4 arrested, fifth suspect sought in beating, strangulation of man

10-1-2012 Washington:

TACOMA, Wash. -- Four people have been arrested and a fifth suspect is beijung sought in the death of a man found bound, brutally beaten and strangled outside a Graham home last week.

Dean Barker was found dead outside a vacant home in the 22200 block of 124th Ave. E. on the night of Sept. 8. Investigators said 51-year-old Barker's hands were bound behind his back, his mouth taped shut and a red bandanna tied around his neck. An autopsy revealed he had been beaten and strangled.

Four people -- Angela King, 24; William Barry, 33; Justin Mahaffey, 23; and a 17-year-old suspect whom KOMO has chosen not to identify-- are being held on $2 million bail. They have not been charged.

Police are also seeking 30-year-old Jeffrey W. Powell, II, who has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and kidnapping in the first degree. A warrant has been issued for his arrested

When questioned by investigators, several of the suspects said they abducted and beat Barker because they believe he had molested a toddler, according to the statement of probable case. One suspect claimed Barker had also sexually assaulted a woman.

However, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said the suspects' claim of vigilante justice for the victim's alleged sex crimes may not be true as investigators have not found any evidence to support either claim.

"Why wait until weeks after the alleged sexual assault? Why take the victim's watch? Why steal the victim's money?" said Lindquist.

After the beating, the suspects took Barker's wallet and split the cash, they told investigators. They also tied a red bandanna around his neck to "mark him, as Mahaffey belongs to a blood gang, the statement said.

The 17-year-old suspect said she participated in the beating, but did not accompany the others to the home where the victim was abandoned. King said she went to the Graham home, but stayed in the car while Mahaffey and Powell walked Barker out of the car. She said Barker was still alive when she and Mahaffey left the scene.

The four suspects are due in court on Tuesday. ..Source.. by KOMO Staff

Detective Says Pair Admitted To "Humiliation" Of "Old Man" For Allegedly Touching Child Inappropriately

8-21-2012 Georgia:

A city detective testified Tuesday that Jennifer Hatfield-Streeval, 32, and John E Moncier, 28, admitted to carrying out the "humilation" of "an old man" for allegedly inappropriately touching Ms. Hatfield-Streeval's daughter.

However, detective Luke Fuller said he talked with the child and she never mentioned being touched by 76-year-old Garner Isbill in the incident on March 18 at Motel 6, 7300 Lee Highway.

He said Ms. Hatfield-Streeval and Moncier admitted dragging the victim down a set of concrete steps and then stripping and beating him. He was found naked in a pool of blood. He later died in a hospital at Rome, Ga.

General Sessions Court Judge Christie Sell bound charges of criminal homicide, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault to the Grand Jury against the pair. They remain in custody.

Detective Fuller said Ms. Hatfield-Streeval told him that another woman at the scene informed her that Isbill had touched the daughter in a private area while she had gone down the hall to get an extra chair.

He said she stated that she punched him in the face, knocking him down. Then she dragged him out of the room and down the stairs before she and Moncier administered the kicking and stomping.

He said Ms. Hatfield-Streeval said his clothes were taken off to add to the "humiliation."

The detective said he found one of the victim's boots at the scene and it had blood on the sole. He said he inferred that it was also used in the attack.

He said Moncier also gave a statement and acknowledged helping carry out the beating.

The motel manager said he walked up and saw Moncier stomping the victim. He said he dialed 911.

Jody Hughan, girlfriend of Moncier who is pregnant with his child, said after she and Ms. Hatfield-Streeval returned with the chair, the girl told her that "she had been touched by the old man" between her legs. She said she relayed that information to Ms. Hatfield-Streeval and she told her to take the child off and she would "take care of the old man." She said she looked back and saw him being dragged down the stairs.

She said she later saw Moncier kicking the victim. She told him they should leave, and they headed for his brother's house in Cleveland, Tn. But she said they returned to the motel room when Ms. Hatfield-Streeval called and said everything was okay. She said the victim was still lying naked outside the motel when they returned. His clothes had been thrown nearby.

The witness said his face "was demolished" and he was breathing in an odd way.

Formerly of Bryant, Ala., Garner Isbill lived most of his life in Chattanooga and had lived the past year in Resaca, Ga. He was a United States Navy veteran having served during the Korean War.

Ms. Hughan said she knew him as a homeless man who was always drunk.

She said they were all drinking that night. She said another person who was with them, Brian Owings, was passed out on a bed and slept through the whole incident. ..Source.. by The Chattanoogan

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Charges Upgraded To Murder Against Pair After Garner Isbill Dies From Injuries

5-30-2012:

Investigators with the Chattanooga Police Department’s Homicide Unit have added the charge of criminal homicide against Jennifer Hatfield-Streeval, 32, and John E Moncier, 28.

They had previously been arrested for attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault for the assault of 76-year-old Garner Isbill on March 18 at 7300 Lee Highway.

Mr. Isbill succumbed to his injuries last Wednesday.

Police said the couple beat the victim, then dragged him down some concrete steps.

He was found in a pool of blood.

Formerly of Bryant, Ala., Mr. Isbill lived most of his life in Chattanooga and had lived the past year in Resaca, Ga.

He was a United States Navy veteran having served during the Korean War.

Survivors include his two daughters, Yvonne (Jimmy) Trammell, of Resaca and Rhonda Isbill, of Ringgold; sister, Patricia Isbill, of LaFayette; brother, Edward Isbill, of Chattanooga; three grandchildren, Blane (Amber) Parton, Kris (Ashleigh) Parton, and Chelsea Isbill; and two great-grandchildren, Blake Parton and Destinie Parton; and several nieces and nephews.

He was buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery with his daughter, Pastor Yvonne Trammell, officiating. ..Source.. by The Chattanoogan

Arlington death investigated as manslaughter

7-12-2012 Washington:

ARLINGTON -- Detectives believe the death of an Everett-area man in Arlington last month could be a potential case of manslaughter.

Martin Pickett, 48, died after some kind of altercation in a parking lot in the 16800 block of Smokey Point Boulevard, police said.

A passerby spotted Pickett's body about 5:30 a.m. June 30.

He was lying in a pool of blood, and appeared to have a serious head wound, according to a search warrant filed recently in Cascade District Court.

