MacCoy S. Johnson's trial date is set for January.
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By Tyra M. Vaughn, tvaughn@dailypress.com | 247-7870
4:33 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2011
YORK—
— A Newport News man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend earlier this year was arraigned Thursday in York-Poquoson Circuit Court.
MacCoy Shien Johnson, 43, faces two felony charges — first-degree murder and grand larceny — in connection with the June 9 death of his former girlfriend, Felice Hickey. The York-Poquoson Circuit Court grand jury indicted him on the charges on Tuesday.
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Circuit Court Judge Richard Y. Atlee Jr. set a January 2012 date for Johnson's trial during the arraignment. He will be tried by a jury beginning Jan. 18, 2012, court records said.
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York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office officials said Hickey, a 39-year-old York County resident, was found stabbed in her apartment on Arcadia Loop in the Clairmont complex off of George Washington Memorial Highway back in June.
Officials have released few details about the incident. The Virginia Gazette, however, reported that testimony during a Sept. 14 hearing in York-Poquoson Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court revealed that Hickey's teenage son found her on her bedroom floor suffering from two stab wounds to the chest. He then called police.
Johnson is currently being held in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail without bond.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Amarillo, TX: Domestic dispute ends with death of 56-year-old
Jerry Etheredge couldn’t stay away, and it cost him his life.
Police fatally shot the Randall County man on Wednesday after he tailed his estranged wife, got into a brawl with her male companion and then refused officers’ orders to drop his weapon, authorities said. Etheredge, 56, died at 11:51 p.m. Wednesday after he was taken to the hospital, police said.
Nearly 20 minutes earlier, officers responded to a vandalism call to find two men on the ground, fighting for a gun.
Etheredge’s estranged wife and her companion were driving down Western Street and noticed one of the car’s tires had been punctured, Special Crimes Unit Lt. Erick Bohannon said.
The woman, 35, and her 32-year-old male companion pulled into a parking lot at 403 S. Western St. to change the tire. After following the pair down the street, Etheredge parked his own car behind hers and greeted the companion with a gun at the car door.
A scramble for the weapon ensued, and shots rang out, authorities said.
The woman had called 911 when Etheredge began following them, and she told dispatchers about the gunshots.
The two men were still wrestling for the gun when Officer Kirk Anderson arrived, police said. Anderson ordered Etheredge to drop the weapon, but he refused, police said. The companion pushed away from Etheredge, who then rolled toward Anderson, police said.
Police said Anderson fired at Etheredge several times, striking him at least once.
Potter County Justice of the Peace Thomas Jones has ordered an autopsy in Lubbock.
Bohannon said Anderson was placed on a standard three-day administrative leave, and the case will go to a grand jury.
Kendra Walker, who lives behind the Family Dollar at 511 S. Independence St., said she heard about four shots ring out Wednesday night.
According to county divorce records, Etheredge and the woman married in March 2009 and separated on July 26.
Misty King, a Randall County assistant district attorney, said Etheredge helped the woman move back into her mother’s house.
“He showed up and got angry because she was going out,” King said.
He chased her and her 13-year-old daughter in their sedan down rural roads, she said. The woman turned down a dead-end road, and he blocked her car with his pickup, King said. When she tried to leave, he rammed her car with his vehicle, she said.
The Randall County grand jury indicted Etheredge on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The day after the car incident, the estranged wife filed a restraining order that limited Etheredge from being within 500 yards of her. The estranged wife extended the order early last week, and Etheredge was scheduled to appear in court Monday to plead his case.
Etheredge filed for divorce Aug. 1 because of “discord or conflict of personalities,” according to his petition. He had been married at least once before, according to county marriage licenses.
Connie Carr, 32, lives next door to Etheredge and said she saw him leave his home at about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Carr said she has known Etheredge for about five years, and that he and his estranged wife quarreled often.
“We had to call the police on them,” Carr said. “They’d be out there fighting in the middle of the yard.”
The estranged wife declined to comment.
Staff writers Russell Anglin and Joe Gamm contributed to this story.
Police fatally shot the Randall County man on Wednesday after he tailed his estranged wife, got into a brawl with her male companion and then refused officers’ orders to drop his weapon, authorities said. Etheredge, 56, died at 11:51 p.m. Wednesday after he was taken to the hospital, police said.
Nearly 20 minutes earlier, officers responded to a vandalism call to find two men on the ground, fighting for a gun.
Etheredge’s estranged wife and her companion were driving down Western Street and noticed one of the car’s tires had been punctured, Special Crimes Unit Lt. Erick Bohannon said.
The woman, 35, and her 32-year-old male companion pulled into a parking lot at 403 S. Western St. to change the tire. After following the pair down the street, Etheredge parked his own car behind hers and greeted the companion with a gun at the car door.
A scramble for the weapon ensued, and shots rang out, authorities said.
The woman had called 911 when Etheredge began following them, and she told dispatchers about the gunshots.
The two men were still wrestling for the gun when Officer Kirk Anderson arrived, police said. Anderson ordered Etheredge to drop the weapon, but he refused, police said. The companion pushed away from Etheredge, who then rolled toward Anderson, police said.
Police said Anderson fired at Etheredge several times, striking him at least once.
Potter County Justice of the Peace Thomas Jones has ordered an autopsy in Lubbock.
Bohannon said Anderson was placed on a standard three-day administrative leave, and the case will go to a grand jury.
Kendra Walker, who lives behind the Family Dollar at 511 S. Independence St., said she heard about four shots ring out Wednesday night.
According to county divorce records, Etheredge and the woman married in March 2009 and separated on July 26.
Misty King, a Randall County assistant district attorney, said Etheredge helped the woman move back into her mother’s house.
“He showed up and got angry because she was going out,” King said.
He chased her and her 13-year-old daughter in their sedan down rural roads, she said. The woman turned down a dead-end road, and he blocked her car with his pickup, King said. When she tried to leave, he rammed her car with his vehicle, she said.
The Randall County grand jury indicted Etheredge on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The day after the car incident, the estranged wife filed a restraining order that limited Etheredge from being within 500 yards of her. The estranged wife extended the order early last week, and Etheredge was scheduled to appear in court Monday to plead his case.
Etheredge filed for divorce Aug. 1 because of “discord or conflict of personalities,” according to his petition. He had been married at least once before, according to county marriage licenses.
Connie Carr, 32, lives next door to Etheredge and said she saw him leave his home at about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Carr said she has known Etheredge for about five years, and that he and his estranged wife quarreled often.
“We had to call the police on them,” Carr said. “They’d be out there fighting in the middle of the yard.”
The estranged wife declined to comment.
Staff writers Russell Anglin and Joe Gamm contributed to this story.
Yorktown, VA: Man decapitates himself in front of deputies, firefighters after domestic dispute in Yorktown
Yorktown, VA - A man is dead after decapitating himself following a domestic dispute in Yorktown outside of Willow Lakes housing development.
Yorktown sheriff deputies initially responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of Nathan Place and learned the man had left before they arrived. A few minutes later, a utility trailer was reported on fire nearby at the intersection of Holmes Blvd and Wolftrap Rd.
When deputies and firefighters arrived, they found the man inside the white Ford Explorer that had been towing the trailer.
The man had apparently set the trailer on fire and refused to leave the SUV.
A Fire Dept. officer noticed a cable attached to a nearby tree and wrapped around the neck of the driver.
When deputies tried to get the man to leave the Explorer, he rapidly accelerated the SUV and was pulled from the vehicle and decapitated. The Explorer came to rest approximately 150 yards further down Holmes Blvd.
