Posted: 3:58 pm EST February 20, 2010
Updated: 5:40 pm EST February 20, 2010
SHELBY, N.C. -- Shelby police are investigating what appeared to be a murder-suicide early Saturday morning.
Police were dispatched to a home on Churchill Drive in reference to a 911 hangup. Upon arrival, officers were confronted by a man armed with a handgun threatening to kill himself police said.
A standoff ensued with the man.
During the standoff, police learned that a female in the house had been shot and there were two children inside.
Officers were able to get the children out of the home and they were taken to family members who were at the scene.
A short time later, officers said they heard a gunshot go off inside the home.
When police were finally able to get inside the home, they found both the man and woman dead, authorities said.
Police are not releasing the names of the victims.
If anyone has any information about this case, they are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-481-8477 or the Shelby Police Department at 704-484-6845.
A compilation of daily news articles from around the United States about deaths (including both people and animals) that appear to occur in the context of a past or present intimate relationship, focusing on 2009-present. (NOTE: this blog is limited to incidents that appear in the media and are captured by our search terms. We recognize this is not an exhaustive portrayal of all deaths resulting from intimate violence.) When is society going to realize intimate violence makes victims of us all?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Arcadia, CA: Suspect in PCC student's death has new court date
Posted: 02/20/2010 02:01:33 AM PST
Blog
Go behind the yellow tape in the Crime Scene blog
An Alhambra man charged with murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend in 2007 was ordered Friday to return to Alhambra Court on March 19 for a pretrial hearing.
Isaac Campbell, 34, is accused in the death of Liya "Jessie" Lu, 31, of San Gabriel. Her body was found stuffed in a trash can at a home in Arcadia about a month after she was reported missing. Lu and Campbell were both nursing students at Pasadena City College. Lu went missing on Aug. 11, 2007.
Shortly after Lu disappeared, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Campbell.
Blog
Go behind the yellow tape in the Crime Scene blog
An Alhambra man charged with murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend in 2007 was ordered Friday to return to Alhambra Court on March 19 for a pretrial hearing.
Isaac Campbell, 34, is accused in the death of Liya "Jessie" Lu, 31, of San Gabriel. Her body was found stuffed in a trash can at a home in Arcadia about a month after she was reported missing. Lu and Campbell were both nursing students at Pasadena City College. Lu went missing on Aug. 11, 2007.
Shortly after Lu disappeared, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Campbell.
Bethel, AK: Bethel man charged with brutal '06 killing of girlfriend
DNA EVIDENCE: Hair clumps, blood found throughout apartment.
By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com
Published: February 19th, 2010 11:07 PM
Last Modified: February 19th, 2010 11:07 PM
A Bethel man has been charged with murder, accused of beating his girlfriend to death more than three years ago during an alcohol-fueled fight that kept neighbors awake most of the night, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Carl Fox Jr., 51, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Agnes Evan, who was found dead of blunt-force trauma in some brush on Dec. 5, 2006.
Evan's slaying was one of two that hit the short-staffed Bethel Police Department in December that year, prompting an outcry for assistance as months passed and the cases remained unsolved. Troopers took over in November 2007, spokeswoman Megan Peters said. The delay in making an arrest was due to a number of factors, including the hand-off by Bethel police and new personnel in other key offices, Peters said.
"There was a lot of turnover at the state medical examiner's office," Peters said.
According to a court affidavit filed by trooper investigator Eric Burroughs, Fox and Evan had been in a relationship for about a year at the time of her death. They lived in an apartment a few hundred yards from where her body was found.
Early the morning of Dec. 3, 2006, several neighbors reported hearing a man and woman yelling and fighting, the sounds of someone being slapped and hit, and that the "female was making strange, growling noises, as though she were in pain," Burroughs wrote. The woman yelled for someone to call police, but when officers arrived no one answered the door.
The next day, a neighbor saw Fox and Evan leave the apartment, according to Burroughs. Evan's body was found the next afternoon. She had multiple blunt-force injuries to the head, body and extremities, and died in part because of a ruptured bowel, troopers said.
Police searching Fox's apartment found clumps of hair along with blood stains on the carpet, wall, couch and mattress. Fox told investigators he and Evan had downed four or five bottles of R&R whiskey and fought about their relationship, but said he didn't remember if things got violent because he blacked out, Burroughs wrote.
In August 2008, the state crime lab reported back that Fox's DNA had been found on Evan's body, Burroughs wrote. Last October, the new state medical examiner determined the fatal injuries were likely inflicted about the time of the fight.
Troopers got an arrest warrant and took Fox into custody on Thursday. Fox, who has a long history of arrests for alcohol, drug and assault offenses, was booked into Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center with bail set at $100,000.
By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com
Published: February 19th, 2010 11:07 PM
Last Modified: February 19th, 2010 11:07 PM
A Bethel man has been charged with murder, accused of beating his girlfriend to death more than three years ago during an alcohol-fueled fight that kept neighbors awake most of the night, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Carl Fox Jr., 51, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Agnes Evan, who was found dead of blunt-force trauma in some brush on Dec. 5, 2006.
Evan's slaying was one of two that hit the short-staffed Bethel Police Department in December that year, prompting an outcry for assistance as months passed and the cases remained unsolved. Troopers took over in November 2007, spokeswoman Megan Peters said. The delay in making an arrest was due to a number of factors, including the hand-off by Bethel police and new personnel in other key offices, Peters said.
"There was a lot of turnover at the state medical examiner's office," Peters said.
According to a court affidavit filed by trooper investigator Eric Burroughs, Fox and Evan had been in a relationship for about a year at the time of her death. They lived in an apartment a few hundred yards from where her body was found.
Early the morning of Dec. 3, 2006, several neighbors reported hearing a man and woman yelling and fighting, the sounds of someone being slapped and hit, and that the "female was making strange, growling noises, as though she were in pain," Burroughs wrote. The woman yelled for someone to call police, but when officers arrived no one answered the door.
The next day, a neighbor saw Fox and Evan leave the apartment, according to Burroughs. Evan's body was found the next afternoon. She had multiple blunt-force injuries to the head, body and extremities, and died in part because of a ruptured bowel, troopers said.
Police searching Fox's apartment found clumps of hair along with blood stains on the carpet, wall, couch and mattress. Fox told investigators he and Evan had downed four or five bottles of R&R whiskey and fought about their relationship, but said he didn't remember if things got violent because he blacked out, Burroughs wrote.
