dead at 3:47 a.m. The manner of death has been ruled a homicide and the cause of death is pending an autopsy scheduled for Monday, police said.
Jonathan Schaffer, 31, of the same address, will be charged with one count of criminal homicide, police said.
Officers were called at about 1:40 a.m. today to the couple's apartment for a report of a domestic dispute, police said.
Officers were unable to make contact with anyone in the apartment and forced their way inside, where they discovered Wolstenholme's body. Assistant Police Chief Joseph Hanna said Wolstenholme was stabbed.
Schaffer was found in the master bathroom, armed with a knife and refusing to comply with officer’s directions. Schaffer was ultimately shot with a stun gun and apprehended, police said
Schaffer was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Allentown for treatment for an apparent ingestion of drugs. He will be arraigned when he is medically fit, police said.
Hanna declined to say what kind of drugs police believe Schaeffer ingested and wouldn't speculate on whether they contributed to the murder. Hanna declined to comment on a motive.
The home is subdivided into four apartments. At least two neighbors said the did not know enough about the situation to comment.
Lauren Wolstenholme, 31, of the 400 block of South 18th Street, was pronounced dead at 3:47 a.m. The manner of death has been ruled a homicide and the cause of death is pending an autopsy scheduled for Monday, police said.
Jonathan Schaffer, 31, of the same address, will be charged with one count of criminal homicide, police said.
Officers were called at about 1:40 a.m. today to the couple's apartment for a report of a domestic dispute, police said.
Officers were unable to make contact with anyone in the apartment and forced their way inside, where they discovered Wolstenholme's body. Assistant Police Chief Joseph Hanna said Wolstenholme was stabbed.
Schaffer was found in the master bathroom, armed with a knife and refusing to comply with officer’s directions. Schaffer was ultimately shot with a stun gun and apprehended, police said
Schaffer was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Allentown for treatment for an apparent ingestion of drugs. He will be arraigned when he is medically fit, police said.
Hanna declined to say what kind of drugs police believe Schaeffer ingested and wouldn't speculate on whether they contributed to the murder. Hanna declined to comment on a motive.
The home is subdivided into four apartments. At least two neighbors said the did not know enough about the situation to comment.
Sikeston, MO: Woman killed in stabbing, boyfriend arrested
SIKESTON, MO (KFVS) -
A 28-year-old woman was found stabbed to death and her boyfriend was arrested Friday.
The body of 28-year-old Danielle Keown was found in a basement at 867 Stanford around 11 a.m. Friday.
Keown was left fatally stabbed in the home, according to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.
Her 23-year-old boyfriend has been arrested.
Melvin Lawrence Harris, 23, of Sikeston was charged with murder first degree and armed criminal action. Harris was being held without bond.
A domestic dispute occurred at the home Thursday night between two of the occupants, according to Sikeston DPS. A struggle took place in the basement of the home and led to the Keown being stabbed. It is believed the body was left in the basement until it was discovered by police.
Four residents of the home were taken to DPS Headquarters for interviews.
An autopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
Sikeston DPS contacted New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens and the Missouri State Highway Patrol -Troop E, Division of Drug and Crime Control Unit after activating the SEMO Major Case Squad. The New Madrid County Coroner also responded. Troop E's DDCC and the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department assisted Sikeston DPS in conducting several interviews and processing the crime scene.
A 28-year-old woman was found stabbed to death and her boyfriend was arrested Friday.
The body of 28-year-old Danielle Keown was found in a basement at 867 Stanford around 11 a.m. Friday.
Keown was left fatally stabbed in the home, according to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.
Her 23-year-old boyfriend has been arrested.
Melvin Lawrence Harris, 23, of Sikeston was charged with murder first degree and armed criminal action. Harris was being held without bond.
A domestic dispute occurred at the home Thursday night between two of the occupants, according to Sikeston DPS. A struggle took place in the basement of the home and led to the Keown being stabbed. It is believed the body was left in the basement until it was discovered by police.
Four residents of the home were taken to DPS Headquarters for interviews.
An autopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
Sikeston DPS contacted New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens and the Missouri State Highway Patrol -Troop E, Division of Drug and Crime Control Unit after activating the SEMO Major Case Squad. The New Madrid County Coroner also responded. Troop E's DDCC and the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department assisted Sikeston DPS in conducting several interviews and processing the crime scene.
