Man Who Killed Wife, Children Gets Life Sentence

POSTED: 11:24 am EDT May 29, 2009

UPDATED: 3:08 pm EDT May 29, 2009

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- A man who killed his wife and her two daughters in 2005 was sentenced Friday to life without parole on each count.

Chad Cottrell pleaded guilty in March to three counts of murder in the October 2005 slayings of Trisha Cottrell, 29, Brittany Williams, 12, and Victoria Williams, 10.

Previous Slideshow: Slain Mother, Daughters Laid To Rest 
Previous Slideshow: Man Sought After Wife, Stepdaughters Found Dead

Security was tight in the Hamilton County courtroom as the sentencing was handed down. Eight deputies were in the courtroom, along with two bailiffs.

The victims' family wept openly during the proceedings. Hamilton Superior Court Judge William J. Hughes called Cottrell, who had repeatedly asked to be given the death penalty and had admitted molesting both children, the "worst of the worst."

"Because he himself so thoroughly sees death as the preferred sentence, life imprisonment without parole is, beyond any reasonable doubt, the most appropriate sentence for the worst of the worst defendants," Hughes said.

The three victims were slain at their rural home near the western Indiana town of Rockville.The killings took place over a period of eight or more hours overnight.

Cottrell first beat Victoria to death with a bat after he attempted to molest her. He then shot Trisha to death while she was in bed. Brittany was killed last, after she resisted when he tried to molest her.

In a statement before the sentencing, Cottrell said he took full responsibility for his actions.

"I just want to say my mother is a saint. She never molested me in any way or my sister. Neither did my father. They are outstanding parents," he said. "I take responsibility for my actions. I'll pay the price, whatever that is."

Parke County Prosecutor Steve Cvengros said the thought the death penalty would have been appropriate in Cottrell's case.

"In my opinion, death is worse, but the judge's opinion, life without parole is worse," Cvengros said.

Family members said they were surprised with the sentence.

"As a dad and grandfather, my first thought was, 'How many people do you have to kill before you do get the death sentence?'" said Rick Zaikovsky, Trisha's father. "We have … invisible bars on us because we have the burden of our loss, unnecessary loss, to carry with us for the rest of our lives."

Cottrell pleaded guilty as his trial was set to begin in Hamilton County, where it had been moved because of publicity of the killings in Parke County.

After his 2005 arrest, Cottrell told reporters that his wife "got what she deserved" as he headed into court.

Cottrell was arrested in central Minnesota Nov. 1, 2005, after he failed to pay for fuel at a service station and was chased by police.

Previous Stories:

• March 13, 2009: Man Pleads Guilty In Killings Of Wife, 2 Girls
• November 17, 2005: Suspect In Triple Slaying: Wife 'Got What She Deserved'
• November 5, 2005: Triple-Homicide Victims Laid To Rest
• November 1, 2005: Police: Suspect Held Gun To Own Head Before Surrendering
• November 1, 2005: Police: Child Survived Attack That Killed Mother, Daughters
• November 1, 2005: Man Sought After Wife, Stepdaughters Found Dead

Copyright 2009 by TheIndyChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Police: Man kills wife, burns body, then reports her missing

Friday, May 29, 2009

Garden Grove man is accused of killing 22-year-old wife.

By JON CASSIDY

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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GARDEN GROVE – Robert Gallardo walked up to the front desk of the Garden Grove Police Department Saturday morning and said his wife was missing.

A few hours earlier, at 3:45 a.m., an unidentifed woman's body was found a few blocks from Lake Elsinore, still burning.

That woman was Gallardo's wife, 22-year-old Sharon Elizabeth Contreras, and the man who killed her, police say, was Gallardo.

Gallardo, 26, was arrested Wednesday, after a day of frenetic activity by 15 investigators from the Garden Grove Police Department.. The case will be sent to the District Attorney's office today, police said.

The investigation started as a missing person case, but Wednesday morning, police got a tip from an informant saying that Gallardo had admitted killing his wife.

Gallardo had gone missing, too, police said.

