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Post by Charlene on Apr 13, 2010 21:17:19 GMT -6
Thanks for finding that pic of her.
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Post by Charlene on Apr 3, 2010 13:35:59 GMT -6
I didn't know Hodel had a blog. I read his book. I was not convinced that his father was a murderer but what an "odd" family he has. I haven't read the book but I have seen him on television several times. He definitely makes some interesting points about his father but I don't think anyone will ever know for sure who killed Elizabeth Short.
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Post by Charlene on Apr 3, 2010 10:26:31 GMT -6
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Post by Charlene on Apr 3, 2010 10:22:26 GMT -6
That citizen is definitely a hero. Not only did he follow the car, he then found a pay phone. I wonder how many average citizens would do that? And the patrol cops were smart in not hesitating in breaking down the door. He beat that little girl so badly, I'm amazed she didn't die or have brain damage. I remember when this guy was on the loose: wapedia.mobi/en/Christopher_WilderThey kept warning that he lured his victims with promises of a modeling career. At the time a local news crew went to a mall and did a sting where they approached young girls with the same line and lured them into a car. Kids don't listen. Absolutely a hero - he did not have a cell phone of course, but did exactly what he needed to do to save Tali's life. Following the car to it's destination was the only way to do it. I wonder if he ever got to meet the girl he saved. Here is an interview with Tali. She needed 27 stitches to close the wound on the top of her head. Tali has testified against Alcala three times, and during this last trial, he apologized to her. She said the apology made her sick to her stomach. abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7307446Who knows how many victims are actually left behind that we will never know about?
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Post by Charlene on Apr 3, 2010 9:36:52 GMT -6
This is an online photo album containing photos confiscated from serial killer Rodney Alcala. Most are women, some posing partially nude although the images are not fully shown of course. It's likely that most of these photos are of people that were able to walk away from their encounter, unaware of the monster they had just come in contact with. However, some may have ended up as unknown victims of this killer. Some images date back to the late 60s and early 70s. It's important for as many people as possible to review these photos and contact detectives if they recognize anyone. Even if the person is alive and well, police need to know that so they can identify the photo and remove the person from the list of possible victims. picasaweb.google.com/primewriternews/RodneyAlcalaPhotos#slideshow/5447984784568852674 If Rodney Alcala abducted Tali S. today, there would have been an Amber AlertRodney Alcala is getting a lot of press coverage as the world discovers more facts about the convicted serial killer who is facing death row. Dubbed the ‘Dating Game Killer,’ Rodney Alcala appeared on the game show in 1978. His words are eerily haunting as he stated that his favorite time was ‘night time.’ Before he appeared on The Dating Game, Rodney Alcala had abducted an 8 year old girl on her way to school. If that attack had occurred today, an Amber Alert most certainly would have been issued. A number of criteria must be met for law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert. A description of the victim, a description of the abductor, and a description of a vehicle are critical. Additionally, there must be credible reason to believe that an abduction occurred. The case of 8 year old Tali S. had all those factors, however, she was abducted nearly 30 years before the first Amber Alert was enacted. Thankfully, Tali S., had the heroic actions of a concerned citizen working on her behalf. In 1968 there was no organized task force that was immediately activated in missing children cases. The FBI did not immediately work with local police departments to find missing children. When considering the factors working against Tali S., it is a miracle that police reached her in time and saved her from becoming another of Rodney Alcala’s victims. Tali S., was walking to her elementary school in Hollywood when she was approached by Rodney Alcala. The date was September 25, 1968 and Alcala pulled up to the girl in his car. He convinced her that he would show her pretty pictures and lured her in. The information is chilling knowing that police have just released more than 100 photos of unidentified women and children, believed to be possible victims of Alcala’s. The photos were retrieved from a locker in Seattle, Washington where he kept earrings belonging to one of his child victims. Police believe that some of the photos are trophies of the serial killer’s victims. The lure used by Alcala is eerie and disturbing. A motorist saw Alcala pull over and watched as young Tali S, entered the vehicle. Concerned he followed the vehicle and used a pay phone to call police. When police arrived at the scene, they saw a possibly naked Rodney Alcala peer through a window. He told police that he had taken a shower, would put his clothes on and would come to the door. Instead, he escaped through a back window and was on the lamb for three years. Former LAPD Officer Chris Camacho broke down the door and discovered little Tali S., lying naked on the floor, her head split open after being beat with a metal pipe. She had been raped. Tali S. survived, thanks to the concerned citizen who had the wherewithal to follow Alcala and call police. She is alive for the bravery of Officer Chris Camacho, who arrived on the scene in quick time and broke down the apartment door. During Alcala’s recent trial, Tali S., testified about the horrific ordeal she encountered. Though the physical scars have healed, she still bears the emotional wounds. Rodney Alcala represented himself in court. He apologized to Tali for raping and nearly murdering her over three decades ago. When asked if Alcala’s apology meant anything, the now grown woman answered, “Hell no. He only apologized because he got caught.” www.examiner.com/x-32312-Amber-Alerts-Examiner~y2010m3d15-If-Rodney-Alcala-abducted-Tali-s-today-there-would-have-been-an-Amber-Alert-photos
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Post by Charlene on Apr 2, 2010 22:09:23 GMT -6
She has received a stay! Rayozz Shocking...
