11-28-2004 United Kingdom:
A teenager who killed the neighbour who raped his mum spoke for the first time from prison last night and said: "I've no regrets."
But in an emotional phone call to the Sunday Mercury, Marc Bick said that he never meant to kill sex beast Derek Duffet.
"That man attacked my mum in our house," the 17 year-old said. "In some respects, he deserved what he got.
"But I didn't mean to kill him. I was just so angry and upset. I wasn't really thinking straight.
"I don't blame my mum for me being in prison because I love her. I'd do the same again if I had to."
Bick, from Newport, Shropshire, was 16 when he discovered that drug addict Duffet had attacked mum Yvonne, 48, after threatening her with a wrench.
Angry and confused, the teenager vowed revenge and confronted the brute a week after the December 20 attack.
When Duffet sneered "For f*** sake, it was only a bit of fun," Marc lashed out in fury with a cricket bat.
Duffet, 40, slumped to the floor where he banged his head - and died three days later.
His death was due to the fall, not the blow from the bat.
A-level student Bick, who got 10 GCSEs this summer and wants to eventually set up his own gardening business, was originally charged with murder.
But that was reduced to manslaughter, which he admitted at Stafford Crown Court earlier this month. He was jailed for three years.
Bick, currently in Stoke Heath Young Offenders' Institution in Market Drayton, Shropshire, added: "I don't regret doing something about the situation because he raped my mum.
"But I do regret that Duffet died because I honestly never meant to kill him.
"I was really worried about going to prison because I have never been in any kind of trouble before.
"But it's better than I thought it would be. I thought it would be really tough and I wouldn't be able to cope.
"Before all this happened things had been going really well.
"I was going out with a nice girl and I'd been going to college which I really enjoyed.
"I'm carrying on with my A-levels in here and I'm also doing gym. It's OK in here and I just have to get on with it, although Christmas is going to be weird without my family.
"I want to say thanks to everyone who has been on my side. I think 98 per cent of people would have done a similar thing if they had been in my situation."
Bick and Duffet had known each other well - they used to play chess together and go fishing at the nearby lake.
But 5ft 2ins mum Yvonne never suspected that her neighbour would subject her to such a horrific ordeal.
She told the Sunday Mercury: "Derek had popped round for some chicken. I would often give him bits of food because I felt sorry for him.
"I went into the outhouse to get some food out of the chest freezer and stood on a box to reach in. He followed me out there, held a wrench to my neck and then raped me.
"I couldn't scream because I didn't want my youngest son, Paul, to wake up and be scared. I didn't want to tell anyone. The children just thought I wasn't feeling very well."
Yvonne kept the attack from her eldest son, his sister Mikayla, now 16, and Paul, 11, believing that it would spoil their Christmas celebrations.
But Duffet started boasting about the way he had raped her, and Bick became suspicious after finding his mother crying.
Eventually, Yvonne told him what happened.
"Marc was so angry that he started sobbing," she said. "He was devastated but angry at the same time. He said he was going to get Derek - but I tried to stop him.
"He went round and Derek grabbed him by the shoulders. Then Marc hit him and, as he fell, he hit his head. He died three days later of his injuries.
"The doctors said if he hadn't been taking drink and drugs then he probably would have lived.
"Marc just wanted to hurt him, never to kill him.
"I really miss Marc and Paul misses him, too. He cried when Marc went to prison.
"But I'm glad Duffet is dead. He deserved it.
"Marc killed to protect me and I'm very proud of him. Rapists are lower than the low." ..more.. by Emily Andrews, Sunday Mercury
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
American Suspect of Child Porn and Pedophilia Murdered with 7 Shots in Brazil
1-23-2008 Brazil:
Brazil's police are investigating the murder of American Gerald Gusta Cisco, 61, in Natal, the capital of the Brazilian northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. Cisco whose body was found buried in a vacant lot on Monday, January 21, used to live in a house in the Ponta Negra neighborhood.
Policemen found candy wrappers, toys and hundreds of pictures of naked children some as young as two and teens at his place as well as studio spotlights and Viagra pills. Neighbors told investigators that they usually saw little girls coming in and out of the American's house. They usually left carrying candy, chocolate and ice cream, according to these witnesses.
Authorities say the American's body had signs of seven shots. The police still don't know it the crime is related to the pedophilia charges being leveled against Cisco.
Some of the little girls shown in the pictures have now been identified and are being heard by the authorities. According to the police, the last person to see Cisco, on the day before his body was found, was a caretaker who used to care for another property the American had in the Redinha beach.
"A scavenger who was picking up litter in the area on Monday morning saw the freshly dug ground and blood stains and went to the police," said a police spokesman. "We found the body in the afternoon with seven bullet wounds on the skull."
On Tuesday, when it went to the victim's house the police found the apartment's door broken and the whole place turned upside down. Several appliances and money seemed to be stolen.
The American's gardener and caretaker, Wilames Faria Albuquerque, was the one who recognized the body and then took the police to the victim's residence. Albuquerque used to visit Cisco every Monday to take care of the dogs and do maintenance work.
This last Monday he did just that, but didn't find the American. As he kept calling and nobody answered the phone he went back on Tuesday and then noticed that one of the American's pit bull seemed to have a broken leg.
