Police 'Fairly Confident' Remains Found Are Missing Virginia Tech Student
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 / Fox News
Virginia state police say they are "fairly confident" human remains discovered on a southern Albermarle County farm are of missing Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.
The skeletal remains were discovered Tuesday morning on the Anchorage Farm by owner David Bass.
Harrington, a 20-year-old junior at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, hasn't been seen since October when she was separated from her friends at a Metallica concert in Charlottesville.
State Police Superintendent Steve Flaherty said an autopsy will be conducted to confirm that the remains are of Harrington.
Flaherty also said there is no readily available access to the area where the remains were found.
The family learned this morning that remains of a female body had been found in Virginia, the family's representative, Leslie Valenza, told Fox News.
SLIDESHOW: Morgan Harrington Vanishes at Concert
Dan Harrington, Morgan's father, told WTVR.com that "this is a horrible day" for him and his family.
MORE DETAILS OF MORGAN HARRINGTON'S DISAPPEARANCE...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583961,00.html?test=latestnews
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
CHINO: BETTY BRODERICK DENIED PAROLE, ANGRY
Socialite Betty Broderick seeks parole in murders
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent
Thu Jan 21, 2010 / Associated Press
CHINO, Calif. – Betty Broderick, the one-time San Diego socialite convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his wife, has told a parole board she didn't intend to kill anyone.
In a long, rambling commentary Thursday at a hearing in Chino, Broderick says she doesn't remember what happened the day she shot the couple in their bed in 1989. However, she said she felt she had no other choice but to kill them or herself. She says she "couldn't let them win."
The hearing, which was continuing through the afternoon, is Broderick's first date with a parole board in her quest for freedom.
The 62-year-old was convicted in 1991 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison. Her story became the subject of a book and two TV movies.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
CHINO, Calif. (AP) — Two decades after Betty Broderick drew national attention for fatally shooting her ex-husband and his new wife in their bed, the former San Diego socialite has her first date with a parole board Thursday in her quest for freedom.
The hearing is likely to examine her claims that years of emotional abuse by her lawyer husband drove her to kill.
Broderick, 62, was convicted in 1991 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison. Her story became the subject of a book and two TV movies. She has maintained she was a victim of battered-wife syndrome and was driven to kill by a bitter and prolonged divorce and custody battle.
BETTY BRODERICK DENIED PAROLE. NO REMORSE FOR MURDERS...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_re_us/us_broderick_parole
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent
Thu Jan 21, 2010 / Associated Press
CHINO, Calif. – Betty Broderick, the one-time San Diego socialite convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his wife, has told a parole board she didn't intend to kill anyone.
In a long, rambling commentary Thursday at a hearing in Chino, Broderick says she doesn't remember what happened the day she shot the couple in their bed in 1989. However, she said she felt she had no other choice but to kill them or herself. She says she "couldn't let them win."
The hearing, which was continuing through the afternoon, is Broderick's first date with a parole board in her quest for freedom.
The 62-year-old was convicted in 1991 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison. Her story became the subject of a book and two TV movies.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
CHINO, Calif. (AP) — Two decades after Betty Broderick drew national attention for fatally shooting her ex-husband and his new wife in their bed, the former San Diego socialite has her first date with a parole board Thursday in her quest for freedom.
The hearing is likely to examine her claims that years of emotional abuse by her lawyer husband drove her to kill.
Broderick, 62, was convicted in 1991 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison. Her story became the subject of a book and two TV movies. She has maintained she was a victim of battered-wife syndrome and was driven to kill by a bitter and prolonged divorce and custody battle.
BETTY BRODERICK DENIED PAROLE. NO REMORSE FOR MURDERS...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100121/ap_on_re_us/us_broderick_parole
FLORIDA: RONALD CUMMINGS, MISTY CROSLIN DEALING DRUGS, ARRESTED
Haleigh Cummings family members arrested
Charged with trafficking prescription medications
Updated Friday, 22 Jan 2010 / By NICK FOKIANOS FOX 35 News
My Fox Orlando.com
The father of missing Putnam County girl Haleigh Cummings along with his ex-wife are behind bars. Misty Croslin, 18, and her ex-husband Ronald Cummings, 26, were arrested on Wednesday, along with Misty's older brother, Ronald's cousin and a friend of theirs. They face charges of trafficking prescription drugs
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office , along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have been investigating the couple for the last month. They say over the course of that investigation, the crew either bought prescription drugs from undercover agents or sold painkillers to those agents.
Investigators said Misty took part in all seven transactions and Ronald helped in three. Hope Sykes, Donna Broch and Tommy Croslin, Jr. each took part in one sale.
Misty has been living with her brother, Hank, Jr., and his wife Lindsay since she divorced Ronald Cummings. "Did you have any strange traffic coming to the house?" FOX 35 asked Lindsay Croslin. "No. Nothing, just regular friends came over," said Lindsay Croslin.
Investigators said they arrested Misty and Ronald Cummings together when they went to purchase a large amount of Oxycodone and Hydrocodone from an undercover officer. Ronald has been living with his grandmother, Annette Sykes, in Welaka, since his daughter was reported missing in February of last year.
(snip)
Misty Croslin's bail is set at $950,000. Cummings bail is set at $500,000. Investigators said charges are still pending on a seventh incident where Misty Croslin participated in a prescription transaction with an undercover drug agent.
HALEIGH CUMMINGS' DAD AND STEP-MOM: WHAT WERE RONALD CUMMINGS AND MISTY CROSLIN THINKING??????
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/cummings_case/012110-haleigh-cummings-family
Charged with trafficking prescription medications
Updated Friday, 22 Jan 2010 / By NICK FOKIANOS FOX 35 News
My Fox Orlando.com
The father of missing Putnam County girl Haleigh Cummings along with his ex-wife are behind bars. Misty Croslin, 18, and her ex-husband Ronald Cummings, 26, were arrested on Wednesday, along with Misty's older brother, Ronald's cousin and a friend of theirs. They face charges of trafficking prescription drugs
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office , along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have been investigating the couple for the last month. They say over the course of that investigation, the crew either bought prescription drugs from undercover agents or sold painkillers to those agents.