In August 2008, the state crime lab reported back that Fox's DNA had been found on Evan's body, Burroughs wrote. Last October, the new state medical examiner determined the fatal injuries were likely inflicted about the time of the fight.
Troopers got an arrest warrant and took Fox into custody on Thursday. Fox, who has a long history of arrests for alcohol, drug and assault offenses, was booked into Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center with bail set at $100,000.
Texas City, TX: Man arrested in girlfriend's strangulation
By LINDSAY WISE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Feb. 20, 2010, 12:03AM
Police on Friday arrested a 35-year-old La Marque man in the strangulation of his girlfriend, who was found dead on Valentine's Day.
Gifford "JJ" Johnson III is charged with murder, accused of killing 33-year-old Teresa Marie Wright.
The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force took Johnson into custody about 2:30 p.m. at the Scarsdale Park Apartments in the 11800 block of Algonquin in Houston.
About 11 a.m. on Feb. 14, Texas City police received a call about a dead body in the 5800 block of Woodrow. Wright's 15-year-old daughter had found her mother, not breathing, in the foyer of the house, police said. The preliminary investigation did not reveal any obvious signs of foul play, police said, but on Wednesday, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office announced that Wright's death had been ruled a homicide by strangulation.
Johnson is being held in the Texas City Jail on $500,000 bail.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Feb. 20, 2010, 12:03AM
Police on Friday arrested a 35-year-old La Marque man in the strangulation of his girlfriend, who was found dead on Valentine's Day.
Gifford "JJ" Johnson III is charged with murder, accused of killing 33-year-old Teresa Marie Wright.
The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force took Johnson into custody about 2:30 p.m. at the Scarsdale Park Apartments in the 11800 block of Algonquin in Houston.
About 11 a.m. on Feb. 14, Texas City police received a call about a dead body in the 5800 block of Woodrow. Wright's 15-year-old daughter had found her mother, not breathing, in the foyer of the house, police said. The preliminary investigation did not reveal any obvious signs of foul play, police said, but on Wednesday, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office announced that Wright's death had been ruled a homicide by strangulation.
Johnson is being held in the Texas City Jail on $500,000 bail.
Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix man charged in wife's slaying
Devlin Houser For The Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:00 am
A Phoenix man faces charges in the death of his wife, whose body was found earlier this month by two bicyclists off Arizona 80 south of Benson.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office arrested Juan Pedro Leon, 42, on Thursday, after the Cochise County medical examiner identified the body as that of 33-year-old Maria Ramirez Orosco, said Carol Capas, a sheriff's spokeswoman.
Leon reported his wife missing to Phoenix policeon Feb. 4 and was called in for questioning after her body was identified.
Leon told detectives that he and his wife of 12 years were driving south on Interstate 10 the night of Feb. 3 when they got into an argument over domestic matters, Capas said.
She said Leon told officers that as the argument escalated, he pulled off the road, struggled with his wife, dragged her out of the car and choked her to death. Her body was found Feb. 8.
Orosco was an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Leon, a permanent resident from Mexico, is being held on a first-degree murder charge at the Cochise County Jail on a $2 million cash bond.
A Phoenix man faces charges in the death of his wife, whose body was found earlier this month by two bicyclists off Arizona 80 south of Benson.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office arrested Juan Pedro Leon, 42, on Thursday, after the Cochise County medical examiner identified the body as that of 33-year-old Maria Ramirez Orosco, said Carol Capas, a sheriff's spokeswoman.
Leon reported his wife missing to Phoenix policeon Feb. 4 and was called in for questioning after her body was identified.
Leon told detectives that he and his wife of 12 years were driving south on Interstate 10 the night of Feb. 3 when they got into an argument over domestic matters, Capas said.
She said Leon told officers that as the argument escalated, he pulled off the road, struggled with his wife, dragged her out of the car and choked her to death. Her body was found Feb. 8.
Orosco was an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Leon, a permanent resident from Mexico, is being held on a first-degree murder charge at the Cochise County Jail on a $2 million cash bond.
Queens, NY: Man Awaits Arraignment In Connection With Wife's Death
By: NY1 News
A husband was awaiting arraignment late Friday in connection with the death of his wife, whose dismembered body parts were found inside a suitcase in a Queens park.
Edwin Fuentes of Newark is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
The Queens district attorney said Fuentes killed Reina De Los Santos Reyes, seen above, in their Woodhaven apartment in June 2007 and then dismembered her body.
Nearly a year later, a group of teenagers walking in Forest Park found a suitcase containing some of the woman's remains.
Police say Fuentes told them he used to be a butcher.
If convicted, Fuentes faces 25 years to life in prison.
A husband was awaiting arraignment late Friday in connection with the death of his wife, whose dismembered body parts were found inside a suitcase in a Queens park.
Edwin Fuentes of Newark is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
The Queens district attorney said Fuentes killed Reina De Los Santos Reyes, seen above, in their Woodhaven apartment in June 2007 and then dismembered her body.
Nearly a year later, a group of teenagers walking in Forest Park found a suitcase containing some of the woman's remains.
Police say Fuentes told them he used to be a butcher.
If convicted, Fuentes faces 25 years to life in prison.
Pleasant Grove, TX: Woman, 48, killed in Pleasant Grove; husband in custody
05:05 PM CST on Friday, February 19, 2010
By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News
stevethompson@dallasnews.com
Dallas police are investigating the domestic slaying of a woman this afternoon in the 10200 block of Shelburne Drive in Pleasant Grove.
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Investigators say it appears a husband killed his wife, and they have him in custody.
Police have not released the name of the 48-year-old woman.
Investigators, who were called to the scene about 2 p.m., said she died ads a result of "homicidal violence," but they did not say what sort of weapon may have been used. Nor did they say what the husband and wife may have fought over.
By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News
stevethompson@dallasnews.com
Dallas police are investigating the domestic slaying of a woman this afternoon in the 10200 block of Shelburne Drive in Pleasant Grove.
Also Online
Map: 10200 block of Shelburne Drive, Dallas
Get South Dallas news and resources
Get Dallas-Fort Worth crime and courts news
Blog: Crime
Investigators say it appears a husband killed his wife, and they have him in custody.
Police have not released the name of the 48-year-old woman.
Investigators, who were called to the scene about 2 p.m., said she died ads a result of "homicidal violence," but they did not say what sort of weapon may have been used. Nor did they say what the husband and wife may have fought over.
