By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune
Tosha Montgomery said she looked up and saw her ex-boyfriend in the red Dodge pickup. Derrick McNeal's eyes never left hers as he sped toward her, plowing through a July 4 party and pinning her against a wall.
"He had an expression on his face that would make you die right now," Montgomery told jurors this morning at McNeal's murder trial. "It's almost like he was possessed or something."
She said McNeal revved the engine three or four times, trying to run her over, but the truck was prevented from moving forward – perhaps by the frame of the house on East 24th Avenue. After McNeal backed up and sped off, Montgomery realized the carnage that had been left behind.
Demontaye Simmons, 2, was killed and two other children, ages 9 and 4, were injured.
McNeal, 40, is standing trial this week on numerous charges in the July 4, 2005, incident, including murder, aggravated assault and aggravated stalking. If he is convicted of murder, prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Montgomery testified that McNeal stalked her for months, saying he threw a brick at her mother's car, threatened to set her mother's home on fire and threatened to throw battery acid on her and her son, then 12.
McNeal's attorneys say Demontaye's death was an accident. They say McNeal ducked when someone shot at him and that the Dodge had faulty brakes.
McNeal was stalked by Montgomery and her friends, who lured him to the scene of the tragedy, the defense contends.
The trial continues.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Everett, WA: Ex-boyfriend connection in fatal Everett shooting
Police are looking for a barista's ex-boyfriend accused of shooting and killing the man who dropped her off for work at an Everett espresso stand.
The Associated Press
EVERETT, Wash. —
Police are looking for a barista's ex-boyfriend accused of shooting and killing the man who dropped her off for work at an Everett espresso stand.
Sgt. Robert Goetz says after dropping the woman off, the victim stopped in a parking lot with his dog about 5 a.m. Monday near the Everett Mall. The woman heard gunfire and saw that he had been shot. She called 911.
The suspect who was seen walking away is believed to be 21-year-old Bud Michael Fraser of Marysville. He is described as wearing his hair in a Mohawk style. He had dated the barista.
The Associated Press
EVERETT, Wash. —
Police are looking for a barista's ex-boyfriend accused of shooting and killing the man who dropped her off for work at an Everett espresso stand.
Sgt. Robert Goetz says after dropping the woman off, the victim stopped in a parking lot with his dog about 5 a.m. Monday near the Everett Mall. The woman heard gunfire and saw that he had been shot. She called 911.
The suspect who was seen walking away is believed to be 21-year-old Bud Michael Fraser of Marysville. He is described as wearing his hair in a Mohawk style. He had dated the barista.
San Diego, CA: Man Who Shot Ex-Girlfriend's Husband Gets Life in Prison
Last Update: 9/18 6:02 pm
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SAN DIEGO - A man who shot his ex-girlfriend's husband -- leaving him a quadriplegic -- during a fight over the defendant's 13-year-old son was sentenced on Friday to 32 years to life in prison plus another life term.
Michael Keeper, 35, was found guilty last month to attempted murder, assault with a firearm, making criminal threats and evading police while driving recklessly.
According to trial testimony, Keeper was upset he was unable to take his son fishing, and accosted his ex-wife, Jennifer Loveless, and her new husband, Matthew Loveless, last Dec. 5, when they returned from a party to their Tierrasanta home.
A man who was with Keeper that night testified the defendant argued with Matthew Loveless before shooting him five times.
Keeper fled in a van, but was captured in La Mesa after a 9-mile chase.
The victim, who was placed in a medically induced coma for three weeks after the shooting, has trouble speaking and needs a wheelchair to get around.
Since he was on active duty in the Navy, his medical expenses have been paid for by the military, but the couple is concerned about paying for his medical bills after he is discharged, according to a report by the San Diego County Probation Department.
According to the sentence handed down by Judge John Einhorn, Keeper will serve a 25 years to life term for an allegation of discharging a firearm and causing great bodily injury, plus three years for assault with a firearm and an additional four years for a gun use allegation. Then he'll serve a term of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
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SAN DIEGO - A man who shot his ex-girlfriend's husband -- leaving him a quadriplegic -- during a fight over the defendant's 13-year-old son was sentenced on Friday to 32 years to life in prison plus another life term.
Michael Keeper, 35, was found guilty last month to attempted murder, assault with a firearm, making criminal threats and evading police while driving recklessly.
According to trial testimony, Keeper was upset he was unable to take his son fishing, and accosted his ex-wife, Jennifer Loveless, and her new husband, Matthew Loveless, last Dec. 5, when they returned from a party to their Tierrasanta home.
A man who was with Keeper that night testified the defendant argued with Matthew Loveless before shooting him five times.
Keeper fled in a van, but was captured in La Mesa after a 9-mile chase.
The victim, who was placed in a medically induced coma for three weeks after the shooting, has trouble speaking and needs a wheelchair to get around.
Since he was on active duty in the Navy, his medical expenses have been paid for by the military, but the couple is concerned about paying for his medical bills after he is discharged, according to a report by the San Diego County Probation Department.
According to the sentence handed down by Judge John Einhorn, Keeper will serve a 25 years to life term for an allegation of discharging a firearm and causing great bodily injury, plus three years for assault with a firearm and an additional four years for a gun use allegation. Then he'll serve a term of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Dearborn Heights, MI: Man gets life sentence for killing ex-girlfriend
By LeAnne Rogers
OBSERVER STAFF WRITER
A Dearborn Heights man will spend the rest of life in prison for murdering a Westland woman who had ended their relationship.
Robert James-the-First Howard, 26, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without chance for parole for killing Laci Green, 22. He was sentenced by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hathaway, who had convicted Howard of first-degree murder last month following a two-day bench trial.
Green was found strangled to death in a grassy field near her parents' home in southwest Westland on May 7, 2008.
During the bench trial, there was testimony from Green's parents, friends and police officers about the events surrounding her death.
Based on their investigation, police testified that they believed Howard had taken a taxi-cab to meet and talk to Green outside her home late at night. Police testified that the investigation indicated Howard was angry with Green for ending their relationship and dating another man.
Green's parents testified that they had encountered Howard outside their home on Dunn Court a few hours before their daughter was found dead.
After rejecting two plea bargains, Howard waived his right to a jury trial and instead opted for a bench trial in which the judge renders the verdict. Following two days of testimony, Hathaway found Howard guilty of first-degree murder, a charge that requires the crime be premeditated, and has a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole.
OBSERVER STAFF WRITER
A Dearborn Heights man will spend the rest of life in prison for murdering a Westland woman who had ended their relationship.
Robert James-the-First Howard, 26, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without chance for parole for killing Laci Green, 22. He was sentenced by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hathaway, who had convicted Howard of first-degree murder last month following a two-day bench trial.
Green was found strangled to death in a grassy field near her parents' home in southwest Westland on May 7, 2008.
During the bench trial, there was testimony from Green's parents, friends and police officers about the events surrounding her death.
Based on their investigation, police testified that they believed Howard had taken a taxi-cab to meet and talk to Green outside her home late at night. Police testified that the investigation indicated Howard was angry with Green for ending their relationship and dating another man.
Green's parents testified that they had encountered Howard outside their home on Dunn Court a few hours before their daughter was found dead.
After rejecting two plea bargains, Howard waived his right to a jury trial and instead opted for a bench trial in which the judge renders the verdict. Following two days of testimony, Hathaway found Howard guilty of first-degree murder, a charge that requires the crime be premeditated, and has a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole.
Naples, FL:Mother, five children found slain in Florida Sought man's father says his North Naples son has fled to Haiti
(AFP) – 2 hours ago
MIAMI — A mother and her five children have been found murdered at their home in Florida, police said on Sunday, as authorities searched for the woman's husband who has a history of violence.
"A female and five children were found murdered in their North Naples home," communications supervisor Julie Becker of the Collier County sheriff's office, told AFP.