Detectives spread out, talking to Gallardo's friends and family, and following up on the body found in Lake Elsinore, near the I-15 and Lake Street. Dental records allowed her to be identified as Contreras.

By early afternoon, police had tracked Gallardo down at his sister's house in Norwalk, and talked him into coming to the Garden Grove Police Department.

Gallardo was arrested at 3:50 p.m., after an interview, police said.

Police are continuing to investigate the case

Contact the writer: jcassidy@ocregister.com or 714-704-3782

Man, 82, charged with strangling girlfriend

May 29, 2009

By PATRICIO G. BALONA 
Staff writer

An 82-year-old Deltona man, upset about how his girlfriend loaded the dishwasher, beat and strangled her unconscious, sheriff deputies said.

Strauch

Joseph Frank Strauch was arrested and charged with battery by strangulation and a judge ordered Strauch not to have contact with his live-in girlfriend, Lillian Keller, 74, court documents show.

Keller called 9-1-1 at 12:56 p.m. Wednesday, reporting she had been beaten up and was bleeding, according to a Volusia County sheriff's report. She was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City with cuts and bruises, and redness around the neck, sheriff investigators said.

According to a sheriff's charging affidavit, Keller told deputies that Strauch got angry about her arrangement of the dirty dishes in the washer, so he choked her with his hands until she lost consciousness.

Strauch was being held Thursday at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $5,000 bail.

Court records show Strauch pleaded no contest to battery on a person older than 65 after punching a 68-year-old man. Police said Strauch took the man's grocery bag and when the man objected, Strauch punched him.

Roseville man accused of trying to hire hit man to be sentenced

By AMBER HUNT
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Roseville man accused of trying to hire someone to kill his ex-wife and her boyfriend has pleaded no contest to one count of solicitation of murder.

David Albers, 52, is to be sentenced June 23 in the case. In exchange for his plea, which avoided a trial that was set to begin this week, a second solicitation charge was dismissed.

Police got a tip in July that Albers wanted to pay someone to kill his ex-wife, prompting an undercover detective to make contact with him and pose as a hit man, authorities said.

Albers was arrested after police said he agreed on a price to kill the woman and her boyfriend.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.

Husband Charged in Murders of Wife, Sons

By  ROB STAFFORD and ZACH CHRISTMAN Updated 7:15 PM CDT, Wed, May 27, 2009 Related Topics:Chris Coleman Sherri Coleman and her two sons were found strangled in their downstate home. Now, her husband Chris is charged with first-degree murder.   Sherri Coleman and her children were murdered in her downstate home three weeks ago. Now, her relatives in Chicago are trying to make sure her husband doesn't benefit from the crim. Husband Charged in Murder of Wife, Sons Watch Video Chris Coleman is accused of strangling his wife, Sherri Coleman, and their two sons to death. The scene in the 31-year-old’s house in downstate Columbia was hard for neighbors to fathom. Sherri was found strangled along with her two boys, Garett and Gavin. The word “punished” was sprayed on one of the walls, sources told NBC Chicago. “There’s a very evil person in this world that would do this,” one neighbor said. Sherri’s husband, Chris, worked security at a church and said his family had received threats related to his job. Police are investigating the alleged threats, but this week they arrested Chris Coleman himself.  He claims he was working out at the time of the killings, but authorities have charged him with murdering his family. There’s no word on a possible motive, but Sherri’s relatives claim Coleman took his wife’s name off the deed to their house months ago, making him sole owner of the property. Yesterday, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, trying to prevent Coleman from selling the home.   Sherri’s cousin, Chicago attorney Enrico Mirabelli, toured the crime scene. When he left 20 minutes later, he was speechless. Related Stories Husband Charged in Murder of Wife, Sons  Wednesday afternoon, court records were released that show investigators believe they’ve found the murder weapon -- a piece of orange twine with a noose tied in it. It was found a couple of miles from the crime scene, but investigators say it matches twine found on a bail of hay at the Coleman house. The family said any money made from the lawsuit would go to a memorial fund in the name of Sherri and her sons. Coleman faces three counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.