Broken Bow, NE: Man in Broken Bow McDonald's suicide identified
By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Friday, February 19, 2010 9:20 PM CST
BROKEN BOW -- The man who shot and killed himself in the parking lot of a Broken Bow McDonald's was identified on Friday as 20-year-old Robert Lankford.
Lankford is a former Broken Bow resident who had been living in Kansas, according to a release from the Custer County attorney's office.
He kidnapped his ex-wife and a 1-year-old child Thursday morning and drove them to the McDonald's drive-through, according to the county attorney's office.
According to County Attorney Tami Schendt, Lankford released his ex-wife into the restaurant, where she called police. When he was confronted by police at about 5:30 a.m., he shot himself. He was taken by ambulance to Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow, where he was pronounced dead.
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Lankford's divorce from 19-year-old Eve Lankford was finalized in December in Custer County District Court, according to Amy Oxford, the court's clerk. It was filed in 2008.
Eve Lankford also filed a protection order in July 2008, around the time the divorce was filed, Oxford said. It was never served on Robert Lankford because he could not be located in either Broken Bow or Kansas.
In the petition for the protection order, Eve Lankford said she was three months pregnant and alleged that her husband threatened several times to kill her if he couldn't keep the baby.
District Court Judge Karin Noakes will convene a grand jury and has appointed Charles Brewster of Kearney as a special prosecutor in the case. State law requires a grand jury to be convened anytime someone dies with a law enforcement officer present.
An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted in Scottsbluff.
Brewster said a hearing must be scheduled within 30 days, barring an extension. He said the Broken Bow Police Department is cooperating with the Nebraska State Patrol's investigation of the case.
"The State Patrol is actively investigating it, and that's where the case ought to be at this point," Brewster said.
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Friday, February 19, 2010 9:20 PM CST
BROKEN BOW -- The man who shot and killed himself in the parking lot of a Broken Bow McDonald's was identified on Friday as 20-year-old Robert Lankford.
Lankford is a former Broken Bow resident who had been living in Kansas, according to a release from the Custer County attorney's office.
He kidnapped his ex-wife and a 1-year-old child Thursday morning and drove them to the McDonald's drive-through, according to the county attorney's office.
According to County Attorney Tami Schendt, Lankford released his ex-wife into the restaurant, where she called police. When he was confronted by police at about 5:30 a.m., he shot himself. He was taken by ambulance to Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow, where he was pronounced dead.
More Local
Jail revenues -- and costs -- are up
Hope Harbor has all services available after move
Retired patrol dog returns to work
Math for Moms and Dads event planned
GISH looks to improve alternative ed
Lankford's divorce from 19-year-old Eve Lankford was finalized in December in Custer County District Court, according to Amy Oxford, the court's clerk. It was filed in 2008.
Eve Lankford also filed a protection order in July 2008, around the time the divorce was filed, Oxford said. It was never served on Robert Lankford because he could not be located in either Broken Bow or Kansas.
In the petition for the protection order, Eve Lankford said she was three months pregnant and alleged that her husband threatened several times to kill her if he couldn't keep the baby.
District Court Judge Karin Noakes will convene a grand jury and has appointed Charles Brewster of Kearney as a special prosecutor in the case. State law requires a grand jury to be convened anytime someone dies with a law enforcement officer present.
An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted in Scottsbluff.
Brewster said a hearing must be scheduled within 30 days, barring an extension. He said the Broken Bow Police Department is cooperating with the Nebraska State Patrol's investigation of the case.
"The State Patrol is actively investigating it, and that's where the case ought to be at this point," Brewster said.
Willow, AK: Willow man hangs self in Palmer cell
Anchorage Daily News
Published: February 19th, 2010 10:59 PM
Last Modified: February 19th, 2010 10:59 PM
SUTTON -- An inmate at the Palmer Correctional Center killed himself Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers responded to the facility about 4:30 p.m. and found that Willow resident Anthony Lee Willis, 47, hanged himself while in his cell, troopers said. There was no sign of foul play, according to troopers.
Court records indicate Willis was being held on misdemeanor domestic violence assault and interfering with a report of a domestic violence crime. His bail had been set at $2,500.
Troopers say the state medical examiner responded to the scene and Willis' family was notified.
Published: February 19th, 2010 10:59 PM
Last Modified: February 19th, 2010 10:59 PM
SUTTON -- An inmate at the Palmer Correctional Center killed himself Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers responded to the facility about 4:30 p.m. and found that Willow resident Anthony Lee Willis, 47, hanged himself while in his cell, troopers said. There was no sign of foul play, according to troopers.
Court records indicate Willis was being held on misdemeanor domestic violence assault and interfering with a report of a domestic violence crime. His bail had been set at $2,500.
Troopers say the state medical examiner responded to the scene and Willis' family was notified.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Article: Experts Cite Economy For Domestic Violence Homicide Increase
Friday, February 19th, 2010 6:33 am
Although overall homicides have declined to levels not seen since the 1960s in many places, domestic violence cases appear to be increasing, reports Women’s eNews. While the FBI does not break out statistics for domestic violence, state anti-violence coalitions and the Washington, D.C.-based National Network to End Domestic Violence report the increase. Experts say economic hardship is a key factor in the increase in domestic violence across the country.
Last year, Wisconsin had about 59 domestic violence deaths, up from 36 in 2008. In Maryland, 75 individuals were killed in domestic-violence related crimes, up from 52 deaths in 2008. In Philadelphia, where the overall homicide rate declined by 23 percent, domestic homicides were up 67 in 2009.
Link: http://www.womensenews.org/story/domestic-violence/100216/streets-may-be-safer-relationships-not
Although overall homicides have declined to levels not seen since the 1960s in many places, domestic violence cases appear to be increasing, reports Women’s eNews. While the FBI does not break out statistics for domestic violence, state anti-violence coalitions and the Washington, D.C.-based National Network to End Domestic Violence report the increase. Experts say economic hardship is a key factor in the increase in domestic violence across the country.
Last year, Wisconsin had about 59 domestic violence deaths, up from 36 in 2008. In Maryland, 75 individuals were killed in domestic-violence related crimes, up from 52 deaths in 2008. In Philadelphia, where the overall homicide rate declined by 23 percent, domestic homicides were up 67 in 2009.