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Post by Charlene on Mar 27, 2010 23:53:41 GMT -6
This board used to be good - but it appears "to go down the drain" As mentioned before by Royd - has onybody ever thought about the victims - while wasting thoughts discussing about somebody's last meal - which wasn't one ? That's a ridiculous question - has anyone thought about the victims? Do you ever read any posts here or do you just complain? Because had you read much at all, you would not have to look long or hard to find plenty of posts about the victims. Click on the scheduled executions link and find the result of some pretty difficult research to find exactly that - information about the victims. Usually I cannot find anything about them as a person, although we get to hear plenty about the poor killer.... Please feel free to leave and not come back if this board no longer suits you....wouldn't want you to go down the drain with us...
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Post by Charlene on Mar 26, 2010 10:53:13 GMT -6
It is not up to the judge to decide what evidence the defense wants to present; it's silly to argue that. The defense attorney was exactly right to leave out evidence that he felt would further implicate his client. He knows what will help and what will hurt, and purposefully including evidence that will help result in a guilty verdict is not his job! Silly or not, that is why this many years later it is being used to bid time, thats really silly at tax payers expense to boot. The silly part is that the courts allow these frivolous delays, at taxpayer expense and at the emotional expense of the victims' family, who were already at the prison to finally see justice after all these many years. The problem is with the defense tactics to delay and with the appellate decisions to allow the delays, not with the original trial court judge not forcing the defense to do a poor job of properly defending his client.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 26, 2010 10:37:01 GMT -6
You are definitely choosing to believe skinner. An article? By who? Skinner? Skinner's attys? Skinner's scumwife? Skinner's groupies? Skinner's public relations firms (the media)? And you are back to my original question: When you have DNA evidence and blood spatter evidence that proves that Skinner murdered Twila and Elwin, what was not handled right? Redo what? Even Skinner is not asking for the DNA on his clothes to be retested. How does the fact that it is an execution make what you and others are demanding any less logical and change the legal outcome? It doesn't. How can you claim to take it seriously when you obviously have never read the transcripts, briefs, findings, opinions, and evidence reports? Instead, you rely on some Skinner talking point. Granted, looking at the evidence is a huge undertaking, but if you were serious, shouldn't you have done so before declaring that the DNA was not handled right by the courts? Mike you can assume I am believing Skinner if you like. The article was on AOL news yesterday morning. No the defense attorneys, nails and hair fibers, which was not done back then. The DNA of the blood splattered on him was the only DNA done and found inconclusive according to the article in the news. Not a less logical outcome if the above article is true to ask for DNA testing of "complete" evidence available. The one killing and struggling with the victims DNA under their nails would be very good strong evidence. No, I did not know Skinner even had a "scumpal wife, nor do I take anything a groupie says as any credible statement, sorry got the wrong gal in that statement for sure. The court should have in my opinion had DNA on all evidence then, wanted or not by the defense attny, that should not in my humble opinion be allowed, or chit like this right now happens !!! It is not up to the judge to decide what evidence the defense wants to present; it's silly to argue that. The defense attorney was exactly right to leave out evidence that he felt would further implicate his client. He knows what will help and what will hurt, and purposefully including evidence that will help result in a guilty verdict is not his job!
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Post by Charlene on Mar 26, 2010 8:14:43 GMT -6
The authorities did all of the testing that was available at the time and plenty of it pointed directly at him. His own lawyer said that he did not have more items tested because he feared they would further implicate Skinner. His own defense expert witness says that his story about how the victim's blood got on him is not plausible!