Rupp amends charge to felony child abuse

Medina could face 10 to 30 years or life in prison

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Apr 07, 2009 - 09:04:13 CDT

POTOSI — Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Rupp has upped a father’s child abuse charge to a Class A felony.

Last week, Ricardo M. Medina, 21, of rural Bismarck, was charged with child abuse, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree domestic assault.

The child abuse charge had originally been filed as a Class B felony, with a range of punishment of five to 15 years.

Since the child died, Rupp amended the charge on Monday to a Class A felony charge of child abuse resulting in death. It carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years or life in prison.

According to a press release issued by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. April 1 at a residence located at 10243 Bismarck Ridge Road.

“Upon arrival the deputy observed a small child laying on the couch barely breathing,” said Sheriff Andy Skiles in the release. “Washington County Ambulance District arrived on the scene and transported the child to Mineral Area Regional Medical Center. A short time later the child was airlifted to a St. Louis area hospital for treatment.”

The child died Thursday night.

According to court records, Medina caused injury to the child by throwing the child from approximately five feet to a hardwood floor. The child was thrown with such force it caused a fracture to the skull and bleeding to occur between the brain and protective membrane.

“The amount of blood was such that it caused the brain to deviate from the normal position and shape and required an emergency surgery to remove a section of the skull to allow for swelling,” Special Investigator Todd Mahaney wrote in the probable cause statement. “The medical staff has stated that this type of injury is often seen in high-impact situations, such as car accidents and from falls greater than head height.”

He said the child also had bruises on her head, neck, back, arms, legs, trunk and buttocks.

“These wounds are consistent with child abuse based on my experience and training,” Mahaney said. “The bruises were in the shapes of finger tips, and were in various stages of healing.”

Mahaney said Medina pushed the mother, Jaimee Kelly Scott to a couch in a forceful manner and then began to choke her. He said the choking was severe enough that the mother briefly lost consciousness.

Scott told Mahaney that Medina had held the child by one foot, swinging the child upside down.

“The swinging of the child was within the confines of a portable playpen, and the child’s face made contact with the mesh sides, causing an abrasion to the child’s lip which resulted in bleeding,” Mahaney said.

Scott told Mahaney that if authorities looked at the playpen, blood would be found on it, near the corner and on a doll. Mahaney said he did find the blood as described by the mother.

The mother, Scott, 22, of rural Bismarck, has been charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child. The charge alleges Scott acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life, body or health of a child, by allowing the physical abuse of her baby.

According to the probable cause statement, Scott was present at the time of the physical abuse of her daughter, which resulted in bruising of the baby’s body. Scott failed to report the abuse to a legal authority and failed to remove the child from the danger of abuse at the hand of the baby’s father, Medina.

According to police, Scott had just moved in the area with Medina from the state of Washington. Medina has family in North Dakota and is a soldier in the Army Reserve.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.

Deputies: Bardstown man kills toddler son, self

Posted: May 27, 2009 5:31 PM EDTUpdated: May 27, 2009 6:59 PM EDT

Cole Frazier (Photo source: Kevin Clark)

By Janelle MacDonald - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

BARDSTOWN, KY (WAVE) - A 21-month-old baby is dead and police believe it was at the hands of his father. Nelson County deputies say they are not ruling out anything at this point, but they think 28-year-old Tim Frazier was the shooter; his toddler son, Cole, the victim, and it all was the culmination of a heated custody battle.

The baby's grandfather, Kevin Clark, said he should have never had the child in the first place. "If he wants to kill himself, I don't care what he does, but not my baby."

Clark's family can scarcely believe it, but investigators said it was a murder-suicide that ended Cole Frazier's life. They said his father picked up Cole from Tim's mother's house Tuesday morning, saying the two were going to take a nap. Sources told WAVE 3 Frazier's mother became concerned Tuesday afternoon and went to check on the pair, finding them shot to death. Investigators believe they'd been dead for several hours. Deputies believe those are the facts, but the haunting question remains unanswered.