Investigators said Misty took part in all seven transactions and Ronald helped in three. Hope Sykes, Donna Broch and Tommy Croslin, Jr. each took part in one sale.
Misty has been living with her brother, Hank, Jr., and his wife Lindsay since she divorced Ronald Cummings. "Did you have any strange traffic coming to the house?" FOX 35 asked Lindsay Croslin. "No. Nothing, just regular friends came over," said Lindsay Croslin.
Investigators said they arrested Misty and Ronald Cummings together when they went to purchase a large amount of Oxycodone and Hydrocodone from an undercover officer. Ronald has been living with his grandmother, Annette Sykes, in Welaka, since his daughter was reported missing in February of last year.
(snip)
Misty Croslin's bail is set at $950,000. Cummings bail is set at $500,000. Investigators said charges are still pending on a seventh incident where Misty Croslin participated in a prescription transaction with an undercover drug agent.
HALEIGH CUMMINGS' DAD AND STEP-MOM: WHAT WERE RONALD CUMMINGS AND MISTY CROSLIN THINKING??????
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/cummings_case/012110-haleigh-cummings-family
Thursday, January 21, 2010
APPOMATTOX: CHRISTOPHER SPEIGHT KILLED RELATIVES, PLANTED BOMBS
Va. Rampage Suspect's Relatives Among the Dead
Thursday, January 21, 2010 / Associated Press
APPOMATTOX, Virginia — The security guard accused of unleashing a bloodbath that killed eight people and planting bombs on his shared, quiet Virginia homestead had complained to a friend that he feared being turned out of the house by his sister and brother-in-law.
The couple was among the dead identified late Wednesday by police, shortly after they charged 39-year-old Christopher Bryan Speight with first-degree murder. The other victims of Tuesday morning's rampage were two adults, three teenagers and a 4-year-old boy.
Authorities have refused to offer a motive for the slayings, but Speight told a friend and former employer he was worried about being kicked out of the house.
Speight never wanted to talk about it, but he "constantly paced the floor," said David Anderson, co-owner of the Sunshine Market grocery store in Lynchburg where Speight sometimes worked. "I thought he was going to wear a trench in it."
The house was where police found most of the bodies. Speight gave himself up to police early Wednesday after leading investigators on an 18-hour manhunt. A bomb squad discovered a multitude of explosives the home, and crews were detonating the devices into the night.
(snip)
After Speight's surrender, Bomb squads discovered what police called "a multitude" of explosive devices planted in the house and outdoors. They began methodically detonating them, blowing up seven until rain forced them to stop. The detonations were expected to resume Thursday.
UPDATE ON CHRISTOPHER SPEIGHT'S RAMPAGE AND EXPLOSIVES...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583512,00.html?test=latestnews
Thursday, January 21, 2010 / Associated Press
APPOMATTOX, Virginia — The security guard accused of unleashing a bloodbath that killed eight people and planting bombs on his shared, quiet Virginia homestead had complained to a friend that he feared being turned out of the house by his sister and brother-in-law.
The couple was among the dead identified late Wednesday by police, shortly after they charged 39-year-old Christopher Bryan Speight with first-degree murder. The other victims of Tuesday morning's rampage were two adults, three teenagers and a 4-year-old boy.
Authorities have refused to offer a motive for the slayings, but Speight told a friend and former employer he was worried about being kicked out of the house.
Speight never wanted to talk about it, but he "constantly paced the floor," said David Anderson, co-owner of the Sunshine Market grocery store in Lynchburg where Speight sometimes worked. "I thought he was going to wear a trench in it."
The house was where police found most of the bodies. Speight gave himself up to police early Wednesday after leading investigators on an 18-hour manhunt. A bomb squad discovered a multitude of explosives the home, and crews were detonating the devices into the night.
(snip)
After Speight's surrender, Bomb squads discovered what police called "a multitude" of explosive devices planted in the house and outdoors. They began methodically detonating them, blowing up seven until rain forced them to stop. The detonations were expected to resume Thursday.
UPDATE ON CHRISTOPHER SPEIGHT'S RAMPAGE AND EXPLOSIVES...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583512,00.html?test=latestnews
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
TEMPE, AZ: BABY GABRIEL JOHNSON, 8 MONTHS, MISSING OR DEAD?
Photographs Taken on Last Day Arizona Baby Seen Concern Police
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 /Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — Newly released photographs taken the last day a missing Arizona baby was seen show the boy as lethargic and holding what appears to be a medicine bottle.
Tempe police Sgt. Steve Carbajal says the photos are from the camera of the baby's mother, 23-year-old Elizabeth Johnson.
Police have had the photos for weeks, and Carbajal says he doesn't know why the department is releasing them now.
He says the pictures raise questions about Johnson's treatment of 8-month-old Gabriel Johnson.
TEMPE, ARIZONA: WHERE IS BABY GABRIEL JOHNSON? IS ELIZABETH JOHNSON LYING? BABY GABRIEL LOOKS SICK, DIRTY IS LAST PHOTOS...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583392,00.html
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 /Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. — Newly released photographs taken the last day a missing Arizona baby was seen show the boy as lethargic and holding what appears to be a medicine bottle.
Tempe police Sgt. Steve Carbajal says the photos are from the camera of the baby's mother, 23-year-old Elizabeth Johnson.
Police have had the photos for weeks, and Carbajal says he doesn't know why the department is releasing them now.
He says the pictures raise questions about Johnson's treatment of 8-month-old Gabriel Johnson.
TEMPE, ARIZONA: WHERE IS BABY GABRIEL JOHNSON? IS ELIZABETH JOHNSON LYING? BABY GABRIEL LOOKS SICK, DIRTY IS LAST PHOTOS...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583392,00.html
APPOMATTOX, VA: CHRISTOPHER SPEIGHT KILLS 8, SHOOTS HELICOPTER
Shooter Kills 8 in Virginia, Cops Corner Suspect
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 / Associated Press
APPOMATTOX, Va. — Schools were shutdown in a rural Virginia county as police searched for a gunman Wednesday who they believe killed eight people at a nearby home and forced down a police helicopter after shooting its fuel tank.