The problem with continuing to agree to these demands to test additional evidence is that a killer's lawyers jump on the CSI popularity train and say "DNA testing!" and everyone says, "Absolutely, test it!" But when do we stop testing and start believing all of the evidence we already have?
Dozens and dozens of items are collected from every crime scene. Some pertain to the case and some have nothing to do with it; there is no way for police to know which is which so they gather it all. He is holding out hope that one of those random pieces will be one that has nothing to do with it so he can say, "See??? I told you it wasn't me!"
Those of you who support his request for more testing, would you also believe it wasn't him if one of these tests came back without proving he did it? Or would you look at the totality of the evidence against him, just like the jury did.
The motive points directly at him. The direct evidence points directly at him. The circumstantial evidence points directly at him. It is just smoke and mirrors from the defense that are trying to make cloudy what should be perfectly clear.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 23, 2010 11:27:50 GMT -6
She has an April date but of course, this being PA, it's not a serious date. Here's what a charming young lady she is...
On Sunday, March 31, 2003, Lock Haven police discovered the dead body of James Sementelli inside his home. Mr. Sementelli, an 83 year-old veteran, had suffered a brutal attack. He sustained over 60 wounds, 18 fractures, and 45 bruises to various parts of his body, many of them to his head, face, and neck. Mr. Sementelli’s left ear was nearly severed from his head. His nasal bone and skull were fractured and his right eye punctured. He had numerous defensive wounds on his arms and hands and multiple gaping chop wounds all over his body. The killer used a hatchet. Based on a number of factors, including the last time the victim was seen alive, as well as old newspapers found on his porch and another paper found near his body, police determined that Mr. Sementelli had been murdered on Tuesday, March 25, 2003. The investigation soon focused on Shonda Dee Walter, a young woman who lived with her mother in a house across the street from Mr. Sementelli. A neighbor, Monica Rupert, told police that she saw Walter pacing outside the Sementelli residence on the evening of the 25th, talking on a cordless telephone. Walter’s mother, Judith Walter, told police that her daughter had been out of the house on that evening, only to return later and leave again, taking the telephone with her. Mrs. Walter never saw her daughter again that night, but when she awoke the next morning she noticed that the phone had been returned and Walter had left a note explaining that she was staying at her friend Michelle’s house. Shanee Gaines became the Commonwealth’s primary witness against Walter. Gaines, who lived in Williamsport, knew Walter through Michelle Mathis, a young woman who was allegedly a member of the Bloods street gang and lived on the same street as Gaines. According to Gaines, she was at Mathis’s home on the night of the murder, caring for Mathis’s child. Mathis had been involved in an altercation on the street earlier that evening and had been taken to the hospital for treatment. While Mathis was at the hospital, Walter appeared at Mathis’s Williamsport residence. Walter was driving Mr. Sementelli’s white Toyota. Gaines granted Walter entrance to Mathis’s home and noticed that Walter had blood on her forehead and was wearing rubber gloves that also had blood on them. Walter promptly went upstairs to shower while Gaines waited downstairs. At some point Mathis returned. Ultimately, the three women left the house and traveled in Mr. Sementelli’s car to his house in Lock Haven. While en route, Walter told Gaines and Mathis that she had killed the victim and described how she struck him repeatedly with the hatchet while she ignored his pleas that she call for help. When the trio arrived at Mr. Sementelli’s house, Walter used a key to enter and showed the other two women the victim’s body. According to Gaines, the purpose of the visit was to dispose of a cigarette that Walter had left at the scene and to remove the body from the house. Gaines refused to assist Walter and Mathis and quickly returned to the car. Walter and Mathis soon joined her, with Walter carrying a large plastic tub of quarters. Before leaving, Walter ran into her mother’s house to leave a note and get a change of clothes. The women then drove to a grocery store and redeemed the coins, receiving a receipt for $510.25 from a coin machine. The supermarket video camera recorded the women’s visit. The women were unable to receive cash because of the late hour. Gaines and Mathis returned to the market the following morning and redeemed the receipt. The three women split the money. During the drive back to Williamsport, Walter flung the hatchet from the car into a wooded area. Gaines’s involvement with Walter continued in the hours and days after the murder. That same night, the three women purchased some marijuana and then watched movies together at Gaines’s house. Walter had taken a trash