"We'll never be able to know exactly what was in his mind. There's nobody there to speak about what happened. The victim can't speak for himself and the perpetrator can't speak," said Detective Jason Allison.

During a check of court documents, WAVE 3 found that Frazier had a pretty contentious custody battle going on, which at times involved police. Frazier was supposed to be at a court hearing the day after he and Cole were shot over an Emergency Protection Order he filed May 13 on behalf of his son. In his petition, Frazier said the boy's mother was a danger. He said, while driving she, "Threatened to wreck all three of us while son in car." He continued, "I suppose that she is on illegal pain pills as of this moment. I want custody of son. Afraid for his safety."

Based on that, a judge ordered Candice Dempsey to stay away from her son, a decision Kevin Clark questioned.

"They took him in an environment where he wasn't safe," Clark said. "My daughter ain't never done drugs. He was just making it all up. He wanted to get an EPO out on her and get the kid to punish her and he did it and now he's punished us for the rest of our lives."

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dempsey and Frazier were supposed to be back in court, where Clark said his daughter hoped to get Cole back.

"We've been worrying for two weeks since he's had the baby," said Clark. "Every night, my wife, my daughter, both crying and saying, 'one more day, one more day we get to see our baby. One more day and we get to see our baby,' and then we get the call last night saying that this guy kills our precious baby."

Tim Frazier also had upcoming court appearances for two arrests earlier this year. On January 31, he was pulled over for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Twelve days later, police arrested him on drunk driving charges.

A former school teacher and neighbor of Tim Frazier painted a different picture. Sister Mary Driscoll said, "He was always courteous, happy Tim." She remembered Cole as, "an adorable little boy. (Tim) was a great dad."

(Copyright 2009 WAVE-TV and Raycom Media. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Man in earlier SWAT standoff kills self

Publication Date: 05/27/09

A man accused of breaking into his estranged wife's apartment earlier in the month and holding SWAT officers at bay for almost five hours broke in a second time Monday and killed himself, Amarillo police said.

Police said the man, whose name was not released, broke into an apartment in the 400 block of South Coulter Street about 2:20 p.m. Monday and refused to leave.

The same man, disguised as a flower-delivery man, forced his way into the same apartment May 7 - that time armed with a rifle - and refused to leave, forcing a SWAT response. About five hours later, he surrendered and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The man's estranged wife declined to press charges. An official at the time said the man was suicidal.

Officers responding to Monday's break-in said they spoke with the man, but he refused to leave. When officers entered the apartment to search for him, they heard a muffled gunshot from a locked bedroom, police said.

Officers forced their way in and found the man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, they said.

- Globe-News staff

Adair Co. Man Kills Ex-Girlfriend, Her Boyfriend, Then Kills Self

POSTED: 10:59 am CDT May 26, 2009

UPDATED: 6:16 pm CDT May 26, 2009

STILWELL, Okla. --Shawn Scraper fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Lela Buckner, and Buckner's current boyfriend, Gary Nakedhead, early Tuesday morning before driving to a church parking lot in nearby Stillwell and fatally shooting himself, police said.

Scraper called the Adair Sheriff's Department moments after the alleged shooting.

Scraper told deputies that there had been a disturbance at Buckner's home but did not say what happened.

Buckner's two children, 10 and 13, were at the residence when the shooting occurred, but neither witnessed the shooting, police said.

One of the children ran next door to an aunt's house; the aunt then called 911, police said.

Copyright 2009 4029tv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Police: Man Kills Ex's Boyfriend

Alleged Shooter Believed To Be Heading To West Side Of Michigan

POSTED: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

UPDATED: 5:55 pm EDT May 26, 2009

WARREN, Mich. -- Police are looking for a 39-year-old man who fatally shot his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend Tuesday morning.

Investigators said they believe Dwayne Edmund Wilson is heading to the west side of the state or is in Detroit.

Watch: Police Search For Ex-Boyfriend After Shooting

Wilson allegedly had the keys to his ex-girlfriend's Warren apartment in Roman Gardens on Common and Dequindre roads and went inside Tuesday morning and tied up her 13-year-old and 17-year-old children.