Looking inside the house over the wall he also noticed through the window the mess inside the place. When he arrived at the police station to report the case he was informed that they had found a body that matched his description.
"The initial information," said police chief Nataneon de Freitas, "led us to believe that it was a case of robbery but the finding of pedophilia material now make us also probe a connection between the murder and the pictures found."
The American, according to a friend, had a girlfriend but lived by himself. He had lived in Recife, capital of Pernambuco, before moving to Natal. This friend also informed that he has family in California where his body is supposed to be sent for burial.
Among the goods police believe were taken are two TV sets, two DVD players, a computer, and a gas cylinder. A safe found at the upper floor had been pried open. The police was able, however, to seize some computer hardware that may tell them if Cisco's kid porn activity had any international connection.
The American's car, a gray Chevrolet Astra, is also missing. The robber seems to have used the garage's remote control to get access to the house. The front door was apparently forcefully opened with a crowbar. The police believe that the murderer went to the victim's place after the killing and took material related to child pornography. ..more.. by Francesco Neves
Brazil's police are investigating the murder of American Gerald Gusta Cisco, 61, in Natal, the capital of the Brazilian northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. Cisco whose body was found buried in a vacant lot on Monday, January 21, used to live in a house in the Ponta Negra neighborhood.
Policemen found candy wrappers, toys and hundreds of pictures of naked children some as young as two and teens at his place as well as studio spotlights and Viagra pills. Neighbors told investigators that they usually saw little girls coming in and out of the American's house. They usually left carrying candy, chocolate and ice cream, according to these witnesses.
Authorities say the American's body had signs of seven shots. The police still don't know it the crime is related to the pedophilia charges being leveled against Cisco.
Some of the little girls shown in the pictures have now been identified and are being heard by the authorities. According to the police, the last person to see Cisco, on the day before his body was found, was a caretaker who used to care for another property the American had in the Redinha beach.
"A scavenger who was picking up litter in the area on Monday morning saw the freshly dug ground and blood stains and went to the police," said a police spokesman. "We found the body in the afternoon with seven bullet wounds on the skull."
On Tuesday, when it went to the victim's house the police found the apartment's door broken and the whole place turned upside down. Several appliances and money seemed to be stolen.
The American's gardener and caretaker, Wilames Faria Albuquerque, was the one who recognized the body and then took the police to the victim's residence. Albuquerque used to visit Cisco every Monday to take care of the dogs and do maintenance work.
This last Monday he did just that, but didn't find the American. As he kept calling and nobody answered the phone he went back on Tuesday and then noticed that one of the American's pit bull seemed to have a broken leg.
Looking inside the house over the wall he also noticed through the window the mess inside the place. When he arrived at the police station to report the case he was informed that they had found a body that matched his description.
"The initial information," said police chief Nataneon de Freitas, "led us to believe that it was a case of robbery but the finding of pedophilia material now make us also probe a connection between the murder and the pictures found."
The American, according to a friend, had a girlfriend but lived by himself. He had lived in Recife, capital of Pernambuco, before moving to Natal. This friend also informed that he has family in California where his body is supposed to be sent for burial.
Among the goods police believe were taken are two TV sets, two DVD players, a computer, and a gas cylinder. A safe found at the upper floor had been pried open. The police was able, however, to seize some computer hardware that may tell them if Cisco's kid porn activity had any international connection.
The American's car, a gray Chevrolet Astra, is also missing. The robber seems to have used the garage's remote control to get access to the house. The front door was apparently forcefully opened with a crowbar. The police believe that the murderer went to the victim's place after the killing and took material related to child pornography. ..more.. by Francesco Neves
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Police have no leads in county's first homicide of 2008; Port Arthur victim a registered sex offender
Article Tags:
.Texas,
2008,
Age 49-59,
by Vigilante/s US,
Death/s US - Not Justifiable,
Death/s US - of RSOs,
Gunshot,
StatusO-RSO-C
1-21-2008 Texas:
Port Arthur's first homicide victim of the year was a registered sex offender paroled about five years ago, according to Department of Public Safety records.
And despite a day's work Tuesday, police have no suspect information or description of a vehicle - if any - the person may have been in, Port Arthur Police Sgt. Rodney Harrison said.
"It was a walk-by," Harrison said of the random killing.
Harrison said the department's Major Crime Team is investigating.
Edward Roberts, 56, was shot at his home at 147 Fifth St. and later died at Christus St. Mary Hospital.
The 6-foot-4, 284-pound Roberts was convicted on June 6, 1984, of aggravated sexual assault. The victim was an 8-year-old girl, according to DPS records.
He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but was paroled May 6, 2002.
A criminal background search indicated only financial judgments against Roberts since his release.
Port Arthur is recording its first 2008 homicide nearly a month sooner than the city's initial 2007 murder on Feb. 20, when Special Rubien was killed in her Port Arthur apartment by ex-boyfriend John Sanders. Sanders was shot by police in an ensuing chase.
Her death was one of 11 homicides in 2007, the city's highest total since 1999. One was ruled justifiable and another accidental.