bag full of movies from Mr. Sementelli’s house and brought them to Gaines’s residence. A few days later, Gaines accompanied Walter and others, including her good friend Aaron Jones, on a trip to Philadelphia where Walter attempted to sell Mr. Sementelli’s car. Walter told Jones and others that the car belonged to her father, who had died, and she wanted to sell it because she had “bad memories” about it. When the sale was unsuccessful, the group returned to Williamsport and Walter permitted Jones to drive the vehicle. Police stopped Jones while he was driving the car and Gaines feared that Jones, who knew nothing about Mr. Sementelli’s death, would be implicated in the crime. As a result, Gaines contacted police and told them everything she knew. Police recovered the hatchet, which a Williamsport resident found on his property days after the murder and turned over to state police. Blood on the hatchet matched that of Mr. Sementelli. A friend of Walter’s told police that a similar hatchet had been stolen from his parents’ house years earlier during a party that Walter attended. The friend’s father confirmed that the murder weapon was the one he had owned. Another Williamsport resident told police that she had seen Walter wearing a hatchet on her belt in the weeks before the murder. Walter’s mother explained that when Walter moved into her house with her young daughter in 2002, one of Walter’s possessions was a hatchet, which she placed in a kitchen drawer. When Walter was arrested, Mrs. Walter searched for the hatchet with police, but it was no longer in the drawer. Walter was charged with the murder of Mr. Sementelli and felony theft of his automobile. The Commonwealth gave notice of its intent to seek the death penalty, based on a single aggravating circumstance: murder committed while in the perpetration of a felony. Walter was bound over for trial in May 2003. Following an unsuccessful attempt to dismiss the aggravating circumstance, Walter was convicted of first-degree murder and felony theft on April 18, 2005. A penalty hearing followed, at which Walter asserted three mitigating circumstances. Walter identified the following mitigating circumstances: the age of the defendant; the fact that the defendant had no significant history of prior criminal convictions and any other evidence of mitigation concerning the character and record of the defendant and the circumstances of the offense, (the “catchall mitigator”). The jury found the single aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstances. It returned a sentence of death, which the trial court formally imposed on April 19, 2005. *There are still appeals pending in this case and the execution is not expected to take place on this date.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 19, 2010 22:52:02 GMT -6
Death penalty opponent Betsey Wright is accused of trying to smuggle contraband into death row. She was visiting Don Davis, who is to be executed a month before Wright's scheduled trial in May. For seven years Wright was chief of staff for Bill Clinton when he was Arkansas governor. While visiting a death row inmate in 2005, Wright was accused of trying to smuggle money into the prison. After the incident, Wright lost visitation privileges for six months. In August of 2009, the Arkansas State's Attorney's office filed 51 felony charges against Wright, accusing her of attempting to smuggle a knife, tweezers, a boxcutter, and 48 tattoo needles into the Varner Unit on May 22. Prosecutors say Wright was caught with the items, including a potato chip bag filled with tattoo needles while trying to visit Davis. Wright pleaded not guilty. She said the bag of chips came from a prison vending machine. Right. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsey_Wright
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Post by Charlene on Mar 19, 2010 16:00:54 GMT -6
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Post by Charlene on Mar 9, 2010 12:44:11 GMT -6
Such a senseless delay for the victim's family. Ridiculous that he can still jerk them around like this. I will be counting down this one.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 9, 2010 11:57:56 GMT -6
You guessed it. Charity Gary’s mother met Carlton Gary five years after he was put on death row on three counts of murder, rape and burglary. But the first time Charity met him as a six-year-old, she says she jumped right up on his lap. Five years later, her mother Debra married Carlton.
Charity says that throughout the years, he has become a real father to her.
Carlton Gary is also known as the Columbus Stocking Strangler. He was sentenced to death in 1986, before DNA testing was available. With his scheduled execution looming Wednesday at 7 p.m., his defense has filed last minute appeals.
But like her mother, Charity has faith he will be free one day.
“We will stand on his promises and his word, and he’s blessed us in so many ways,“ Debra Gary said.
Video here... www2.wrbl.com/rbl/news/local/article/carlton_garys_adopted_daughter_speaks_out/116082/
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Post by Charlene on Mar 7, 2010 8:31:07 GMT -6
The execution is scheduled for March 11.