Police said Wilson plotted his attack and stayed in the apartment and waited for his ex to return. When she entered the home with her new boyfriend, she was pistol-whipped and then Wilson shot her new boyfriend several times in the chest, police said.

"Once they entered the front door he shot him immediately execution style at least maybe three times," said Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer.

The 32-year-old Warren man was taken to an area hospital where he later died.

Local 4 has learned the victim had just moved to Michigan from Florida after he met Wilson's ex-girlfriend online.

Neighbors said there have been many problems and disputes in that apartment.

"Seemed like I heard a couple of bangs back there," said neighbor Genevieve Pietrzak.

Wilson is described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 220 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt and black jeans.

Wilson has an extensive criminal history and was recently released from Jackson state prison. He is considered armed and dangerous.

"Due to the total disregard for human life that this suspect has shown, our department will continue to aggressively investigate this homicide," said Dwyer. "We will utilize all of the resources available to us to locate Mr. Wilson and bring him to justice."

Anyone with information on Wilson's whereabouts is asked to call the Warren Police Department at 586-574-4810.

Ex-NY policeman gets 32 years in ex-wife's killing

NEW YORK (AP) — A retired New York City police sergeant has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison for killing his ex-wife, a well-known 1960s singer.

Sixty-three-year-old John Galtieri (gal-tee-EHR'-ee) was convicted by a Staten Island jury in February of murder and weapon possession. He shot 58-year-old Jeanne Kane in January 2007 while she sat in her car in a parking lot waiting to pick up her daughter.

Kane was a member of the singing group the Kane Triplets, who performed regularly on TV variety shows including the Ed Sullivan and Jack Benny programs.

Galtieri was caught in South Carolina the day after the shooting. His lawyer had claimed cell phone records and video showed Galtieri wasn't in Staten Island at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors say the couple's divorce followed years of domestic violence.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Police: Man kills wife, himself

May 27, 2009 By Trevor Brown/staff tbrown@newsleader.com STAUNTON — Investigators believe a Staunton man shot and killed his wife before committing suicide Tuesday evening at the couple’s residence. Daniel Knight, 24, and Amber Knight, 23, were found dead at the home after relatives asked police to check on the couple at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 600 block of Grubert Road, said Staunton police spokeswoman Officer Lisa Klein.  Klein said police suspect the incident was a murder-suicide following a preliminary investigation. Klein said she is not aware of any criminal history involving the couple, and police did not disclose a possible motive.  An autopsy on the couple is expected to take place today and Klein said the investigation is ongoing. Klein added there is no immediate indication that drugs were involved, but said more details should emerge after the autopsy and after investigators process the evidence.  Brandy Fuller, a neighbor to the victims, said she thinks the couple moved into the residence about six months ago. Fuller said the couple stayed mostly to themselves and was not aware of any problems. “They were quiet,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the car in front of the house, you wouldn’t even know they lived there.” According to News Leader archives, the couple married July 21, 2007 in Augusta County.  Police Chief Jim Williams said he thinks the incident is the city’s first murder-suicide since April 2003, when two people died after a shooting on Benson Street.

Police say Boulder man killed wife, son before self

By Kieran Nicholson 
The Denver Post 

POSTED: 05/27/2009 12:42:14 PM MDT

UPDATED: 05/27/2009 03:12:28 PM MDT

A Boulder detective works at the home where three bodies were found Tuesday. (THE CAMERA / Kasia Broussalian)

RELATED

• May 27:
• Boulder family of 3 found dead at home
• May 26:
• 3 bodies found in Boulder home

Investigators believe a 61-year-old Boulder man fatally shot his wife and son in their home before killing himself.

Philip F. Dileo, who worked as a Boulder police officer in the early 1970s before being fired for "multiple violations of department policy," is suspected in the "double homicide-suicide case," Boulder police said in a media release.

The bodies of Dileo; his wife, Elizabeth Schwarzenbach-Dileo, 63; and their son, Philip Christopher Dileo, 23, were found late Tuesday morning at the family home in the 2400 block of Bluff Street by a housekeeper.