Deputies are withholding the man’s name pending notification of his family, but say he was 46-years-old and most recently had been living in Chicago. He had just moved to Yorktown just a few days before the incident.
He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Yorktown sheriff deputies initially responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of Nathan Place and learned the man had left before they arrived. A few minutes later, a utility trailer was reported on fire nearby at the intersection of Holmes Blvd and Wolftrap Rd.
When deputies and firefighters arrived, they found the man inside the white Ford Explorer that had been towing the trailer.
The man had apparently set the trailer on fire and refused to leave the SUV.
A Fire Dept. officer noticed a cable attached to a nearby tree and wrapped around the neck of the driver.
When deputies tried to get the man to leave the Explorer, he rapidly accelerated the SUV and was pulled from the vehicle and decapitated. The Explorer came to rest approximately 150 yards further down Holmes Blvd.
Deputies are withholding the man’s name pending notification of his family, but say he was 46-years-old and most recently had been living in Chicago. He had just moved to Yorktown just a few days before the incident.
He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Knoxville, TN: Man arraigned in shotgun shooting death of girlfriend
By News Sentinel staff
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
KNOXVILLE — A man charged in the shooting death of his girlfriend was arraigned Wednesday in Knox County Criminal Court.
Randolph Shawn Sims, 34, faces charges of second-degree murder and employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony in connection with the February shooting death of his girlfriend, Adrianne Watson.
Criminal Court Judge Steve Sword set an April 2012 trial date at Wednesday's arraignment.
Warrants state that Sims fired a shotgun through the door of his Dayton Street apartment as Watson was walking inside. Watson was struck in the stomach and later died.
A witness who ran to the apartment after hearing gunfire told police Sims was on the floor next to his girlfriend, insisting the shooting was an accident.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
KNOXVILLE — A man charged in the shooting death of his girlfriend was arraigned Wednesday in Knox County Criminal Court.
Randolph Shawn Sims, 34, faces charges of second-degree murder and employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony in connection with the February shooting death of his girlfriend, Adrianne Watson.
Criminal Court Judge Steve Sword set an April 2012 trial date at Wednesday's arraignment.
Warrants state that Sims fired a shotgun through the door of his Dayton Street apartment as Watson was walking inside. Watson was struck in the stomach and later died.
A witness who ran to the apartment after hearing gunfire told police Sims was on the floor next to his girlfriend, insisting the shooting was an accident.
Scranton, PA: Girlfriend led police to homicide victim
Rebekah Hayes, 29, charged with criminal homicide for death of live-in boyfriend, 28-year-old Antwoin Woodards.
By Christopher J. Hughes chughes@golackawanna.com
Go Lackawanna Editor
SCRANTON – Antwoin Woodards lay dead inside the Oak Street residence he shared with his live-in girlfriend, Rebekah Hayes, for almost 16 hours before she told police to check the bedroom of Apartment #5 on Tuesday afternoon.
Police allege that Hayes, 29, of 207 Oak St., Scranton, fatally stabbed Woodards, 28, three times, hitting him once in the chest and causing lacerations to his left lung and aorta, according to autopsy results provided by Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland on Wednesday. His death was ruled a homicide on Tuesday.
Hayes was arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, simple and aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment Wednesday morning.
The crime was discovered by police after Hayes confided in a friend, Fallon Young, who convinced her to contact police through the Community Intervention Center, 537 Wyoming Ave., Scranton.
According to a criminal affidavit:
Hayes and Woodards began verbally arguing Monday evening about a sexual encounter he had with another man. When Woodards admitted to the encounter, a brief physical fight ensued and Hayes left the apartment to smoke a cigarette. Woodards allegedly continued to yell through an open window, and Hayes came back inside, stabbing Woodards three times.
Woodards fell to the ground and began bleeding from his mouth. Hayes attempted to perform CPR, but failed to revive him.
“He was dead, he was dead,” Hayes allegedly told Young’s boyfriend, Eric Miller.
She then picked up her two-month-old baby and left the apartment to look for Young at Miller’s Finch Towers apartment, 424 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, at about 10:30 p.m. Hayes reached Young through the building’s intercom system, which sent a call to Miller’s cell phone. She told Young that “she had done something wrong” and that “she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.”
Hayes told Young outside Finch Towers that she killed Woodards, and the two went back to Young’s Cedar Avenue apartment where she told her about the argument and the fatal attack.
The two stayed at Young’s apartment Monday night, and she convinced Hayes to contact police on Tuesday.
Hayes, wearing a jacket that police believe was stained with blood, spoke with social worker Kim Cadugan at the Community Intervention Center at about 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and asked her to contact police and sent them to the apartment at 207 Oak St. When Cadugan asked why police were needed at her apartment, she allegedly replied, “They will see when they get there.
“I really (expletive) up and I’m going to jail for the rest of my life,” Hayes continued. “I didn’t mean it.”
When police arrived at the Community Intervention Center, Hayes told them to “check the bedroom.” Woodards’ body was discovered with the fatal stab wound and additional stab wounds to his arm.
Hayes is being held without bail at the Lackawanna County Prison. All charges are pending, and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 28 at 11 a.m.
Tuesday’s discovery marks the third homicide in the city of Scranton in the last 10 months. Police discovered the frozen body of Michael Jackson of Yonkers, N.Y., off Saginaw Street in Dec. 2010, and Malik Carter was shot at point-blank range inside Finn McCool’s bar in South Scranton in May 2011.
During a press conference held Tuesday evening along Oak Street that first announced criminal charges sought against Hayes, Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy said the homicide should not cause greater alarm to the general public.
“This is an isolated incident. It’s not anything the public should be concerned about.”
By Christopher J. Hughes chughes@golackawanna.com
Go Lackawanna Editor
SCRANTON – Antwoin Woodards lay dead inside the Oak Street residence he shared with his live-in girlfriend, Rebekah Hayes, for almost 16 hours before she told police to check the bedroom of Apartment #5 on Tuesday afternoon.
Police allege that Hayes, 29, of 207 Oak St., Scranton, fatally stabbed Woodards, 28, three times, hitting him once in the chest and causing lacerations to his left lung and aorta, according to autopsy results provided by Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland on Wednesday. His death was ruled a homicide on Tuesday.
Hayes was arraigned on charges of criminal homicide, simple and aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment Wednesday morning.
The crime was discovered by police after Hayes confided in a friend, Fallon Young, who convinced her to contact police through the Community Intervention Center, 537 Wyoming Ave., Scranton.
According to a criminal affidavit:
Hayes and Woodards began verbally arguing Monday evening about a sexual encounter he had with another man. When Woodards admitted to the encounter, a brief physical fight ensued and Hayes left the apartment to smoke a cigarette. Woodards allegedly continued to yell through an open window, and Hayes came back inside, stabbing Woodards three times.
Woodards fell to the ground and began bleeding from his mouth. Hayes attempted to perform CPR, but failed to revive him.
“He was dead, he was dead,” Hayes allegedly told Young’s boyfriend, Eric Miller.
She then picked up her two-month-old baby and left the apartment to look for Young at Miller’s Finch Towers apartment, 424 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, at about 10:30 p.m. Hayes reached Young through the building’s intercom system, which sent a call to Miller’s cell phone. She told Young that “she had done something wrong” and that “she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.”
Hayes told Young outside Finch Towers that she killed Woodards, and the two went back to Young’s Cedar Avenue apartment where she told her about the argument and the fatal attack.
The two stayed at Young’s apartment Monday night, and she convinced Hayes to contact police on Tuesday.