Pickett and two other homeless men had been hanging out in the lot the night before he was found, court papers show.

Police dispatchers received a 911 call for a noise complaint in the area about 11 p.m., Arlington city spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said Wednesday.

A patrol officer responded and told the men they could not drink in public and that they needed to quiet down. The men agreed to do so, and the officer left.

Detectives have interviewed the two other men who were there that night, Banfield said.

They believe Pickett had been involved in some sort of struggle with one of them, Nial G. Harris, 52, shortly before Pickett died.

No arrests have been made in the case. Investigators are awaiting autopsy and toxicology reports from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. Those reports likely will shed light on the circumstances surrounding Pickett's death.

Pickett had significant criminal history in Snohomish County dating back to 1982.

As an adult, he had seven felony and 27 misdemeanor convictions. Most of the misdemeanors were for unlawful camping, trespassing and possessing drug paraphernalia.

He also was supposed to register as a sex offender for a first-degree rape conviction in 1987.

Pickett had been arrested in Marysville as recently as April, when prosecutors alleged that he assaulted a woman after they were drinking together underneath a bridge.

They alleged that Pickett struck the woman in the head with a rock after she declined his sexual advances. ..Source.. by Rikki King, Herald Writer

Grandfather says death an accident

6-12-2012 Texas:

The grandfather of the 4-year-old girl whose father beat a man to death said Monday that his son was sorry the man died.

"My son. Sorry," the grandfather said in broken English Monday afternoon, yards from where the incident took place Saturday off Lavaca County Road 302. "It was an accident."

The father told law enforcement that he caught the man molesting his daughter and tried to physically stop him.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said the father expressed regret after the beating occurred.

"He was very remorseful. I don't think it was his intent for the man to die," Harmon said.

The incident took place through a metal gate, down a rut-filled - almost gully-filled drive in a pasture behind a barn where the father was tending to horses, Harmon said.

No charges have been filed in the case and neither the father nor the 47-year-old man who died has been identified by law enforcement.

"We are still having trouble locating the deceased's next of kin," the sheriff said. "The chief deputy has been in Gonzales running down some leads, but his family may end up being from out of the country."

Across the county road from where the beating took place, a neighbor said the family who owns the property are "good people."

"They have horses and chickens over there and come out every day to feed and water them," said the neighbor. "They are good people. Good, hard-working people."

District Attorney Heather McMinn said that once the investigation is complete and turned over to her office, she will present it to a grand jury. ..Source.. by SONNY LONG

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Grand jury: No indictment against father who killed daughter's alleged abuser

6-20-2012:

A Lavaca County, Texas, grand jury did not return an indictment against a father who killed a man he found allegedly sexually abusing his daughter, officials said Tuesday at a press conference in Hallettsville, Texas.

"The substantial amount of evidence showed that the witness statements and the father's statement and what the father had observed was in fact what had happened that day," Lavaca County District Attorney Heather McMinn told reporters.

The father, who will not be charged, is not being named by CNN to protect the identity of his daughter.

The father called 911, and he and his family tried to "save the life" of alleged attacker Jesus Mora Flores "despite what they had just witnessed," McMinn added.

McMinn told CNN that Flores, 47, was not an acquaintance of the family.

According to the Lavaca County Sheriff's Office, the father and his family had gathered for a horse shoeing last Saturday at their ranch where they keep horses and chickens.

There were seven people in attendance in total, including four members of the family, two acquaintances and a stranger to the family, who was the alleged molester. According to McMinn, the alleged abuser was a legal worker from Mexico.

His 5-year-old daughter had gone off toward the barn, to feed the chickens, the child's grandfather told CNN affiliates KSAT and KPRC.

Then her father heard screaming and ran. He found a man sexually abusing his daughter, according to Sheriff Micah Harmon.

The father stopped the alleged abuser, and then pounded him repeatedly in the head, killing him, authorities said.

On the recorded 911 call, the father can be heard crying, and telling the operator, "I need an ambulance. This guy was raping my daughter and I beat him up. And I don't know ... I don't know what to do."

Later in the call, when the operator tells the caller, "I'm working on it if you can hold on," the emotional father says, "The guy's dying on me!"

McMinn also told CNN the child's grandfather and aunt both administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Neither officials nor the family's attorney, V'Anne Huser, took questions from reporters Tuesday but Huser said in light of the grand jury's decision, "in our opinion, today, the story is over."

McMinn told CNN she had "never seen a case this clear" in her career.

The incident occurred outside the town of Shiner, a community between Houston and San Antonio that has about 2,000 people within its city limits and another 1,500 or so on its outskirts, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. ..Source.. by CNN Wire Staff

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Father Killed Jesus Mora Flores, Who Molested His Daughter, Texas Cops Say

The man who police in Texas say was killed after sexually assaulting a rancher's daughter was identified over the weekend.

Jesus Mora Flores was reportedly beaten to death on June 9 after a 23-year-old father found his 4-year-old daughter half naked with Flores at their ranch on the outskirts of Shiner, officers told CNN.

Lavaca County sheriff's deputies told the station that the unnamed father had sent his daughter and her brother off to feed the family's chickens. A little while later, the boy returned and told his dad that someone had taken his sister.

The father then found 47-year-old Flores -- who came to the ranch with a family friend -- sexually abusing his daughter and allegedly beat him to death with his fists.

Sheriff Micah Harmon has said that he will not charge the father, but the case will be presented to a grand jury to consider charges.

The father called 911 after the incident, reporting that Flores was on the ground and unresponsive. Harmon told reporters that the man appeared "very remorseful" and didn't know he had killed the abuser.

"You have a right to defend your daughter," Harmon told CNN at the time. "[The girl's father] acted in defense of his third person. Once the investigation is completed we will submit it to the district attorney who then submits it to the grand jury, who will decide if they will indict him."

The 4-year-old girl went to the hospital after the attack, and "besides the obvious mental trauma," is going to be OK, Harmon said. ..Source.. by Andy Campbell

Dad pleads guilty in beating death of suspected molester

Posted in Related Deaths

10-4-2006 Delaware:

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminally negligent homicide for beating to death [4-17-2006] a 77-year-old man he believed had molested his young daughter. Robert Fontanez Jr., 27, had faced the more serious charge of second-degree murder in the April death of Bismark Vasquez before agreeing to the plea. He faces up to five years in prison at sentencing, expected early next year.