State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said investigators used dogs and heat-sensing equipment to search overnight for Christopher Speight, 39, in a wooded area in Appomattox County, about 100 miles southwest of Richmond. Authorities believe he is armed with a high-powered rifle.
Local officials agreed to close four schools that serve about 2,000 students as a precaution, said Sheriff O. Wilson Staples.
Police found three bodies inside a rural home Tuesday and four other victims lying outside. Another man found injured along a nearby roadway later died.
Geller said state, local and federal authorities rotated shifts to maintain a constant security presence in the area overnight, and expected "to put forth more aggressive efforts, both on the ground and in the air" during the day.
"Our focus is on locating this individual and apprehending him," she said during a morning news conference.
The drama began around noon Tuesday when a victim was spotted barely alive along the side of a narrow, undivided country road.
WHY SO MANY KILLERS? READ STORY...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583389,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 / Associated Press
APPOMATTOX, Va. — Schools were shutdown in a rural Virginia county as police searched for a gunman Wednesday who they believe killed eight people at a nearby home and forced down a police helicopter after shooting its fuel tank.
State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said investigators used dogs and heat-sensing equipment to search overnight for Christopher Speight, 39, in a wooded area in Appomattox County, about 100 miles southwest of Richmond. Authorities believe he is armed with a high-powered rifle.
Local officials agreed to close four schools that serve about 2,000 students as a precaution, said Sheriff O. Wilson Staples.
Police found three bodies inside a rural home Tuesday and four other victims lying outside. Another man found injured along a nearby roadway later died.
Geller said state, local and federal authorities rotated shifts to maintain a constant security presence in the area overnight, and expected "to put forth more aggressive efforts, both on the ground and in the air" during the day.
"Our focus is on locating this individual and apprehending him," she said during a morning news conference.
The drama began around noon Tuesday when a victim was spotted barely alive along the side of a narrow, undivided country road.
WHY SO MANY KILLERS? READ STORY...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583389,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime
Monday, January 11, 2010
BRITTANEE DREXEL: FAMILY WEBSITE 'TRY IT ONE MORE TIME'
HELP FIND BRITTANEE DREXEL
Missing: 04/25/09Missing from: Myrtle Beach, SC
Classification: Missing Endangered
Age at disappearance: 17
Date of Birth:10/07/91
White Female
Hair: BrownEyes: Blue
Height:5'0" Weight:103 lbs
Her ears and nose are pierced. Brittanee has blonde highlights in her hair. She was last seen wearing a white, black, teal, and gray top, along with black shorts, similar to the outfit pictured below. Brittanee was also wearing white flip flops.
Help Support The Search For Brittanee Drexel
Brittanee's family request that all donations be submitted to:
CUE Center For Missing PersonsPO Box 12714 Wilmington, NC 28405
(910) 343-1131 / (910) 232-1687
http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Myrtle Beach Police Department
(843) 918-1963
PLEASE, VISIT THE OFFICIAL FAMILY WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MISSING BRITTANEE DREXEL, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!
http://www.helpfindbrittaneedrexel.com/Home_Page.html
Monday, December 28, 2009
SEATTLE: WALTER KENT MUNDELL, 6TH POLICEMAN TO DIE SINCE OCT 31
Pierce County deputy pronounced dead
Monday, December 28, 2009
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY / SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
A Pierce County Sheriff's deputy who was shot last week while responding to a domestic violence dispute in Eatonville died Monday at Harborview Medical Center.
Walter Kent Mundell Jr. died at 5:04 p.m., about an hour after being taken off life support, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. Mundell was 44.
Troyer said Mundell died with his wife Lisa at his side. His children, a 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, had spent time with him during the afternoon, and were being consoled by family and friends.
"Obviously everybody was waiting for a miracle, and it didn't come," Troyer said. "The fact that he survived as long as he did is amazing, and that's why, I think, people were hoping for a miracle. But it just wasn't meant to be. The wounds were too severe, and he has passed on."
His death is Washington's seventh law enforcement line-of-duty death this year, and sixth fatal shooting since Oct. 31.
Troyer said a memorial for Mundell was tentatively scheduled for Jan. 5 in the Tacoma Dome.
Monday, December 28, 2009
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY / SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
A Pierce County Sheriff's deputy who was shot last week while responding to a domestic violence dispute in Eatonville died Monday at Harborview Medical Center.
Walter Kent Mundell Jr. died at 5:04 p.m., about an hour after being taken off life support, sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. Mundell was 44.
Troyer said Mundell died with his wife Lisa at his side. His children, a 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, had spent time with him during the afternoon, and were being consoled by family and friends.
"Obviously everybody was waiting for a miracle, and it didn't come," Troyer said. "The fact that he survived as long as he did is amazing, and that's why, I think, people were hoping for a miracle. But it just wasn't meant to be. The wounds were too severe, and he has passed on."
His death is Washington's seventh law enforcement line-of-duty death this year, and sixth fatal shooting since Oct. 31.
Troyer said a memorial for Mundell was tentatively scheduled for Jan. 5 in the Tacoma Dome.
"Though his life was cut far too short by this act of violence, his memory will live on in the many people he protected and served," Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. "I stand with law enforcement from across the state as we honor this fallen hero."
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said the whole department has been shaken by the loss.
READ MORE ABOUT THE TRAGIC LOSS OF OFFICER KENT MUNDELL, JR http://www.seattlepi.com/local/413634_deputy26.html
Monday, December 14, 2009
SEATTLE: NAVEED HAQ JURY DELIBERATE SHOOTING OF 6 WOMEN
Haq jury goes home without reaching a verdict
Posted by Jennifer Sullivan / SEATTLE TIMES / THE BLOTTER
December 14, 2009
King County jurors will return to the Seattle courthouse at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday to resume their deliberations in the murder trial of Naveed Haq. The jury went home a short time ago without reaching a verdict.