Investigators believe the shootings took place about 24 hours earlier, late Monday morning, police said.

Two guns — a Ruger .22 semi-automatic handgun with a

Two women console each other outside the Boulder house where three bodies were found around noon Tuesday. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post )

silencer and .357 Magnum revolver — were recovered from the home, police said.

The Ruger was in the kitchen, where the body of Schwarzenbach-Dileo was found.

The Magnum revolver was found upstairs near Philip F. Dileo's body. Investigators are still tracing the ownership of the guns.

A note detailing Philip F. Dileo's desires for funeral arrangements was found in a spare bedroom. Police did not release a motive in the case or say whether a suicide note was found.

In 2005, Elizabeth Schwarzenbach-Dileo went to Boulder police to inquire about the legalities of buying a weapon to protect herself because her husband had threatened her, police said.

There are indications that Dileo also had previously threatened their son as well, police said.

Dileo worked as a Boulder police officer for two brief periods, from October 1972 to June 1973, and from October 1975 to November 1975, police said.

Police: Man kills wife, self in Ohio home; kids OK

1 day ago

CINCINNATI (AP) — Police say a man entered a Cincinnati home with a shotgun and killed his wife and himself, scaring three of their children so much they ran to a neighbor's house and left their toddler sister behind.

The neighbor called police Saturday afternoon to report the children had said their father had shot their mother in the head.

SWAT team officers entered the single-family home and found the parents dead and the 2-year-old girl unharmed. The man was in an upstairs bedroom of the two-story house.

There are seven children in the family, but only four were home.

Police Assistant Chief Vince Demasi says there's no motive for what he calls "a very tragic and unfortunate situation."

Investigators haven't released the identities of the victims.

Police: Man shoots wife, kills himself

By ANNE JUNGEN / Lee Newspapers

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A steady stream of people walked Friday morning on and around the site outside a La Crosse home where, hours earlier, an estranged married couple lay after what authorities said was a murder-suicide.

Family met inside 1900 Sunset Lane with anyone who came in, even strangers. It is protocol in the Hmong community for all to show support in such times, said Thai Vue, executive director of the La Crosse Hmong Mutual Assistance Association. 
“This is very painful,” Vue said.

Dang Xiong, 24, shot and killed his wife, 22-year-old Pa Hou Vang of Onalaska, as she got out of her car outside his home about 11 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. They still were married but had been separated.

He then turned the gun on himself, according to La Crosse police. No one knows what led up to the shooting.

“We don’t know if this was a planned murder-suicide or if it was an impulsive action,” Vue said. “Murder-suicides are very rare in the Hmong community � this is not something that happens in Laos.”

A .22-caliber rifle was found under Xiong and several spent shell casings were near the bodies, police report.

Vang was shot in the head, neck and arm, while Xiong had a self-inflicted wound to the head, according to the La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The family members who filled Xiong’s home Friday bear the legal and funeral responsibilities as dictated by Hmong culture, Vue said. But funeral planning cannot start until the family has possession of the bodies.

The couple had married about six years earlier and left behind a 1-year-old daughter and sons ages 4 and 5, now being cared for by Vang’s parents.

Vang and Xiong loved each other, but turmoil plagued the marriage. Xiong was paranoid and had mental issues, said his older brother, Doua Xiong, whose wife found the bodies.

“I’m so sorry it happened this way,” he said.

Dang Xiong had threatened to harm his wife, police said, and had physically assaulted her at least once on Feb. 24, 2008.

Vang told officers the assault happened after Dang Xiong became frustrated when a language barrier blocked him from activating a new credit card, according to the complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court. She suggested he use her pin number, but he grew agitated when he realized she would know his code.

Vang said Dang Xiong then grabbed her face with one hand, covering her mouth with his palm while she yelled for help, the complaint stated.

Dang Xiong was charged Feb. 25 with misdemeanor domestic abuse disorderly conduct, but pleaded guilty to an amended charge of ordinance disorderly conduct and was sentenced to time served June 2, 2008.