Hayes, wearing a jacket that police believe was stained with blood, spoke with social worker Kim Cadugan at the Community Intervention Center at about 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and asked her to contact police and sent them to the apartment at 207 Oak St. When Cadugan asked why police were needed at her apartment, she allegedly replied, “They will see when they get there.
“I really (expletive) up and I’m going to jail for the rest of my life,” Hayes continued. “I didn’t mean it.”
When police arrived at the Community Intervention Center, Hayes told them to “check the bedroom.” Woodards’ body was discovered with the fatal stab wound and additional stab wounds to his arm.
Hayes is being held without bail at the Lackawanna County Prison. All charges are pending, and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 28 at 11 a.m.
Tuesday’s discovery marks the third homicide in the city of Scranton in the last 10 months. Police discovered the frozen body of Michael Jackson of Yonkers, N.Y., off Saginaw Street in Dec. 2010, and Malik Carter was shot at point-blank range inside Finn McCool’s bar in South Scranton in May 2011.
During a press conference held Tuesday evening along Oak Street that first announced criminal charges sought against Hayes, Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy said the homicide should not cause greater alarm to the general public.
“This is an isolated incident. It’s not anything the public should be concerned about.”
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Inglewood, CA: Teen girl and man, 26, die in apparent Inglewood murder-suicide
September 22, 2011 | 10:51 am
2 5
A 17-year-old girl was killed in an apparent murder-suicide inside an Inglewood optometry center, authorities said Thursday.
The girl, identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office as Diana Garcia, died at a hospital after the shooting Wednesday.
The apparent shooter, 26-year-old Christopher James McLeish, was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bathroom at the location.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting about 10:52 a.m. at the Inglewood Optometry Center in the 200 block of North Market Street, according to a police statement.
Witnesses told police a woman had been shot and a man was barricaded inside the business. They were able to remove Garcia, who had sustained a gunshot wound to her upper body.
A SWAT team entered the building about 1:30 p.m. and found McLeish's body inside. Police said the motive for the shootings had not been determined, but Garcia and McLeish knew each other.
Police ask that anyone with information call the Inglewood Police Department at (310) 412-5246. Anonymous tips may be made at 888-41-CRIME or 888-412-7463.
2 5
A 17-year-old girl was killed in an apparent murder-suicide inside an Inglewood optometry center, authorities said Thursday.
The girl, identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office as Diana Garcia, died at a hospital after the shooting Wednesday.
The apparent shooter, 26-year-old Christopher James McLeish, was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bathroom at the location.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting about 10:52 a.m. at the Inglewood Optometry Center in the 200 block of North Market Street, according to a police statement.
Witnesses told police a woman had been shot and a man was barricaded inside the business. They were able to remove Garcia, who had sustained a gunshot wound to her upper body.
A SWAT team entered the building about 1:30 p.m. and found McLeish's body inside. Police said the motive for the shootings had not been determined, but Garcia and McLeish knew each other.
Police ask that anyone with information call the Inglewood Police Department at (310) 412-5246. Anonymous tips may be made at 888-41-CRIME or 888-412-7463.
Croton, OH: Man, woman argued before Croton shooting
CROTON -- A man shot his girlfriend
before killing himself Tuesday night at their
Croton residence, according to the Licking
County Sheriff's Office.
Timothy S. Combs, 49, and Mary R.
Johnson, 34, were arguing in an upstairs
bedroom of 89 S. High St. before Combs
apparently shot her, then himself, Licking
County Sheriff's Office Capt. Dave Starling
said.
Both died of single gunshot wounds about
8:25 p.m. Tuesday, according to a sheriff's
office news release.
Mary Johnson's two boys, ages 11 and 16,
and her mother were downstairs watching
television when the shootings occurred,
according to a 911 call placed by Mary
Johnson's mother. One child went upstairs
to see what happened and found the
bodies, Starling said.
Combs and Johnson had a history of verbal
disputes, but violence was not typical,
Starling said. The shootings remain under
investigation.
Mary Johnson was a Northridge High School
graduate and worked as a stylist at Split
Ends in Johnstown.
The 211 crisis hotline offers confidential
assistance anytime for people considering
suicide or facing other crises at 211 or
(740) 345-HELP.
before killing himself Tuesday night at their
Croton residence, according to the Licking
County Sheriff's Office.
Timothy S. Combs, 49, and Mary R.
Johnson, 34, were arguing in an upstairs
bedroom of 89 S. High St. before Combs
apparently shot her, then himself, Licking
County Sheriff's Office Capt. Dave Starling
said.
Both died of single gunshot wounds about
8:25 p.m. Tuesday, according to a sheriff's
office news release.
Mary Johnson's two boys, ages 11 and 16,
and her mother were downstairs watching
television when the shootings occurred,
according to a 911 call placed by Mary
Johnson's mother. One child went upstairs
to see what happened and found the
bodies, Starling said.
Combs and Johnson had a history of verbal
disputes, but violence was not typical,
Starling said. The shootings remain under
investigation.
Mary Johnson was a Northridge High School
graduate and worked as a stylist at Split
Ends in Johnstown.
The 211 crisis hotline offers confidential
assistance anytime for people considering
suicide or facing other crises at 211 or
(740) 345-HELP.
Springfield, OH: Springfield man arrested in death of girlfriend
By Bill Scheidel
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A 19 year old Springfield man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend. Dustin Hatfield was picked up in Tipp City by U.S. Marshals. A Clark County grand jury indicted Hatfield Tuesday. Investigators say Hatfield is accused of shooting his girlfriend, Lori Estepp in the head with a piston, wiping down the gun then hiding it. Hatfield is being held in the Clark County jail awaiting arraignment. He is expected to be charged with reckless homicide and other charges.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A 19 year old Springfield man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend. Dustin Hatfield was picked up in Tipp City by U.S. Marshals. A Clark County grand jury indicted Hatfield Tuesday. Investigators say Hatfield is accused of shooting his girlfriend, Lori Estepp in the head with a piston, wiping down the gun then hiding it. Hatfield is being held in the Clark County jail awaiting arraignment. He is expected to be charged with reckless homicide and other charges.
Indio, CA: Man convicted of shooting girlfriend's husband; sentencing set for Oct. 28
A Salinas man who shot his girlfriend's
estranged husband for kicking a dent in his
sport utility vehicle was convicted Friday of
second-degree murder.
Jurors deliberated less than two days
before convicting 26-year-old Francisco
Flores Aparicio.
He could be sentenced to a maximum
penalty of life in prison for the Feb. 11,
2007, death of Israel Morales.
Aparicio is scheduled to be sentenced Oct.
28.
Deputy District Attorney Manny Bustamante
told jurors last week that Morales became
enraged at his estranged wife and Aparicio
earlier the day of the shooting at an
apartment in the 44-500 block of Arabia
Street in Indio, where his wife and Aparicio
lived.
Morales tried to slash the tires on
Aparicio's GMC Denali, then kicked the
driver's side fender, Bustamante said.
Joanna Morales told Aparicio what
happened when he returned home, and
when Morales came to the apartment
building, Aparicio shot him with a shotgun,
the prosecutor said.
“Israel Morales is on the ground, shot in the
chest — his right lung is destroyed, his
heart's been hit,” Bustamante said in his
closing argument. “The defendant walks
up, and he shoots him in the face.”
Defense attorney Jose Rojo told jurors last
week it bothered Morales that his wife was
seeing Aparicio.
He said when Morales confronted Aparicio
about the Denali, Morales kept threatening
to kill Aparicio, leading Aparicio to shoot in
self-defense.
Rojo said in his closing argument Thursday
that when Morales arrived at the apartment
complex, he did not put his hands in the
air and say he came in peace.