The bodies of the wife of Mesac Damas, 33 and five young children were found by deputies in their home in a gated community late Saturday, after a relative contacted police because she had not heard from the woman, police said.
"We are very interested in contacting Mr. Mesac Damas. He is the husband of the lady and father of the children," said Jim Williams, the chief investigator for Collier County sheriff's Office.
"His whereabouts are unaccounted for," Williams said, adding "I believe the couple has a history of violence that has been in the court system."
In an interview Sunday, Damas's father told the Naples Daily News that his son had fled to Haiti.
Jean Damas Sr said he knew his son had arrived in the Caribbean nation because "he (Mesac Damas) called his brother from there," the newspaper reported on its website. He didn't specify when that call was made.
The father also confirmed to the paper that those killed in the North Naples home were his daughter-in-law and five grandchildren, and acknowledged that his son and his wife had had domestic problems.
Williams said picking through the crime scene was "very, very difficult and tedious."
Police would not say how the six people were killed.
Local news reports cited neighbors saying there were four boys and a girl who lived in the Damas house, including one baby, but they were not sure of their ages.
North Naples lies on Florida's west coast, about 120 miles (190 kilometers) west of Miami.
By RYAN MILLS
Sunday, September 20, 2009
NAPLES — The father of a man sought by Collier authorities in the slaying of his wife and five children in North Naples told the Naples Daily News this morning that his son is now in Haiti.
When reached at his East Naples home Sunday morning, Jean Damas Sr., the father of Mesac Damas, confirmed that the children killed were his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law.
In an emotional, brief interview that ended at the request of other relatives, Jean Damas Sr. said his son is in Haiti now.
When asked why he believes that, he said: “He (Mesac Damas) called his brother from there.”
Before the brief interview ended, Jean Damas Sr. didn’t specify when that call was made.
Earlier in the interview, Jean Damas Sr. said his family is in pain.
When asked if he thought his son may have killed his family members, he paused and said, “yes, yes, I do.”
He said his son and his wife have had domestic problems.
“Since then, the wife no have any respect … no respect,’’ he said in broken English.
“No listen ... He think his wife has somebody else ... Jealousy,’’ he said in broken English.
Jean Damas Sr. said he hasn’t talked to Mesac Damas since Tuesday morning when Mesac Damas dropped the children off at the grandparents’ house in East Naples, in the Naples Manor area.
Collier deputies have asked for the public’s help in finding Mesac Damas, 33, after the five children and a woman were found slain inside a North Naples apartment complex Saturday night .
Detectives found Mesac Damas’ wife and five young children dead inside their residence at 864 Hampton Circle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Collier County sheriff’s officials.
The Sheriff’s Office said details will be released as they become available and a press conference is planned later this morning to update the public on the case.
Records on the Collier County Clerk of Courts Web site show Damas has prior charges for domestic violence in June 2005 involving his wife, Guerline Dieu, and children -- Mesack Obo Damas, Maven and Marven.
Damas also brought charges against Dieu for domestic violence, the Web site records show, but the November 2006 case never moved forward because he failed to appear in court.
Some of the children were students at Osceola Elementary School, neighbors said.
MIAMI — A mother and her five children have been found murdered at their home in Florida, police said on Sunday, as authorities searched for the woman's husband who has a history of violence.
"A female and five children were found murdered in their North Naples home," communications supervisor Julie Becker of the Collier County sheriff's office, told AFP.
The bodies of the wife of Mesac Damas, 33 and five young children were found by deputies in their home in a gated community late Saturday, after a relative contacted police because she had not heard from the woman, police said.
"We are very interested in contacting Mr. Mesac Damas. He is the husband of the lady and father of the children," said Jim Williams, the chief investigator for Collier County sheriff's Office.
"His whereabouts are unaccounted for," Williams said, adding "I believe the couple has a history of violence that has been in the court system."
In an interview Sunday, Damas's father told the Naples Daily News that his son had fled to Haiti.
Jean Damas Sr said he knew his son had arrived in the Caribbean nation because "he (Mesac Damas) called his brother from there," the newspaper reported on its website. He didn't specify when that call was made.
The father also confirmed to the paper that those killed in the North Naples home were his daughter-in-law and five grandchildren, and acknowledged that his son and his wife had had domestic problems.
Williams said picking through the crime scene was "very, very difficult and tedious."
Police would not say how the six people were killed.
Local news reports cited neighbors saying there were four boys and a girl who lived in the Damas house, including one baby, but they were not sure of their ages.
North Naples lies on Florida's west coast, about 120 miles (190 kilometers) west of Miami.
By RYAN MILLS
Sunday, September 20, 2009
NAPLES — The father of a man sought by Collier authorities in the slaying of his wife and five children in North Naples told the Naples Daily News this morning that his son is now in Haiti.
When reached at his East Naples home Sunday morning, Jean Damas Sr., the father of Mesac Damas, confirmed that the children killed were his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law.
In an emotional, brief interview that ended at the request of other relatives, Jean Damas Sr. said his son is in Haiti now.
When asked why he believes that, he said: “He (Mesac Damas) called his brother from there.”
Before the brief interview ended, Jean Damas Sr. didn’t specify when that call was made.
Earlier in the interview, Jean Damas Sr. said his family is in pain.
When asked if he thought his son may have killed his family members, he paused and said, “yes, yes, I do.”
He said his son and his wife have had domestic problems.
“Since then, the wife no have any respect … no respect,’’ he said in broken English.
“No listen ... He think his wife has somebody else ... Jealousy,’’ he said in broken English.
Jean Damas Sr. said he hasn’t talked to Mesac Damas since Tuesday morning when Mesac Damas dropped the children off at the grandparents’ house in East Naples, in the Naples Manor area.
Collier deputies have asked for the public’s help in finding Mesac Damas, 33, after the five children and a woman were found slain inside a North Naples apartment complex Saturday night .
Detectives found Mesac Damas’ wife and five young children dead inside their residence at 864 Hampton Circle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Collier County sheriff’s officials.
The Sheriff’s Office said details will be released as they become available and a press conference is planned later this morning to update the public on the case.
Records on the Collier County Clerk of Courts Web site show Damas has prior charges for domestic violence in June 2005 involving his wife, Guerline Dieu, and children -- Mesack Obo Damas, Maven and Marven.
Damas also brought charges against Dieu for domestic violence, the Web site records show, but the November 2006 case never moved forward because he failed to appear in court.
Some of the children were students at Osceola Elementary School, neighbors said.
Mays Landing, NJ: NJ man gets 15 years for strangling companion
The Associated Press
MAYS LANDING, N.J. - A southern New Jersey man who strangled his companion after she told him she was moving away with their five children is headed to state prison.
Louis Ceresa of Northfield, who attacked Amanda Carmen inside her parked minivan during a scheduled custody exchange in January, was ordered Friday to serve 15 years. He had pleaded guilty in July to aggravated manslaughter.
Prosecutors say the couple's 11-year-old son witnessed the attack, and they and the boy's relatives agreed to a plea bargain to spare him from having to testify. State Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury called the sentence "lenient," but accepted the deal.
The 33-year-old Northfield man must serve 85 percent of his term, or about 12 years, before becoming eligible for parole. He told the judge he had "no excuse" for his actions.
MAYS LANDING, N.J. - A southern New Jersey man who strangled his companion after she told him she was moving away with their five children is headed to state prison.
Louis Ceresa of Northfield, who attacked Amanda Carmen inside her parked minivan during a scheduled custody exchange in January, was ordered Friday to serve 15 years. He had pleaded guilty in July to aggravated manslaughter.
Prosecutors say the couple's 11-year-old son witnessed the attack, and they and the boy's relatives agreed to a plea bargain to spare him from having to testify. State Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury called the sentence "lenient," but accepted the deal.