Ferguson, MO: Man charged with killing estranged girlfriend and her friend in St. Louis County
FERGUSON, Mo. — A St. Louis man is facing two counts of murder in the deaths of his estranged girlfriend and her friend at a Ferguson townhouse.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/TqBPcg ) reports that authorities are still searching for the suspect, 29-year-old Darnell "Chuckie" Vaughn. He was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Vaughn's former girlfriend, 30-year-old Claudia Williams, and her friend, 29-year-old Tasheera Johnson, died in the shooting on Aug. 31. Both were shot in the head.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/TqBPcg ) reports that authorities are still searching for the suspect, 29-year-old Darnell "Chuckie" Vaughn. He was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Vaughn's former girlfriend, 30-year-old Claudia Williams, and her friend, 29-year-old Tasheera Johnson, died in the shooting on Aug. 31. Both were shot in the head.
Alguers, LA: 27-year-old New Orleans man booked with killing his girlfriend
New Orleans police say 27-year-old Gary Burnett killed his 35-year-old girlfriend in Algiers early Wednesday morning. He was booked the same day with second-degree murder, according to records.
At 2:36 a.m., Shonray Lee was shot to death in her home in the 2000 block of Hendee Street. Detectives found her near the bottom of a staircase on the first floor. She was shot in the back and chest.
Lee was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
She had a tumultuous relationship with Burnett, according to detectives.
Detectives met Burnett at his home in the 4400 block of MacArthur Boulevard and then escorted the suspect to the Homicide Division. He was interviewed there.
"Our detectives worked through the night until they had conducted several interviews and gathered sufficient evidence to make an arrest," Superintendent Ronal Serpas said. "The dedication of these detectives is exemplary, and it's become the norm for this department."
"Another factor that we see time and time again," said Serpas "is the willingness of members of the community to talk to police and tell us what they know."
Burnett, police said, has a history of prior arrests, including criminal trespass, illegally carrying a weapon, possession of cocaine and resisting an officer.
At 2:36 a.m., Shonray Lee was shot to death in her home in the 2000 block of Hendee Street. Detectives found her near the bottom of a staircase on the first floor. She was shot in the back and chest.
Lee was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
She had a tumultuous relationship with Burnett, according to detectives.
Detectives met Burnett at his home in the 4400 block of MacArthur Boulevard and then escorted the suspect to the Homicide Division. He was interviewed there.
"Our detectives worked through the night until they had conducted several interviews and gathered sufficient evidence to make an arrest," Superintendent Ronal Serpas said. "The dedication of these detectives is exemplary, and it's become the norm for this department."
"Another factor that we see time and time again," said Serpas "is the willingness of members of the community to talk to police and tell us what they know."
Burnett, police said, has a history of prior arrests, including criminal trespass, illegally carrying a weapon, possession of cocaine and resisting an officer.
Spokane Valley, WA: Salt Lake area man shot and killed by Washington State deputies
SPOKANE VALLEY, WA (ABC 4 News) – A Salt Lake Valley man was shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in Washington State Wednesday.
Edward Stanley Gover, 47, was shot six times by two deputies outside his girlfriend’s home.
“He had made multiple threats that he was going to kill her,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said.
According to Knezovich,Gover stabbed his girlfriend, held her against her will and stole her car.
Deputies found Gover in the backyard of his girlfriend’s home.
“He went to deputies and told them ‘You’re going to have to kill me,’” Knezovich said.
Gover said he had a weapon, reached in his pocket and put an object behind his back. Deputies opened fire on Gover not knowing what was in his hand.
Deputies discovered a set of keys in Gover’s hand after he fell to the ground.
“Deputies don’t know what kind of weapon he had,” Znezovich said. “It was a lethal force situation.”
Gover was by one deputy five times. Another deputy shot Gover once with a shotgun. He died at a Washington State hospital.
The Spokane County District Attorney’s Office will review the case to determine if excessive force was used.
Gover had an extensive criminal history in Utah.
Edward Stanley Gover, 47, was shot six times by two deputies outside his girlfriend’s home.
“He had made multiple threats that he was going to kill her,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said.
According to Knezovich,Gover stabbed his girlfriend, held her against her will and stole her car.
Deputies found Gover in the backyard of his girlfriend’s home.
“He went to deputies and told them ‘You’re going to have to kill me,’” Knezovich said.
Gover said he had a weapon, reached in his pocket and put an object behind his back. Deputies opened fire on Gover not knowing what was in his hand.
Deputies discovered a set of keys in Gover’s hand after he fell to the ground.
“Deputies don’t know what kind of weapon he had,” Znezovich said. “It was a lethal force situation.”
Gover was by one deputy five times. Another deputy shot Gover once with a shotgun. He died at a Washington State hospital.
The Spokane County District Attorney’s Office will review the case to determine if excessive force was used.
Gover had an extensive criminal history in Utah.
Smiths Station, AL: Smiths woman arrested following husband's death
A Smiths Station woman was arrested Tuesday in Birmingham for her alleged involvement in the death of her husband.