Man accused of strangling Old Bridge girlfriend, making it look like drug death

By KEN SERRANO
STAFF WRITER

A Bloomfield man accused of making the death of his girlfriend in March look like a drug overdose has been charged with strangling the 28-year-old Old Bridge woman.

Frank P. Rendfrey, 34, was arrested on a Newark street Thursday afternoon following a lengthy investigation into the cause of the death of Angela Paranzino, whose body was found by police on March 12.

Rendfrey is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, May 26, before Judge Frederick DeVesa in Superior Court, New Brunswick.

Rendfrey has been charged with murder, hindering his apprehension for making the slaying seem like an overdose, and burglary and theft for allegedly taking jewelry from the victim's Rellim Drive apartment.

Old Bridge police were alerted by an unidentified relative about 9:30 p.m. March 12. 
Paranzino was pronounced dead a short time later.

Rendfrey was also charged with making terroristic threats for threatening to shoot a New York City man in an unrelated case. Details of that crime were not immediately available.

Old Bridge Detective Michael Machen and Investigator James Mullin of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, began a search for Rendfrey after the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office completed toxicological testing.

The testing showed that Paranzino had not died from a drug overdose, but was strangled, Jim O'Neill, spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said.

O'Neill is urging anyone with information to call Machen at (732) 721-5600 at the Old Bridge Police Department or Mullin at (732) 745-4328 at the Prosecutor's Office.

Mallory bound over to face murder charge

by Matt Loveless

Originally printed at http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/45543407.html

LEWISTON - The Lewiston man accused of murdering his wife on Valentine's Day appeared in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.

Gary Mallory Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and domestic battery. Prosecutors say he strangled his wife Charlene Mabie to death.

The prosecution called three witnesses before a recess Thursday afternoon.

First was LPD officer Zach Ward, who said he and another officer were first on scene, and noticed Mabie's dead body on a downstairs bed.

Ward said at first Mallory was asking for "a cigarette before he went to jail," but Ward said Mallory hadn't even been questioned at that time. Ward said Mallory was later detained for questioning.

Nez Perce County Coroner Gary Gilliam also testified, confirming Mabie's death was by "manual strangulation."

Police say Mallory had been drinking before the alleged crime was committed.

Magistrate Judge Jay Gaskill found probable cause to bound the case over to district court.

Exterminator from Federal Way held in wife's strychnine poisoning

By Ian Ith

Seattle Times staff reporter

A 62-year-old exterminator from Federal Way fatally poisoned his wife of 10 years last fall with a massive dose of strychnine, a chemical commonly found in professional-grade rodent bait, police said in court documents.

Two of Joseph Naimo's three adult sons, who all came to support their father, burst into angry tears Thursday in a King County Jail courtroom in Seattle as a District Court judge set bail at $5 million.

As they left the courtroom fuming, the sons declined to speak. But the 37-year-old daughter of the dead woman said, "He's not guilty."

Federal Way police detectives arrested Naimo Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder in the Nov. 28 death of Ann Marie Naimo, 53. Prosecutors have until Tuesday to file formal charges.

No obvious motive has been identified, police said.

Police and paramedics were called to the Naimo home at 2840 South 308th Lane the day after Thanksgiving, to find Ann Naimo unconscious and without a pulse, police said. They couldn't revive her.

In the home, Joseph Naimo was pacing and had been drinking, according to police documents. He said the couple had been to a casino, then argued about her drinking. A few minutes later, she had started vomiting and then collapsed, police said he told them.

Police learned Ann Naimo had suffered from heart disease, and saw no signs of foul play, according to the documents. An autopsy initially found nothing suspicious.

But then in January, police said, the King County Medical Examiner's Office alerted them that blood tests had come back showing lethal levels of strychnine in the woman's blood.

Police also learned that Naimo was the general manager of AAA Pest Control in Kent. The company's owner had paid for Ann Naimo's funeral arrangements.