Link: http://www.womensenews.org/story/domestic-violence/100216/streets-may-be-safer-relationships-not
Moreno Valley, CA: Man shot, killed by police in Moreno Valley had pointed gun at deputies
Desert Sun wire services
A man shot dead by sheriff's deputies during a burglary in Moreno Valley pointed a pistol at them before he was killed, sheriff's officials said today.
Jose Ruiz, 31, of Moreno Valley, was fatally shot around 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at a home at 16-904 Century St., according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office.
Deputies responding to a burglary call found Ruiz hiding in a closet, and when they ordered him to surrender, he pointed a pistol at them, prompting them to shoot him, said sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja.
Investigators found a loaded handgun near Ruiz, said Borja.
Ruiz was wanted for domestic violence, criminal threats and child endangerment, and had prior convictions, the sergeant said.
One deputy suffered a cut hand, Borja said.
A man shot dead by sheriff's deputies during a burglary in Moreno Valley pointed a pistol at them before he was killed, sheriff's officials said today.
Jose Ruiz, 31, of Moreno Valley, was fatally shot around 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at a home at 16-904 Century St., according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office.
Deputies responding to a burglary call found Ruiz hiding in a closet, and when they ordered him to surrender, he pointed a pistol at them, prompting them to shoot him, said sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja.
Investigators found a loaded handgun near Ruiz, said Borja.
Ruiz was wanted for domestic violence, criminal threats and child endangerment, and had prior convictions, the sergeant said.
One deputy suffered a cut hand, Borja said.
Apple Grove, WV: Man shot, killed by State Police during domestic violence standoff
by Elaine McMillion
Daily Mail staff
Advertiser
State Police shot and killed a man after a hostage situation in Mason County.
The incident occurred Thursday night on Jerry's Run Road in Apple Grove.
At 8:30 p.m., dispatchers in Mason County got a call about a domestic/hostage situation.
Troy McQueen was holding his estranged wife, Rebeecca McQueen, hostage in a home before moving to a car, where the armed man continued to hold Rebecca captive, Cpl. Chris Zerkle said.
State Police and Mason County Deputies arrived on the scene where they planned a staging area not far from the home.
Zerkle said Rebecca drove the car to the staging area. That is when a gunshot rang out from inside the vehicle.
Police say McQueen shot Rebecca in her lower abdomen, through the groin.
Following the shooting, officers commanded McQueen to surrender his weapon. After he refused to drop the weapon, the officers, who felt they were in immediate threat, took action, according to the State Police.
A trooper fire four shots, one of which killed McQueen, according to the State Police.
At the time of the event, police say, there were no domestic violence petitions, but there had been in the past.
Rebecca was conscious and talking when pulled from the car. She was flown to a hospital in Huntington.
Daily Mail staff
Advertiser
State Police shot and killed a man after a hostage situation in Mason County.
The incident occurred Thursday night on Jerry's Run Road in Apple Grove.
At 8:30 p.m., dispatchers in Mason County got a call about a domestic/hostage situation.
Troy McQueen was holding his estranged wife, Rebeecca McQueen, hostage in a home before moving to a car, where the armed man continued to hold Rebecca captive, Cpl. Chris Zerkle said.
State Police and Mason County Deputies arrived on the scene where they planned a staging area not far from the home.
Zerkle said Rebecca drove the car to the staging area. That is when a gunshot rang out from inside the vehicle.
Police say McQueen shot Rebecca in her lower abdomen, through the groin.
Following the shooting, officers commanded McQueen to surrender his weapon. After he refused to drop the weapon, the officers, who felt they were in immediate threat, took action, according to the State Police.
A trooper fire four shots, one of which killed McQueen, according to the State Police.
At the time of the event, police say, there were no domestic violence petitions, but there had been in the past.
Rebecca was conscious and talking when pulled from the car. She was flown to a hospital in Huntington.
Clearwater, FL: Mistakes in court could have led to woman's murder
\
Craig Wall Sr.
State Attorney's Office admits it could have been more aggressive in trying to keep a man in jail who is a suspect in his girlfriend's murder.
Clearwater, Florida -- When Laura Taft's son was murdered two weeks ago, she filed a protective order against her boyfriend, Craig Wall, because he was a suspect in the killing.
When Wall violated that order, he was arrested, released on bond and now Taft is dead. Police say the boyfriend is responsible.
On Thursday night, the very judge who set the bond for Wall on Monday told 10 Connects it has been a difficult couple of days. When asked how he is feeling, Judge George Jirotka answered, "Pretty bad. It's an unfortunate situation."
The Pinellas State Attorney's Office admits it could have handled the situation more aggressively in trying to keep the man, Craig Wall, in jail. Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said his office failed to inform the judge of Wall's former conviction (convicted for armed robbery, he served 14 years in jail).
"That's our fault," said Barlett.
The agency says it is law enforcement's worst nightmare.
Former Assistant State Attorney and current criminal defense lawyer, Fred Zinober, said the system did not fail, instead calling it 'human error.'
"You have to realize this is a short period of time. This is 24 hours for 40 to 60 people to be brought before a judge. That is a lot of information for a young prosecutor to digest," Zinober said.
Keep in mind, when Wall was booked for violating the protective injunction, he complained and those complaints carried over into court. When Judge George Jirotka told Wall he was before him for violation of domestic violence, Wall said, "It sounds bad."
The victim, Laura Taft, thought it was bad as well. The Assistant State Attorney handling the case told the judge he had talked to the victim and said she was in fear and doesn't want any contact.
Despite Taft's fear, the state offered Wall a plea deal that he turned down.
That's when Judge George Jirotka ignored the state's recommendation for $2,500 bond and Wall's request to be released on his own recognizance. Instead, Jirotka ordered a $1,000 bond and no contact with the victim.
The plea deal the state offered and that Wall turned down and the $1,000 bond that the judge set came despite there being an arrest affidavit which said the petitioner (Taft) got the injunction due to a pending investigation with the Clearwater Police Department in which Wall was suspected of being responsible for the infant's death.
Wall told the court he didn't do anything wrong. He said his son died and that Taft was mad at him, calling the whole situation "crazy."
Some are saying it is also crazy to set a thousand dollar bond for a man suspected of one murder, so he could now be a suspect in two.
Mike Deeson and Erica Pitzi, 10 Connects
Craig Wall Sr.
State Attorney's Office admits it could have been more aggressive in trying to keep a man in jail who is a suspect in his girlfriend's murder.
Clearwater, Florida -- When Laura Taft's son was murdered two weeks ago, she filed a protective order against her boyfriend, Craig Wall, because he was a suspect in the killing.