Haq shot six women at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in July 2006. Haq's defense team has never denied his responsibility, they are asking jurors to find him not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors say Haq understood what he was doing when he opened fire.
Jurors began deliberating on Thursday and continued on Friday. On Friday, the jury requested audio equipment to help them listen to recordings of a 911 call placed from the federation during the attack. They also wanted to listen to recordings of telephone calls Haq placed to his family after he was booked into the King County Jail, authorities said.
In the recordings Haq called himself "a martyr" who will go to heaven for what he did inside the federation, according to trial testimony.
Haq forced his way into the federation on July 28, 2006, and randomly shot the employees he encountered. Pam Waechter, the federation's 58-year-old campaign director, was killed and employees Cheryl Stumbo, Carol Goldman, Dayna Klein, Christina Rexroad and Layla Bush were wounded.
READ MORE OF JENNIFER SULLIVAN'S COVERAGE OF NAVEED HAQ'S TRIAL...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2010508718%20_haq_jury_concludes_for_the_day.html
Posted by Jennifer Sullivan / SEATTLE TIMES / THE BLOTTER
December 14, 2009
King County jurors will return to the Seattle courthouse at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday to resume their deliberations in the murder trial of Naveed Haq. The jury went home a short time ago without reaching a verdict.
Haq shot six women at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in July 2006. Haq's defense team has never denied his responsibility, they are asking jurors to find him not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors say Haq understood what he was doing when he opened fire.
Jurors began deliberating on Thursday and continued on Friday. On Friday, the jury requested audio equipment to help them listen to recordings of a 911 call placed from the federation during the attack. They also wanted to listen to recordings of telephone calls Haq placed to his family after he was booked into the King County Jail, authorities said.
In the recordings Haq called himself "a martyr" who will go to heaven for what he did inside the federation, according to trial testimony.
Haq forced his way into the federation on July 28, 2006, and randomly shot the employees he encountered. Pam Waechter, the federation's 58-year-old campaign director, was killed and employees Cheryl Stumbo, Carol Goldman, Dayna Klein, Christina Rexroad and Layla Bush were wounded.
READ MORE OF JENNIFER SULLIVAN'S COVERAGE OF NAVEED HAQ'S TRIAL...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2010508718%20_haq_jury_concludes_for_the_day.html
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
TACOMA, WA: 20,000 PEOPLE PAY RESPECTS TO FOUR POLICE OFFICERS
Thousands turn out for Lakewood police officers' memorial
Associated Press / KING5 NEWS
Posted on December 8, 2009
TACOMA, Wash. - About 20,000 mourners, mostly members of law enforcement from Washington state and across the country, honored four slain officers who were remembered Tuesday as heroes and loving family members.
A procession of 2,000 cars followed the flag-draped caskets of Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards to the Tacoma Dome, where the memorial service was held. Several candlelight vigils have been held for the officers since the shooting on Nov. 29, but Tuesday's memorial service and procession are believed to be the largest in state history.
READ THIS LINK FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE OFFICERS AND PICS OF OUR 'FALLEN HEROS'...
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Huge-procession-delays-Lakewood-police-memorial-78817502.html
'LINE OF DUTY' DEATHS AND MEMORIAM
AT THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT...
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Huge-procession-delays-Lakewood-police-memorial-78817502.html
HUNDREDS OF 'ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE' PAY RESPECTS...
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&contentId=12559
Associated Press / KING5 NEWS
Posted on December 8, 2009
TACOMA, Wash. - About 20,000 mourners, mostly members of law enforcement from Washington state and across the country, honored four slain officers who were remembered Tuesday as heroes and loving family members.
A procession of 2,000 cars followed the flag-draped caskets of Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards to the Tacoma Dome, where the memorial service was held. Several candlelight vigils have been held for the officers since the shooting on Nov. 29, but Tuesday's memorial service and procession are believed to be the largest in state history.
READ THIS LINK FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE OFFICERS AND PICS OF OUR 'FALLEN HEROS'...
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Huge-procession-delays-Lakewood-police-memorial-78817502.html
'LINE OF DUTY' DEATHS AND MEMORIAM
AT THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT...
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Huge-procession-delays-Lakewood-police-memorial-78817502.html
HUNDREDS OF 'ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE' PAY RESPECTS...
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&contentId=12559
Saturday, December 5, 2009
AMANDA KNOX: QUESTIONS TO MURDER, NO ANSWERS?
Amanda Knox trial: the unanswered questions
Despite the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito,
a string of questions about the murder of Meredith Kercher remain unanswered.
By Nick Squires in Perugia / 05 Dec 2009 /Telegraph.CO.UK
What was the motive for the killing?
Prosecutors said it was the result of a four-way sex game in which Knox, Sollecito and Guede forced Miss Kercher to submit to sex, pushing her on to her knees and threatening her, then killing her, with a knife. But Knox knew Guede only casually, and Sollecito did not know him at all. Sollecito had only known Knox for six days. Is it really credible to suggest that three people who were virtual strangers to each other got together to commit a brutal sexually-motivated murder?
Could there have been another motive?
(snip)
How reliable was the DNA evidence?
(snip)
Did police get the right murder weapon?
(snip)
Why did Rudy Guede tell a friend that Knox was not in the house on the night of the murder?
(snip)
Despite the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito,
a string of questions about the murder of Meredith Kercher remain unanswered.
By Nick Squires in Perugia / 05 Dec 2009 /Telegraph.CO.UK
What was the motive for the killing?
Prosecutors said it was the result of a four-way sex game in which Knox, Sollecito and Guede forced Miss Kercher to submit to sex, pushing her on to her knees and threatening her, then killing her, with a knife. But Knox knew Guede only casually, and Sollecito did not know him at all. Sollecito had only known Knox for six days. Is it really credible to suggest that three people who were virtual strangers to each other got together to commit a brutal sexually-motivated murder?
Could there have been another motive?
(snip)
How reliable was the DNA evidence?
(snip)
Did police get the right murder weapon?