According to police, Fontanez became enraged when his 5-year-old daughter told him that Vasquez had touched her inappropriately. He went to Vasquez's home and punched him so hard that the older man went through the back door, police said. Investigators said Fontanez continued to beat Vasquez as he lay bleeding on the concrete outside. Vasquez died in a hospital three days later.

Police detective Scott Chaffin said there was no physical evidence to support the molestation allegation, though he said the child's comments to police were consistent with what she had told her mother. In a similar case in Fairfield, Connecticut, a man was charged with stabbing to death a 58-year-old neighbor in August whom he had suspected of molesting his 2-year-old daughter. ..more.. by Associated Press

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9 Months for Killing Molestation Suspect

1-5-2007 Delaware:

WILMINGTON, Del. -- A man was sentenced to nine months in prison Friday for beating to death a 77-year-old man he believed had molested his 5-year-old daughter.

Robert Fontanez Jr. pleaded guilty last year to killing Bismark Vasquez. Police have said that although there was no physical evidence to support his daughter's allegations that Vasquez had fondled her, the account she gave police was consistent with what she had told her family.

In April, an infuriated Fontanez punched Vasquez so hard that Vasquez went through the back door of his home. Fontanez punched him several more times as he lay bleeding on the concrete outside, police said.

Fontanez, 27, of Elsmere, had been charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.

Superior Judge Joseph Slights III sentenced Fontanez to far less than the maximum five years, telling him, "The circumstances surrounding this crime were taken into consideration by the state" and the court. ..more.. by The Associated Press

Man was beaten before his throat was cut, Paso Robles police say

5-1-2012 California:

Search warrant from slaying is revealed in court papers; victim’s death reportedly was revenge for alleged sexual assaults

Inside a hotel room in Paso Robles last summer, police found a dead man, lying face down on a bed, in a pool of blood. His throat was slashed, his chest and stomach were cut, and the left side of his face was crushed.

A conspiracy to beat the man and take his drugs apparently turned deadly when two members of a group returned after an assault on him and one of them allegedly sliced the man’s throat.

Four people suspected of the crime allegedly talked on the night of the attack about how the victim — 55-year-old Robert Kenichi Uyeno — had reportedly locked women up in his bedroom and raped them.

The Paso Robles Police Department cited the allegations in a search warrant filed in April in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. Police sought permission from a judge to obtain “buccal swabs” of the inner cheeks of each suspect to determine if the DNA samples match physical evidence and clothing they believe was used in the crime.

Three people — 33-year-old Alfonso “Pancho” Fierros, 30-year-old Tabatha Brown, 29-year-old Jennifer Velten — have pleaded not guilty to murder.

John Wesley Barrett, 42, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and his case has been suspended, according to his attorney, Gael Mueller.

The warrant cites statements from female and male witnesses (who weren’t part of the criminal case) and two defendants, saying the four accused gathered at the Wine Country Inn in Paso Robles on the night of Aug. 21, where they consumed alcohol, heroin and methamphetamines.

They talked about how Uyeno had raped children and how wrong that was, the warrant states, though no specifics were noted about those claims. Uyeno doesn’t have a local criminal record of any sex crime.

A female witness told police that the suspects talked about how Uyeno had locked women in his bedroom, including Velten and Brown, and raped them, the warrant states.

A male witness also spoke with Brown, who said that Velten had complained that Uyeno hadn’t paid Velten for sex she performed, which led to their discussion about the claims of Uyeno’s history of sexual abuse.

The female witness told police the group became increasingly angry and she started to worry about what they’d do to Uyeno, urging them not to do anything because he was her friend.

The female witness eventually went back to her motel room because the group continued to speak badly of Uyeno, she told police.

Police described a conspiracy among the group that night to set up Uyeno and attack him.

The initial alleged plan was to beat up Uyeno and steal his drugs. Velten sent a text message to Uyeno saying she wanted to party with him in his room at the Farmhouse Motel in Paso Robles. Police later found a meth pipe and syringes at the scene.

The others then waited for a text by Velten from the room before Fierros and Barrett went to the motel while Brown waited in a truck. Inside the room, Barrett held Uyeno while Fierros pummeled him in the face and stomach with his fists for about two minutes, according to Barrett.

After the assault, Velten stole lotto tickets and methamphetamines, but Barrett told police he “did not steal anything because he did not like thieves,” according to the report, which paraphrases Barrett’s statements.

Barrett told police Uyeno’s pulse was strong and he was breathing when the group left to return to their motel. But Velten and Fierros returned to Uyeno’s motel room after Velten said she forgot her purse, Barrett told police.

When Velten and Fierros returned, Barrett told police he heard one of them say Fierros sliced the man’s throat.

Brown told police that Fierros later told her, after the incident, “now you know what kind of man I am.”

Defense attorneys representing the accused declined to comment about the case.

Velten’s attorney, Patrick Fisher, referred to it as an “ugly and unfortunate” case.

Fierros, Brown and Velten are scheduled to return to court May 17 for further proceedings. ..Source.. by Nick Wilson

Murdered Libby man was a registered sex offender

Why would the Sheriff make that comment, esp. when it is unknown who did kill him and why?

3-22-2012 Montana:

LIBBY- The Libby man found who authorities say was murdered in his van in the lower Yaak River area over the weekend was a registered sex offender in Lincoln County.

Ernest Judd, 69, was convicted of one count of sexual assault to a 10-year-old female in 2006 and was designated as a Level 2 offender, meaning there was a moderate risk of a repeat sexual offense.

His body was found in his van in the lower part of the Yaak River area on Sunday and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department says he suffered fatal injuries from blunt force trauma to his body.

Sheriff Roby Bowe says at this time there seems to be no connection between the murder and Judd's sex offense. ..Source.. by KAJ18.com

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Yaak Valley Murder Victim Identified, Was A Registered Sex Offender

The death of a Libby man in Northwest Montana's Yaak Valley over the weekend has sent the tight-knit community into a state of disbelief.

"We had no idea that this guy had gotten killed up there," said Libby resident Kevin Martin.