Case history: On September 10th, 11th, and 12th of 2000, Joshua Maxwell and his girlfriend, Tessie McFarland, confined Robby Bott, stole property from Bott’s residence, forced Bott to buy items for them at a Meijer store, killed Bott by shooting him in the face and strangling him, put him in the trunk of his own car, and set Bott and his car on fire. Bott's body was found in Marion County, Indiana, on September 12, 2000. His badly charred body was inside the trunk of his Mercury Cougar automobile, which had been set on fire. He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his chest, and his hands and feet had been bound together behind his back. The medical examiner did not recover a bullet from Bott's body during the autopsy. When police arrived at Bott's residence in Mooresville, Indiana, they discovered that the back door was open and the house was in disarray. Maxwell's fingerprints matched the fingerprints on a vodka bottle and a wine bottle in the kitchen. McFarland's fingerprints matched the fingerprints on the refrigerator door, a videotape, and a pizza box. A pizza delivery slip found in Bott's bedroom contained Maxwell's name and the address of a house in nearby Indianapolis where Maxwell had been staying with McFarland. Police searched the house in Indianapolis and found several items belonging to Bott, including his wallet, various forms of identification, credit cards, and bank statements. Maxwell's fingerprints matched the fingerprints on a sales receipt in Bott's wallet. Substances that appeared to be blood and vomit trailed from the basement to the outside of the Indianapolis residence. The basement smelled strongly of chemicals and contained some empty gallon jugs of muriatic acid. A spent cartridge casing was recovered from an overturned wooden wardrobe cabinet in the basement. A spent bullet was recovered from a sweater inside the wardrobe cabinet. A firearms examiner testified that the gun that fired the spent bullet and spent cartridge casing was the same gun that was used to kill Lopes in this case. Maxwell, Bott, and a female were seen shopping at two retail stores in the Indianapolis area at 11:30 p.m. on September 10 and at 5:00 a.m. on September 11. Bott used his credit card to purchase approximately $2500 of merchandise at the first store. When the night manager commented that they were buying an unusually large amount of merchandise at that time of night, Maxwell explained that he and the female were getting married and that Bott was his uncle and was buying them the merchandise as a wedding gift. Bott made a credit card purchase of approximately $1100 at the second store, where the threesome were recorded on the store's security surveillance camera. At approximately 6:00 a.m. on September 11, a man was recorded on videotape making withdrawals with Bott's ATM card at a nearby Bank One ATM terminal. He made two withdrawals, and his attempt to withdraw more money was declined because it exceeded the daily limit. The couple fled to Texas after murdering Bott. Rudolfo Lopes, a sergeant with the Bexar County, Texas Sheriff's Department, was murdered in San Antonio on or about October 11, 2000. San Antonio resident Robert Brown encountered Maxwell and Tess McFarland prior to Lopes's murder. Brown met Maxwell, who went by the name "Mo," and McFarland, who went by the name "Trina," by responding to their ad on a "dating telephone line" advertised in a magazine. The first time Maxwell and McFarland came to Brown's apartment, they talked for about an hour and Brown gave them money to buy food. Brown testified that they stole some rings from him at that time. Two or three days later, Maxwell and McFarland told Brown that they were in town for a friend's wedding and needed a place to stay overnight. They spent the night at Brown's apartment and gave him a ride to a liquor store the next day. Brown testified that they had a gray three-door vehicle with Florida license plates. He further testified that the car was dirty and filthy-smelling, and that there was a container in the car with a chameleon lizard inside it. Brown let them use his phone before they left that afternoon. After they left, a man called asking for "Mo" and "Trina." Lopes's wife testified that Lopes was scheduled to work at the Bexar County Jail from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on October 11. Lopes left for work that morning in his gold four-door Chevrolet pickup truck, but he never returned home that night. Lopes often carried a briefcase and wore a gold chain necklace with a cross and anchor pendant. Lopes normally carried a Glock pistol issued by the Sheriff's Department. An investigations officer with the Security Service Federal Credit Union testified that Lopes had a checking account, a savings account, an ATM card, and a Visa card at the credit union. Records show that shortly after 7:00 p.m. on October 11, someone using Lopes's ATM card at the credit union's Southwest Military Branch made two successful withdrawals of $300 and $100. The person using the card attempted to withdraw more money from Lopes's checking and savings accounts, but the transactions were denied. A surveillance camera photographed a woman leaning out of