Harrison said the department naturally is disappointed about this year's first killing, but noted the early timing does not necessarily indicate a violent year ahead.
"We'd like to go the rest of the year without another homicide, but there's no magic formula to predicting (homicides)."
"I wish we could go forever without a homicide."
Harrison said he and other officers were out all night investigating the slaying and that Port Arthur Police will do what they always do to solve a homicide.
"We take each one very seriously ... It's the worst crime a person could commit."
Sunday's homicide also marks the first homicide of 2008 in Jefferson County.
Jefferson County recorded its first homicide of 2007 on Jan. 28 in Beaumont when Wilber Franklin was killed after being stabbed in the chest during an altercation at a residence at 1880 Fairway St.
Anyone with information about Sunday's shooting is asked to call (409) 724-8477. ..more.. by FRED DAVIS, The Enterprise
Port Arthur's first homicide victim of the year was a registered sex offender paroled about five years ago, according to Department of Public Safety records.
And despite a day's work Tuesday, police have no suspect information or description of a vehicle - if any - the person may have been in, Port Arthur Police Sgt. Rodney Harrison said.
"It was a walk-by," Harrison said of the random killing.
Harrison said the department's Major Crime Team is investigating.
Edward Roberts, 56, was shot at his home at 147 Fifth St. and later died at Christus St. Mary Hospital.
The 6-foot-4, 284-pound Roberts was convicted on June 6, 1984, of aggravated sexual assault. The victim was an 8-year-old girl, according to DPS records.
He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but was paroled May 6, 2002.
A criminal background search indicated only financial judgments against Roberts since his release.
Port Arthur is recording its first 2008 homicide nearly a month sooner than the city's initial 2007 murder on Feb. 20, when Special Rubien was killed in her Port Arthur apartment by ex-boyfriend John Sanders. Sanders was shot by police in an ensuing chase.
Her death was one of 11 homicides in 2007, the city's highest total since 1999. One was ruled justifiable and another accidental.
Harrison said the department naturally is disappointed about this year's first killing, but noted the early timing does not necessarily indicate a violent year ahead.
"We'd like to go the rest of the year without another homicide, but there's no magic formula to predicting (homicides)."
"I wish we could go forever without a homicide."
Harrison said he and other officers were out all night investigating the slaying and that Port Arthur Police will do what they always do to solve a homicide.
"We take each one very seriously ... It's the worst crime a person could commit."
Roberts was shot in his home Sunday night after a person walked up to his residence and fired shots through a window, striking Roberts and his girlfriend, Harrison said. Both were taken to St. Mary where Roberts was pronounced dead and his girlfriend was in stable condition as of Monday evening.Police would not disclose where Roberts was shot or what kind of weapon was used.
Sunday's homicide also marks the first homicide of 2008 in Jefferson County.
Jefferson County recorded its first homicide of 2007 on Jan. 28 in Beaumont when Wilber Franklin was killed after being stabbed in the chest during an altercation at a residence at 1880 Fairway St.
Anyone with information about Sunday's shooting is asked to call (409) 724-8477. ..more.. by FRED DAVIS, The Enterprise
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Victim killed own dad after teacher abuse, court told
1-19-2008 Ireland:
THE sentencing of a former Marist Brother heard evidence yesterday from a man who killed his own father in the belief that he had gained financially from his sexual abuse.
Paul Gordon (43) says he was sexually abused by three brothers at St John's Primary School in Sligo in the 1970s.
Yesterday, waiving his right to anonymity, he was the sole witness in the sentencing hearing of former Marist Brother Martin Meaney (65), who has pleaded guilty to five sample charges of indecently assaulting Mr Gordon when he was eight. He will be sentenced next week.
It emerged in evidence that Mr Gordon believed his alcoholic father was being paid money by another Marist Brother to get his son to present himself to be sexually abused.
Gda Det Sgt Dermot Flannery told the court that Mr Gordon had shown "courage and determination in exposing a dark chapter in the history of the school".
Formerly known as Brother Gregory, Meaney taught in St John's from 1970 to 1972. In December 1991 he pleaded guilty to eight sample charges out of a total of 109 charges of buggery, indecent assault, sexual assault and rape of six boys at a primary school in Castlerea where he subsequently taught and he was sentenced to 18 years in jail. This was later reduced to 12 years on appeal.
He now lives alone in a bedsit in Dublin. He was questioned by Sligo gardai while still in Arbour Hill and he admitted he had selected Mr Gordon for abuse. "He was a pasty-faced, weak little lad, pale and sickly and I felt sorry for him. I did feel for boys who were deprived. I did pick the weakest lad in Paul Gordon," he said.
The abuse took place in the classroom after school and when he took the child for music classes.
Mr Gordon made his initial complaint in 1995 but the DPP recommended no prosecution. However in 1999, the garda investigation team was set up.
Indecent
In 1999 and again in 2001, retired teacher Michael Cunnane received suspended sentences for indecently assaulting eight boys.
In June 2005, Peter White (74), formerly Brother Agnellus, of Celbridge Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare, was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to eight sample charges of indecent assault on two boys at the school.