The shootings were a split-second decision
for Aparicio, he said.
“Mr. Aparicio is angry, and he's frightened;
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there are mixed emotions,” Rojo said. “At
the same time, he's thinking, this guy's
really going to hurt me.”
Aparicio, who typically spent four months in
Indio and the rest of the year in Salinas, left
the city the day after the murder and was
arrested March 2, 2007, in Salinas,
according to Indio police and court records.
estranged husband for kicking a dent in his
sport utility vehicle was convicted Friday of
second-degree murder.
Jurors deliberated less than two days
before convicting 26-year-old Francisco
Flores Aparicio.
He could be sentenced to a maximum
penalty of life in prison for the Feb. 11,
2007, death of Israel Morales.
Aparicio is scheduled to be sentenced Oct.
28.
Deputy District Attorney Manny Bustamante
told jurors last week that Morales became
enraged at his estranged wife and Aparicio
earlier the day of the shooting at an
apartment in the 44-500 block of Arabia
Street in Indio, where his wife and Aparicio
lived.
Morales tried to slash the tires on
Aparicio's GMC Denali, then kicked the
driver's side fender, Bustamante said.
Joanna Morales told Aparicio what
happened when he returned home, and
when Morales came to the apartment
building, Aparicio shot him with a shotgun,
the prosecutor said.
“Israel Morales is on the ground, shot in the
chest — his right lung is destroyed, his
heart's been hit,” Bustamante said in his
closing argument. “The defendant walks
up, and he shoots him in the face.”
Defense attorney Jose Rojo told jurors last
week it bothered Morales that his wife was
seeing Aparicio.
He said when Morales confronted Aparicio
about the Denali, Morales kept threatening
to kill Aparicio, leading Aparicio to shoot in
self-defense.
Rojo said in his closing argument Thursday
that when Morales arrived at the apartment
complex, he did not put his hands in the
air and say he came in peace.
The shootings were a split-second decision
for Aparicio, he said.
“Mr. Aparicio is angry, and he's frightened;
Advertisement
there are mixed emotions,” Rojo said. “At
the same time, he's thinking, this guy's
really going to hurt me.”
Aparicio, who typically spent four months in
Indio and the rest of the year in Salinas, left
the city the day after the murder and was
arrested March 2, 2007, in Salinas,
according to Indio police and court records.
Jay, OK: Man charged in wife's drug-exacerbated death
JAY — A Delaware County man is being held on a $1 million bail in connection with the nearly two-year-old death of his sickly wife who he allegedly gave methamphetamine to because he was tired of caring for her, court officials said Wednesday.
Charley S. Guess, 30, of Kansas, Okla., is charged in Delaware County District Court in Jay with first-degree murder and an unlawful delivery of a controlled dangerous substance.
Gidget Marie Cryer Guess, 35, died Dec. 29, 2009, of a drug overdose, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Mike Eason, District Attorney investigator.
Guess said the couple used methamphetamine on the night of his wife’s death, the affidavit states.
A state Medical Examiner’s report stated Gidget Guess died of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease exacerbated by methamphetamine.
In July, Guess was incarcerated in the Delaware County jail for distribution of methamphetamine.
During this time Guess told an inmate his wife had “had this disease and that he figured if he bought some dope and got his wife to smoke some dope with him that she would die,” the affidavit states.
Guess also told the inmate “he was tired of his wife and getting to the point he did not like her anymore ... he just wanted her to go away,” the affidavit states.
Guess said he purchased a quarter gram of methamphetamine and talked her into smoking it with him.
“Guess called it a miracle,” referring to her death and that he waited some time before calling the emergency responders, the affidavit states.
Guess is to return to court Oct. 3.
Charley S. Guess, 30, of Kansas, Okla., is charged in Delaware County District Court in Jay with first-degree murder and an unlawful delivery of a controlled dangerous substance.
Gidget Marie Cryer Guess, 35, died Dec. 29, 2009, of a drug overdose, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Mike Eason, District Attorney investigator.
Guess said the couple used methamphetamine on the night of his wife’s death, the affidavit states.
A state Medical Examiner’s report stated Gidget Guess died of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease exacerbated by methamphetamine.
In July, Guess was incarcerated in the Delaware County jail for distribution of methamphetamine.
During this time Guess told an inmate his wife had “had this disease and that he figured if he bought some dope and got his wife to smoke some dope with him that she would die,” the affidavit states.
Guess also told the inmate “he was tired of his wife and getting to the point he did not like her anymore ... he just wanted her to go away,” the affidavit states.
Guess said he purchased a quarter gram of methamphetamine and talked her into smoking it with him.
“Guess called it a miracle,” referring to her death and that he waited some time before calling the emergency responders, the affidavit states.
Guess is to return to court Oct. 3.
Southfield, MI: Southfield man charged with murder in wife's choking death
Mike Martindale/ The Detroit News
Southfield— A 38-year-old Southfield man accused of killing his wife in front of their three daughters this week has a history of domestic violence, including a previous choking attack on her.
That information was revealed Thursday during the arraignment of Rahim Lockridge on a charge of open murder in the death of his wife of 12 years, Kenyatta. According to authorities, Lockridge strangled her about 9:40 p.m. Monday in the family's home on Potomac.
Lockridge was formally charged in 46th District Court in a video arraignment from the Oakland County Jail. He said he understood the charge against him and requested a court-appointed attorney.
"Due to the seriousness of the charge, there will be no bond," said Judge William Richards, who entered a not-guilty plea on Lockridge's behalf and set a Sept. 30 preliminary exam.
Richards also ordered Lockridge to have no contact with the girls, aged 8, 11 and 16, who are all in the care of their grandmother, according to police.
Lockridge, a former autoworker who is employed as a hair stylist and part-time security guard, allegedly argued with his wife over money before putting her in a fatal chokehold, police said.
"The daughters pleaded with him to let her go and when she did, she slumped to the floor," said Southfield Police Lt. Nick Loussia.
According to court testimony Thursday, the girls called 911 and performed CPR in an unsuccessful effort to revive their mother. Lockridge fled the home and was arrested in Detroit about two hours later, authorities said.
Several people believed to be relatives or friends of the couple were in court Thursday but declined to be interviewed.
Officials told Richards that Lockridge had two prior arrests for domestic violence, including one less than a year ago.
In that incident, Kenyatta told police she woke up Nov. 5 to find her husband choking her.
Lockridge pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and is on probation, according to court records.
In 2007, he was placed on six months' probation for a domestic violence incident in Detroit.
mmartindale@detnews.com
(248) 338-0319
Southfield— A 38-year-old Southfield man accused of killing his wife in front of their three daughters this week has a history of domestic violence, including a previous choking attack on her.
That information was revealed Thursday during the arraignment of Rahim Lockridge on a charge of open murder in the death of his wife of 12 years, Kenyatta. According to authorities, Lockridge strangled her about 9:40 p.m. Monday in the family's home on Potomac.
Lockridge was formally charged in 46th District Court in a video arraignment from the Oakland County Jail. He said he understood the charge against him and requested a court-appointed attorney.
"Due to the seriousness of the charge, there will be no bond," said Judge William Richards, who entered a not-guilty plea on Lockridge's behalf and set a Sept. 30 preliminary exam.
Richards also ordered Lockridge to have no contact with the girls, aged 8, 11 and 16, who are all in the care of their grandmother, according to police.
Lockridge, a former autoworker who is employed as a hair stylist and part-time security guard, allegedly argued with his wife over money before putting her in a fatal chokehold, police said.
"The daughters pleaded with him to let her go and when she did, she slumped to the floor," said Southfield Police Lt. Nick Loussia.