69-year-old Ernest Judd was found in his minivan on Sunday and had been beaten to death.

"I have known Ernest for little over a year now and he's come in and out of the store," explained fellow resident Lisa Block, "He was always quiet when he came in, kept to himself. I don't... I'm just kinda shocked with what has happened."

But Judd had a tainted past - court documents reveal that he pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in 2006 and was released from Montana State Prison after serving only 6 months of a 10 year sentence. Locals who knew him say his past did not matter.

"I'm not gonna judge him," continued Block, "he served what was put down by the judge as far as I know, I'm not gonna judge him. It's not my place."

Sheriff Robe Bowe says there's no obvious link between Judd's criminal past and the murder, but locals say they hope justice is served.

"That'll definitely be up to the judge and the jury to decide," said Martin, "all that and questions and everything. And hopefully we'll get some answers and know exactly what happened."

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Department says the homicide is currently under investigation. ..Source.. by Rebecca Vogt, KCFW Reporter

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Suspected murder victim identified

The 69-year-old man found dead of blunt force trauma in his minivan in Lincoln County has been identified as Ernest Cleon Judd of Libby.

Judd and his vehicle were found by a passing driver at about 2 p.m. Sunday in the lower part of the Yaak River area on a gravel U.S. Forest Service road. Initially investigated as a suicide, Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe reported Tuesday that the department now believes Judd was murdered.

According to the Montana Department of Justice’s Sexual or Violent Offender Registry, Judd is a tier 2 registered sex offender. He was convicted in 2006 of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl the year before.

His tier 2 assignment means he was deemed to have a moderate risk of being a repeat sexual offender.

Bowe said his department is aware of Judd’s history, but that there is currently no indication that it has anything to do with his death.

Bowe also addressed a rumor that Judd had recently won a sizable amount of money at a casino, which could have been a possible factor in a murder.

“We’re following all those leads, and as of right now we can’t pin that as a motive either,” Bowe said. “We’ve heard the same rumors, and all they are right now are rumors.” ..Source.. by JESSE DAVIS, The Daily Inter Lake

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Lincoln County death investigated as murder; victim identified

Authorities in Lincoln County have released the name of a man whose body was found in a minivan along the Yaak River last weekend, and continue to investigate the death as a homicide.

Ernest Judd, 69, of Libby, died of blunt force trauma, Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe said Friday. His body was found March 18 in a minivan parked on a Forest Service road in the lower Yaak River area.

The death was originally thought to be a suicide, but Bowe said further investigation revealed that it was a murder.

“As of right now, we don’t have any motive,” Bowe said. “We don’t have any inclination at all why this person or persons did this to him.”

Bowe said investigators have spoken with people who knew Judd, and who reported that the man recently won a substantial amount of money at a casino. However, the amounts have varied between $700 and $1,700 and Bowe has not verified the winnings.

“There is speculation that he won money at the local casino, and we are following up on all those leads right now,” Bowe said. “Right now we haven’t confirmed anything, and we are just trying to determine what is true and what’s not.”

Investigators have also taken into account the fact that Judd has a criminal history, but Bowe said nothing so far indicates the murder is connected to the victim’s past legal troubles.

The state Sexual or Violent Offenders Registry lists Judd as a tier-2 registered sex offender. He was convicted in 2006 of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl the year before.

“There is no indication right now that his criminal past has anything to do with this,” Bowe said.

The Montana Department of Criminal Investigations is assisting with the case, and Bowe said the Montana State Crime Lab is processing forensic evidence. So far, there are no suspects.

Judd’s death marks the fourth murder investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in four months, and the only one without an arrest or a suspect.

In December, Kristina Lynn Welch was arrested for the shooting death of her husband, Charles Welch. Then in January, Dale Kinniburgh Jr., 51, killed himself after reporting to police that he had murdered his wife, Catherine Kinniburgh, 55.

Days later, James Bonifas, 75, was arrested for the death of his daughter, 41-year-old Suzanne Campbell.

Bowe said the string of deaths has kept the department busy, but detectives are fully committed to solving the most recent homicide case.

“We are going to take it slow and careful and find out who did this,” he said. ..Source.. by Tristan Scott

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Man, 69, killed; identified; was known sex offender

The Western News on Tuesday learned the identity of the 69-year-old man who was found dead in a vehicle in the lower Yaak is Ernest Cleon Judd of Libby.

Earlier Tuesday, a press release from Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe confirmed the death was determined to be a homicide. However, Bowe did not confirm Judd as the victim, whose body was found about 2 p.m. Sunday.

The Western News learned Judd’s identity independently.

Bowe’s updated statement about the investigation revealed the deceased died of blunt-force trauma to the back of the head. The deceased was found in his minivan.

“The problem is we have not been able to notify his next of kin,” Bowe said. “Sometimes, families are tough to locate, and I don’t know when we might be able to do that.”

Conceding to next-of-kin concerns, The Western News has agreed to not post the news of Judd’s slaying on its Website www.thewesternnews.com until the geographically distant family members are notified by the Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff Bowe was asked whether he could confirm the deceased recently won a sizeable amount at a casino.

Bowe, who stated his department is continuing its investigation, is looking into reports that the deceased boasted about recent winnings — talk that could have made him a target.

“… We’ll be pursuing that,” Bowe said.

The deceased’s body was taken to the Montana State Crime Laboratory where the cause of death was determined, clearing the way for the homicide investigation.

Judd’s slaying is the fourth such homicide in recent months, dating back to December when Kristina Welch allegedly shot her husband, Brian Charles Welch, in their home. Subsequent deaths of Dale and Catherine Kinniburgh, in a murder-suicide in which Dale killed his wife on Jan. 3 before turning the gun on himself.

Three days later, James Bonifas alledgedly shot his daughter, Susanne Campbell, in their home.

In those cases, police had immediate suspects.

Judd’s alleged killer or killers is still at large.

According to the Montana State Web site, Ernest Cleon Judd is a registered sex offender. Judd’s physical description listed him as a 5-foot, 9-inches tall, with blue eyes and white hair. He reportedly weighed 295 pounds. ..Source.. by Western News

Cause of death determined in Romulus murder investigation

1-9-2012 Michigan:

Victim beaten, cut, suffocated

Romulus police are trying to figure out what happened to a 57-year-old Romulus man.