The 33-year-old Northfield man must serve 85 percent of his term, or about 12 years, before becoming eligible for parole. He told the judge he had "no excuse" for his actions.
Laurel, MT: Man kills himself during standoff with deputies
By SUSAN OLP Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Saturday, September 19, 2009 6:30 pm
LAUREL - A man killed himself early Saturday evening during a standoff with Yellowstone County sheriff's deputies.
Sheriff Jay Bell said the 38-year-old Laurel man, whose name has not been released, died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Bell said the Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at about 2 p.m. from a woman who said she had been in a physical altercation with her boyfriend at 1339 Frank Drive in Laurel. She said the man had a handgun and was chasing her.
She was apparently out of the house when she made the 911 call.
The house is in a small cluster of homes in a rural area south of Interstate 90 and west of the CHS Refinery. The house, which is not visible from the road, is surrounded by fields. Bell said the man lived in the residence.
Deputies arrived at the house and began communicating with the man by phone, Bell said.
At that time, an elderly female was still inside the residence. Bell said it was not clear if she was allowed to leave or got out on her own, but the woman came out of the house about an hour to an hour and a half later.
The woman, whose relationship with the man and his girlfriend was not immediately known, was examined by medical personnel on scene and appeared to be OK, Bell said.
He said the Sheriff's Office negotiating team talked with the man by phone for about 4ƒ hours, trying to convince him to come out of the house.
Bell said he and other deputies were told by numerous people at the scene that the man wouldn't come out because he said he didn't want to go back to jail. He was on parole or probation, Bell said.
As the drama continued to unfold, family and friends clustered together outside, out of view of the house.
At about 6:30 p.m., Bell talked with the negotiating team and learned that the team wasn't getting anywhere with the man.
The tactical response team then exited the department's Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicle and launched eight or nine shots of tear gas inside the house to try to force the man out.
A magnified voice identified the officers as members of the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and called for the man to come out.
"You need to come out with your hands in the air," was repeated at intervals each time the tear gas was launched into the house.
At 6:40 p.m., a single gunshot resonated from inside the residence, while deputies waited outside. When deputies entered the house, they found the man in living room dead, with a gunshot wound to the head, Bell said.
He said Sheriff's Office detectives will continue the investigation, and an autopsy will be performed today or Monday.
Bell also thanked the Laurel Police Department, the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Service and Laurel Fire Department for help with the standoff, and the Montana Highway Patrol and Billings Police Department for covering calls while the Sheriff's Office was handling the situation.
LAUREL - A man killed himself early Saturday evening during a standoff with Yellowstone County sheriff's deputies.
Sheriff Jay Bell said the 38-year-old Laurel man, whose name has not been released, died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Bell said the Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at about 2 p.m. from a woman who said she had been in a physical altercation with her boyfriend at 1339 Frank Drive in Laurel. She said the man had a handgun and was chasing her.
She was apparently out of the house when she made the 911 call.
The house is in a small cluster of homes in a rural area south of Interstate 90 and west of the CHS Refinery. The house, which is not visible from the road, is surrounded by fields. Bell said the man lived in the residence.
Deputies arrived at the house and began communicating with the man by phone, Bell said.
At that time, an elderly female was still inside the residence. Bell said it was not clear if she was allowed to leave or got out on her own, but the woman came out of the house about an hour to an hour and a half later.
The woman, whose relationship with the man and his girlfriend was not immediately known, was examined by medical personnel on scene and appeared to be OK, Bell said.
He said the Sheriff's Office negotiating team talked with the man by phone for about 4ƒ hours, trying to convince him to come out of the house.
Bell said he and other deputies were told by numerous people at the scene that the man wouldn't come out because he said he didn't want to go back to jail. He was on parole or probation, Bell said.
As the drama continued to unfold, family and friends clustered together outside, out of view of the house.
At about 6:30 p.m., Bell talked with the negotiating team and learned that the team wasn't getting anywhere with the man.
The tactical response team then exited the department's Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicle and launched eight or nine shots of tear gas inside the house to try to force the man out.
A magnified voice identified the officers as members of the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and called for the man to come out.
"You need to come out with your hands in the air," was repeated at intervals each time the tear gas was launched into the house.
At 6:40 p.m., a single gunshot resonated from inside the residence, while deputies waited outside. When deputies entered the house, they found the man in living room dead, with a gunshot wound to the head, Bell said.
He said Sheriff's Office detectives will continue the investigation, and an autopsy will be performed today or Monday.
Bell also thanked the Laurel Police Department, the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Service and Laurel Fire Department for help with the standoff, and the Montana Highway Patrol and Billings Police Department for covering calls while the Sheriff's Office was handling the situation.
Leechburg, PA: Western Pa. man kills estranged girlfriend, self
The Associated Press
LEECHBURG, Pa. - Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a man shot and killed his estranged girlfriend and then took his own life.
Armstrong County Coroner Robert Bower says 30-year-old Jason Daugherty killed 25-year-old Vanessa Nickzad early Saturday at their home in Leechburg, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Bower says Daugherty then turned the gun on himself.
Leechburg police said a third person was wounded in the 12:05 a.m. Saturday shooting, but the injuries were not considered life-threatening.
LEECHBURG, Pa. - Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a man shot and killed his estranged girlfriend and then took his own life.
Armstrong County Coroner Robert Bower says 30-year-old Jason Daugherty killed 25-year-old Vanessa Nickzad early Saturday at their home in Leechburg, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Bower says Daugherty then turned the gun on himself.
Leechburg police said a third person was wounded in the 12:05 a.m. Saturday shooting, but the injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Haralson County, GA: One killed, one critical following shooting over child support
By Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
11:07 p.m. Friday, September 18, 2009
One man was killed and another critically injured Friday following a shooting in Haralson County on Friday, about an hour west of Atlanta.
The incident apparently began when a woman and her husband stopped by the Buchanan home of her ex-husband to pick up a child support payment, said Deputy Jim Beck.
Shane Brown, 33, was the only person in the Old Corinth Road home when his ex-wife Denise Watkins arrived with her husband. Police aren't sure what prompted Brown to get a gun.
"It appears he fired and struck Tony Watkins," Beck said. Watkins, 33, of Bremen died at the scene.
A Haralson County deputy arriving at the scene on the rural road heard additional shots fired, Beck said. Police believe Brown then turned the gun on himself in the jaw. He was flown to Grady Hospital, where he was in surgery late Friday night.
Denise Watkins suffered minor injuries, and was treated and released from a local hospital.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab is assisting with the investigation, Beck said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
11:07 p.m. Friday, September 18, 2009
One man was killed and another critically injured Friday following a shooting in Haralson County on Friday, about an hour west of Atlanta.
The incident apparently began when a woman and her husband stopped by the Buchanan home of her ex-husband to pick up a child support payment, said Deputy Jim Beck.
Shane Brown, 33, was the only person in the Old Corinth Road home when his ex-wife Denise Watkins arrived with her husband. Police aren't sure what prompted Brown to get a gun.
"It appears he fired and struck Tony Watkins," Beck said. Watkins, 33, of Bremen died at the scene.
A Haralson County deputy arriving at the scene on the rural road heard additional shots fired, Beck said. Police believe Brown then turned the gun on himself in the jaw. He was flown to Grady Hospital, where he was in surgery late Friday night.
Denise Watkins suffered minor injuries, and was treated and released from a local hospital.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab is assisting with the investigation, Beck said.
Roanoke, VA: Judge denies bond for murder suspect
A prosecutor detailed Heath Overstreet's actions prior to the death of his estranged wife.
By Mike Gangloff
981-3336
A prosecutor on Friday offered a more detailed account of the July slaying of Susan Overstreet, arguing that her husband, who is charged with first-degree murder, should stay behind bars pending trial.
Roanoke Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Apgar agreed and declined to set a bond for Heath Overstreet, 43, of Bedford County.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joshua Dietz said Susan Overstreet's death in a South Roanoke apartment came amid the disintegration of the Overstreets' 10-year marriage. Both had relationships with others, he said.