(snip)
Why did Rudy Guede tell a friend that Knox was not in the house on the night of the murder?
(snip)
AMANDA KNOX TRIAL LEAVES MONUMENTAL GAPS IN EVIDENCE... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/%20italy/6727242/Amanda-Knox-trial-the-unanswered-questions.html
PERUGIA, ITALY: AMANDA KNOX GUILTY, GETS 26 YEARS
Victim's family satisfied with Amanda Knox guilty verdict
December 5, 2009 / CNN
Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- Family members of Meredith Kercher said Saturday that they were satisfied with the verdict that found American Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, guilty in the brutal knifing of their loved one.
"Ultimately we are pleased with the decision," said Lyle Kercher, Meredith's brother. "But it was not a moment of celebration. We are here because our sister was brutally murdered."
Knox was given a 26-year sentence; Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years Friday for the murder of Kercher. Both will appeal, attorneys said.
Arline Kercher, Meredith's mother, said she believed the two were guilty.
"You have to go with the evidence," she said.
Knox and Sollecito were charged with murder and sexual violence in Kercher's death in November 2007. Knox and Kercher, both studying abroad, were roommates. A third suspect was found guilty in a separate trial.
The two were convicted on all charges except theft and together must pay 5 million euros ($7.4 million) to the victim's family. In addition, Knox must pay 40,000 euros ($60,000) to a man whom she falsely accused of the killing.
The jury reached its verdict after deliberating nearly 11 hours on the 11 counts.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of life in prison. Italy does not have the death penalty.
AMANDA KNOX, RAFFAELE SOLLECITO GET YEARS IN ITALIAN PRISON...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/05/italy.kercher.react/
December 5, 2009 / CNN
Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- Family members of Meredith Kercher said Saturday that they were satisfied with the verdict that found American Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, guilty in the brutal knifing of their loved one.
"Ultimately we are pleased with the decision," said Lyle Kercher, Meredith's brother. "But it was not a moment of celebration. We are here because our sister was brutally murdered."
Knox was given a 26-year sentence; Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years Friday for the murder of Kercher. Both will appeal, attorneys said.
Arline Kercher, Meredith's mother, said she believed the two were guilty.
"You have to go with the evidence," she said.
Knox and Sollecito were charged with murder and sexual violence in Kercher's death in November 2007. Knox and Kercher, both studying abroad, were roommates. A third suspect was found guilty in a separate trial.
The two were convicted on all charges except theft and together must pay 5 million euros ($7.4 million) to the victim's family. In addition, Knox must pay 40,000 euros ($60,000) to a man whom she falsely accused of the killing.
The jury reached its verdict after deliberating nearly 11 hours on the 11 counts.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of life in prison. Italy does not have the death penalty.
AMANDA KNOX, RAFFAELE SOLLECITO GET YEARS IN ITALIAN PRISON...
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/05/italy.kercher.react/
Sunday, November 29, 2009
TACOMA, WA: 4 POLICE OFFICERS EXECUTED AT FORZA COFFEE SHOP
4 officers killed in brazen shooting near Tacoma
Gunman may have been injured by one victim
By William Yardley / New York Times / November 30, 2009
LAKEWOOD, Wash. - Four uniformed police officers were shot to death yesterday morning as they sat in a coffee shop preparing to begin patrol, prompting a widespread search for the gunman, who remained at large.
“Two of them were just flat executed, sitting writing reports,’’ Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, said of the officers, who worked for the Lakewood Police Department. “One of them stood up and tried to go for the suspect and got shot. Then the fourth one fought his way out to the parking lot and fired off some rounds.’’
The suspect fled on foot, but Troyer said investigators had evidence that he may have been injured by the fourth officer, who fired at the suspect before dying from gunshot wounds.
“We hope that he hit him,’’ Troyer said. “If he’s hit, that means he’s injured somewhere with a gunshot wound. He’s going to have to get that taken care of some time, some place.’’
Late yesterday, the authorities said they were seeking a “person of interest’’ in the shootings whom they identified as Maurice Clemmons, 37. They described him as having an “extensive violent criminal history’’ in Arkansas and said he had recently been arrested in Pierce County and charged with assaulting a police officer and raping a child.
LAKEWOOD, WA.: FOUR POLICE SHOT HAVING MORNING COFFEE AT FORZA COFFEE COMPANY...
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/11/30/gunman_ ambushes_police_officers_killing_4/?page=2
Reward information
Authorities are offering a $120,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person involved in this morning's fatal shooting, described as a black man who is between 5-feet-7-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall, and wearing a black coat and blue jeans in the Lakewood, Wash. area.
Anybody with information is asked to call 253-591-5959 or 866-977-2362.
Gunman may have been injured by one victim
By William Yardley / New York Times / November 30, 2009
LAKEWOOD, Wash. - Four uniformed police officers were shot to death yesterday morning as they sat in a coffee shop preparing to begin patrol, prompting a widespread search for the gunman, who remained at large.
“Two of them were just flat executed, sitting writing reports,’’ Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, said of the officers, who worked for the Lakewood Police Department. “One of them stood up and tried to go for the suspect and got shot. Then the fourth one fought his way out to the parking lot and fired off some rounds.’’
The suspect fled on foot, but Troyer said investigators had evidence that he may have been injured by the fourth officer, who fired at the suspect before dying from gunshot wounds.
“We hope that he hit him,’’ Troyer said. “If he’s hit, that means he’s injured somewhere with a gunshot wound. He’s going to have to get that taken care of some time, some place.’’
Late yesterday, the authorities said they were seeking a “person of interest’’ in the shootings whom they identified as Maurice Clemmons, 37. They described him as having an “extensive violent criminal history’’ in Arkansas and said he had recently been arrested in Pierce County and charged with assaulting a police officer and raping a child.
LAKEWOOD, WA.: FOUR POLICE SHOT HAVING MORNING COFFEE AT FORZA COFFEE COMPANY...
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/11/30/gunman_ ambushes_police_officers_killing_4/?page=2
Reward information
Authorities are offering a $120,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person involved in this morning's fatal shooting, described as a black man who is between 5-feet-7-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall, and wearing a black coat and blue jeans in the Lakewood, Wash. area.