In July 2005, a teacher at St John's National School, Sligo, Patrick Curran, was found guilty of indecently assaulting nine boys. He was sentenced to 12 years, since reduced to nine. ..more.. by Anita Guidera
THE sentencing of a former Marist Brother heard evidence yesterday from a man who killed his own father in the belief that he had gained financially from his sexual abuse.
Paul Gordon (43) says he was sexually abused by three brothers at St John's Primary School in Sligo in the 1970s.
Yesterday, waiving his right to anonymity, he was the sole witness in the sentencing hearing of former Marist Brother Martin Meaney (65), who has pleaded guilty to five sample charges of indecently assaulting Mr Gordon when he was eight. He will be sentenced next week.
It emerged in evidence that Mr Gordon believed his alcoholic father was being paid money by another Marist Brother to get his son to present himself to be sexually abused.
In 1983, Mr Gordon was jailed for eight years for the manslaughter of his father -- and only after his release did the truth emerge.
His claims eventually spearheaded a garda investigation which has led to hundreds of past pupils being interviewed and of charges being brought against five former teachers.
Gda Det Sgt Dermot Flannery told the court that Mr Gordon had shown "courage and determination in exposing a dark chapter in the history of the school".
Formerly known as Brother Gregory, Meaney taught in St John's from 1970 to 1972. In December 1991 he pleaded guilty to eight sample charges out of a total of 109 charges of buggery, indecent assault, sexual assault and rape of six boys at a primary school in Castlerea where he subsequently taught and he was sentenced to 18 years in jail. This was later reduced to 12 years on appeal.
He now lives alone in a bedsit in Dublin. He was questioned by Sligo gardai while still in Arbour Hill and he admitted he had selected Mr Gordon for abuse. "He was a pasty-faced, weak little lad, pale and sickly and I felt sorry for him. I did feel for boys who were deprived. I did pick the weakest lad in Paul Gordon," he said.
The abuse took place in the classroom after school and when he took the child for music classes.
Mr Gordon made his initial complaint in 1995 but the DPP recommended no prosecution. However in 1999, the garda investigation team was set up.
Indecent
In 1999 and again in 2001, retired teacher Michael Cunnane received suspended sentences for indecently assaulting eight boys.
In June 2005, Peter White (74), formerly Brother Agnellus, of Celbridge Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare, was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to eight sample charges of indecent assault on two boys at the school.
In July 2005, a teacher at St John's National School, Sligo, Patrick Curran, was found guilty of indecently assaulting nine boys. He was sentenced to 12 years, since reduced to nine. ..more.. by Anita Guidera
Killing suspect blamed abuse
11-14-2006 Maine:
LEWISTON - Scott Poirier told police he shot his father in the throat because his father had sexually abused him and he wanted to protect his own children, according to an affidavit released Monday.
The Sabattus man told police he was molested by his father, Roland Poirier, and he suspected a sibling had been victimized as well, according to the document, signed by a state police detective.
Scott Poirier, 34, is charged with murder in the Nov. 8 shooting of his father at the elder man's home on Grove Street.
Roland Poirier was shot in the neck as he sat at the table celebrating his 65th birthday with a roomful of friends and family members, police said. Investigators said Scott Poirier stood in the yard of the home and shot his father through a sliding glass door.
Hours before the shooting, Scott Poirier had become emotionally upset, punching holes in the walls of his Davis Lane home, according to his roommate, whose descriptions of the incident were included in the affidavit.
Police believe Scott Poirier went to his father's house at about 7:45 p.m. with a loaded .270-caliber rifle.
"Lies will end tonight," Poirier is quoted as telling a relative in a telephone call shortly before the shooting. "Take care of my boys; I am a good dad."
Scott Poirier has four sons. The oldest are 6-year-old twins.
"Scott advised me that he had been sexually abused by his father, Roland Poirier, when he was younger," Maine State Police Detective Mark Lopez wrote in the search warrant affidavit. "Scott went on to say that he had four sons and it was not going to happen to them and that is why he went to his father's home and shot him in the throat."
Police investigating the shooting obtained a warrant to search Scott Poirier's pickup truck and his home as well as contents of a cell phone. Police were searching for "written, typed or electronic notes or journals regarding past sexual abuse of Scott Poirier by Roland Poirier or evidence of premeditation of this crime."
Police did not disclose what was found during the searches.
The elder Poirier, a successful operator of a landscape business, was never charged with any crime related to sexual abuse. Police said they are not aware of any complaints against him in the past.
Scott Piorier is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a hearing on the prosecution's motion for a psychological exam.
He is being held without bail at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn pending a court hearing later this month. His lawyer, Thomas Peters, declined to comment on the case Monday. ..more.. by Mark LaFlamme , Staff Writer
State: Son planned killing
1-17-2008 Maine:
AUBURN - Raymond Poirier said Wednesday his brother, Scott, had made a veiled reference to shooting his father nearly a year before he actually did.
Raymond Poirier took the stand in Androscoggin County Superior Court on the first day of testimony in the murder trial of Scott Poirier, 35, of Sabattus.
Attorneys for both sides told the jury of eight men and seven women that they agreed on most of the facts surrounding the slaying of Roland "Jerry" Poirier.