the driver's side of a vehicle using the ATM. Charles Dudley, the owner of a martial arts school in a northeast San Antonio strip center, testified that he left work with his family about 9:00 p.m. on October 11. They noticed a gold Chevrolet pickup truck driving around to the back of the strip center, so they got into Dudley's car and drove behind the strip center to see what was going on. The truck was parked next to a hole in the privacy fence that separated the strip center from the field behind it. Dudley observed a woman with long, bushy hair and glasses sitting in the driver's seat and a man slumped down in the passenger seat. As Dudley drove by, the man and the woman stared straight ahead. Dudley thought it odd and slowly drove by them a second time and put his headlights on the truck. The man and the woman continued sitting in the truck staring straight ahead. A woman who lived in a residential area behind the strip center testified that she and her husband were watching the Presidential Debate on the evening of October 11. She heard one loud gunshot between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Lopes's body was discovered in the field behind the strip center on October 12. He was blindfolded and was lying face down with his arms inside his shirt and his hands bound together. There was a white cotton cord tied around one of his wrists, and both wrists were tightly bound together with a clear telephone cord. Police found a spent shell casing on the ground near Lopes's body. Maxwell and McFarland then fled to California. A security guard at the Windsor Park Mall in San Antonio first ticketed a gray Chevrolet Corsica with Florida license plates for overnight parking at 4:15 a.m. on October 12. The abandoned vehicle continued to receive parking tickets until it was reported to police on October 15. Police discovered that the vehicle identification number and the license plate did not match and that the vehicle was "flagged" from out of state in reference to another homicide case. Inside the car were letters containing references to Maxwell and McFarland, a package of cigarettes, photographs of McFarland and Maxwell, a "Scotsman Inn" hotel receipt with the name "Trina Dorris," and a dead lizard. At 4:40 p.m. on October 17, police officers Joseph Juarez and Jesus Pena were on duty in downtown San Francisco, California, when they saw a gold pickup truck speed through an intersection and almost hit a pedestrian. The officers stopped the truck, exited their vehicle, approached the truck from the rear, and asked the male driver to turn off his engine. The driver instead drove away and led them on a chase through downtown San Francisco. Halfway through the chase, the driver of the truck shot at them. The bullet hit the officers' windshield and came within inches of striking Officer Juarez. Glass from the windshield sprayed the inside of the police car and scratched Officer Pena's eyes. Additional police officers became involved in the chase. The driver continued shooting at police and the police returned fire. Officer Richard Seidell testified that at one point the driver "reached out with his left arm and hand and raised his middle finger and flipped us off." The chase finally ended when the truck became stuck in traffic. The truck was identified as Lopes's vehicle. The driver and passenger of the truck were identified as Maxwell and McFarland. McFarland suffered a neck injury during the chase. Maxwell was wearing a gold-chain necklace when he was apprehended. The police searched the truck and found Lopes's badge, Lopes's credit card from the Security Federal Credit Union, and a State of Indiana identification card for "Trina Dorris" with McFarland's picture. Police also found in the truck, Lopes's Glock pistol, a Chinese 9-millimeter pistol, and a briefcase in the truck. The medical examiner who performed Lopes's autopsy testified that his death was caused by a single gunshot wound to the top of his head. The 9-millimeter bullet entered the top of Lopes's head, exited his chin, re-entered his body through his chest, and lodged between his sternum and his heart. A firearms examiner testified that the Chinese 9-millimeter pistol found in Lopes's truck was the weapon that fired the bullet that was recovered from Lopes's chest and the shell casing that was found near his body. Detention officers Calvin Robinson and Wendell Busby testified about an incident involving Maxwell while he was in the Bexar County Jail awaiting trial. Robinson testified that Maxwell was banging on his cell door at about 6:10 p.m. on September 1, 2001. Maxwell told Robinson he was upset about not receiving his account balance earlier that day. When Robinson told Maxwell he would get his account balance for him later, Maxwell became more upset and began banging on the door even harder. Maxwell called Robinson a "black, mother-*f---ing* *deleted*" and said that he would "bust [Robinson's] face if he could get out of his cell." He also said "if he could get out of that cell, he'd kill [Robinson], just like he had killed [his] home boy, Lopes." Robinson told Maxwell to calm down and went back into the office where Busby was located. Maxwell, using a "pleading-type