On June 25, Susan Overstreet took out a warrant against her husband for assault and battery. A protective order was issued.
Heath Overstreet was jailed but bonded out the next day. He quickly violated the protective order by running his truck through the front yard of the couple's home in Bedford County and threatening to kill himself, Dietz said.
He was arrested again, taken to Western State Hospital and diagnosed as having a narcissistic personality disorder, Dietz said.
On July 8, Susan Overstreet filed for divorce. The next day, Heath Overstreet confronted her as she left Valley Bank's branch on Church Avenue in Roanoke, where she was a teller. Other bank employees intervened and Heath Overstreet left, Dietz said.
On July 15, Heath Overstreet again violated a protective order by appearing at the Overstreets' Bedford County home as Susan Overstreet, who had moved to an apartment on 24th Street in Roanoke, and a friend tried to remove some of her property. Susan Overstreet and her friend left without the property, Dietz said.
On July 22, one of Susan Overstreet's new neighbors saw Heath Overstreet sitting in his truck outside her apartment for an hour. Phone records showed he sent her multiple text messages and called her about 11:15 p.m., soon after Susan Overstreet left a dinner at a friend's house, Dietz said.
On July 23, Valley Bank employees called police because Susan Overstreet had not come to work. Officers found her dead in her apartment, having suffered three deep cuts to her neck and what seemed to be defensive wounds to her hands. The cause of death was a cut to her jugular vein, Dietz said.
When police picked up Heath Overstreet, he had scratches like those caused by fingernails, Dietz said.
By Mike Gangloff
981-3336
A prosecutor on Friday offered a more detailed account of the July slaying of Susan Overstreet, arguing that her husband, who is charged with first-degree murder, should stay behind bars pending trial.
Roanoke Circuit Court Judge Jonathan Apgar agreed and declined to set a bond for Heath Overstreet, 43, of Bedford County.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joshua Dietz said Susan Overstreet's death in a South Roanoke apartment came amid the disintegration of the Overstreets' 10-year marriage. Both had relationships with others, he said.
On June 25, Susan Overstreet took out a warrant against her husband for assault and battery. A protective order was issued.
Heath Overstreet was jailed but bonded out the next day. He quickly violated the protective order by running his truck through the front yard of the couple's home in Bedford County and threatening to kill himself, Dietz said.
He was arrested again, taken to Western State Hospital and diagnosed as having a narcissistic personality disorder, Dietz said.
On July 8, Susan Overstreet filed for divorce. The next day, Heath Overstreet confronted her as she left Valley Bank's branch on Church Avenue in Roanoke, where she was a teller. Other bank employees intervened and Heath Overstreet left, Dietz said.
On July 15, Heath Overstreet again violated a protective order by appearing at the Overstreets' Bedford County home as Susan Overstreet, who had moved to an apartment on 24th Street in Roanoke, and a friend tried to remove some of her property. Susan Overstreet and her friend left without the property, Dietz said.
On July 22, one of Susan Overstreet's new neighbors saw Heath Overstreet sitting in his truck outside her apartment for an hour. Phone records showed he sent her multiple text messages and called her about 11:15 p.m., soon after Susan Overstreet left a dinner at a friend's house, Dietz said.
On July 23, Valley Bank employees called police because Susan Overstreet had not come to work. Officers found her dead in her apartment, having suffered three deep cuts to her neck and what seemed to be defensive wounds to her hands. The cause of death was a cut to her jugular vein, Dietz said.
When police picked up Heath Overstreet, he had scratches like those caused by fingernails, Dietz said.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wharton State Forest, NJ: Parents say sentence too light for man who killed daughter, dumped her in Wharton State Forest
By DONNA WEAVER Staff Writer, 609-226-9198 | Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 |
Dina Tush said when she finally got her daughter's bruised and battered body back, five days after she was murdered in April 2008, there was a 3-inch hole in her neck.
Jessica Tush's parents said what they found out from their daughter's autopsy report confirmed their suspicions that she was brutally killed in a way that should have been resulted in a murder charge.
Thomas Paolino, 20, of Staten Island, N.Y., was sentenced Friday morning to 23½ years in prison after pleading guilty in July to aggravated manslaughter in the death of ex-girlfriend Tush, also of Staten Island.
Now the Tushes say they want the public to know what was in the report and exactly what Paolino did to their daughter.
"The prosecutor told us and the autopsy report said she was stabbed in the neck up to 12 times," Dina Tush said. "He was stabbing her while he was choking her, they told me."
The 19-year-old's body was found by hikers in a shallow grave in April 2008 in Wharton State Forest.
The Tushes said they cannot forget a neighbor telling them that the morning of their daughter's slaying, Paolino was seen on their street with a shovel and trash bags in the back of his truck.
"That's premeditation. That was the same shovel he used to bury my daughter," Dina Tush said.
And now that they know the details of their daughter's slaying - details that have not been released to the public until now - the couple said her killer's sentence is just not enough.
In October, Paolino pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, desecrating human remains, two counts of theft and hindering apprehension. But in July, those charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office. Paolino pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and third-degree hindering apprehension.
Under terms of the plea agreement, Paolino must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. The hindering apprehension charge will carry a five-year sentence that will be served concurrently.
Members of the Tush family told The Press of Atlantic City this week that the terms of the plea agreement were not discussed with them until the day Paolino entered his guilty plea in July.
"It's a shame they'll let a person of this caliber out in less than 20 years. He's an animal and shouldn't have a chance at freedom. I don't want to see him victimizing another family," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush, Jessica Tush's father said he can't understand why the state would make a bargain with a killer.
"When they called us in to court, it seemed like it was a done deal. We wanted to go to trial, we wanted the 12 jurors to see what kind of person he is and decide," Victor Tush said.
The Tushes said they begged the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office to allow them to examine their autopsy report. Officials, however, declined until just recently.
"They kept telling us we didn't want to see her that way, and that we should remember her the way she was. But we needed to know everything. For so long, all I did was imagine," Dina Tush said.
After repeated inquiries from The Press, authorities from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the details of the autopsy report.
"Jessica had three fractured ribs, scrapes on her back, they said most likely from being dragged, a slice across her neck, a broken hyoid from him choking her and broken blood vessels around her eyes," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush said his daughter's jewelry was missing. New Jersey State Police detectives showed the couple two photos to identify - one of their daughter's sneakers and another of her necklace, a silver heart that she was wearing the morning she left her home.
"I know she was wearing that necklace when she left, and they (police) had a picture of that same necklace hanging from around (Paolino)'s rearview mirror," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush said the autopsy report also revelead that Paolino's semen was found inside Tush. Authorities told the family that they could not prove she was raped and that there was no vaginal tearing, he said.
"They said because she was clothed, they don't think she was raped, and also because they were a couple," he said.
Dina Tush said her daughter would not have had sex with Paolino willingly. Just days before her slaying, Tush was assaulted by Paolino and suffered two black eyes.
Tush's aunt, Alda Villafana, also of Staten Island, said after Paolino buried her niece he made a makeshift cross out of sticks and left it at the crime scene.
"I'm confident he would have been convicted of first-degree murder knowing the details of the crime. He committed it in a devious and perverse way," Villafana said.
Paolino could wind up with more time behind bars for allegedly punching a prison guard in the face, according to a report in the Staten Island Advance.
Authorities say Paolino fought with a corrections officer at the Burlington County Jail earlier this month and now faces a felony charge of aggravated assault against a corrections officer, which carries a maximum of five years on a conviction.
Dina Tush said when she finally got her daughter's bruised and battered body back, five days after she was murdered in April 2008, there was a 3-inch hole in her neck.
Jessica Tush's parents said what they found out from their daughter's autopsy report confirmed their suspicions that she was brutally killed in a way that should have been resulted in a murder charge.