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said Scott Poirier had been depressed and possibly suicidal the night of Nov. 8, 2006. He had told a friend and some family members his father had sexually abused him when he was a teenager.
Poirier climbed into his pickup truck with a .270-caliber Browning rifle and drove to his father's Lewiston home on Grove Street where he was celebrating his 65th birthday with family members, including children and a baby, Marchese said.
Scott Poirier parked in front of his sister's house next door and walked around the back of his parents' home. There, he stood in the rain and pointed the rifle at his father through a glass door, using its hunting scope to take aim. When he squeezed the trigger, the bullet traveled through the French doors. It grazed the elbow and back of his aunt, Pearl Roger, who sat at the dining table, shattered a wine bottle and struck his father in the neck, killing him.
Poirier walked back to his sister's house, put the rifle on the ground and returned to his parents' home. There, he told a Lewiston police officer he had shot his father.
The two sides in the case will disagree on Poirier's state of mind when he pulled the trigger, the attorneys said in opening statements.
Marchese said she will prove that Poirier intentionally or knowingly caused his father's death, necessary in Maine for a murder conviction.
She said the evidence she'll present will show Poirier was not psychotic, not delusional nor insane at the time he pulled the trigger.
Marchese said Poirier was drinking and drugging, and was "out of control" before the shooting.
Raymond Poirier said his brother had changed for the worse before the shooting, and started missing work at the family excavation business.
At a New Year's party, Scott Poirier was upset and raised the issue of sexual abuse again. Raymond said he tried to console his brother, but Scott later picked a fight. Raymond said they nearly came to blows, but were kept apart by friends. His brother then grabbed him, pulled him close and whispered, "Don't you think I've never looked at him through a scope before." Raymond Poirier said he interpreted that to mean his brother was talking about their father.
Marchese presented other witnesses, including two police officers who responded to the Poirier home the night of the shooting. They testified that Scott Poirier was calm and didn't appear to be intoxicated.
"In this case it was a bad decision, but it was Scott Poirier's decision that he made," she told the jury.
Rather than getting counseling for the abuse, he took matters into his own hands, Marchese said. "He decided he was going to be judge and jury," Marchese said. "It was not his decision to make."
Defense attorney Steven Peterson told the jury the case would hinge on his client's state of mind at the time of the shooting.
Poirier was distraught that night. He penned a suicide note. He drank heavily, was aggressive and incoherent, Peterson said.
After the prosecution rests, Peterson said a group of mental health experts will testify for the defense.
Peterson urged jurors to keep an open mind throughout the trial, which is expected to continue through next week.
He said outside the courthouse that he hadn't decided whether his client would testify. He said Justice Joyce Wheeler told attorneys in the case that she would rule later on whether several alleged victims of the elder Poirier would be allowed to testify. ..more.. by Christopher Williams , Staff Writer
LEWISTON - Scott Poirier told police he shot his father in the throat because his father had sexually abused him and he wanted to protect his own children, according to an affidavit released Monday.
The Sabattus man told police he was molested by his father, Roland Poirier, and he suspected a sibling had been victimized as well, according to the document, signed by a state police detective.
Scott Poirier, 34, is charged with murder in the Nov. 8 shooting of his father at the elder man's home on Grove Street.
Roland Poirier was shot in the neck as he sat at the table celebrating his 65th birthday with a roomful of friends and family members, police said. Investigators said Scott Poirier stood in the yard of the home and shot his father through a sliding glass door.
Hours before the shooting, Scott Poirier had become emotionally upset, punching holes in the walls of his Davis Lane home, according to his roommate, whose descriptions of the incident were included in the affidavit.
Police believe Scott Poirier went to his father's house at about 7:45 p.m. with a loaded .270-caliber rifle.
"Lies will end tonight," Poirier is quoted as telling a relative in a telephone call shortly before the shooting. "Take care of my boys; I am a good dad."
Scott Poirier has four sons. The oldest are 6-year-old twins.
"Scott advised me that he had been sexually abused by his father, Roland Poirier, when he was younger," Maine State Police Detective Mark Lopez wrote in the search warrant affidavit. "Scott went on to say that he had four sons and it was not going to happen to them and that is why he went to his father's home and shot him in the throat."
Police investigating the shooting obtained a warrant to search Scott Poirier's pickup truck and his home as well as contents of a cell phone. Police were searching for "written, typed or electronic notes or journals regarding past sexual abuse of Scott Poirier by Roland Poirier or evidence of premeditation of this crime."
Police did not disclose what was found during the searches.
The elder Poirier, a successful operator of a landscape business, was never charged with any crime related to sexual abuse. Police said they are not aware of any complaints against him in the past.
Scott Piorier is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a hearing on the prosecution's motion for a psychological exam.
He is being held without bail at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn pending a court hearing later this month. His lawyer, Thomas Peters, declined to comment on the case Monday. ..more.. by Mark LaFlamme , Staff Writer
State: Son planned killing
1-17-2008 Maine:
AUBURN - Raymond Poirier said Wednesday his brother, Scott, had made a veiled reference to shooting his father nearly a year before he actually did.
Raymond Poirier took the stand in Androscoggin County Superior Court on the first day of testimony in the murder trial of Scott Poirier, 35, of Sabattus.