According to court testimony Thursday, the girls called 911 and performed CPR in an unsuccessful effort to revive their mother. Lockridge fled the home and was arrested in Detroit about two hours later, authorities said.
Several people believed to be relatives or friends of the couple were in court Thursday but declined to be interviewed.
Officials told Richards that Lockridge had two prior arrests for domestic violence, including one less than a year ago.
In that incident, Kenyatta told police she woke up Nov. 5 to find her husband choking her.
Lockridge pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and is on probation, according to court records.
In 2007, he was placed on six months' probation for a domestic violence incident in Detroit.
mmartindale@detnews.com
(248) 338-0319
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Greenwood, SC: 40-Year-Old Man Snaps and Kills His 20-Year-Old Girlfriend in Front of Their 2-Month-Old Daughter!
A 40-year-old man from Greenwood, South Carolina is now being charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after he shot and killed the mother of his 2-month-old daughter following an argument in the car … all while the their little girl was in the backseat of the vehicle!
According to the arrest warrant, Keith Neal was traveling with Kaybreisha “Kay” Timpson, 20, in his car along with their daughter, Nariyaz Keytasia Neal, Monday.
The warrant said the two got into a verbal argument and Keith Neal retrieved a gun out of the glove compartment, and fired one round that struck Timpson in the left hand, forearm and chest area.
Neal shot Timpson again, striking her in the lower back, as she exited the car, according to the warrant. She collapsed on the side of Merrywood Road.
Neal fled the area with the baby. An amber alert was issued for the girl. She was later found when her father turned himself in, according to authorities.
Timpson died shortly after exiting the vehicle from the gunshot wounds, according to the warrant. Timpson’s family told FOX Carolina that Neal was taken by her father Keith Neal. They said Timpson and Keith Neal were no longer together and on Sunday he was staking out Timpson’s house.
Investigators said Keith Neal called dispatchers after hearing about the Amber Alert and said he wanted to turn himself in to authorities. They said Neal waited at a market in Hodges for deputies to arrive.
“When the Amber Alert hit the airwaves, the guy got nervous and made some phone calls and decided the best thing is to turn himself in,” said John Murray, of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office. “The Amber Alert really helped us to capture him.”
Timpson’s family said she was a great mom and she only had the one daughter.
Timpson’s father told FOX Carolina that Neal was a quiet man that had never been violent towards his daughter before.
According to the arrest warrant, Keith Neal was traveling with Kaybreisha “Kay” Timpson, 20, in his car along with their daughter, Nariyaz Keytasia Neal, Monday.
The warrant said the two got into a verbal argument and Keith Neal retrieved a gun out of the glove compartment, and fired one round that struck Timpson in the left hand, forearm and chest area.
Neal shot Timpson again, striking her in the lower back, as she exited the car, according to the warrant. She collapsed on the side of Merrywood Road.
Neal fled the area with the baby. An amber alert was issued for the girl. She was later found when her father turned himself in, according to authorities.
Timpson died shortly after exiting the vehicle from the gunshot wounds, according to the warrant. Timpson’s family told FOX Carolina that Neal was taken by her father Keith Neal. They said Timpson and Keith Neal were no longer together and on Sunday he was staking out Timpson’s house.
Investigators said Keith Neal called dispatchers after hearing about the Amber Alert and said he wanted to turn himself in to authorities. They said Neal waited at a market in Hodges for deputies to arrive.
“When the Amber Alert hit the airwaves, the guy got nervous and made some phone calls and decided the best thing is to turn himself in,” said John Murray, of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office. “The Amber Alert really helped us to capture him.”
Timpson’s family said she was a great mom and she only had the one daughter.
Timpson’s father told FOX Carolina that Neal was a quiet man that had never been violent towards his daughter before.
Portage, IN: Man accused of killing Portage teen appears in court Tuesday
Dustin McCowan was charged with murder Monday in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend.
The 18-year old man accused of killing a Portage girl made his first appearance in court Tuesday.
Dustin McCowan was charged with murder Monday in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend.
An autopsy revealed Amanda Bach, 19, was instantly killed from a single gunshot wound to the neck. McCowan was charged with one count of murder.
"We knew the last person she was with was Dustin, according to him," said Sgt. Larry LaFlower from the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
Documents just released show police found McCowan’s flip-flop near Bach's body.
Bach’s body was discovered Saturday along railroad tracks in Porter Co.
Fox59 learned a neighbor told police she heard a male saying "Amanda, get up" and then a female saying "I can't believe this is happening” on the night Bach disappeared.
Bach was last seen, leaving her house in Portage Thursday night.
Early Friday morning, Bach's car was found abandoned outside a Wheeler store. Later that day, McCowan was taken in to custody, while visiting friends at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Investigators executed a search warrant at McCowan's house on Sunday. Porter County officials would not comment on the motive.
McCowan graduated from Wheeler High School. His father works for the Crown Point Police Department.
There is a small memorial near the site where Bach's body was discovered Saturday, just 300 yards from McCowan's home.
Police will not say if they are investigating anyone else in connection to Bach's murder.
The 18-year old man accused of killing a Portage girl made his first appearance in court Tuesday.
Dustin McCowan was charged with murder Monday in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend.
An autopsy revealed Amanda Bach, 19, was instantly killed from a single gunshot wound to the neck. McCowan was charged with one count of murder.
"We knew the last person she was with was Dustin, according to him," said Sgt. Larry LaFlower from the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
Documents just released show police found McCowan’s flip-flop near Bach's body.
Bach’s body was discovered Saturday along railroad tracks in Porter Co.
Fox59 learned a neighbor told police she heard a male saying "Amanda, get up" and then a female saying "I can't believe this is happening” on the night Bach disappeared.
Bach was last seen, leaving her house in Portage Thursday night.
Early Friday morning, Bach's car was found abandoned outside a Wheeler store. Later that day, McCowan was taken in to custody, while visiting friends at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Investigators executed a search warrant at McCowan's house on Sunday. Porter County officials would not comment on the motive.
McCowan graduated from Wheeler High School. His father works for the Crown Point Police Department.
There is a small memorial near the site where Bach's body was discovered Saturday, just 300 yards from McCowan's home.
Police will not say if they are investigating anyone else in connection to Bach's murder.
Norfolk, VA: Woman sentenced in husband's murder
Purvis will be on probation for 10 years
Updated: Tuesday, 20 Sep 2011, 3:25 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 20 Sep 2011, 3:25 PM EDT
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The woman charged in the shooting death of her husband plead guilty and was sentenced Tuesday.
Corey Boone Purvis, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all 10 years suspended.
Purvis plead guilty to one count of felony involuntary manslaughter and will serve 10 years of probation for the crime.
Purvis was originally charged with murder and use of a firearm in the March 24, 2010 murder of her husband, John.
According to Amanda Howie, with the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney, Purvis is not allowed to contact her husband's family.
Updated: Tuesday, 20 Sep 2011, 3:25 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 20 Sep 2011, 3:25 PM EDT
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The woman charged in the shooting death of her husband plead guilty and was sentenced Tuesday.
Corey Boone Purvis, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all 10 years suspended.
Purvis plead guilty to one count of felony involuntary manslaughter and will serve 10 years of probation for the crime.
Purvis was originally charged with murder and use of a firearm in the March 24, 2010 murder of her husband, John.
According to Amanda Howie, with the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney, Purvis is not allowed to contact her husband's family.