Anybody with information is asked to call 253-591-5959 or 866-977-2362.
OFFICER TIMOTHY BRENTON: HERO HONORED AT PUBLIC MEMORIAL
Thousands Honor Slain Seattle Police Officer
November 6, 2009
Copyright 2009 by KIROTV.com
SEATTLE -- Slain Seattle police Officer Timothy Brenton was remembered as a father, brother, husband, friend, teacher and hero at a public memorial service at KeyArena.
Thousands of officers from around the Northwest attended Friday's ceremony, which followed a procession of hundreds of cars with lights flashing through the city.
It took nearly two hours to complete the procession route from the University of Washington to Seattle Center. At one point, the procession traveled under an American flag hanging from an arch made from fire trucks' extended ladders.
Officials in attendance included Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Patty Murray, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and former police Chief Gil Kerlikowske.
Honor guards with bagpipes, drums and flags took part in the ceremony.
Meanwhile, police continue to look for the killer who shot Brenton on Halloween night as he sat in a parked patrol car reviewing a traffic stop with rookie Officer Britt Sweeney who was wounded. Police are looking for the car from which the shots were fired. It's believed to be a white or beige 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210.
Officer Timothy Brenton...Read
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21541153/detail.html
November 6, 2009
Copyright 2009 by KIROTV.com
SEATTLE -- Slain Seattle police Officer Timothy Brenton was remembered as a father, brother, husband, friend, teacher and hero at a public memorial service at KeyArena.
Thousands of officers from around the Northwest attended Friday's ceremony, which followed a procession of hundreds of cars with lights flashing through the city.
It took nearly two hours to complete the procession route from the University of Washington to Seattle Center. At one point, the procession traveled under an American flag hanging from an arch made from fire trucks' extended ladders.
Officials in attendance included Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Patty Murray, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and former police Chief Gil Kerlikowske.
Honor guards with bagpipes, drums and flags took part in the ceremony.
Meanwhile, police continue to look for the killer who shot Brenton on Halloween night as he sat in a parked patrol car reviewing a traffic stop with rookie Officer Britt Sweeney who was wounded. Police are looking for the car from which the shots were fired. It's believed to be a white or beige 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210.
Officer Timothy Brenton...Read
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21541153/detail.html
Saturday, November 21, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.: MARIO McNEILL CHARGED IN SHANIYA DAVIS MURDER
Man Charged With Murder in North Carolina Missing Girl Case
Thursday, November 19, 2009 / Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A man already accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old North Carolina girl faces new charges that he raped and asphyxiated her, police said Thursday.
Mario McNeill is being charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters at a news conference.
McNeill, 29, was already accused of taking Shaniya Davis from her Fayetteville home. Her body was found Monday in thick underbrush off a rural North Carolina road after searchers spent nearly a week looking for her.
Bergamine declined to discuss further details of the investigation Thursday. But he did express hope that the girl's family could move forward.
"It is our sincere hope that the Davis family may now begin to put this horrific event behind them and begin the healing process," he said.
McNeill's lawyer, Allen Rogers, did not immediately respond to a message left at his office after hours.
A search warrant says McNeill picked the girl up in front of the home and drove her to a hotel where she was last seen alive.
READ STORY AND FIND LINKS TO MORE...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575870,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime
Thursday, November 19, 2009 / Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A man already accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old North Carolina girl faces new charges that he raped and asphyxiated her, police said Thursday.
Mario McNeill is being charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters at a news conference.
McNeill, 29, was already accused of taking Shaniya Davis from her Fayetteville home. Her body was found Monday in thick underbrush off a rural North Carolina road after searchers spent nearly a week looking for her.
Bergamine declined to discuss further details of the investigation Thursday. But he did express hope that the girl's family could move forward.
"It is our sincere hope that the Davis family may now begin to put this horrific event behind them and begin the healing process," he said.
McNeill's lawyer, Allen Rogers, did not immediately respond to a message left at his office after hours.
A search warrant says McNeill picked the girl up in front of the home and drove her to a hotel where she was last seen alive.
READ STORY AND FIND LINKS TO MORE...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575870,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime
Monday, November 16, 2009
SHANIYA DAVIS: MOM SELLS HER TO EXECUTIONER
Searchers Find Body of Missing Girl
By ALYSIA PATTERSON / AP / Monday 11/16/09
SANFORD, N.C. (Nov. 16) — A missing 5-year-old whose mother was accused of offering her for sex was found dead off a heavily wooded road in a rural area Monday, ending a weeklong search, police said.
Searchers found Shaniya Davis' body early Monday afternoon about 100 feet off a road southeast of Sanford, in central North Carolina, Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said. She declined to comment on a cause of death or the condition of Shaniya's body.
"We've got a lot of people out at the scene right now that are torn up," Chance said. "Detectives have been running off adrenaline to find this little girl and to bring her home alive. You have a lot of people in shock right now."
Two people have been charged in her disappearance, one of them her mother, Antoinette Davis, 25. Police charged Davis with human trafficking and felony child abuse, saying Shaniya was offered for prostitution.
Davis was calm and quiet during a five-minute court appearance in Fayetteville on Monday afternoon. She provided one-word answers to the judge's questions and held her hands in front of her, without handcuffs. She requested a court-appointed attorney and did not enter a plea.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS TRAGIC STORY, AND SENSELESS LOSS...
http://news.aol.com/main/nc/article/body-of-missing-girl-shaniya-davis-found/764600
SHANIYA DAVIS: She was only five years old. So many hearts are crushed over Shaniya's death. My prayers are sent to the grieving family, and to the man who loved her so much, Shaniya's father.
...CHOMP
By ALYSIA PATTERSON / AP / Monday 11/16/09
SANFORD, N.C. (Nov. 16) — A missing 5-year-old whose mother was accused of offering her for sex was found dead off a heavily wooded road in a rural area Monday, ending a weeklong search, police said.