Over the following weeks, police said, Joseph Naimo gave police and others conflicting accounts of how his wife had died. Later, in February, police purposely lied to Naimo when they told him his wife had apparently died from taking too many prescription pills, and he "was visibly relieved," the police documents say.

Police said they researched strychnine and found that it acts quickly and painfully to severely disrupt the nervous system. They concluded that the only person home with Ann Naimo when she would have ingested the poison was her husband, the documents said.

They also found that strychnine is easily obtained as a rodenticide, and Joseph Naimo had a license to buy it through his job at the pest-control company.

In court Thursday, Deputy Prosecutor Jimmy Hung asked the judge for the high bail, saying he was concerned that Naimo could flee if released. Hung said Naimo had "very calculatingly" killed his wife and then "did a very good job of hiding his tracks."

Naimo, in red jail scrubs, remained silent. But his lawyer, Norm Partington, of Seattle, argued that $500,000 bail would be sufficient. Seven months have passed since Ann Naimo's death, Partington said. So if Naimo were planning to flee, he would have already.

The attorney said Naimo has been very upset by his wife's death. He said the couple were "happily married." And he pointed out that his children — and Ann Naimo's daughter — were standing by him.

"He's got property here," Partington said. "He's got a business here. He's got his entire family here. There's nowhere else for him to go."

Ian Ith: 206-464-2109 or iith@seattletimes.com

Buffalo-area man charged in wife's slaying

May 22, 2009

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (AP) _ Authorities say a 58-year-old man has been charged with murder in the death of his wife, whose body was found inside their Buffalo-area home earlier this week. 

Police say Stephen Shepherd was brought back to the town of Tonawanda early Friday morning and charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of 42-year-old Constance Ann Shepherd. 

Her body was found inside the couple's home on Wednesday but police believe she may have been killed days earlier. 

Authorities say Constance Shepherd died from a deep cut to her neck. 

Stephen Shepherd was to be arraigned Friday morning. Police didn't know if he had a lawyer. 

A nationwide alert was issued for him after his wife's body was found. He was taken into custody Thursday in Shandaken in the Catskills after a police officer spotted him camping. 

Police: Man assaulted wife, killed self as kids stayed with grandparents

KYLE HANSEN

Metro Police investigate what they believe was a suicide-attempted murder case on Perkins Hill Street in northwest Las Vegas.

By Kyle Hansen (contact)

Published Mon, May 18, 2009 (10:18 a.m.)

Updated Mon, May 18, 2009 (3:22 p.m.)

KYLE HANSEN

Metro Police cars line the street outside a residence where they say a man killed himself after assaulting his wife.

Suicide-attempted murder

Map data ©2009 Tele Atlas - Terms of Use

Metro Police are investigating a suicide-attempted murder case in the northwest Las Vegas Valley, police spokesman Jacinto Rivera said.

At about 9:23 a.m., police received a call about an incident in the 7300 block of Perkins Hill Street, which is near Hualapai Way and Elkhorn Road.

When police responded, they found a woman with blunt force trauma injuries. Further investigation led police to discover the woman's husband in the upstairs of the home, dead from an apparent suicide, Rivera said.

The man and woman had three children ranging from age 4 to 14, who had spent the previous night with their grandparents. The grandparents were visiting from out of town and were staying at a casino, police said. The grandmother went to the home Monday morning to return the children and discovered blood on the floor and her daughter with serious injuries. She went to a neighbor's home, where she called police.

The children remained in the woman's vehicle and didn't see the crime scene, Rivera said.

The 40-year-old man’s death appears to be a suicide, and the incident likely is related to domestic violence, police said. Police found weapons in the home but wouldn't say whether they were used in the incident.

The 36-year-old woman was taken to University Medical Center with serious head injuries. The Metro Police violent crime section is investigating. Police said there had been no prior calls to the home for domestic violence.

The neighborhood where the incident occurred is still under construction.

“It’s a very new neighborhood, it is a very nice neighborhood,” Rivera said.

Rivera said domestic situations are the most common calls Metro receives.

“Domestic situations are far-reaching, it has no social or economic border," he said. "They (are) everywhere."