Attorneys for both sides told the jury of eight men and seven women that they agreed on most of the facts surrounding the slaying of Roland "Jerry" Poirier.
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said Scott Poirier had been depressed and possibly suicidal the night of Nov. 8, 2006. He had told a friend and some family members his father had sexually abused him when he was a teenager.
Poirier climbed into his pickup truck with a .270-caliber Browning rifle and drove to his father's Lewiston home on Grove Street where he was celebrating his 65th birthday with family members, including children and a baby, Marchese said.
Scott Poirier parked in front of his sister's house next door and walked around the back of his parents' home. There, he stood in the rain and pointed the rifle at his father through a glass door, using its hunting scope to take aim. When he squeezed the trigger, the bullet traveled through the French doors. It grazed the elbow and back of his aunt, Pearl Roger, who sat at the dining table, shattered a wine bottle and struck his father in the neck, killing him.
Poirier walked back to his sister's house, put the rifle on the ground and returned to his parents' home. There, he told a Lewiston police officer he had shot his father.
The two sides in the case will disagree on Poirier's state of mind when he pulled the trigger, the attorneys said in opening statements.
Marchese said she will prove that Poirier intentionally or knowingly caused his father's death, necessary in Maine for a murder conviction.
She said the evidence she'll present will show Poirier was not psychotic, not delusional nor insane at the time he pulled the trigger.
Marchese said Poirier was drinking and drugging, and was "out of control" before the shooting.
Raymond Poirier said his brother had changed for the worse before the shooting, and started missing work at the family excavation business.
At a New Year's party, Scott Poirier was upset and raised the issue of sexual abuse again. Raymond said he tried to console his brother, but Scott later picked a fight. Raymond said they nearly came to blows, but were kept apart by friends. His brother then grabbed him, pulled him close and whispered, "Don't you think I've never looked at him through a scope before." Raymond Poirier said he interpreted that to mean his brother was talking about their father.
Marchese presented other witnesses, including two police officers who responded to the Poirier home the night of the shooting. They testified that Scott Poirier was calm and didn't appear to be intoxicated.
"In this case it was a bad decision, but it was Scott Poirier's decision that he made," she told the jury.
Rather than getting counseling for the abuse, he took matters into his own hands, Marchese said. "He decided he was going to be judge and jury," Marchese said. "It was not his decision to make."
Defense attorney Steven Peterson told the jury the case would hinge on his client's state of mind at the time of the shooting.
Poirier was distraught that night. He penned a suicide note. He drank heavily, was aggressive and incoherent, Peterson said.
After the prosecution rests, Peterson said a group of mental health experts will testify for the defense.
Peterson urged jurors to keep an open mind throughout the trial, which is expected to continue through next week.
He said outside the courthouse that he hadn't decided whether his client would testify. He said Justice Joyce Wheeler told attorneys in the case that she would rule later on whether several alleged victims of the elder Poirier would be allowed to testify. ..more.. by Christopher Williams , Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
First defendant pleads guilty in Alton slaying
1-14-2008 Illinois:
EDWARDSVILLE — One of four people accused in the brutal death of an Alton man, who was beaten and then slain, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Monday.
Eric J. Swisher, 37, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton, pleaded guilty in Madison County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree murder, said Stephanee Smith, spokeswoman for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to ask for a sentence of no more than 30 years in prison. Swisher will be sentenced in about six to eight weeks.
Swisher, along with Terry A. Ballinger, 20, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Kevin M. Scott, also known as “K-9,” 34, of Wellston, Mo., were charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Madison County Circuit Court. Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, also was charged in the case with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
Swisher’s three co-defendants still are awaiting trial, Smith said.
Charges state they repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton, and then slit his throat. They also are accused of holding Walker against his will. The incidents occurred during the evening hours last Feb. 22.
Walker’s body was found two days later in a vacant lot in Wellston, in North St. Louis County. His body was covered by an abandoned car seat. ..more.. by STEPHANIE KISZCZAK and SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
Fourth man charged in killing
7-13-2007 Illinois:
ALTON — A fourth man was charged Friday with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the February beating death of a man at the Alton Acres public housing complex.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, with the Feb. 22 killing of Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton. Crockett was charged in the criminal information with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
No bond was set for Crockett, who remained at large Friday, authorities said.
Another man charged March 1 with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the killing was arrested on a felony warrant Saturday in Hennepin County, Minn., while hiding in the Minneapolis area.
Lt. David Hayes, chief of detectives for the Alton Police Department, said the Ramsey County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Office had notified the Madison County Sheriff’s Department that they had Kevin M. “K-9” Scott, 27, of Wellston, in custody.
“Sgt. Gary Cranmer and Detective Pete Vambaketes on Monday morning flew to Minnesota,” Hayes said. “They interviewed Mr. Scott, and it was very productive and fruitful. It has confirmed all the evidence we had against Mr. Scott and the other defendants and shed light on another suspect.”
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan said Scott provided information that allowed detectives to more solidly piece together the chain of events in the homicide that began in Alton and ended with a mortally beaten Walker being dumped in a lot in Wellston in North St. Louis County.