Thomas Paolino, 20, of Staten Island, N.Y., was sentenced Friday morning to 23½ years in prison after pleading guilty in July to aggravated manslaughter in the death of ex-girlfriend Tush, also of Staten Island.
Now the Tushes say they want the public to know what was in the report and exactly what Paolino did to their daughter.
"The prosecutor told us and the autopsy report said she was stabbed in the neck up to 12 times," Dina Tush said. "He was stabbing her while he was choking her, they told me."
The 19-year-old's body was found by hikers in a shallow grave in April 2008 in Wharton State Forest.
The Tushes said they cannot forget a neighbor telling them that the morning of their daughter's slaying, Paolino was seen on their street with a shovel and trash bags in the back of his truck.
"That's premeditation. That was the same shovel he used to bury my daughter," Dina Tush said.
And now that they know the details of their daughter's slaying - details that have not been released to the public until now - the couple said her killer's sentence is just not enough.
In October, Paolino pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, desecrating human remains, two counts of theft and hindering apprehension. But in July, those charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office. Paolino pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and third-degree hindering apprehension.
Under terms of the plea agreement, Paolino must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. The hindering apprehension charge will carry a five-year sentence that will be served concurrently.
Members of the Tush family told The Press of Atlantic City this week that the terms of the plea agreement were not discussed with them until the day Paolino entered his guilty plea in July.
"It's a shame they'll let a person of this caliber out in less than 20 years. He's an animal and shouldn't have a chance at freedom. I don't want to see him victimizing another family," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush, Jessica Tush's father said he can't understand why the state would make a bargain with a killer.
"When they called us in to court, it seemed like it was a done deal. We wanted to go to trial, we wanted the 12 jurors to see what kind of person he is and decide," Victor Tush said.
The Tushes said they begged the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office to allow them to examine their autopsy report. Officials, however, declined until just recently.
"They kept telling us we didn't want to see her that way, and that we should remember her the way she was. But we needed to know everything. For so long, all I did was imagine," Dina Tush said.
After repeated inquiries from The Press, authorities from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the details of the autopsy report.
"Jessica had three fractured ribs, scrapes on her back, they said most likely from being dragged, a slice across her neck, a broken hyoid from him choking her and broken blood vessels around her eyes," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush said his daughter's jewelry was missing. New Jersey State Police detectives showed the couple two photos to identify - one of their daughter's sneakers and another of her necklace, a silver heart that she was wearing the morning she left her home.
"I know she was wearing that necklace when she left, and they (police) had a picture of that same necklace hanging from around (Paolino)'s rearview mirror," Dina Tush said.
Victor Tush said the autopsy report also revelead that Paolino's semen was found inside Tush. Authorities told the family that they could not prove she was raped and that there was no vaginal tearing, he said.
"They said because she was clothed, they don't think she was raped, and also because they were a couple," he said.
Dina Tush said her daughter would not have had sex with Paolino willingly. Just days before her slaying, Tush was assaulted by Paolino and suffered two black eyes.
Tush's aunt, Alda Villafana, also of Staten Island, said after Paolino buried her niece he made a makeshift cross out of sticks and left it at the crime scene.
"I'm confident he would have been convicted of first-degree murder knowing the details of the crime. He committed it in a devious and perverse way," Villafana said.
Paolino could wind up with more time behind bars for allegedly punching a prison guard in the face, according to a report in the Staten Island Advance.
Authorities say Paolino fought with a corrections officer at the Burlington County Jail earlier this month and now faces a felony charge of aggravated assault against a corrections officer, which carries a maximum of five years on a conviction.
St. Louis, MO: Man kills ex-girlfriend in front of woman's 4 kids
By Denise Hollinshed
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Sep. 18 2009
Updated 11:13 a.m.
ST. LOUIS -- A woman's ex-boyfriend gunned her down on a south St. Louis street
this morning in front of the woman's four children. The man then killed himself.
The shooting happened a few minutes after 8 a.m. today at an apartment building
in the 2800 block of Park Avenue in St. Louis. The woman already had an order
of protection prohibiting her ex-boyfriend from coming near her, police said.
But, she could not get off work Thursday to make the order permanent, her
father said.
The woman's father, Ty Amerson, of Kirkwood, said that his daughter, Melissa
Amerson, 26, was shot to death as she was loading her four children into a
green minivan outside her apartment this morning. Her ex-boyfriend, Rodney
Morris, then killed himself.
Murder victim Melissa Amerson
Ty Amerson said that he was at home when his 10-year-old granddaughter called
to tell him that her mother had been shot to death by Morris, who then shot
himself. All four children were near their mother when she was killed. None of
them were harmed.
Ty Amerson said that his daughter had dated Morris for about five years.
Melissa had just celebrated her birthday two days ago, her father said.
"They have been having problems, she took out a restraining order," said Ty
Amerson.
Ty Amerson said that his daughter worked at the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
in St. Louis. She was going to work when the shooting took place. She had just
placed the children in the van.
St. Louis homicide detectives got to the home about 8:20 a.m. and found the
body of Melissa Amerson crumpled outside her green minivan. About 30 feet away,
in Amerson's back yard, was Morris' body.
Neighbors said they had heard multiple gunshots and called police.
The apartment is at the intersection of Ewing and Park avenues. It is also near
the Hodgen School playground and the Interstate 44 and South Jefferson Avenue
intersection.
Police Lt. Ed Kuehner confirmed that the man shot the woman, then shot himself.
Neighbors said that in the past few days, they had seen Morris driving his
black truck around the neighborhood.
Aaron Foster, 37, lives in the same apartment building as Melissa Amerson. He
has known her for the two years that she lived there with her children.
Foster said that Morris had battered Melissa in the past. He said that last
month, Morris beat Melissa in front of the neighbors. This morning, Foster
said, he saw Morris arguing with Melissa in front of her four children as she
put the kids in her van. Foster said that he then heard gunshots and saw
Melissa's body slumped in the van.
"The kids were screaming and yelling," Foster said.
Foster said he hurried the children into his own apartment. Morris "took the
gun and pointed it toward me, then he took it back and shot himself in the
head," Foster said.
Foster, a former emergency medical technician, said that Melissa was shot in
the head, chest and arm. He said that the position of Melissa's body showed
that she had been shot in the back.
"She was in a jovial mood this week because we were going to go out to
celebrate her birthday," Foster said.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Sep. 18 2009
Updated 11:13 a.m.
ST. LOUIS -- A woman's ex-boyfriend gunned her down on a south St. Louis street
this morning in front of the woman's four children. The man then killed himself.
The shooting happened a few minutes after 8 a.m. today at an apartment building
in the 2800 block of Park Avenue in St. Louis. The woman already had an order
of protection prohibiting her ex-boyfriend from coming near her, police said.
But, she could not get off work Thursday to make the order permanent, her
father said.
The woman's father, Ty Amerson, of Kirkwood, said that his daughter, Melissa
Amerson, 26, was shot to death as she was loading her four children into a
green minivan outside her apartment this morning. Her ex-boyfriend, Rodney
Morris, then killed himself.
Murder victim Melissa Amerson
Ty Amerson said that he was at home when his 10-year-old granddaughter called
to tell him that her mother had been shot to death by Morris, who then shot
himself. All four children were near their mother when she was killed. None of
them were harmed.
Ty Amerson said that his daughter had dated Morris for about five years.
Melissa had just celebrated her birthday two days ago, her father said.
"They have been having problems, she took out a restraining order," said Ty
Amerson.
Ty Amerson said that his daughter worked at the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
in St. Louis. She was going to work when the shooting took place. She had just
placed the children in the van.
St. Louis homicide detectives got to the home about 8:20 a.m. and found the
body of Melissa Amerson crumpled outside her green minivan. About 30 feet away,
in Amerson's back yard, was Morris' body.