Tiffany Danielle Andrews, 26, was picked up by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding manslaughter warrant from Lee County in relation to the death of Michael James Andrews, 33. Andrews was additionally charged with menacing and is being held in the Lee County Detention Center on a $26,000 bond.
Capt. Van Jackson of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the case is still ongoing and that details surrounding the death of her husband have not been released due to their crucial roles in the outcome of the case.
“All we know is that there was some involvement on her part,” Jackson said. “There was evidence that she was involved in the circumstances which led to his death.”
On July 1, deputies received a call regarding a possible motorcycle accident near the intersection of Lee Road 248 and Highway 280 East in Smiths Station. Deputies, EMS and Alabama State Troopers responded to the accident, where Mr. Andrews was located lying on the ground near the motorcycle with Ms. Andrews at the scene, as well.
Emergency personnel rushed Mr. Andrews to Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead because of internal injuries.
Mr. Andrews was employed as a specialist in the Mississippi National Guard and was on active duty orders assigned to the Bravo Company Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Benning, Ga.
Ms. Andrews was not treated for any injuries. No one else was involved in the accident.
Jackson said that following the initial investigation of the accident, questions arose surrounding the circumstances of Andrews’ death that needed to be answered.
“There were some issues that came up in that investigation that led us to locate evidence that led to her arrest,” Jackson said.
The sheriff’s office is looking for a witness who allegedly saw the couple along the road. Jackson said the person in question is not a suspect but is wanted for questioning.
“There was an individual that was a passerby that was flagged down by Ms. Andrews the night this all happened,” Jackson said.
Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call the Lee County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-522-7847.
Tiffany Danielle Andrews, 26, was picked up by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding manslaughter warrant from Lee County in relation to the death of Michael James Andrews, 33. Andrews was additionally charged with menacing and is being held in the Lee County Detention Center on a $26,000 bond.
Capt. Van Jackson of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the case is still ongoing and that details surrounding the death of her husband have not been released due to their crucial roles in the outcome of the case.
“All we know is that there was some involvement on her part,” Jackson said. “There was evidence that she was involved in the circumstances which led to his death.”
On July 1, deputies received a call regarding a possible motorcycle accident near the intersection of Lee Road 248 and Highway 280 East in Smiths Station. Deputies, EMS and Alabama State Troopers responded to the accident, where Mr. Andrews was located lying on the ground near the motorcycle with Ms. Andrews at the scene, as well.
Emergency personnel rushed Mr. Andrews to Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead because of internal injuries.
Mr. Andrews was employed as a specialist in the Mississippi National Guard and was on active duty orders assigned to the Bravo Company Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Benning, Ga.
Ms. Andrews was not treated for any injuries. No one else was involved in the accident.
Jackson said that following the initial investigation of the accident, questions arose surrounding the circumstances of Andrews’ death that needed to be answered.
“There were some issues that came up in that investigation that led us to locate evidence that led to her arrest,” Jackson said.
The sheriff’s office is looking for a witness who allegedly saw the couple along the road. Jackson said the person in question is not a suspect but is wanted for questioning.
“There was an individual that was a passerby that was flagged down by Ms. Andrews the night this all happened,” Jackson said.
Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call the Lee County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-522-7847.
Yuma, AZ: Border agent dies in apparent murder-suicide
YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — Sheriff's officials in Yuma County have identified the girlfriend of a U.S. Border Patrol agent killed in an apparent murder-suicide.
Capt. Eben Bratcher said Thursday that 34-year-old Briana Kilty was shot by her boyfriend, 36-year-old Border Patrol Agent Robert C. Nelson, who then shot himself.
Both bodies were found inside a home early Wednesday.
Sheriff's deputies received a call at around 4:15 a.m. about a domestic violence situation. The caller said her brother had told her that he had killed his girlfriend and was going to kill himself.
Kilty's 11-year-old daughter was found unharmed inside the house. The girl has been placed into Child Protective Services.
Nelson joined the agency in 2005 and was assigned to the Yuma Sector.
Capt. Eben Bratcher said Thursday that 34-year-old Briana Kilty was shot by her boyfriend, 36-year-old Border Patrol Agent Robert C. Nelson, who then shot himself.
Both bodies were found inside a home early Wednesday.
Sheriff's deputies received a call at around 4:15 a.m. about a domestic violence situation. The caller said her brother had told her that he had killed his girlfriend and was going to kill himself.
Kilty's 11-year-old daughter was found unharmed inside the house. The girl has been placed into Child Protective Services.
Nelson joined the agency in 2005 and was assigned to the Yuma Sector.
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