Frank Jones was found dead inside his home on Springhill Street Saturday morning by his son. Jones was found face down in the bathroom with his hands tied behind his back and a plastic bag over his face. The home had been ransacked, but police said none of the personal items inside the house were missing.

The medical examiner tells Local 4, Jones was beaten, cut and suffocated to death.

After the attack, Jones Ford Mustang was stolen from his driveway, but has since been recovered by Canton Township police. It was found Sunday morning in the parking lot of WalMart in Canton about 10 miles from the victim’s house.

Police are taking a close look at the victim’s car and investigating Jones past. Jones is listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for his connection to a child porn case that dates back to 2006.

Anyone with information is asked to call Romulus police at 734-942-8400. ..Source.. by ClickOnDetroit.com

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No arrests in death of Romulus man found bound with a bag over his head

1-9-2012 Michigan:

A 57-year-old man found in his Romulus home with his hands tied behind his back and a plastic bag over his head had been beaten on the head and suffocated, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office said Sunday.

The victim was tentatively identified as Frank Jones.

Jones is listed on the Michigan sex offender registry under his address in the 15600 block of Springhill, where police said he lived alone. He was convicted of child sexually abusive activity in 2006, according to online records.

Romulus police said they are looking into Jones’ background, but declined to discuss his criminal history today.

Jones' body was found by his son Saturday. Police said the son had been trying to reach him by phone since Wednesday. When the son couldn't reach his father, he went to Jones' house on Springhill and found him facedown in a pool of blood in the bathroom. It's unclear how long he had been there.

Jones had wounds on his face and chest and shoulder areas, police said.

"It appears that there was a struggle in at least three areas of the home based on some evidence that was located," Romulus Police Capt. Derran Shelby said. He declined to say what that evidence was.

Police did not find any signs of forced entry to the home.

A bedroom was ransacked, and personal belongings were thrown around the room, police said. Investigators have not found the man's cell phone or wallet.

His 1999 yellow Ford Mustang convertible also was missing Saturday. Canton police spotted the unoccupied car in the parking lot of a Walmart store on Ford Road about 2 a.m. Sunday, Shelby said.

Surveillance video from the store showed it was parked there about 4:20 p.m. Saturday, Shelby said.

Police plan to obtain a search warrant to look for evidence inside the car today. They also are trying to retrace Jones' final weeks to find out who he was with before his death and what activities he may have been involved in.

"At this point, we're trying to really dig into his background, " Shelby said.

Family members gathered outside Jones' home Sunday. They said they didn't want to comment and asked for privacy.

Anyone with information can call Romulus Police at 734-941-8400. Police also want to hear from anyone who saw his 1999 yellow Ford Mustang convertible in recent days. ..Source.. by Elisha Anderson

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Sex offender found blugeoned to death

1-10-2012 Michigan:

ROMULUS, Mich., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A Romulus, Mich., man was found suffocated and bludgeoned to death in his home, police say.

Frank Jones' son dialed 911 Saturday night to report discovering his 57-year-old father's body face down in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor of his home. The victim's hands were tied behind his back and his head was covered with a plastic bag. An autopsy showed the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

There were no signs of forced entry.

Romulus Police Capt. Derran Shelby told the Detroit News: "It was a brutal, torturous type of killing. There's nothing that leads me to believe this was random."

Detectives say a motive for the killing may be Jones' status as a convicted sex offender. He served three years in prison for attempting to arrange sex with a Oakland County Sheriff's deputy who was posing as a 14-year-old boy.

"At this point, it's too early to say if that definitely played a part, but it's an avenue we're investigating," Shelby told the Detroit News. ..Source.. by UPI.com

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Romulus police: Man charged in deadly beating

1-13-2012 Michigan:

ROMULUS, Mich. - Romulus police think they have solved the murder of 57-year-old Frank Jones, who on Saturday was found beaten to death in his home.

Michael Sutton, 41, of Canton Township was arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree murder and torture.

"Working backwards using phone records on the subject and the victim, and using search warrants we gained great intelligence," said Romulus Police Chief Robert Dickerson.

Police have not revealed a motive, but based on graphic text messages, they said they think the men had been intimate. They had known each other for about five years.

The medical rxaminer said Jones died of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma. His hands were tied behind his back, and a pillow case was taped over his head, police said.

Investigators said they think Jones drove Sutton to his home and Sutton allegedly stole the car after killing him on Jan. 4.

Three days later, Jones' son found the body in his father's bathroom.

Sutton was arrested Tuesday after a brief foot chase in Canton Township. He's being held on a $1 million dollar cash bond. ..Source.. by Roger Weber, Local 4 Reporter

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Canton Township man is arraigned in friend's slaying

1-15-2012 Michigan:

He is charged with torture, murder; victim found by son

A 41-year-old Canton Township man was arraigned Friday on charges that he killed a 57-year-old man found bound and beaten to death on his bathroom floor last week.

Michael Sutton was arraigned in 34th District Court on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and torture in the death of Frank Jones.

Police said Jones was found by his son Jan. 7 face-down in a pool of blood at his home on Springhill Street.

Jones' hands had been tied behind his back, and a plastic bag was over his head. The son went to check on his father after he hadn't heard from him in several days.

Police said the killer drove off with Jones' yellow 1999 Ford Mustang, which was found Sunday in a Canton Township Walmart parking lot.

Police Chief Robert Dickerson said evidence found during the investigation led police to Sutton.

Physical evidence, as well as phone and data records, showed that Jones and Sutton had an "intimate relationship," the chief said.

"The suspect knew his victim very well," Dickerson said.

Police don't yet have a motive for the crime, he added.

Bond was set at $1 million. A preliminary exam is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 25.

Dickerson attributed Sutton's arrest to a collaboration between the Romulus, Canton Township and Michigan State police departments.

"We are very pleased there is a suspect in custody for this violent and senseless murder," state police Capt. Monica Yesh said in a statement.

Jones was convicted in 2006 on child sex abuse charges. For that crime, he served three years in prison. ..Source.. by Candice Williams, The Detroit News

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Acquaintance charged in Romulus man's slaying

1-14-2012 Michigan:

A 41-year-old suburban Detroit man is charged with murder and torture in the slaying of an acquaintance found bound and beaten on his bathroom floor.