Neighbors said they had heard multiple gunshots and called police.
The apartment is at the intersection of Ewing and Park avenues. It is also near
the Hodgen School playground and the Interstate 44 and South Jefferson Avenue
intersection.
Police Lt. Ed Kuehner confirmed that the man shot the woman, then shot himself.
Neighbors said that in the past few days, they had seen Morris driving his
black truck around the neighborhood.
Aaron Foster, 37, lives in the same apartment building as Melissa Amerson. He
has known her for the two years that she lived there with her children.
Foster said that Morris had battered Melissa in the past. He said that last
month, Morris beat Melissa in front of the neighbors. This morning, Foster
said, he saw Morris arguing with Melissa in front of her four children as she
put the kids in her van. Foster said that he then heard gunshots and saw
Melissa's body slumped in the van.
"The kids were screaming and yelling," Foster said.
Foster said he hurried the children into his own apartment. Morris "took the
gun and pointed it toward me, then he took it back and shot himself in the
head," Foster said.
Foster, a former emergency medical technician, said that Melissa was shot in
the head, chest and arm. He said that the position of Melissa's body showed
that she had been shot in the back.
"She was in a jovial mood this week because we were going to go out to
celebrate her birthday," Foster said.
Gulfport, MS: Man gets 20 years in death of former girlfriend
Circuit Judge Roger Clark has sentenced 43-year-old Clyde Collins to 20 years for manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend.
Collins was charged with murder in the slaying of 35-year-old Amelia Young on Aug. 28, 2007. The only eyewitness in the case was shot to death in a nightclub five months ago.
Collins pleaded guilty to the lesser charge on Thursday. The judge gave him the maximum penalty.
Anthony McCord was the state's key witness against Collins. McCord was fatally shot on Easter Sunday in the Boiler Room lounge, which has since closed.
Collins was charged with murder in the slaying of 35-year-old Amelia Young on Aug. 28, 2007. The only eyewitness in the case was shot to death in a nightclub five months ago.
Collins pleaded guilty to the lesser charge on Thursday. The judge gave him the maximum penalty.
Anthony McCord was the state's key witness against Collins. McCord was fatally shot on Easter Sunday in the Boiler Room lounge, which has since closed.
Des Moines, IA: Police: Woman's Body Found In Back Of Picku
Phipps Faces Judge In Girlfriend's Death
Des Moines Man Calls Melissa Dean's Death An Accident
POSTED: 3:48 pm CDT September 19, 2009
UPDATED: 4:01 pm CDT September 19, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A man charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend faced a judge on Saturday.
Christopher Phipps is accused of killing Melissa Dean, 38, at her mobile home on Army Post Road.
Dean's body was found in a pickup truck on Southwest Ninth Street. That's where Phipps called 911 to report that he had killed her.
Phipps said that Dean's death was an accident.
POSTED: 6:07 am CDT September 18, 2009
UPDATED: 10:47 am CDT September 18, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines police found a woman dead in the back of a pickup truck after answering a 911 call Friday morning.
Sgt. Christopher Scott said the call came in at 5:15 a.m. of an assault on a female. When officers arrived at Southwest 9th Street and McKinley Avenue they found a woman dead in the back of the truck in a parking lot.
Police said a man was taken into custody for questioning and was later charged with first-degree murder. His name is expected to be released later this morning.
The truck was parked next to a pay phone.
Police are also at a house at the Fort Des Moines trailer park at Army Post Road and Southwest 7th Street that is connected to the case. Officers said the death likely did not happen at the Southwest 9th Street crime scene.
Des Moines Man Calls Melissa Dean's Death An Accident
POSTED: 3:48 pm CDT September 19, 2009
UPDATED: 4:01 pm CDT September 19, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A man charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend faced a judge on Saturday.
Christopher Phipps is accused of killing Melissa Dean, 38, at her mobile home on Army Post Road.
Dean's body was found in a pickup truck on Southwest Ninth Street. That's where Phipps called 911 to report that he had killed her.
Phipps said that Dean's death was an accident.
POSTED: 6:07 am CDT September 18, 2009
UPDATED: 10:47 am CDT September 18, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines police found a woman dead in the back of a pickup truck after answering a 911 call Friday morning.
Sgt. Christopher Scott said the call came in at 5:15 a.m. of an assault on a female. When officers arrived at Southwest 9th Street and McKinley Avenue they found a woman dead in the back of the truck in a parking lot.
Police said a man was taken into custody for questioning and was later charged with first-degree murder. His name is expected to be released later this morning.
The truck was parked next to a pay phone.
Police are also at a house at the Fort Des Moines trailer park at Army Post Road and Southwest 7th Street that is connected to the case. Officers said the death likely did not happen at the Southwest 9th Street crime scene.
Newton Grove, NC: Two dead in murder-suicide in Newton Grove
Posted: Today at 8:29 a.m.
A man and woman from Clinton died in an apparent murder-suicide Thursday night, Newton Grove Police Chief Frankie Harrell said.
Daniel Bradley Drayton, 22, and Tammy Pickett, 20, were found dead inside a car parked in a lot outside a business at 206 Fayetteville St.
Harrell said it appeared that they pulled off the side of the road at a random point, then Drayton shot Pickett and himself.
Authorities have not commented on the relationship between the two.
A man and woman from Clinton died in an apparent murder-suicide Thursday night, Newton Grove Police Chief Frankie Harrell said.
Daniel Bradley Drayton, 22, and Tammy Pickett, 20, were found dead inside a car parked in a lot outside a business at 206 Fayetteville St.
Harrell said it appeared that they pulled off the side of the road at a random point, then Drayton shot Pickett and himself.
Authorities have not commented on the relationship between the two.
Sioux Falls, SD: Judge: Man spoke willfully after SD deputy killed
Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- If a Marion man charged with killing a Turner County deputy sheriff testifies, jurors may hear statements he made to investigators after surrendering, a judge ruled this week.
Ethan Johns, 20, is charged with murder in the March 15 shooting death of Chad Mechels, 32, of Madison.
The officer was sent to Johns' rented farmhouse to check on him after he reportedly threatened to kill himself during a fight with his girlfriend. Johns and Mechels shot at each other and Mechels was struck in the right arm and throat with a high-powered rifle.
Johns said it was self-defense.
His lawyers filed a motion to keep out of the trial statements Johns made to detectives after turning himself in three hours after the shooting. The statements were made 40 miles away at the law enforcement center in Sioux Falls, where Johns was handcuffed and taken to an interview room.
Johns refused to waive his rights and asked for a lawyer, but the interview continued and Division of Criminal Investigation agents were "very aggressive," his attorneys argued in the motion to suppress.
To disprove that, prosecutors called witnesses at a July hearing to try to show that Johns' statements were voluntary.
In a ruling filed this week, Circuit Judge Steven Jensen concluded that the statements were willful. He said prosecutors may use the statements, which are sealed, to impeach, or challenge, Johns' credibility if he takes the stand. Otherwise they will not be used.
"Johns does not claim, nor does the record show that any of Johns' specific statements were coerced by the agents. Rather, it is apparent that Johns was quite willing to tell his story to the agents and freely spoke with the agents throughout the interrogation," Jensen wrote.
Johns' trial has not been scheduled.
He is charged with alternate counts of first-degree and second-degree murder. That means if the jury doesn't convict him of premeditated murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison or the death penalty, he could be found guilty of the lesser charge, which carries mandatory life in prison.
The prosecutor declined to comment. Johns' attorney did not immediately return a request seeking comment.
Copyright © 2009 siouxcityjournal.com
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- If a Marion man charged with killing a Turner County deputy sheriff testifies, jurors may hear statements he made to investigators after surrendering, a judge ruled this week.
Ethan Johns, 20, is charged with murder in the March 15 shooting death of Chad Mechels, 32, of Madison.