Searchers found Shaniya Davis' body early Monday afternoon about 100 feet off a road southeast of Sanford, in central North Carolina, Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said. She declined to comment on a cause of death or the condition of Shaniya's body.
"We've got a lot of people out at the scene right now that are torn up," Chance said. "Detectives have been running off adrenaline to find this little girl and to bring her home alive. You have a lot of people in shock right now."
Two people have been charged in her disappearance, one of them her mother, Antoinette Davis, 25. Police charged Davis with human trafficking and felony child abuse, saying Shaniya was offered for prostitution.
Davis was calm and quiet during a five-minute court appearance in Fayetteville on Monday afternoon. She provided one-word answers to the judge's questions and held her hands in front of her, without handcuffs. She requested a court-appointed attorney and did not enter a plea.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS TRAGIC STORY, AND SENSELESS LOSS...
http://news.aol.com/main/nc/article/body-of-missing-girl-shaniya-davis-found/764600
SHANIYA DAVIS: She was only five years old. So many hearts are crushed over Shaniya's death. My prayers are sent to the grieving family, and to the man who loved her so much, Shaniya's father.
...CHOMP
Friday, November 13, 2009
NORTH CAROLINA: SHANIYA DAVIS SEEN WITH CLARENCE COE
Police: Missing N.C. Girl Seen With Man at Hotel
Friday, November 13, 2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A missing 5-year-old North Carolina girl was seen with a man at a hotel, but not the same person charged in her kidnapping, police said late Thursday.
Shaniya Davis was spotted in Sanford with a man identified as Mario Andrette McNeill, said Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Teresa Chance. She was seen with him Tuesday, about an hour after she disappeared from her home in Fayetteville, about 40 miles away.
Late Wednesday night, police arrested and charged 30-year-old Clarence Coe, who told a judge at his first court appearance that he is not guilty of kidnapping the girl. Police did not comment on any possible link between Coe and McNeill.
Chance said a hotel worker called police to report seeing a child matching Shaniya's description, but by the time police got there, McNeill had left. Authorities reviewed surveillance video and, after speaking with family members, confirmed the child's identity.
Chance said authorities are uncertain of the connection between McNeill and the child. Her father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal for his daughter's safe return.
"We just ask that they bring her home safe. We all miss her and love her very much," Lockhart said. "Shaniya, if you're listening to daddy, I miss you so much, honey. I'm waiting for you. I'm not going to give up. You don't give up either, honey."
In court on Thursday, Cumberland County Judge Tal Baggett asked Coe if he understood why he was there.
"No, but I'm not guilty, sir," Coe said.
SO MANY QUESTIONS: WHERE IS SHANIYA DAVIS? WHY IS CLARENCE COE IN JAIL? WHO IS MARIO McNEILL? IS MOM, ANTOINETTE DAVIS, DATING CLARENCE COE?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,574827,00.html?test=latestnews
Friday, November 13, 2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A missing 5-year-old North Carolina girl was seen with a man at a hotel, but not the same person charged in her kidnapping, police said late Thursday.
Shaniya Davis was spotted in Sanford with a man identified as Mario Andrette McNeill, said Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Teresa Chance. She was seen with him Tuesday, about an hour after she disappeared from her home in Fayetteville, about 40 miles away.
Late Wednesday night, police arrested and charged 30-year-old Clarence Coe, who told a judge at his first court appearance that he is not guilty of kidnapping the girl. Police did not comment on any possible link between Coe and McNeill.
Chance said a hotel worker called police to report seeing a child matching Shaniya's description, but by the time police got there, McNeill had left. Authorities reviewed surveillance video and, after speaking with family members, confirmed the child's identity.
Chance said authorities are uncertain of the connection between McNeill and the child. Her father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal for his daughter's safe return.
"We just ask that they bring her home safe. We all miss her and love her very much," Lockhart said. "Shaniya, if you're listening to daddy, I miss you so much, honey. I'm waiting for you. I'm not going to give up. You don't give up either, honey."
In court on Thursday, Cumberland County Judge Tal Baggett asked Coe if he understood why he was there.
"No, but I'm not guilty, sir," Coe said.
SO MANY QUESTIONS: WHERE IS SHANIYA DAVIS? WHY IS CLARENCE COE IN JAIL? WHO IS MARIO McNEILL? IS MOM, ANTOINETTE DAVIS, DATING CLARENCE COE?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,574827,00.html?test=latestnews
CAYLEE ANTHONY: CHLOROFORM, SYRINGE FOUND, EVIDENCE PILES UP
Casey Anthony case: Report says chloroform found in sports bottle near Caylee Anthony is miniscule
November 11, 4:18 PM
Crime Examiner / Cindy Adams
On Friday, more documents were released in the case against accused murderer, Casey Anthony. Among them was a report that indicated traces of chloroform were found inside a sports drink and a plastic syringe that were found near Caylee Anthony's remains.
Casey, 23, is charged with the first-degree murder of Caylee, 2.
To see a slideshow of photos of the syringe, Gatorade bottle, and other evidence, click here.
Dr. Michael Rickenbach with the FBI determined that the syringe contained testosterone, ethanol, chloroform, and water.
MORE LINKS TO CAYLEE ANTHONY MURDER...
To read the entomology report, click here.
To watch breaking news and events streamed live over the Net, click here
READ CASEY ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY RELATED NEWS
http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d11-Casey-Anthony-case-Report-says-chloroform-found-in-bottle-near-Caylee-Anthony-is-miniscule
November 11, 4:18 PM
Crime Examiner / Cindy Adams
On Friday, more documents were released in the case against accused murderer, Casey Anthony. Among them was a report that indicated traces of chloroform were found inside a sports drink and a plastic syringe that were found near Caylee Anthony's remains.
Casey, 23, is charged with the first-degree murder of Caylee, 2.
To see a slideshow of photos of the syringe, Gatorade bottle, and other evidence, click here.
Dr. Michael Rickenbach with the FBI determined that the syringe contained testosterone, ethanol, chloroform, and water.
MORE LINKS TO CAYLEE ANTHONY MURDER...
To read the entomology report, click here.