of voice," then mimicked how Lopes had begged for his life, stating repeatedly, "Please don't kill me." Maxwell used a stronger, higher, and more authoritarian voice when he described his response: "Shut up, *bi+ch* . . . I'm going to kill you anyway." Busby's testimony confirmed Robinson's version of events. Busby added that another inmate yelled something at Maxwell after Maxwell mimicked Lopes, and Maxwell replied, "I don't care what I said." Both Robinson and Busby denied doing anything to provoke Maxwell. Defense witness Sergeant David Ryker testified that he investigated the incident at the Bexar County Jail on September 1. Maxwell made no mention of Lopes and told Ryker that Robinson was harassing him. Defense counsel also called an evidence technician with the San Antonio Police Department who testified that there was never a comparison made on a plaster shoe cast of a footprint taken at the crime scene on October 12, 2000. Finally, Bexar County Deputy Sheriff Daniel Grasser testified that he could not locate the shoes that Maxwell was wearing when he was arrested in San Francisco. The Bexar County, Texas jury convicted Joshua Maxwell, of killing Rudolfo Lopes in the course of committing a robbery or kidnapping. Pursuant to the jury's answers to the special issues questions regarding future dangerousness and mitigation, the trial court sentenced Maxwell to death. Bott Murder Evidence: On October 17, 2000, police in San Francisco attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop of Maxwell and McFarland because their car had run a red light. A vehicle chase ensued, shots were fired, and Maxwell eventually crashed the car. McFarland was shot, and Maxwell sustained a one-and-a-half by two inch abrasion on the side of his forehead. Inside their vehicle, police discovered a 9 mm firearm. When police searched Lopes's truck after Maxwell and McFarland were captured in California, they found a map with a route drawn from Indiana to Florida to Texas to California. Police also found a videotape that depicted Maxwell admitting his involvement in a murder. Maxwell explained on the videotape that he forced a man to take him on a shopping spree, stole items from his house, killed him, put him in his car, and burned him. Police took Maxwell to the station. Inspector Kelly Carroll of the San Francisco Police Department informed Maxwell he would stay with Maxwell until the other inspectors arrived for an interview. Carroll offered Maxwell a soda or water. Paramedics treated the small abrasion on his Maxwell’s face from the crash, and then they left. During the time they waited, Inspector Carroll and Maxwell had a short conversation, but Carroll did not question Maxwell regarding the alleged crimes. Thereafter, Inspector Tony Camilleri of the San Francisco Police Department arrived and advised Maxwell of his Miranda rights. Maxwell did not appear intoxicated, and he appeared to understand his rights. Maxwell agreed to speak with the officers and gave a taped interview. In the interview Maxwell admitted purchasing merchandise with Bott’s credit cards, stealing from Bott, confining Bott, shooting Bott in the head, killing Bott, and setting Bott’s body on fire. Less than two hours later, Maxwell gave a second videotaped confession to Inspector Casillas of the San Francisco Police Department. This confession was essentially the same as the first. Then, about two hours after the second confession, Maxwell discussed the case via speaker phone with Captain Joel Rush of the Speedway, Indiana, Police Department. Maxwell detailed the crimes he committed against Bott, and San Francisco police videotaped this confession as well. The State charged Maxwell with murder, confinement, arson, and theft. Maxwell filed a motion to suppress the videotaped confessions, and the trial court denied that motion. At trial, the State offered as evidence the three videotapes of Maxwell confessing. Over Maxwell’s objection, the court admitted the videotapes. The jury found Maxwell guilty as charged. The court sentenced Maxwell to sixty-five years for murder, three years for confinement, twenty years for arson, and three years for theft. It then ordered all those sentences served consecutively.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 6, 2010 8:33:59 GMT -6
These articles keep talking about evidence that "could have" exonerated him. What is the evidence? They don't give any further details at all.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 4, 2010 16:08:26 GMT -6
The country can't afford it. DEE's post is indicative of this. Not true my post is indicative that Perry does not care about CO's or Teachers or for that matter students. We have one of the highest drop out rates in the nation and if any one finds that acceptable then shame on them. He makes sure that neither Teachers or CO's got a raise and then brags about the surplus budget he posted last year. If we could not afford it why did we supposedly post a surplus in the state budget? Arguably the most liberal state in the nation, California has the highest drop-out rate. Why do you say Perry made sure these groups did not get raises? Did he veto a raise that had been voted on by other legislators?