The officer was sent to Johns' rented farmhouse to check on him after he reportedly threatened to kill himself during a fight with his girlfriend. Johns and Mechels shot at each other and Mechels was struck in the right arm and throat with a high-powered rifle.
Johns said it was self-defense.
His lawyers filed a motion to keep out of the trial statements Johns made to detectives after turning himself in three hours after the shooting. The statements were made 40 miles away at the law enforcement center in Sioux Falls, where Johns was handcuffed and taken to an interview room.
Johns refused to waive his rights and asked for a lawyer, but the interview continued and Division of Criminal Investigation agents were "very aggressive," his attorneys argued in the motion to suppress.
To disprove that, prosecutors called witnesses at a July hearing to try to show that Johns' statements were voluntary.
In a ruling filed this week, Circuit Judge Steven Jensen concluded that the statements were willful. He said prosecutors may use the statements, which are sealed, to impeach, or challenge, Johns' credibility if he takes the stand. Otherwise they will not be used.
"Johns does not claim, nor does the record show that any of Johns' specific statements were coerced by the agents. Rather, it is apparent that Johns was quite willing to tell his story to the agents and freely spoke with the agents throughout the interrogation," Jensen wrote.
Johns' trial has not been scheduled.
He is charged with alternate counts of first-degree and second-degree murder. That means if the jury doesn't convict him of premeditated murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison or the death penalty, he could be found guilty of the lesser charge, which carries mandatory life in prison.
The prosecutor declined to comment. Johns' attorney did not immediately return a request seeking comment.
Copyright © 2009 siouxcityjournal.com
Rochester, NY: Chicago man pleads not guilty in Rochester stabbing death
Victoria E. Freile – Staff writer
Local News – September 17, 2009 - 5:21am
Mario L. Blancas, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping.
A Chicago man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s aunt in the eye last night pleaded not guilty in City Court today.
Mario L. Blancas, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping, both felonies, in connection with the incident, said Rochester Police Capt. Todd Baxter.
The victim — Ada Rivera, 39, of Rochester — died at Strong Memorial Hospital about 3:15 a.m. today.
Blancas is accused of stabbing Rivera during a dispute in an apartment at 105 Ambrose St., Apt. 4, at 8:48 p.m., according to City Court documents.
According to City Court documents, Blancas is also accused of forcing his former girlfriend, Bianca Jasmine Melendez, 24, into her car at knifepoint and forcing her drive away from the scene. The pair headed west in Interstate 490, toward Buffalo.
Blancas was apprehended at a gas station in Churchville by Monroe County sheriff’s deputies about 30 minutes later.
According to court documents, Melendez told Blancas that she needed to stop for gas. Upon arriving at a gas station, she claimed she needed to use a bank card to get money for gas, entered the station’s convenience store and asked the clerk for help, according to her statement to police. The clerk locked the door and called for help.
Rochester Police Officer LaRon Singletary said Melendez was not physically injured during the incident.
According to City Court documents, Blancas and Melendez started dating in July. Melendez told police that she recently ended the relationship.
According to court documents, Melendez lived at the Ambrose Street apartment and had returned to her apartment with Rivera last night to retrieve an item. Since the breakup, Melendez said she stayed at Rivera’s home.
When Melendez and Rivera entered the apartment, Blancas and Melendez’s cousin were at the apartment. According to his statement to police, Blancas had asked the cousin to take him there to retrieve an item.
Rivera and Blancas argued moments before he allegedly attacked her.
Melendez, her 17-year-old cousin and her 6-year-old son were all inside the residence at the time, according to Melendez’s statement to police. No other injuries were reported.
Rivera’s family said they are still trying to cope with what happened.
Nelson Sepulveda, 38, of Irondequoit, said the fatal stabbing was shocking from both sides.
“She was a very nice lady,” he said of his sister-in-law. “We never expected this to happen from this person — he was a nice guy.”
Sepulveda said neither the family nor police know what Blancas’ motive was in the stabbing.
Blancas today was remanded to the Monroe County Jail without bail. He is slated to return to court for a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
City Court Judge Stephen T. Miller also issued orders of protection for Melendez and a male witness.
Local News – September 17, 2009 - 5:21am
Mario L. Blancas, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping.
A Chicago man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s aunt in the eye last night pleaded not guilty in City Court today.
Mario L. Blancas, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping, both felonies, in connection with the incident, said Rochester Police Capt. Todd Baxter.
The victim — Ada Rivera, 39, of Rochester — died at Strong Memorial Hospital about 3:15 a.m. today.
Blancas is accused of stabbing Rivera during a dispute in an apartment at 105 Ambrose St., Apt. 4, at 8:48 p.m., according to City Court documents.
According to City Court documents, Blancas is also accused of forcing his former girlfriend, Bianca Jasmine Melendez, 24, into her car at knifepoint and forcing her drive away from the scene. The pair headed west in Interstate 490, toward Buffalo.
Blancas was apprehended at a gas station in Churchville by Monroe County sheriff’s deputies about 30 minutes later.
According to court documents, Melendez told Blancas that she needed to stop for gas. Upon arriving at a gas station, she claimed she needed to use a bank card to get money for gas, entered the station’s convenience store and asked the clerk for help, according to her statement to police. The clerk locked the door and called for help.
Rochester Police Officer LaRon Singletary said Melendez was not physically injured during the incident.
According to City Court documents, Blancas and Melendez started dating in July. Melendez told police that she recently ended the relationship.
According to court documents, Melendez lived at the Ambrose Street apartment and had returned to her apartment with Rivera last night to retrieve an item. Since the breakup, Melendez said she stayed at Rivera’s home.
When Melendez and Rivera entered the apartment, Blancas and Melendez’s cousin were at the apartment. According to his statement to police, Blancas had asked the cousin to take him there to retrieve an item.
Rivera and Blancas argued moments before he allegedly attacked her.
Melendez, her 17-year-old cousin and her 6-year-old son were all inside the residence at the time, according to Melendez’s statement to police. No other injuries were reported.
Rivera’s family said they are still trying to cope with what happened.
Nelson Sepulveda, 38, of Irondequoit, said the fatal stabbing was shocking from both sides.
“She was a very nice lady,” he said of his sister-in-law. “We never expected this to happen from this person — he was a nice guy.”
Sepulveda said neither the family nor police know what Blancas’ motive was in the stabbing.
Blancas today was remanded to the Monroe County Jail without bail. He is slated to return to court for a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
City Court Judge Stephen T. Miller also issued orders of protection for Melendez and a male witness.
Summer Place, NC: Man killed in domestic dispute at High Rock Lake community; woman also shot
By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
A domestic dispute in the Summer Place community of High Rock Lake left a man dead and a woman seriously wounded Thursday night.
The shootings occurred about 8:15 p.m. at 165 Leisure Lane, which is near Sportsman and Sapona drives off the Second Creek arm of High Rock Lake.
An argument between a husband and wife at the home left the husband dead at the scene from a shotgun wound.
A woman who apparently had brought the man to the address earlier in the evening also was shot. Wounded, she drove herself in a Ford Expedition to Tamarac Marina off Bringle Ferry Road, where someone called for help.
Emergency personnel said the 21-year-old woman had serious vascular, bone and nerve damage to her lower left arm and hand from a shotgun blast.
She was receiving blood on her way to Rowan Regional Medical Center but was stable and alert, reports said.
A medical helicopter transported her to another facility later in the evening.
"We're making every effort to find out what happened," Rowan County Sheriff George Wilhelm said Thursday from the scene.
Wilhelm would not release names of the victims, pending notification of next of kin.
Detectives and a crime scene unit from the Sheriff's Office were conducting interviews, collecting evidence and trying to sort things out.
Wilhelm said it was his understanding that the wife had a 50-B protective order out against her husband.
"He was shot, and another person with him was shot," Wilhelm said.