Michael Sutton of Canton Township was arraigned Friday in Romulus District Court. He was ordered jailed without bond.

Police say phone records show Sutton and 57-year-old Frank T. Jones shared an intimate relationship. Jones was found Jan. 7 in his Romulus home, southwest of Detroit. His hands were tied behind his back. A pillow case was over his head.

An autopsy revealed he had been beaten.

Jones' son went to the home after not hearing from his father for several days.

Sutton faces a Jan. 25 preliminary examination. The Associated Press could not determine Friday night if he had a lawyer. ..Source.. by mLive.com

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ROMULUS: Police confident they have sole person responsible in homicide

ROMULUS — Residents breathed a sigh of relief after learning there had been an arrest in the death of Frank Thomas Jones, 57.

Michael Sutton, 41, of Canton Township was arraigned before 34th District Magistrate Alan Hindman on Friday on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and torture.

Bond was set at $1 million. Sutton is being held in the Wayne County Jail.

A preliminary examination of the evidence against him is set for next Wednesday.

Questions have continued in the community as to whether an additional person might have been involved in Jones’ death.

Romulus police Capt. Derran Shelby said Monday morning that he is confident the sole person responsible is in custody. Nevertheless, he said, anything is possible in an ongoing investigation.

Jones was found dead in his house Jan. 7 in the 15000 block of Springhill Street near Middlebelt and Eureka roads.

His son, Joshua Jones, had been trying to reach him for two days and decided to drive to his father’s house to check on him.

According to police, Joshua Jones found his father lying in a pool of blood with his hands tied behind his back and a plastic bag over his head.

Frank Jones’ yellow Ford Mustang was missing from outside the house and was found the next morning by Canton Township police in a Walmart parking lot on Ford Road. Continued... by Jackie Harrison-Martin

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Murder suspect to stand trial

3-22-2012:

Barring a new development, a Canton man accused of torturing and killing 57-year-old Frank Jones of Romulus is set to stand trial in May in Wayne County Circuit Court, authorities have confirmed.

Michael Joseph Sutton, 41, faces life in prison if he is convicted of first-degree murder, felony murder and torture following allegations he killed Jones, whose son found him lying face down in his bathroom Jan. 7 with his hands tied behind his back and his head covered by a plastic bag.

Sutton's trial has been scheduled for May 10 in front of Circuit Judge Timothy Kenny, according to Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Maria Miller.

Sutton was ordered to stand trial during his Feb. 1 preliminary examination in Romulus 34th District Court.

Romulus Police Chief Robert Dickerson has said Jones and Sutton had an “intimate relationship” before Jones was killed. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled blunt force trauma as the cause of death.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Sutton faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Canton authorities have said Sutton lived in the Autumn Ridge apartment complex near Cherry Hill and Lotz roads before his arrest. Police have said Sutton was arrested near his residence after he tried to flee.

A cooperative effort among police agencies led to the arrest.

The day after Jones' body was found in a pool of blood in his bathroom, his Ford Mustang had been found in the Walmart parking lot on Ford Road east of Lotz, Canton Detective Sgt. Dave Schreiner has said.

Sutton was ordered jailed with a $1 million cash bond after his arrest. Romulus police have cited phone records and other evidence they say led to charges against Sutton.

Jones lived in the 15600 block of Springhill in Romulus and was a registered sex offender. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, he had served three years in prison for child sexually abusive material or activity.

Jones had been released from prison in August 2009. ..Source.. by Observer and Eccentric

Judge finds cause to hold 3 in death of Colona resident

2-6-2008 Illinois:

A Henry County judge has found probable cause to hold three Colona residents charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of another Colona resident.

During Monday's preliminary hearing, James L. Kelley, 41; his sister, Brandy L. Kelley, 32; and her boyfriend, Joshua T. Martin, 31, all of Colona, sat before Judge Larry Vandersnick in orange jail clothes.

All three are charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of home invasion, unlawful restraint and criminal trespass to residence in the death of Shane M. McFalls, 39.

Colona police Sgt. Suzanne Bogart testified Monday that Mr. McFalls was found dead in a bed in his home Sunday morning, Feb. 3, with blood in his nostrils and on his lip, and a bucket of what appeared to be vomit next to his bed.

She testified that an autopsy indicated Mr. McFalls died from a subdural hematoma, a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

The events leading to Mr. McFalls' death started Friday, Feb. 1, Sgt. Bogart said. Mr. McFalls and his girlfriend, Teresa Lacy, were at the American Legion in Colona and allegedly got in an argument, then left the legion after 10 p.m.

On the way home, Mr. McFalls allegedly hit Ms. Lacy with her purse, his hand or both. Ms. Lacy went back to the legion later that night and told the Kelleys and Mr. Martin about the incident, according to testimony.

Sgt. Bogart said Ms. Lacy told her she begged the three not to go to the house because of Mr. McFalls' temper. A fourth person, Don Vanderheyden, also went to the house with the Kelleys and Mr. Martin, allegedly to help calm things down, according to testimony.

Sgt. Bogart said Mr. Vanderheyden told her they approached Mr. McFalls' house, yelling and beating on the door. When Mr. McFalls opened the door, Mr. Kelley and Mr. Martin allegedly tackled him, breaking a table inside the home.

Mr. Kelley and Mr. Martin then stood behind Mr. McFalls and held him to the ground on his knees, and Ms. Kelley allegedly walked around and kicked Mr. McFalls in the side of the face, Sgt. Bogart testified.

Sgt. Bogart said Mr. Vanderheyden told her he yelled at the three to stop, and then all of them allegedly sat down and talked. At some point, a phone call was made to the legion where Ms. Lacy was.

Sgt. Bogart said Ms. Lacy allegedly verified she was hit with a purse and not with Mr. McFalls' hand. Some time during the conversation, Mr. McFalls allegedly got up and shoved Mr. Vanderheyden, who then shoved Mr. McFalls down onto a piece of furniture and told him to stay calm.

According to Sgt. Bogart, the four reportedly then went back to the legion. Sgt. Bogart said Ms. Lacy told her that Mr. Kelley said they shoved Mr. McFalls around a little and talked to him about hitting Ms. Lacy.