Authorities believe Walker was killed because of “alleged sexual abuse of a family member of one of the defendants,” Sullivan said.
Charges filed March 1 in Madison County Circuit Court say three men repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Walker and slit his throat Feb. 22 outside his girlfriend’s apartment at Alton Acres and confined him against his will.
The men then drove Walker to Wellston and dumped him under an abandoned car seat in an empty lot. His body was found Feb. 24.
Besides Scott and Crockett, the other men charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Walker’s death are Terry A. Ballinger, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Eric J. Swisher, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton.
Scott’s girlfriend at the time, Sigrid L. Hickman, of the 3100 block of Belle Street, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death. She was accused of destroying physical evidence of the slaying and providing a car for transporting Walker after the attack.
Sullivan said Walker was to be extradited at any time from Minnesota to the Madison County Jail in Edwardsville. ..more.. by LINDA N. WELLER, The Telegraph
SEE ALSO: In another case this year, Ernest V. Walker, 41, was kicked, stomped, beaten and his throat cut at Alton Acres public housing complex Feb. 22, then dumped in Wellston, Mo., where authorities believe he died. Three people were charged with first-degree murder and a fourth with concealment of a homicidal death in that case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defendant found guilty in Alton man's killing
10-28-2008 Illinois:
EDWARDSVILLE - A judge took about a minute Thursday to find a Missouri man guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the beating death of an Alton man after the defendant's former girlfriend testified against him.
Associate Judge James Hackett of Madison County Circuit Court returned the guilty verdicts in the non-jury trial of Kevin Scott, 34, of Wellston, Mo.
"I think he deserves what he got, but I think they all deserve the death penalty," said Keith Walker, the twin brother of victim Ernest V. Walker, 41.
Keith Walker said Scott and the other defendants tried to lure him into the same fate as his brother got.
"They said, ‘Come get me,'" said Mattie Bennett, the victim's mother.
The verdict came after Sigrid Hickman, the former girlfriend of the defendant, testified to seeing Scott and other suspects put the victim in the trunk of her car and drive off to Wellston.
Scott's defense attorney, Tim Berkley, claimed his client was threatened and was justified in punching Ernest Walker in the face just outside an Alton Acres apartment on Feb. 22, 2005. He said Scott took no part in the susequent fatal beating of Walker in Wellston, where the victim's body was dumped.
However, only one witness reported seeing Walker with a knife, and it was not taken out of the victim's pocket. It was showing from inside the pocket.
Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street, Alton, got into a ruckus with several men at a party after he allegedly groped the girlfriend and daughter of the defendant, also known as "K-9."
Walker's body was found hidden beneath a car seat in a vacant lot in Wellston a few days after the beating. Authorities said the defendants, including Scott, allegedly took turns beating Walker in the face with the butt of a gun while in Wellston.
However, the incident started at the party in Alton, and witnesses testified Tuesday to seeing Scott punch the victim in the face, knocking him out cold. They also testified to seeing several young men carrying "the body" to the trunk of a car.
Scott, who waived his right to a jury trial, is one of four men charged in the death of Walker. Hickman also has been charged with concealing Walker's death by destroying physical evidence and providing a car for transporting the victim out of Alton. She is awaiting trial, and prosecutors have made no deal in exchange for her testimony.
Eric J. Swisher of the 3200 block of Belle Street, Alton, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Terry A. Ballinger of the 3100 block of Paul Street, Alton, is awaiting trial. Sherman L. Crockett, of St. Louis, has been charged but remains at large.
The death came to light when Wellston police discovered the body and identified Walker through fingerprints.
Police did a neighborhood canvass around the public housing complex and developed several witnesses who saw different parts of what went on.
Scott faces a possible sentence of 20 to 60 years for the first-degree murder conviction and between six and 30 years for the aggravated kidnapping. The terms would run consecutively. ..Source.. by SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the court record of Kevin Scott's trial:
EDWARDSVILLE — One of four people accused in the brutal death of an Alton man, who was beaten and then slain, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Monday.
Eric J. Swisher, 37, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton, pleaded guilty in Madison County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree murder, said Stephanee Smith, spokeswoman for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to ask for a sentence of no more than 30 years in prison. Swisher will be sentenced in about six to eight weeks.
Swisher, along with Terry A. Ballinger, 20, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Kevin M. Scott, also known as “K-9,” 34, of Wellston, Mo., were charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Madison County Circuit Court. Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, also was charged in the case with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
Swisher’s three co-defendants still are awaiting trial, Smith said.
Charges state they repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton, and then slit his throat. They also are accused of holding Walker against his will. The incidents occurred during the evening hours last Feb. 22.
Walker’s body was found two days later in a vacant lot in Wellston, in North St. Louis County. His body was covered by an abandoned car seat. ..more.. by STEPHANIE KISZCZAK and SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
Fourth man charged in killing
7-13-2007 Illinois:
ALTON — A fourth man was charged Friday with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the February beating death of a man at the Alton Acres public housing complex.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, with the Feb. 22 killing of Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton. Crockett was charged in the criminal information with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
No bond was set for Crockett, who remained at large Friday, authorities said.
Another man charged March 1 with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the killing was arrested on a felony warrant Saturday in Hennepin County, Minn., while hiding in the Minneapolis area.