When Wall violated that order, he was arrested, released on bond and now Taft is dead. Police say the boyfriend is responsible.
On Thursday night, the very judge who set the bond for Wall on Monday told 10 Connects it has been a difficult couple of days. When asked how he is feeling, Judge George Jirotka answered, "Pretty bad. It's an unfortunate situation."
The Pinellas State Attorney's Office admits it could have handled the situation more aggressively in trying to keep the man, Craig Wall, in jail. Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said his office failed to inform the judge of Wall's former conviction (convicted for armed robbery, he served 14 years in jail).
"That's our fault," said Barlett.
The agency says it is law enforcement's worst nightmare.
Former Assistant State Attorney and current criminal defense lawyer, Fred Zinober, said the system did not fail, instead calling it 'human error.'
"You have to realize this is a short period of time. This is 24 hours for 40 to 60 people to be brought before a judge. That is a lot of information for a young prosecutor to digest," Zinober said.
Keep in mind, when Wall was booked for violating the protective injunction, he complained and those complaints carried over into court. When Judge George Jirotka told Wall he was before him for violation of domestic violence, Wall said, "It sounds bad."
The victim, Laura Taft, thought it was bad as well. The Assistant State Attorney handling the case told the judge he had talked to the victim and said she was in fear and doesn't want any contact.
Despite Taft's fear, the state offered Wall a plea deal that he turned down.
That's when Judge George Jirotka ignored the state's recommendation for $2,500 bond and Wall's request to be released on his own recognizance. Instead, Jirotka ordered a $1,000 bond and no contact with the victim.
The plea deal the state offered and that Wall turned down and the $1,000 bond that the judge set came despite there being an arrest affidavit which said the petitioner (Taft) got the injunction due to a pending investigation with the Clearwater Police Department in which Wall was suspected of being responsible for the infant's death.
Wall told the court he didn't do anything wrong. He said his son died and that Taft was mad at him, calling the whole situation "crazy."
Some are saying it is also crazy to set a thousand dollar bond for a man suspected of one murder, so he could now be a suspect in two.
Mike Deeson and Erica Pitzi, 10 Connects
Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn mother fatally strangled by lover angry that she left a party early: cops
By Matthew Lysiak, Sarah Armaghan and Jonathan Lemire
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Originally Published:Thursday, February 18th 2010, 12:07 PM
Updated: Thursday, February 18th 2010, 11:29 PM
The deadly warning came in a text message.
A Brooklyn man, enraged that his girlfriend left a party without telling him, sent her a text threatening to kill her - and a short time later, he did, police said.
Michelle Fernandez, a 25-year-old mother of two, was beaten and strangled Thursday, moments after her married lover, Stacy (Cuzo) Stricklin, followed her to her Brownsville apartment, police said.
"He came knocking at the door, and I opened it. Nothing seemed wrong," said a tearful Anita Fernandez, 59, who was baby-sitting her daughter's two children and allowed Stricklin to enter just before 2 a.m.
"A little bit later, I heard a loud thump on the floor," she cried. "He was stomping my baby."
After begging a neighbor to call 911, Anita Fernandez dashed back into her daughter's bedroom and found her body sprawled on the floor.
"He stuffed her under the bed. Half her body was sticking out," Anita Fernandez said. "I couldn't believe it."
Michelle Fernandez was strangled and had been hit in the head, police said.
Stricklin - who is married to a woman who lives two floors above Fernandez - calmly walked away with blood on his mouth from biting his victim, witnesses told police.
He did not flee the apartment building after the killing, instead he openly chatted about the murder with relatives while he snorted cocaine, witnesses said.
"His cousin asked, 'Why would you kill her?'" said Samiyah Washington, 17. "Stacy looked at him and said, 'Why would she leave the party? She should have never left.'"
Police arrived and arrested Stricklin, 39. He was charged with second-degree murder, police said.
"The cops came up to him and he didn't run," Washington said. "He didn't seem like he cared."
Friends of Fernandez said Stricklin texted his threat shortly before he killed her. Investigators were searching her phone.
Stricklin has prior arrests for assault, menacing and harassment, according to records.jlemire@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/02/18/2010-02-18_brooklyn_mother_fatally_strangled_by_lover_angry_that_she_left_a_party_early_cop.html?print=1&page=all#ixzz0g2XBF4Uv
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Originally Published:Thursday, February 18th 2010, 12:07 PM
Updated: Thursday, February 18th 2010, 11:29 PM
The deadly warning came in a text message.
A Brooklyn man, enraged that his girlfriend left a party without telling him, sent her a text threatening to kill her - and a short time later, he did, police said.
Michelle Fernandez, a 25-year-old mother of two, was beaten and strangled Thursday, moments after her married lover, Stacy (Cuzo) Stricklin, followed her to her Brownsville apartment, police said.
"He came knocking at the door, and I opened it. Nothing seemed wrong," said a tearful Anita Fernandez, 59, who was baby-sitting her daughter's two children and allowed Stricklin to enter just before 2 a.m.
"A little bit later, I heard a loud thump on the floor," she cried. "He was stomping my baby."
After begging a neighbor to call 911, Anita Fernandez dashed back into her daughter's bedroom and found her body sprawled on the floor.
"He stuffed her under the bed. Half her body was sticking out," Anita Fernandez said. "I couldn't believe it."
Michelle Fernandez was strangled and had been hit in the head, police said.
Stricklin - who is married to a woman who lives two floors above Fernandez - calmly walked away with blood on his mouth from biting his victim, witnesses told police.
He did not flee the apartment building after the killing, instead he openly chatted about the murder with relatives while he snorted cocaine, witnesses said.
"His cousin asked, 'Why would you kill her?'" said Samiyah Washington, 17. "Stacy looked at him and said, 'Why would she leave the party? She should have never left.'"
Police arrived and arrested Stricklin, 39. He was charged with second-degree murder, police said.
"The cops came up to him and he didn't run," Washington said. "He didn't seem like he cared."
Friends of Fernandez said Stricklin texted his threat shortly before he killed her. Investigators were searching her phone.
Stricklin has prior arrests for assault, menacing and harassment, according to records.jlemire@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/02/18/2010-02-18_brooklyn_mother_fatally_strangled_by_lover_angry_that_she_left_a_party_early_cop.html?print=1&page=all#ixzz0g2XBF4Uv
Milwaukee, WI: DA: Milwaukee man told cellmate he killed women
By CARRIE ANTLFINGER (AP) – 1 day ago
MILWAUKEE — A man accused of killing seven women over a 21-year period confessed to a former cellmate that he had committed murder and that it turned him on to beat and choke women, prosecutors said.