Investigators were trying to determine Thursday night whether the incident was justifiable self-defense, "or something else," Wilhelm said.
He stopped short of saying his office had the wife in custody and reiterated that his officers were talking with several people.
Wilhelm said he would be consulting with the district attorney's office to determine what would happen next.
A neighbor sitting on her porch heard arguments and screaming coming from the home followed by two shots. The neighbor then called 911.
"I was so scared I couldn't remember my own address," she said.
mwineka@salisburypost.com
A domestic dispute in the Summer Place community of High Rock Lake left a man dead and a woman seriously wounded Thursday night.
The shootings occurred about 8:15 p.m. at 165 Leisure Lane, which is near Sportsman and Sapona drives off the Second Creek arm of High Rock Lake.
An argument between a husband and wife at the home left the husband dead at the scene from a shotgun wound.
A woman who apparently had brought the man to the address earlier in the evening also was shot. Wounded, she drove herself in a Ford Expedition to Tamarac Marina off Bringle Ferry Road, where someone called for help.
Emergency personnel said the 21-year-old woman had serious vascular, bone and nerve damage to her lower left arm and hand from a shotgun blast.
She was receiving blood on her way to Rowan Regional Medical Center but was stable and alert, reports said.
A medical helicopter transported her to another facility later in the evening.
"We're making every effort to find out what happened," Rowan County Sheriff George Wilhelm said Thursday from the scene.
Wilhelm would not release names of the victims, pending notification of next of kin.
Detectives and a crime scene unit from the Sheriff's Office were conducting interviews, collecting evidence and trying to sort things out.
Wilhelm said it was his understanding that the wife had a 50-B protective order out against her husband.
"He was shot, and another person with him was shot," Wilhelm said.
Investigators were trying to determine Thursday night whether the incident was justifiable self-defense, "or something else," Wilhelm said.
He stopped short of saying his office had the wife in custody and reiterated that his officers were talking with several people.
Wilhelm said he would be consulting with the district attorney's office to determine what would happen next.
A neighbor sitting on her porch heard arguments and screaming coming from the home followed by two shots. The neighbor then called 911.
"I was so scared I couldn't remember my own address," she said.
Las Vegas, NV: Murder-suicide probe in west valley reveals grim scene
By LAWRENCE MOWER
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Las Vegas police discovered the valley’s fourth murder-suicide or attempted suicide in 12 days Thursday afternoon when they walked into the home of a recently deceased husband and a wife who had been dead for possibly two years.
The man had written a letter to the department’s records section, where an employee received it Thursday. The letter claimed he had killed his wife two years ago and that he was going to kill himself, Lt. Lew Roberts said.
Shortly before 2 p.m., officers went to the home at 1516 Willowbark Court, near Charleston Boulevard and Fort Apache Road, and found the home locked.
A locksmith opened the door, and police found the man dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the back bedroom.
The man’s wife was found in another room of the house.
Roberts said he didn’t know if she had been deceased for two years.
“She had been dead a while,” he said.
The names of the two people have not been released.
Of four such cases in the valley in the last 12 days, three have been in the Metropolitan Police Department’s jurisdiction.
On Sept. 5, a Texas man shot and killed a North Las Vegas woman with whom he had shared a relationship before turning the gun on himself. He died a few days later.
Two days later, a 51-year-old man shot and killed his girlfriend with a rifle from a second-floor landing in their northwest valley home. He called police after shooting himself in the neck and is expected to survive.
On Sept. 14, a housekeeper discovered the body of a 29-year-old woman shot to death by her boyfriend in her home near Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard. Her boyfriend’s body was found upstairs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Las Vegas police discovered the valley’s fourth murder-suicide or attempted suicide in 12 days Thursday afternoon when they walked into the home of a recently deceased husband and a wife who had been dead for possibly two years.
The man had written a letter to the department’s records section, where an employee received it Thursday. The letter claimed he had killed his wife two years ago and that he was going to kill himself, Lt. Lew Roberts said.
Shortly before 2 p.m., officers went to the home at 1516 Willowbark Court, near Charleston Boulevard and Fort Apache Road, and found the home locked.
A locksmith opened the door, and police found the man dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the back bedroom.
The man’s wife was found in another room of the house.
Roberts said he didn’t know if she had been deceased for two years.
“She had been dead a while,” he said.
The names of the two people have not been released.
Of four such cases in the valley in the last 12 days, three have been in the Metropolitan Police Department’s jurisdiction.
On Sept. 5, a Texas man shot and killed a North Las Vegas woman with whom he had shared a relationship before turning the gun on himself. He died a few days later.
Two days later, a 51-year-old man shot and killed his girlfriend with a rifle from a second-floor landing in their northwest valley home. He called police after shooting himself in the neck and is expected to survive.
On Sept. 14, a housekeeper discovered the body of a 29-year-old woman shot to death by her boyfriend in her home near Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard. Her boyfriend’s body was found upstairs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Simpsonville, SC: Hwy 14 Back Open After Apparent Murder Suicide In Simpsonville
STAFF REPORTS
Published: September 17, 2009
**Update 3:45p.m.**
Greenville County coroner Mike Ellis has released the names of both victims.
58 year-old Beverly Ann Thompson of 201 Highway 14 in Simpsonville. She was found dead in her driveway next to a vehicle around 7:50 am.
Autopsy: Multiple Gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Ruled as a homicide
Ralph Thompson of 108 Tracy Lane in Simpsonville. Found in a field near Highway 14 and Stokes Road around 8:10 am.
Autopsy: Single gun shot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide.
**Update 2:36 p.m.**
The Greenville Sheriff’s Office reports Highway 14 is back open at Stokes Road in Simpsonville. Investigators are continuing to work the case.
**Update 9:15 a.m.**
Highway 14 is shutdown while deputies investigate a crime scene at Highway 14 at Stokes Road in Simpsonville.
Shea Smith with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office says that the woman was shot and her body is in the backyard of the residence. Investigators believe the suspect got into his car and went about 200 yards, pulled his car into a field and apparently shot himself. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office is is on the scene.
Greenville County Sheriff’s Office reports 2 people have been shot in separate locations on Highway 14 in Simpsonville. Matt Armstrong with the Sheriff’s office says dispatch received a call about a disturbance at 201 Highway 14. Deputies responded and found a female shot to death in the driveway of the residence. The sheriff’s office says the suspect went across the street and he was found dead with a gunshot wound. Investigators are on the scene.
Published: September 17, 2009
**Update 3:45p.m.**
Greenville County coroner Mike Ellis has released the names of both victims.
58 year-old Beverly Ann Thompson of 201 Highway 14 in Simpsonville. She was found dead in her driveway next to a vehicle around 7:50 am.
Autopsy: Multiple Gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Ruled as a homicide
Ralph Thompson of 108 Tracy Lane in Simpsonville. Found in a field near Highway 14 and Stokes Road around 8:10 am.
Autopsy: Single gun shot wound to the head. Ruled a suicide.
**Update 2:36 p.m.**
The Greenville Sheriff’s Office reports Highway 14 is back open at Stokes Road in Simpsonville. Investigators are continuing to work the case.
**Update 9:15 a.m.**
Highway 14 is shutdown while deputies investigate a crime scene at Highway 14 at Stokes Road in Simpsonville.
Shea Smith with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office says that the woman was shot and her body is in the backyard of the residence. Investigators believe the suspect got into his car and went about 200 yards, pulled his car into a field and apparently shot himself. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office is is on the scene.
Greenville County Sheriff’s Office reports 2 people have been shot in separate locations on Highway 14 in Simpsonville. Matt Armstrong with the Sheriff’s office says dispatch received a call about a disturbance at 201 Highway 14. Deputies responded and found a female shot to death in the driveway of the residence. The sheriff’s office says the suspect went across the street and he was found dead with a gunshot wound. Investigators are on the scene.
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