D'Iberville, MS: TSA official charged in slaying of worker
Woman stabbed multiple times; bond $3M
11:46 PM, Sep. 20, 2011
Services for Stacey Wright are set for 1 p.m. Friday at Anderson United Methodist Church in Jackson with visitation from 1-7 p.m. Thursday at Lakeover Memorial Funeral Home.
A top federal Transportation Security Administration official in Mississippi is in jail in Gulfport charged with murder in the killing of TSA worker Stacey Wright.
On Sunday, D'Iberville police said they found Wright, 43, stabbed to death multiple times in her apartment there. Authorities arrested Ruben Orlando Benitez, 45, who serves as the TSA's assistant federal security director in Mississippi.
He remained jailed Tuesday in the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where his bond is $3 million. An initial appearance could take place as early as today.
Wright was married to Lt. Anthony Wright of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol. But the two had been separated.
Benitez and Wright had worked together at the Jackson airport.
Benitez had been working in Jackson for the past several years, coming here from Chicago, where his wife still lives, TSA workers said. Wright had worked initially as a screener and then as a lead screener before taking the job as a supervisor on the Gulf Coast, they said.
Authorities believe Wright and Benitez had a relationship, said Clay Jones, a spokesman for the D'Iberville Police Department.
Jones said authorities received a call early Sunday morning from a family member because Wright "hadn't been answering her phone."
The family member knew Wright lived in the Landmark Apartments but didn't recall the exact number, he said. "She had just moved down about a month ago from Jackson so none of the neighbors knew her."
The security guard at the apartment went with a police officer to her apartment, Jones said. After opening the door, they found her lying on the floor, he said.
She had been dead for some time, and there was no way to revive her, he said.
Authorities believe an altercation or struggle took place prior to her death, Jones said. "From the physical evidence on the scene, you could tell."
After speaking to witnesses and co-workers, authorities developed a lead that resulted to the arrest of Benitez, he said.
News of the arrest of one of TSA's top officials in Mississippi came the same day the Violence Policy Center issued a report that found 93 percent of women are killed by someone they know, "most often a spouse or intimate acquaintance."
Many were killed "during the course of an argument," the study says. Most often, perpetrators used guns.
"Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Stacey Wright's family, friends and TSA colleagues during this sad and tragic time," said spokeswoman Sari Koshetz.
"Grief counseling has been made available to TSA employees at Gulfport-Biloxi and also at Jackson-Evers International Airport where officer Wright previously worked," she said. "We are cooperating fully with the law enforcement investigation into her death."
Jones wouldn't comment on whether a possible murder weapon or any fingerprints were found.
"We did collect evidence on the scene," he said.
An autopsy is being done to help determine time of death, Jones said. "We don't know the time at this point. We do know she had been dead for two or three days."
To comment on this story, call Jerry Mitchell at (601) 961-7064. Follow him at twitter.com/jmitchellnews.
11:46 PM, Sep. 20, 2011
Services for Stacey Wright are set for 1 p.m. Friday at Anderson United Methodist Church in Jackson with visitation from 1-7 p.m. Thursday at Lakeover Memorial Funeral Home.
A top federal Transportation Security Administration official in Mississippi is in jail in Gulfport charged with murder in the killing of TSA worker Stacey Wright.
On Sunday, D'Iberville police said they found Wright, 43, stabbed to death multiple times in her apartment there. Authorities arrested Ruben Orlando Benitez, 45, who serves as the TSA's assistant federal security director in Mississippi.
He remained jailed Tuesday in the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where his bond is $3 million. An initial appearance could take place as early as today.
Wright was married to Lt. Anthony Wright of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol. But the two had been separated.
Benitez and Wright had worked together at the Jackson airport.
Benitez had been working in Jackson for the past several years, coming here from Chicago, where his wife still lives, TSA workers said. Wright had worked initially as a screener and then as a lead screener before taking the job as a supervisor on the Gulf Coast, they said.
Authorities believe Wright and Benitez had a relationship, said Clay Jones, a spokesman for the D'Iberville Police Department.
Jones said authorities received a call early Sunday morning from a family member because Wright "hadn't been answering her phone."
The family member knew Wright lived in the Landmark Apartments but didn't recall the exact number, he said. "She had just moved down about a month ago from Jackson so none of the neighbors knew her."
The security guard at the apartment went with a police officer to her apartment, Jones said. After opening the door, they found her lying on the floor, he said.
She had been dead for some time, and there was no way to revive her, he said.
Authorities believe an altercation or struggle took place prior to her death, Jones said. "From the physical evidence on the scene, you could tell."
After speaking to witnesses and co-workers, authorities developed a lead that resulted to the arrest of Benitez, he said.
News of the arrest of one of TSA's top officials in Mississippi came the same day the Violence Policy Center issued a report that found 93 percent of women are killed by someone they know, "most often a spouse or intimate acquaintance."
Many were killed "during the course of an argument," the study says. Most often, perpetrators used guns.
"Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Stacey Wright's family, friends and TSA colleagues during this sad and tragic time," said spokeswoman Sari Koshetz.
"Grief counseling has been made available to TSA employees at Gulfport-Biloxi and also at Jackson-Evers International Airport where officer Wright previously worked," she said. "We are cooperating fully with the law enforcement investigation into her death."
Jones wouldn't comment on whether a possible murder weapon or any fingerprints were found.
"We did collect evidence on the scene," he said.
An autopsy is being done to help determine time of death, Jones said. "We don't know the time at this point. We do know she had been dead for two or three days."
To comment on this story, call Jerry Mitchell at (601) 961-7064. Follow him at twitter.com/jmitchellnews.
Dallas, TX: Texas Man Suspected of Throwing Dog Out of High-Rise Apartment Window
Published September 20, 2011
Texas police are on the hunt for a man suspected of throwing his girlfriend's dog out of a 19th-floor apartment window, where it fell to its death.
Authorities say the incident began when the suspect got into an argument with his girlfriend on Saturday in the elevator of a Dallas apartment building, where he allegedly punched her several times in the face, leaving her bruised and bloody.
The woman then went up to their shared apartment and poured bleach on the man’s clothes, MyFoxDFW.com reports. After the man reportedly entered the room later and saw the clothes, he threw her Maltese dog, Diego, out the window, police reports said.
The dog fell 11 stories and was found dead on the 8th floor's pool deck.
The suspect is wanted on animal cruelty and family violence charges.
Police had not released the name of the suspect, MyFoxDFW.com reported, and a police spokesman wasn't immediately available for further information.
Texas police are on the hunt for a man suspected of throwing his girlfriend's dog out of a 19th-floor apartment window, where it fell to its death.
Authorities say the incident began when the suspect got into an argument with his girlfriend on Saturday in the elevator of a Dallas apartment building, where he allegedly punched her several times in the face, leaving her bruised and bloody.
The woman then went up to their shared apartment and poured bleach on the man’s clothes, MyFoxDFW.com reports. After the man reportedly entered the room later and saw the clothes, he threw her Maltese dog, Diego, out the window, police reports said.
The dog fell 11 stories and was found dead on the 8th floor's pool deck.
The suspect is wanted on animal cruelty and family violence charges.
Police had not released the name of the suspect, MyFoxDFW.com reported, and a police spokesman wasn't immediately available for further information.
Boca Raton, FL: Estranged husband captured, wanted for questioning in wife's death
September 20, 2011 11:43 PM
WPEC - CBS12.com
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The man wanted for questioning in the shooting death of his wife, Bozena Kovacs, in Boca Raton Friday morning, has been captured by U.S. Marshals. Robert Kovacs was located and arrested Tuesday at a Pollo Tropical in Fort Lauderdale. He was walking out of the restaurant, when deputies approached him.
Officials say he tried to pull a gun from his pocket, but was subdued and eventually went peacefully.