Walter E. Ellis told former cellmate Frederick Bonds in 1998 that he had killed women, and Bonds said Ellis was upset when he learned prison officials planned to take DNA samples from inmates, prosecutors said in court documents filed Feb. 5.
Ellis and Bonds shared a cell for several months when Ellis was serving time for allegedly hitting his girlfriend in the head with a hammer.
Ellis' attorney, Russell Jones, filed a motion seeking to bar Bonds' testimony, saying it wasn't relevant to the case.
A judge is expected to hear arguments on the matter at a Friday hearing.
Ellis, 49, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree murder in the deaths of the women, who were killed between 1986 and 2007. Investigators suspect they were prostitutes, but some of the victim's family members dispute that. If convicted of either charge, he would face a mandatory life prison sentence, although the judge could decide whether to allow the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors say Ellis' semen was found on six of the seven women he's charged with killing. His blood was found on a can of pepper spray found at the scene of the seventh slaying. Investigators believe all the victims were strangled, and that one was also stabbed in the neck.
Ellis was in prison between 1998 and 2001, and Corrections Department officials should have collected a DNA sample at that time. Agency records showed a sample was taken from Ellis on Feb. 4, 2001, but the Justice Department discovered it had nothing from him and launched a more comprehensive probe of the entire database.
Ellis wasn't arrested until Sept. 5, 2009 after the Milwaukee police department's cold case unit sifted through thousands of cases and tested the DNA of more than 100 people.
Prosecutor Mark Williams said he didn't know why Bonds was in prison. The Department of Corrections couldn't immediately say why he was in prison.
Jones said the credibility and motives of someone relating alleged jailhouse conversations has to be questioned.
"All of sudden Walter is a target and anyone is going to try to put their name on this," he said.
Jones also filed a motion seeking a change of venue for the trial, claiming the pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. He also has indicated he wants to include testimony to point to the possibility of other suspects and require medical examiners and other expects to have to be cross examined about reports or tests done — some decades ago — in order for them to be admitted.
Jones is seeking to exclude testimony from 10 potential state witnesses, including two who would say Ellis was paranoid of the police. Joseph Hardmon, the son of one of Ellis' ex-girlfriends, told authorities that Ellis would hide in the basement when he saw police and he even hollowed out the inside of a couch to make a hiding space.
Jones said it was reasonable for Ellis to be afraid of the police since he was involved with prostitutes and drugs, but that his fear doesn't mean he killed the women.
Another state witness is Napoleon Clark who would testify that Ellis asked him — and he agreed — to pretend he was Ellis and give a DNA sample in his name in 2000 or 2001.
The witnesses are unable to connect Ellis to the women the days they were murdered so therefore are irrelevant, Jones said.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
MILWAUKEE — A man accused of killing seven women over a 21-year period confessed to a former cellmate that he had committed murder and that it turned him on to beat and choke women, prosecutors said.
Walter E. Ellis told former cellmate Frederick Bonds in 1998 that he had killed women, and Bonds said Ellis was upset when he learned prison officials planned to take DNA samples from inmates, prosecutors said in court documents filed Feb. 5.
Ellis and Bonds shared a cell for several months when Ellis was serving time for allegedly hitting his girlfriend in the head with a hammer.
Ellis' attorney, Russell Jones, filed a motion seeking to bar Bonds' testimony, saying it wasn't relevant to the case.
A judge is expected to hear arguments on the matter at a Friday hearing.
Ellis, 49, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree murder in the deaths of the women, who were killed between 1986 and 2007. Investigators suspect they were prostitutes, but some of the victim's family members dispute that. If convicted of either charge, he would face a mandatory life prison sentence, although the judge could decide whether to allow the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors say Ellis' semen was found on six of the seven women he's charged with killing. His blood was found on a can of pepper spray found at the scene of the seventh slaying. Investigators believe all the victims were strangled, and that one was also stabbed in the neck.
Ellis was in prison between 1998 and 2001, and Corrections Department officials should have collected a DNA sample at that time. Agency records showed a sample was taken from Ellis on Feb. 4, 2001, but the Justice Department discovered it had nothing from him and launched a more comprehensive probe of the entire database.
Ellis wasn't arrested until Sept. 5, 2009 after the Milwaukee police department's cold case unit sifted through thousands of cases and tested the DNA of more than 100 people.
Prosecutor Mark Williams said he didn't know why Bonds was in prison. The Department of Corrections couldn't immediately say why he was in prison.
Jones said the credibility and motives of someone relating alleged jailhouse conversations has to be questioned.
"All of sudden Walter is a target and anyone is going to try to put their name on this," he said.
Jones also filed a motion seeking a change of venue for the trial, claiming the pretrial publicity has tainted the jury pool. He also has indicated he wants to include testimony to point to the possibility of other suspects and require medical examiners and other expects to have to be cross examined about reports or tests done — some decades ago — in order for them to be admitted.
Jones is seeking to exclude testimony from 10 potential state witnesses, including two who would say Ellis was paranoid of the police. Joseph Hardmon, the son of one of Ellis' ex-girlfriends, told authorities that Ellis would hide in the basement when he saw police and he even hollowed out the inside of a couch to make a hiding space.
Jones said it was reasonable for Ellis to be afraid of the police since he was involved with prostitutes and drugs, but that his fear doesn't mean he killed the women.
Another state witness is Napoleon Clark who would testify that Ellis asked him — and he agreed — to pretend he was Ellis and give a DNA sample in his name in 2000 or 2001.
The witnesses are unable to connect Ellis to the women the days they were murdered so therefore are irrelevant, Jones said.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt recruit killed in possible murder-suicide
February 19, 6:02 AMCollege Football ExaminerKevin McGuire
No matter how many times it happens it just never seems right. When Connecticut wide receiver Jasper Howard was stabbed to death on campus last October, shocking not only the UConn community but college football fans from coast to coast. Today the family within the Vanderbilt football program are sharing a similar experience in the wake of the shooting death of one of the top recruits who was heading to play college football for the Commodores. Early Thursday morning Rajaan Bennett, running back, was shot and killed in what appears to be a murder-suicide.