Sgt. Bogart testified that Ms. Lacy said she arrived home between 3 and 4 a.m. Saturday morning, Feb. 2, and Mr. McFalls was in the master bedroom. He then moved to the back bedroom and shut the door.

She said Ms. Lacy did not think Mr. McFalls ever left the house.

Henry County Public Defender Eugene Stockton asked Sgt. Bogart if any locks on the house were broken. She said no.

Mr. Stockton asked why Ms. Lacy never checked on Mr. McFalls until Sunday morning, when she found him dead.

"She stated she was afraid to check on him," Sgt. Bogart testified.

Outside the courtroom, the Kelleys' sister, Crystal, said during a television interview that more information needs to come out. "I'm fighting. I'll do whatever I can to help them. We're a good family. We're human. I just know they're loving people."

The three suspects remain in Henry County Jail on $500,000 bail. Home invasion is a Class X felony punishable by a mandatory 6 to 30 years in prison. Involuntary manslaughter is a Class III felony punishable by two to five years in prison.

Mr. McFalls was a convicted sex offender, but Colona Police Chief Tim Krebs has said it had nothing to do with the alleged crime.

A pre-trial hearing for the three is scheduled on March 13. ..more.. by

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3 Charged in ''retribution beating'' of registered sex offender

2-6-2008 Ilinois:

Colona, QUAD CITIES -- Three people are behind bars in Henry County, charged with involuntary manslaughter, accused of beating a registered sex offender as revenge for domestic violence against his girlfriend.

Police say it started Friday night, when 39-year old Shane McFalls and his girlfriend got into a fight at the American Legion in Colona.

''One wanted to go home, the other one didn't, and they ended up getting into a physical confrontation'', said Colona Police Chief Tim Krebs.

The girlfriend returned to the Legion a short time later, battered and crying, and told her friends that McFalls had beaten her up. Police say her friends then took matters into thier own hands.

Investigators say Joshua Martin, James Kelly, and his sister, Brandy Kelly went to McFalls' house to even the score.

''What we're looking at in this case, is more of a retribution type thing, domestic battery that occured between the two parties, and friends wanting to get even'', Krebs said.

Court documents say the trio went to McFall's house, and beat him, tackled him, held him down and kicked him in the head.

McFalls, a registered sex offender who spent time in prison for molesting a 7-year old girl, was found dead, by the girlfriend, who had returned to the house the next day.

Illinois State Police and the Henry County Sheriff's Department helped with the investigation. It's the first homicide in Colona in 15 years.

Both Kelly's and Martin are being held in the Henry County Jail. ..more.. by CHRIS MINOR

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Three acquitted of manslaughter

10-23-2008 Illinois:

Three people were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter Thursday for the death of Shane M. McFalls of Colona, Ill., in February.

A Henry County jury found James L. Kelley, 41, and Brandi L. Kelley, 32, who are siblings, and Brandi Kelley’s boyfriend, Joshua T. Martin, 32, all not guilty on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and home invasion.

The three were each found guilty on other felony charges, including a second home invasion count, unlawful restraint and criminal trespass to a residence.

McFalls, 39, was found dead at 1019 7th St., Colona, on Feb. 3. Colona police said McFalls died from a head injury.

The suspects were all friends with McFalls and his girlfriend. The homicide was the result of a domestic disturbance that began at the American Legion in Colona, police said.

The suspects went to the residence later that night and attacked McFalls, according to police. According to the charges, McFalls was tackled and struck his head on the fall. He also allegedly was kicked in the head.

Police said the suspects left without intending to kill McFalls, but he later died from his injuries.

Of the charges home invasion carried the lengthiest sentence with up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

The three will be sentenced Nov. 18. ..Source.. by Dustin Lemmon

Man killed at 26th and Jefferson identified as Shaun Harris, 43

9-26-2011 Washington:

The man apparently beaten to death at 26th and Jefferson September 22 has been identified as Shaun Ansar Harris, 43.

Police were called to the scene just after 6:30 a.m. after someone reported an altercation inside a vehicle. Harris was found outside a red Mercedes-Benz convertible with a fatal head wound. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he died.

At the September 22 meeting of the East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC), precinct commander James Dermody said police do not believe the killing was related to the neighborhood or Garfield High School, which is one block away from the site of the attack.

According to the King County sex offender website, Harris was convicted of third degree rape in 1995. He also has a lengthy list of aliases. ..Source.. by Tom Fucoloro

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Man beaten to death near Central Area school

9-22-2011 Oregon:

A man was fatally beaten in Seattle's Central Area early Thursday, and homicide detectives are working to identify a suspect, according to police.

Several people called 911 to report an assault shortly after 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue East and 26th Avenue, department spokesman Mark Jamieson said.

When officers arrived, they found the victim with obvious head injuries lying on the ground near a red Mercedes-Benz convertible, he said.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he died, Jamieson said.

Crime-scene investigators spent much of the morning processing the scene, located a block east of Garfield High School. Seattle police said there was no connection to the high school.

Jamieson said he could not say whether the assault occurred inside the vehicle or outside on the street.

The victim's name was not released Thursday by the King County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

"We believe the victim knew the suspect," said Renee Witt, a police spokeswoman. "We don't think this is some random act." ..Source.. by Seattle Times staff

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Part of a larger article on 9-22-2011:

Harris, a 43-year-old sex offender, was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head in the Central District. Hours before his death, police contacted Harris on a suspicious circumstances call.

At 4:06 a.m. that morning, police contacted Harris in a red Mercedes-Benz. A woman also was inside. Police questioned then, but released the pair because there was no evidence of a crime. Two and a half hours later, a man was walking his dog on 25th Avenue toward Jefferson Street when he saw what he thought was a silver Cadillac make a fast turn east on Jefferson. When the man got to the intersection, the pedestrian saw a person about a block away, standing outside Harris' red Mercedes, striking a person in the driver's seat.

The man told police the silver Cadillac that passed him was parked with its taillights on directly across from the Mercedes-Benz. East Precinct officers found Harris on the ground outside the Mercedes about a block from Garfield High School. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where he died about 7:30 a.m.