Lt. David Hayes, chief of detectives for the Alton Police Department, said the Ramsey County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Office had notified the Madison County Sheriff’s Department that they had Kevin M. “K-9” Scott, 27, of Wellston, in custody.
“Sgt. Gary Cranmer and Detective Pete Vambaketes on Monday morning flew to Minnesota,” Hayes said. “They interviewed Mr. Scott, and it was very productive and fruitful. It has confirmed all the evidence we had against Mr. Scott and the other defendants and shed light on another suspect.”
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan said Scott provided information that allowed detectives to more solidly piece together the chain of events in the homicide that began in Alton and ended with a mortally beaten Walker being dumped in a lot in Wellston in North St. Louis County.
Authorities believe Walker was killed because of “alleged sexual abuse of a family member of one of the defendants,” Sullivan said.
Charges filed March 1 in Madison County Circuit Court say three men repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Walker and slit his throat Feb. 22 outside his girlfriend’s apartment at Alton Acres and confined him against his will.
The men then drove Walker to Wellston and dumped him under an abandoned car seat in an empty lot. His body was found Feb. 24.
Besides Scott and Crockett, the other men charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Walker’s death are Terry A. Ballinger, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Eric J. Swisher, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton.
Scott’s girlfriend at the time, Sigrid L. Hickman, of the 3100 block of Belle Street, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death. She was accused of destroying physical evidence of the slaying and providing a car for transporting Walker after the attack.
Sullivan said Walker was to be extradited at any time from Minnesota to the Madison County Jail in Edwardsville. ..more.. by LINDA N. WELLER, The Telegraph
SEE ALSO: In another case this year, Ernest V. Walker, 41, was kicked, stomped, beaten and his throat cut at Alton Acres public housing complex Feb. 22, then dumped in Wellston, Mo., where authorities believe he died. Three people were charged with first-degree murder and a fourth with concealment of a homicidal death in that case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defendant found guilty in Alton man's killing
10-28-2008 Illinois:
EDWARDSVILLE - A judge took about a minute Thursday to find a Missouri man guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the beating death of an Alton man after the defendant's former girlfriend testified against him.
Associate Judge James Hackett of Madison County Circuit Court returned the guilty verdicts in the non-jury trial of Kevin Scott, 34, of Wellston, Mo.
"I think he deserves what he got, but I think they all deserve the death penalty," said Keith Walker, the twin brother of victim Ernest V. Walker, 41.
Keith Walker said Scott and the other defendants tried to lure him into the same fate as his brother got.
"They said, ‘Come get me,'" said Mattie Bennett, the victim's mother.
The verdict came after Sigrid Hickman, the former girlfriend of the defendant, testified to seeing Scott and other suspects put the victim in the trunk of her car and drive off to Wellston.
Scott's defense attorney, Tim Berkley, claimed his client was threatened and was justified in punching Ernest Walker in the face just outside an Alton Acres apartment on Feb. 22, 2005. He said Scott took no part in the susequent fatal beating of Walker in Wellston, where the victim's body was dumped.
However, only one witness reported seeing Walker with a knife, and it was not taken out of the victim's pocket. It was showing from inside the pocket.
Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street, Alton, got into a ruckus with several men at a party after he allegedly groped the girlfriend and daughter of the defendant, also known as "K-9."
Walker's body was found hidden beneath a car seat in a vacant lot in Wellston a few days after the beating. Authorities said the defendants, including Scott, allegedly took turns beating Walker in the face with the butt of a gun while in Wellston.
However, the incident started at the party in Alton, and witnesses testified Tuesday to seeing Scott punch the victim in the face, knocking him out cold. They also testified to seeing several young men carrying "the body" to the trunk of a car.
Scott, who waived his right to a jury trial, is one of four men charged in the death of Walker. Hickman also has been charged with concealing Walker's death by destroying physical evidence and providing a car for transporting the victim out of Alton. She is awaiting trial, and prosecutors have made no deal in exchange for her testimony.
Eric J. Swisher of the 3200 block of Belle Street, Alton, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Terry A. Ballinger of the 3100 block of Paul Street, Alton, is awaiting trial. Sherman L. Crockett, of St. Louis, has been charged but remains at large.
The death came to light when Wellston police discovered the body and identified Walker through fingerprints.
Police did a neighborhood canvass around the public housing complex and developed several witnesses who saw different parts of what went on.
Scott faces a possible sentence of 20 to 60 years for the first-degree murder conviction and between six and 30 years for the aggravated kidnapping. The terms would run consecutively. ..Source.. by SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the court record of Kevin Scott's trial:
The oldest girl saw Ernest touch her younger sister's buttocks as he hugged her, and she immediately went to tell her mother what she had seen. Sherman Crockett was within earshot and overheard the conversation. Sigrid asked the defendant to tell Ernest to leave. She told the defendant that she did not approve of the way Ernest was acting. She did not tell him that Ernest had inappropriately touched one of her daughters. That information was provided to the defendant by someone else.It looks like someone stretched the "touch [maybe a pat]" to "grabbing of the girl's butt," its no wonder the court gave out long sentences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)