To watch breaking news and events streamed live over the Net, click here
READ CASEY ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY RELATED NEWS
http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d11-Casey-Anthony-case-Report-says-chloroform-found-in-bottle-near-Caylee-Anthony-is-miniscule
CURTIS VANCE: IS ANNE PRESSLY KILLER A SERIAL RAPIST?
Man accused in TV anchor death appears in 2nd case
Thursday, March 19, 2009
By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Writer
MARIANNA, Ark. — The man accused of killing an Arkansas television anchorwoman pleaded not guilty Thursday in a separate rape and burglary case in his hometown.
Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, wore a bullet-resistant vest as he was escorted by six police officers into the Lee County Courthouse. In a brief hearing, Circuit Judge Ann B. Hudson accepted his plea and set trial for July 27.
Little Rock police detectives say a DNA sample from the crime scene of anchorwoman Anne Pressley's slaying last year linked Vance to her killing and an unsolved rape of a woman in Marianna, about 90 miles east of Little Rock.
When Vance arrived at the courthouse, he only shook his head and said "No" when asked whether he was worried about DNA evidence.
After the hearing, defense attorney Bill James told reporters that he would want separate DNA tests done on the sample that police say links Vance to the Marianna rape and Pressley's slaying.
James said it was too early to say whether he would need to ask for the trial to be moved to another county or whether Vance would be willing to accept a plea deal.
The woman who claimed Vance raped her sat in the front row during the hearing. She declined to speak to reporters.
READ: HOW MANY WOMEN HAS CURTIS VANCE ATTACKED, ABUSED, RAPED, BEATEN, MURDERED?
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar19/0,4670,TVAnchorAttacked,00.html
Thursday, March 19, 2009
By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Writer
MARIANNA, Ark. — The man accused of killing an Arkansas television anchorwoman pleaded not guilty Thursday in a separate rape and burglary case in his hometown.
Curtis Lavelle Vance, 28, wore a bullet-resistant vest as he was escorted by six police officers into the Lee County Courthouse. In a brief hearing, Circuit Judge Ann B. Hudson accepted his plea and set trial for July 27.
Little Rock police detectives say a DNA sample from the crime scene of anchorwoman Anne Pressley's slaying last year linked Vance to her killing and an unsolved rape of a woman in Marianna, about 90 miles east of Little Rock.
When Vance arrived at the courthouse, he only shook his head and said "No" when asked whether he was worried about DNA evidence.
After the hearing, defense attorney Bill James told reporters that he would want separate DNA tests done on the sample that police say links Vance to the Marianna rape and Pressley's slaying.
James said it was too early to say whether he would need to ask for the trial to be moved to another county or whether Vance would be willing to accept a plea deal.
The woman who claimed Vance raped her sat in the front row during the hearing. She declined to speak to reporters.
READ: HOW MANY WOMEN HAS CURTIS VANCE ATTACKED, ABUSED, RAPED, BEATEN, MURDERED?
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar19/0,4670,TVAnchorAttacked,00.html
ANNE PRESSLY: CURTIS VANCE, IS LIFE ENOUGH FOR BRUTAL MURDER?
Man gets life without parole in Arkansas TV anchor's murder
CNN / November 12, 2009 (CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.)
(CNN) -- A jury sentenced an Arkansas man to life in prison without parole for killing a television anchor, officials said Thursday.
The Pulaski County, Arkansas, jury on Wednesday convicted Curtis Lavelle Vance, 29, of capital murder, residential burglary, rape and theft of property in the October 2008 slaying of Anne Pressly, 26.
Pressly, the morning news anchor for CNN affiliate KATV, was found beaten and unconscious in her home. She died five days later.
Vance's sentencing phase began after he was convicted Wednesday of capital murder, rape and burglary.
Jurors were tasked with deciding whether the aggravating circumstances in favor of the death penalty outweighed the mitigating circumstances.
"Tonight, they have come back with a sentence, a sentence that they believe, and we share with them, is the harshest possible sentence for this gentleman going forward, where he will now spend the rest of his natural life in a 6-by-9 cell with nothing to think about but what he has done," said Guy Cannady, stepfather of the victim.
(snip)
Among the defense witnesses presented Thursday was Vance's mother, Jacqueline Vance Burnett, CNN affiliate KARK reported. Burnett cried on the stand as she spoke about her battle with crack addiction and admitted abusing her son when he was a child, including an incident when he was 7 years old and she slammed his head into a brick wall, the station said.
READ: CURTIS VANCE SENTENCED FOR KILLING ANCHORWOMAN ANNE PRESSLY
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/12/arkansas.anchor.slain/
CNN / November 12, 2009 (CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.)
(CNN) -- A jury sentenced an Arkansas man to life in prison without parole for killing a television anchor, officials said Thursday.
The Pulaski County, Arkansas, jury on Wednesday convicted Curtis Lavelle Vance, 29, of capital murder, residential burglary, rape and theft of property in the October 2008 slaying of Anne Pressly, 26.
Pressly, the morning news anchor for CNN affiliate KATV, was found beaten and unconscious in her home. She died five days later.
Vance's sentencing phase began after he was convicted Wednesday of capital murder, rape and burglary.
Jurors were tasked with deciding whether the aggravating circumstances in favor of the death penalty outweighed the mitigating circumstances.
"Tonight, they have come back with a sentence, a sentence that they believe, and we share with them, is the harshest possible sentence for this gentleman going forward, where he will now spend the rest of his natural life in a 6-by-9 cell with nothing to think about but what he has done," said Guy Cannady, stepfather of the victim.
(snip)
Among the defense witnesses presented Thursday was Vance's mother, Jacqueline Vance Burnett, CNN affiliate KARK reported. Burnett cried on the stand as she spoke about her battle with crack addiction and admitted abusing her son when he was a child, including an incident when he was 7 years old and she slammed his head into a brick wall, the station said.
READ: CURTIS VANCE SENTENCED FOR KILLING ANCHORWOMAN ANNE PRESSLY
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/12/arkansas.anchor.slain/
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