Police responded to a 911 call at about 2:30 AM Thursday morning but may have shown up too late. As they arrived at Bennett's home they heard gun shots. It was these shots that killed Bennett and what is reported to be an ex-boyfriend of his mother. Bennett's uncle was also sent to the hospital and was said to be in critical condition.
Bennett had some promise as a college athlete. He was one of the best running backs in the state of Georgia who rushed for close to 1,900 yards last season and scored 28 touchdowns to lead McEachern High School to an undefeated season and a regional championship. The Atlanta Journal Constitution named Bennett the 5A Offensive Player of the Year and he was the to be one of the top recruits in Vanderbilt's history.
But Bennett has scored his last touchdown as a result of a tragic story. Bobby Johnson, who would have been Bennett's head coach at Vanderbilt, took some time to address the media yesterday to comment on Bennett's death. Perhaps needless to say, it was a tough task for Johnson, who had many positive things to say about the running back.
The Vanderbilt coaching staff called their new recruits as early as possible to inform them of the tragic news so they did not hear it first through the news. Bennett's high school has set-up a funeral fund to help pay for funeral, house clean-up and other costs to the family of Bennett. Vanderbilt is spreading the word to their community to hopefully chip in in any way they can. To donate send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with “Rajaan Bennett Memorial” written in the bottom left corner. McEachern High School’s address is 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127. For more information call 770-222-3710.
No matter how many times it happens it just never seems right. When Connecticut wide receiver Jasper Howard was stabbed to death on campus last October, shocking not only the UConn community but college football fans from coast to coast. Today the family within the Vanderbilt football program are sharing a similar experience in the wake of the shooting death of one of the top recruits who was heading to play college football for the Commodores. Early Thursday morning Rajaan Bennett, running back, was shot and killed in what appears to be a murder-suicide.
Police responded to a 911 call at about 2:30 AM Thursday morning but may have shown up too late. As they arrived at Bennett's home they heard gun shots. It was these shots that killed Bennett and what is reported to be an ex-boyfriend of his mother. Bennett's uncle was also sent to the hospital and was said to be in critical condition.
Bennett had some promise as a college athlete. He was one of the best running backs in the state of Georgia who rushed for close to 1,900 yards last season and scored 28 touchdowns to lead McEachern High School to an undefeated season and a regional championship. The Atlanta Journal Constitution named Bennett the 5A Offensive Player of the Year and he was the to be one of the top recruits in Vanderbilt's history.
But Bennett has scored his last touchdown as a result of a tragic story. Bobby Johnson, who would have been Bennett's head coach at Vanderbilt, took some time to address the media yesterday to comment on Bennett's death. Perhaps needless to say, it was a tough task for Johnson, who had many positive things to say about the running back.
The Vanderbilt coaching staff called their new recruits as early as possible to inform them of the tragic news so they did not hear it first through the news. Bennett's high school has set-up a funeral fund to help pay for funeral, house clean-up and other costs to the family of Bennett. Vanderbilt is spreading the word to their community to hopefully chip in in any way they can. To donate send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with “Rajaan Bennett Memorial” written in the bottom left corner. McEachern High School’s address is 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127. For more information call 770-222-3710.
Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Man Charged In Murder Of Ex-Girlfriend, Her Lover
Fri February 19, 2010 11 hours, 1 minute ago 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - A Milwaukee man has been charged with killing his ex-girlfriend and her lover. 28-year-old Jonas Agnew is being held under an $800,000 bond on 2 charges of first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors said Agnew broke up in January with 28-year-old Sherry Jackson, and he let himself into her house when her new boyfriend asked who he was. Agnew told officers he, “lost it” at that point – and he then allegedly shot 25-year-old Mario Brown a dozen times with a semi-automatic handgun, and Jackson 13 times. Agnew then reportedly ran into the street, and stopped a stranger to help him call police.
Officers found Brown’s body in the kitchen, and Jackson’s body was in her bedroom. Investigators said Agnew was hoping to get back together with Jackson, and she never asked him to return her house key. They had a child together.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - A Milwaukee man has been charged with killing his ex-girlfriend and her lover. 28-year-old Jonas Agnew is being held under an $800,000 bond on 2 charges of first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors said Agnew broke up in January with 28-year-old Sherry Jackson, and he let himself into her house when her new boyfriend asked who he was. Agnew told officers he, “lost it” at that point – and he then allegedly shot 25-year-old Mario Brown a dozen times with a semi-automatic handgun, and Jackson 13 times. Agnew then reportedly ran into the street, and stopped a stranger to help him call police.
Officers found Brown’s body in the kitchen, and Jackson’s body was in her bedroom. Investigators said Agnew was hoping to get back together with Jackson, and she never asked him to return her house key. They had a child together.
Haltom City, TX: Girlfriend's body found in trunk after fatal shootout
by CRAIG CIVALE / WFAA
Posted on February 19, 2010 at 4:44 PM
Updated today at 7:31 PM
HALTOM CITY - Police are investigating a chase that spanned three cities and ended with officers killing the suspect and finding his girlfriend dead in the trunk of his car.
Eric Frias, 24, was had recently lost his job and had a terrible fight with his girlfriend. However, no one - not even his family - said they could imagine what would happen next.
The chase ended just before 7 p.m. Thursday night when three Haltom City police officers open fired on Frias, who officers said had pointed a weapon at them.
It begin an hour earlier, just outside a junkyard where Johnny Gallegos heard gunfire outside his shop.
"We found her shoes right here and the bullets - all five of them - on the ground," he said.
The woman shot was Frias' 22-year-old girlfriend, Martha Martinez. Gallegos said he watched someone putting her body into a car as he called 911.
"What I witnessed from there was a body being lifted and dragged around the car, opened the passenger's rear door, shuts that door and gets in the vehicle [and] starts it," he said.
It was around that time that Frias' father, Oscar, received a frightening message from his son.
"I receive a text message at 6:05 p.m. that he had killed his girl and he was going to kill himself," he said.
Not knowing if the text was a joke, he soon realized it was serious when he learned the same text message also went out to Martinez's family too.
"He's not that kind of person, not a violent person," Frias' father said.
The couple was living at his father's home and had been dating for six months. The couple had gotten into a fight earlier in the week. Investigators have not said if that had anything to do with the violent attack.
The three Haltom City officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Frias' father said he wanted people to know his son's organs have been donated to help other families.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
Posted on February 19, 2010 at 4:44 PM
Updated today at 7:31 PM
HALTOM CITY - Police are investigating a chase that spanned three cities and ended with officers killing the suspect and finding his girlfriend dead in the trunk of his car.