EARLIER: Woman shot in the head in west Boca 'suspicious' death
"He's a coward, he's a total coward," said Gary Bracken, Bozena's ex-husband.
Bozena Kovacs's ex-husband and father of her two grown children is certain 44-year-old Robert Kovacs murdered his ex-wife in cold blood.
The family says he and Bozena had only been married a year, and police say they had an argument sometime Thursday night before gunfire erupted.
The shooting happened inside the family's rented home on Clear Brook Circle. Bozena's daughter made the gruesome discovery, her mother dead on the bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to her head.
"To find your mother in that situation, it's devastating," said Bracken.
Robert was arrested in Broward County in July for possesion of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance and domestic violence. He wasn't supposed to have any contact with his wife.
But her family says he was still with her, and that he had been torturing her for months. Bozena was 74-year-old Al Kubiak's only child. He lived with her so she could care for him.
Kovacs was booked in the Broward County jail Tuesday night.
WPEC - CBS12.com
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The man wanted for questioning in the shooting death of his wife, Bozena Kovacs, in Boca Raton Friday morning, has been captured by U.S. Marshals. Robert Kovacs was located and arrested Tuesday at a Pollo Tropical in Fort Lauderdale. He was walking out of the restaurant, when deputies approached him.
Officials say he tried to pull a gun from his pocket, but was subdued and eventually went peacefully.
EARLIER: Woman shot in the head in west Boca 'suspicious' death
"He's a coward, he's a total coward," said Gary Bracken, Bozena's ex-husband.
Bozena Kovacs's ex-husband and father of her two grown children is certain 44-year-old Robert Kovacs murdered his ex-wife in cold blood.
The family says he and Bozena had only been married a year, and police say they had an argument sometime Thursday night before gunfire erupted.
The shooting happened inside the family's rented home on Clear Brook Circle. Bozena's daughter made the gruesome discovery, her mother dead on the bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to her head.
"To find your mother in that situation, it's devastating," said Bracken.
Robert was arrested in Broward County in July for possesion of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance and domestic violence. He wasn't supposed to have any contact with his wife.
But her family says he was still with her, and that he had been torturing her for months. Bozena was 74-year-old Al Kubiak's only child. He lived with her so she could care for him.
Kovacs was booked in the Broward County jail Tuesday night.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Harrison County, TX: Harrison County man shot by deputies after bizarre standoff
by Becky Bell
POSTED: 2:08 pm CDT September 20, 2011
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UPDATED: 4:39 pm CDT September 20, 2011
Harrison County, Texas -- A Harrison County man is dead after fighting with his wife, attempting to take his own life, barricading himself into a motor home and then ultimately being shot by the Harrison County deputies for threatening deputies with a gun.
Richard Owen Dean, 44, was shot after an almost a six-hour standoff with deputies, according to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office.
"This man is no stranger to law enforcement," said Jay Webb, Harrison County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, who added the case was both "bizarre" and "volatile."
Dean's long criminal history includes multiple charges for domestic violence. He has been to jail in Harrison County five times, has a record in Gregg County for domestic violence and is on parole from the Texas Department of Justice, Webb said.
Dean has also barricaded himself away from officers before in White Oak, Texas, he added.
The dramatic series of events began at midnight on Tuesday, September 20, when Harrison County 911 operators received a call from a residence in the Lansing Switch, an upscale-gated area of western Harrison County, regarding a family disturbance.
Webb said Dean and his wife, who had been married for two months, were having a physical fight. Dean had been reportedly been drinking heavily the day before the dispute. However, neither of the Dean's filed charges and officers left the residence.
Dean's wife left the home. Her name is not being released at this time because the incident is still under investigation.
Officers received another call from the residence at 2 a.m.
When deputies arrived at the location, Dean met them, at a gate on the driveway. Dean had a pistol in his hand as he spoke with deputies through the closed gate regarding the incident that occurred earlier in the evening involving a family violence assault at residence.
Deputies ordered Dean to put the weapon down, but he did not.
Instead, he pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The weapon did not discharge.
When deputies again ordered him to drop the weapon, he ran to a pickup truck that was on the driveway and drove through the pasture to a barn located on the property.
Deputies secured the area of the property and attempted to locate the Dean around the barn area where he left the truck. Deputies then called for further assistance and the deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect.
Dean did not respond and the deputies made repeated attempts to make contact with the suspect. At approximately 6 a.m., it was confirmed that the suspect had barricaded himself in a large motor home parked next to the barn.
Dean made no attempt to speak with deputies, but stood in the front windshield of the vehicle and continually pointed the gun at his head and made threatening gestures with the weapon toward the deputies.
Harrison County Sheriff officials said Dean closed the curtains on the motor home and refused to answer repeated voice commands by deputies to come out of the motor home.
Just before 8 a.m., the suspect opened the curtains on the side of the motor home and stood in the window with the gun to his head. He was then ordered by deputies to drop the weapon and he refused to comply with the order.
He then lowered the gun and pointed the weapon directly at deputies who were attempting to speak to him. Deputies shot the suspect and he fell to the floor of the RV.
When deputies entered the motor home, Dean was on the floor with a loaded gun beside him.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident. No deputies were injured in the event.
"The Texas Rangers always investigate police related shootings," Dean said. "You don't want your department to investigate your own shooting."
Although domestic violence cases do happen in all types of neighborhoods, Webb noted that the neighborhood the Dean's were living in was "beyond their means," and that the stress of that might have helped escalate the incident. However, other factors were more front and center of this case, he said.
"This was marital and alcohol related," Webb said. "And there is always the escalation of domestic violence when someone else is involved such as a police officer. Both parties are really emotional and that is never good."
POSTED: 2:08 pm CDT September 20, 2011
redditdiggfacebooktwitter
UPDATED: 4:39 pm CDT September 20, 2011
Harrison County, Texas -- A Harrison County man is dead after fighting with his wife, attempting to take his own life, barricading himself into a motor home and then ultimately being shot by the Harrison County deputies for threatening deputies with a gun.
Richard Owen Dean, 44, was shot after an almost a six-hour standoff with deputies, according to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office.
"This man is no stranger to law enforcement," said Jay Webb, Harrison County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, who added the case was both "bizarre" and "volatile."
Dean's long criminal history includes multiple charges for domestic violence. He has been to jail in Harrison County five times, has a record in Gregg County for domestic violence and is on parole from the Texas Department of Justice, Webb said.
Dean has also barricaded himself away from officers before in White Oak, Texas, he added.
The dramatic series of events began at midnight on Tuesday, September 20, when Harrison County 911 operators received a call from a residence in the Lansing Switch, an upscale-gated area of western Harrison County, regarding a family disturbance.
Webb said Dean and his wife, who had been married for two months, were having a physical fight. Dean had been reportedly been drinking heavily the day before the dispute. However, neither of the Dean's filed charges and officers left the residence.
Dean's wife left the home. Her name is not being released at this time because the incident is still under investigation.
Officers received another call from the residence at 2 a.m.
When deputies arrived at the location, Dean met them, at a gate on the driveway. Dean had a pistol in his hand as he spoke with deputies through the closed gate regarding the incident that occurred earlier in the evening involving a family violence assault at residence.
Deputies ordered Dean to put the weapon down, but he did not.
Instead, he pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The weapon did not discharge.
When deputies again ordered him to drop the weapon, he ran to a pickup truck that was on the driveway and drove through the pasture to a barn located on the property.
Deputies secured the area of the property and attempted to locate the Dean around the barn area where he left the truck. Deputies then called for further assistance and the deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect.