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Post by Charlene on Mar 4, 2010 8:09:46 GMT -6
Dam guess I am voteing Dem for Gov this election. Perry has not been good for Texas. We will have to disagree on that general opinion, but more importantly, on the issue of criminal justice (which is the most crucial issue in any political race in my opinion) he has been extremely good for Texas. He has my vote, and that of most people I know.
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Post by Charlene on Mar 3, 2010 21:51:39 GMT -6
Another great comment of his:
"That inequity in the application of the death penalty requires its abolition is an argument that will be made only by people who do not like it for other reasons. The inequity argument is a pretext, not a reason. Between an inequitable death penalty and no death penalty, I would prefer an inequitable death penalty, just as I would prefer an inequitable tax system to no tax system, and inequitable policing to no policing. I say this because I think it likely that executions deter murders, and it is clear that a majority of Americans-white and black-think that justice requires executions for the most heinous crimes."
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Post by Charlene on Feb 28, 2010 19:02:45 GMT -6
So I guess even if you adamantly oppose the death penalty, you will make exceptions for someone you perceive to be in the way of your mission. Forget about the four people that Richard Tabler killed, they don't matter. But this anti-DP activist, Billy Sinclair says "Richard Tabler should be allowed to die quickly." Why? Because he has done damage to the anti-dp movement by his cell-phone-smuggling, senator-threatening actions. On another point, we also agree. Billy Sinclair says: "The good of the group takes precedence over his individual right to live." That's the same thing I have always believed - the group being innocent citizens of this country. www.capitalpunishmentbook.com/?p=264
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Post by Charlene on Feb 18, 2010 8:27:25 GMT -6
Is that from a goiter? Never sure what that is exactly.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 17, 2010 22:10:43 GMT -6
There is rubbernecking at car crashes and then there is rubbernecking at 200 car pile ups. Read some of the comments here: goo.gl/8FQ1Or, here: goo.gl/3AvUThese people are scary. Thanks for posting this also; great interview with the mom: (The victim's mother, Margaret) Park says she was upset with some opponents of the execution including the Pope for stepping in and some Jewish groups which she said went too far. According to Park the family was harassed over the past week and she thinks it is reprehensible.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 16, 2010 17:38:05 GMT -6
goo.gl/oyYPIt's these little details that make these crimes so horrible and rarely, if ever, get reported. You are SO right about that. That is why I now try to use only appellate rulings which usually list most of the facts, despite how horrible they are, and too graphic for the news media to put forth. But murder IS horrible and graphic, and how can we base our opinions of the justice exacted if we don't know what these killers really did? Thanks for finding and posting that.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 16, 2010 8:50:24 GMT -6
Why do you continue to be surprised at what you find there? And if it makes you so mad, why do you keep going there? For the same reason people rubberneck? It definitely is somewhat like coming upon a bad accident. However, we don't purposefully seek out bad accidents and it just seems masochistic to keep going there if it does more than make you laugh.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 16, 2010 8:48:55 GMT -6
I used to go there to 'pull'. Lots of easy, desperate British women hang out there. My type Ah, but you're not their type!
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Post by Charlene on Feb 16, 2010 7:40:44 GMT -6
Why do you continue to be surprised at what you find there? And if it makes you so mad, why do you keep going there?
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Post by Charlene on Feb 15, 2010 20:44:11 GMT -6
Please try to watch this; Farah's parents are my friends and it's a very sad and compelling case. They have done a great job with their grandchildren. The graduation of Amber, must have been something special in their hearts. Rayozz Lex and Betty are extremely proud of these kids and their only regret is that Farah is not here to see what wonderful young adults they have become. I was able to attend a few days of the retrial, and got to hear Lex testify but had to travel for work before the punishment phase. Lex called me when he got the word of the death sentence and he was extremely relieved, as were the kids. I spoke to Amber on the phone about her graduation and she is so smart and self-secure - only three or four when her mom was killed, and now she is a dynamic young woman. Farah would be very proud, I think. While listening to Bradley testify against his father, I just was so sad thinking about how much Fratta threw away, for everyone. And instead of being proud of this young pilot sitting before him, his son, all he could surely focus on was his own sorry a$$.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 6, 2010 19:29:45 GMT -6
Please try to watch this; Farah's parents are my friends and it's a very sad and compelling case.
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Post by Charlene on Feb 1, 2010 13:24:29 GMT -6
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