Eric Frias, 24, was had recently lost his job and had a terrible fight with his girlfriend. However, no one - not even his family - said they could imagine what would happen next.
The chase ended just before 7 p.m. Thursday night when three Haltom City police officers open fired on Frias, who officers said had pointed a weapon at them.
It begin an hour earlier, just outside a junkyard where Johnny Gallegos heard gunfire outside his shop.
"We found her shoes right here and the bullets - all five of them - on the ground," he said.
The woman shot was Frias' 22-year-old girlfriend, Martha Martinez. Gallegos said he watched someone putting her body into a car as he called 911.
"What I witnessed from there was a body being lifted and dragged around the car, opened the passenger's rear door, shuts that door and gets in the vehicle [and] starts it," he said.
It was around that time that Frias' father, Oscar, received a frightening message from his son.
"I receive a text message at 6:05 p.m. that he had killed his girl and he was going to kill himself," he said.
Not knowing if the text was a joke, he soon realized it was serious when he learned the same text message also went out to Martinez's family too.
"He's not that kind of person, not a violent person," Frias' father said.
The couple was living at his father's home and had been dating for six months. The couple had gotten into a fight earlier in the week. Investigators have not said if that had anything to do with the violent attack.
The three Haltom City officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Frias' father said he wanted people to know his son's organs have been donated to help other families.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
Albuquerque, NM: Woman charged in ex-husband's murder
Posted at: 02/18/2010 5:07 PM | Updated at: 02/19/2010 7:40 AM
By: Charlie Pabst, KOB.com
Ellen Snyder stands before a judge earlier this month.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office says a grand jury has indicted Ellen Snyder on seven felony counts in connection with her ex-husband's disappearance and murder.
The DA's office says the charges against the 50-year-old include first-degree murder, tax fraud, tampering with evidence and identity theft.
Albuquerque police arrested Snyder in early February after her ex-husband's remains were unearthed at the couple's former home in the Northeast Heights.
Michael Snyder went missing in 2002.
Ellen Snyder's son, Michael Sheffield, told police that Michael Snyder's body was buried at the home, and police say he admitted helping his mother wrap the body in plastic.
Sheffield told police that Ellen Snyder pulled the trigger, killing his step dad.
Police began digging through the floor of a garage at 11600 Anaheim, near Paseo del Norte and Tramway, after receiving the tip.
Snyder's remains were found on the property.
Police say that Ellen Snyder filed for divorce after his disappearance.
By: Charlie Pabst, KOB.com
Ellen Snyder stands before a judge earlier this month.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office says a grand jury has indicted Ellen Snyder on seven felony counts in connection with her ex-husband's disappearance and murder.
The DA's office says the charges against the 50-year-old include first-degree murder, tax fraud, tampering with evidence and identity theft.
Albuquerque police arrested Snyder in early February after her ex-husband's remains were unearthed at the couple's former home in the Northeast Heights.
Michael Snyder went missing in 2002.
Ellen Snyder's son, Michael Sheffield, told police that Michael Snyder's body was buried at the home, and police say he admitted helping his mother wrap the body in plastic.
Sheffield told police that Ellen Snyder pulled the trigger, killing his step dad.
Police began digging through the floor of a garage at 11600 Anaheim, near Paseo del Norte and Tramway, after receiving the tip.
Snyder's remains were found on the property.
Police say that Ellen Snyder filed for divorce after his disappearance.
Posting from Dastardly Dads blogger Jan Kurth
(I received this email from Jan Kurth, author of the Dastardly Dads blog explaining a recent posting on the Dastardly Dads blog. Since the Intimate Violence Deaths in the News blog is tracking deaths resulting from Intimate Violence, these cases are relevant. CCC)
This is a post I did recently that lists 76 cases of children who were killed where their fathers "contributed" to the their death and there was an active, identifiable custody, visitation and/or child support situation involved.
http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/02/76-killer-dads-fathers-who-ended-their.html
These cases are not a scientific sampling nor is this a comprehensive list by any means. For the most part, these are cases I have collected since I started Dastardly Dads last summer, though a few cases predate this. In time span, they are mostly over the past two years (some were just coming to trial) though there are some odd exceptions of murders that took place earlier.
Note that this does NOT include all DV murders or child murders by fathers. If the murder took place WHILE the couple was still "together" or even as they were parting or just after, but before there was a custody or visitation agreement, I didn't count it. As I was thinking about it today, I suspect that most of these murders take place just as a woman is thinking of leaving or just after she was leaving, and before they went to court and a custody/visitation "agreement" was put in place.
I DID include murders by custodial fathers though, even if there wasn't currently a custody "dispute" (often the paper doesn't report if there was a dispute anyway.)
There are also a lot of cases of father who killed children, especially babies, during visitation. Many are "shaken baby" cases where Dad got "frustrated" with the crying, etc. and ended up killing the child.
Check out dastardlydads.blogspot.com for a full spectrum of cases of fathers abusing children. (I also include crimes against the female partner when "their" children were involved or impacted.)
~Jan Kurth
This is a post I did recently that lists 76 cases of children who were killed where their fathers "contributed" to the their death and there was an active, identifiable custody, visitation and/or child support situation involved.
http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/02/76-killer-dads-fathers-who-ended-their.html
These cases are not a scientific sampling nor is this a comprehensive list by any means. For the most part, these are cases I have collected since I started Dastardly Dads last summer, though a few cases predate this. In time span, they are mostly over the past two years (some were just coming to trial) though there are some odd exceptions of murders that took place earlier.
Note that this does NOT include all DV murders or child murders by fathers. If the murder took place WHILE the couple was still "together" or even as they were parting or just after, but before there was a custody or visitation agreement, I didn't count it. As I was thinking about it today, I suspect that most of these murders take place just as a woman is thinking of leaving or just after she was leaving, and before they went to court and a custody/visitation "agreement" was put in place.
I DID include murders by custodial fathers though, even if there wasn't currently a custody "dispute" (often the paper doesn't report if there was a dispute anyway.)
There are also a lot of cases of father who killed children, especially babies, during visitation. Many are "shaken baby" cases where Dad got "frustrated" with the crying, etc. and ended up killing the child.
Check out dastardlydads.blogspot.com for a full spectrum of cases of fathers abusing children. (I also include crimes against the female partner when "their" children were involved or impacted.)
~Jan Kurth
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