Dean did not respond and the deputies made repeated attempts to make contact with the suspect. At approximately 6 a.m., it was confirmed that the suspect had barricaded himself in a large motor home parked next to the barn.
Dean made no attempt to speak with deputies, but stood in the front windshield of the vehicle and continually pointed the gun at his head and made threatening gestures with the weapon toward the deputies.
Harrison County Sheriff officials said Dean closed the curtains on the motor home and refused to answer repeated voice commands by deputies to come out of the motor home.
Just before 8 a.m., the suspect opened the curtains on the side of the motor home and stood in the window with the gun to his head. He was then ordered by deputies to drop the weapon and he refused to comply with the order.
He then lowered the gun and pointed the weapon directly at deputies who were attempting to speak to him. Deputies shot the suspect and he fell to the floor of the RV.
When deputies entered the motor home, Dean was on the floor with a loaded gun beside him.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident. No deputies were injured in the event.
"The Texas Rangers always investigate police related shootings," Dean said. "You don't want your department to investigate your own shooting."
Although domestic violence cases do happen in all types of neighborhoods, Webb noted that the neighborhood the Dean's were living in was "beyond their means," and that the stress of that might have helped escalate the incident. However, other factors were more front and center of this case, he said.
"This was marital and alcohol related," Webb said. "And there is always the escalation of domestic violence when someone else is involved such as a police officer. Both parties are really emotional and that is never good."
Article: Nevada ranks first in domestic violence killings
BY MIKE BLASKY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Sep. 20, 2011 | 4:17 p.m.
A report released Tuesday says Nevada had the highest rate of domestic violence killings of men against women in the nation.
The study looked at FBI statistics from 2009 in which one man killed one woman, a typical indicator of domestic violence. Nevada's rate of homicides per 100,000 people was 2.7. Alabama was second with a rate of 2.64 per 100,000 people.
The annual report was released by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., which has an anti-gun agenda. Their study ranked Nevada first in four of the last five reports.
William Sousa, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the report should be examined with some skepticism.
Because of the large tourist population in cities such as Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada's base population is actually much higher than census data indicates.
"If they're using the wrong base number, that (the high numbers) shouldn't be a surprise," he said.
Sousa pointed to states such as South Dakota, which tied for eighth in the study, which have very low populations.
Larger states, such as Texas, New York, and California, did not appear in the study's top 10.
Sousa said domestic violence is a nationwide problem facing many communities.
The study "does a disservice to some states, and in other states it makes it seem like less of a problem then it really is," he said.
The FBI does not recommend comparing states when analyzing its data.
"If the FBI is saying that about their own numbers, that should give us a sense of what the study really is," Sousa said.
But police take domestic violence seriously, although the crime is hard to prevent.
Nevada had its first Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Summit last year, where Las Vegas police said they investigate about 25,000 domestic violence cases annually.
At the time, police said they had identified at least 110 high-risk offenders through a tracking program designed to monitor people more likely to kill their spouse.
Any recent efforts would not have been reflected in the report's two-year-old data.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Sep. 20, 2011 | 4:17 p.m.
A report released Tuesday says Nevada had the highest rate of domestic violence killings of men against women in the nation.
The study looked at FBI statistics from 2009 in which one man killed one woman, a typical indicator of domestic violence. Nevada's rate of homicides per 100,000 people was 2.7. Alabama was second with a rate of 2.64 per 100,000 people.
The annual report was released by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., which has an anti-gun agenda. Their study ranked Nevada first in four of the last five reports.
William Sousa, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the report should be examined with some skepticism.
Because of the large tourist population in cities such as Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada's base population is actually much higher than census data indicates.
"If they're using the wrong base number, that (the high numbers) shouldn't be a surprise," he said.
Sousa pointed to states such as South Dakota, which tied for eighth in the study, which have very low populations.
Larger states, such as Texas, New York, and California, did not appear in the study's top 10.
Sousa said domestic violence is a nationwide problem facing many communities.
The study "does a disservice to some states, and in other states it makes it seem like less of a problem then it really is," he said.
The FBI does not recommend comparing states when analyzing its data.
"If the FBI is saying that about their own numbers, that should give us a sense of what the study really is," Sousa said.
But police take domestic violence seriously, although the crime is hard to prevent.
Nevada had its first Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Summit last year, where Las Vegas police said they investigate about 25,000 domestic violence cases annually.
At the time, police said they had identified at least 110 high-risk offenders through a tracking program designed to monitor people more likely to kill their spouse.
Any recent efforts would not have been reflected in the report's two-year-old data.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
Concord, NC: Husband and wife dead in Concord Lowe's shooting
A husband and wife are dead after an apparent murder-suicide at Lowe’s Home Improvement on Dale Earnhardt Boulevard.
Concord Police said that Por Ye Lor, 31, walked into the store at about 5:20 p.m. Monday and started a domestic argument with his wife, Zoua “Vivian” Xiong, 25, a cashier at the store.
Lor pulled out a gun and shot her, then turned the gun on himself.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Employees and patrons evacuated from the store said Xiong tried to run away from her husband.
The couple, who live at 1102 Arbor Dr., Salisbury, leave behind three children.
Relatives of the victims gathered outside the Lowe’s, waiting for word from police about her. When they found out the news, they broke down, hugging and consoling one another. A brother of the shooter, Sunnis Lor, told WSOC-TV he spoke with Por Le Yor earlier on Monday and said he was fine.
"He didn't tell me nothing." Lor said, "Three o'clock, I went to work and my parents called me and said something happened to my brother and sister-in-law, that's it."
Police haven’t determined a motive for the shooting, but Interim Police Chief Guy Smith said it was an isolated incident.
Lowe’s spokeswoman Karen Cobb said the incident was the result of a domestic dispute between Xiong and Lor.
“We are deeply saddened at the loss of a member of our Lowe's family,” Cobb said. “Our thoughts are with the families of both victims and our employees who worked closely with Vivian Xiong.”
Grief counselors were on hand for employees affected by the incident, Cobb said. The store re-opened Tuesday morning. Employees from neighboring stores were also on hand to cover for anyone who felt they couldn't come to work.
Contact online editor Ben McNeely: 704-789-9131
Concord Police said that Por Ye Lor, 31, walked into the store at about 5:20 p.m. Monday and started a domestic argument with his wife, Zoua “Vivian” Xiong, 25, a cashier at the store.
Lor pulled out a gun and shot her, then turned the gun on himself.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Employees and patrons evacuated from the store said Xiong tried to run away from her husband.
The couple, who live at 1102 Arbor Dr., Salisbury, leave behind three children.
Relatives of the victims gathered outside the Lowe’s, waiting for word from police about her. When they found out the news, they broke down, hugging and consoling one another. A brother of the shooter, Sunnis Lor, told WSOC-TV he spoke with Por Le Yor earlier on Monday and said he was fine.
"He didn't tell me nothing." Lor said, "Three o'clock, I went to work and my parents called me and said something happened to my brother and sister-in-law, that's it."
Police haven’t determined a motive for the shooting, but Interim Police Chief Guy Smith said it was an isolated incident.
Lowe’s spokeswoman Karen Cobb said the incident was the result of a domestic dispute between Xiong and Lor.
“We are deeply saddened at the loss of a member of our Lowe's family,” Cobb said. “Our thoughts are with the families of both victims and our employees who worked closely with Vivian Xiong.”
Grief counselors were on hand for employees affected by the incident, Cobb said. The store re-opened Tuesday morning. Employees from neighboring stores were also on hand to cover for anyone who felt they couldn't come to work.
Contact online editor Ben McNeely: 704-789-9131
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