The woman who had been with Harris told homicide investigators that after being released, she and Harris drove around until he eventually pulled over at 26th and Jefferson and tried to have sexual relations with her, which she didn't want. She told detectives she left after calling her sister, and left Harris sitting in his car.

Detectives noticed a possible blood stain on the lower portion of the woman's pants, according to a search warrant affidavit. In late September, investigators searched the Infinity she drove and recovered clothes, shoes and paperwork. But police not named anyone as a suspect.

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Beating fatality from Birmingham's Southtown identified as Birmingham man with criminal record

6-27-2011 Alabama:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A man beaten to death early today by a group of men in the Southtown public housing community has been identified through fingerprints,

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Ronald Oscar Shoemaker, 35, of Birmingham.

Alabama court records show Shoemaker was a convicted sex offender with a criminal history dating back to the early 1990s.

Birmingham police were called to 913 24th Street South just after 2:15 on a report of someone assaulted.

Officers found Shoemaker with head wounds, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr. He was taken to UAB Hospital were he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators said the victim was beaten and kicked by a group of males. None of the assailants are in custody, Williams said.

The assault took place in the parking lot between two rows of apartments. One resident said Shoemaker had been staying at one of the Southtown apartments with friends, but was kicked out this week.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive in the killing.

Most residents said they didn't see or hear the beating. They were awakened, they said, only when police and rescue workers flooded the scene.

"I try not to be out there at that time," said Candice Craig, 23. "They need to put a stop to all the drama for real. I've got two small kids and I can't have them around this." ..Source.. by Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News

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4 men bound over to grand jury on murder charges in Birmingham's Southtown stabbing

7-21-2011:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Cases against four men accused of beating and stabbing to death a Birmingham man in June were sent to a Jefferson County grand jury today, and the judge agreed not to reduce their bonds because witnesses fear retaliation.

District Judge Sheldon Watkins bound over the intentional murder cases against Robert Pierce, 46; Julius Sanders, 24; Renaedo Holloman, 29; and Anthony Samuel, 36, in the June 24 death of Ronald Oscar Shoemaker.

Shoemaker, 35, was beaten, stomped and hit with both a bottle and a chair before he was stabbed to death in a parking lot at the Southtown public housing complex off 24th Street South about 2:30 a.m. Birmingham police believe Shoemaker's death stemmed from an argument over a drug deal, Jody Jacobs, the lead Birmingham police detective in the case, testified in a preliminary hearing today.

One witness told police she saw Shoemaker and Samuel get out of Samuel's car and start fighting. Others later joined, including Sanders and Holloman, the witness told police. That witness said she saw Samuel stab the victim. Another witness identified Sanders and Pierce as being among the assailants.

All four defendants denied involvement and said they were elsewhere that night.

Defense lawyers Don Colee, Ken Gomany, Jeff Dummier and Ron Davidson asked Watkins to reduce bonds, now $100,000 each. The judge at first said he was considering a reduction, then declined after the prosecutor, Carlos Gonzalez, said witnesses were afraid they would be hurt. ..Source.. by Eric Velasco -- The Birmingham News

Police Investigating Overnight Slaying

4-26-2011 Kentucky:

Donald Thornhill Killed Early Monday Morning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville Metro Police detectives spent Monday morning in a Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood after a call of a man down turned into a homicide investigation.

Police said the victim was 64-year-old registered sex-offender Donald Thornhill.

The coroner said he died of "sharp force injuries."

Thornhill was on Kentucky's sex offender registry. Police haven't said if that had anything to do with his death.

Now investigators are working to find the person responsible.

Police got the call just before 3:30 a.m. Monday. When they arrived at the home in the 9500 block of Cochise Way, they said they found Thornhill dead inside.

Investigators said it was obviously foul play.

"There were outwards signs of trauma," said Louisville Metro Police Department spokeswoman Alicia Smiley.

Neighbors said Thornhill lived at the home with his wife and mother-in-law.

"We're still trying to determine whether other people were inside the residence, whether it was one or more people. Right now, we just don't have those details," Smiley said.

Police said detectives went door to door in the early morning hours to try to get answers.

David Blevins lives next door to Thornhill. He said he didn't hear anything until his dog woke him up when police arrived.

"My dog paces the gates when something is going on. She was back there whining, wondering what all this activity is going on for," Blevins said.
As soon as the sun came up, neighbors peeked their heads outside their homes to watch police work. The overwhelming sentiment was fear and disbelief something like this could happen in their neighborhood.

"I don't think the neighborhood will ever get over this," said Catherine Brooks, who lives across from the crime scene.

Brooks said Thornhill treated her well and always said hello.

Brooks learned of his death when police knocked on her door around 5:30 a.m. Monday.

A couple of hours later, she still hadn't moved from the same spot on her couch.

"I've been sitting right here almost numb thinking about him, and I sure would like to know the whole story of what happened," Brooks said.

Thornhill is listed as being compliant on Kentucky's sex offender registry.

He was sentenced to prison on a first-degree sex abuse charge in 1990 and served his complete sentence from December 1990 to November 1992.

In 1995, he sentenced to prison on incest and second-degree persistent felony offender charges and served a complete sentence from October 1995 to May 2002.

Police have not released a motive in his slaying.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the anonymous police tip line at 502-574-LMPD. ..Source.. by WLKY.com

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Murder victim was convicted sex offender

4-26-2011 Kentucky:


LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- As family members gathered outside Donald Thornhill's home, leftover crime tape dangled in the wind just a few steps away, telling the tale of what happened there.

Police found Thornhill dead inside his home around 3:30 Monday morning. They were responding to a report of a home invasion. WDRB Fox 41 News has been told the 64-year-old had been stabbed in the stomach.

"It's a total shock," says Catherine Brooks, who has lived near the family for years. She says their kids grew up together.

"They were such good neighbors," she says. "She would always come on special days, she just came and brought me an Easter basket and they brought my dog a treat, and he did, too, when he was alive."

Neighbors say Thornhill stayed there with his wife and mother.

Neighbor Marie Wilson says, "He was a nice guy. When I'd walk by, he speaks to me every time and his wife does too."

While neighbors spoke highly of Thornhill, saying he was always polite and never caused problems in the community, they also spoke about his past. He was a convicted sex offender.

State police records show Thornhill convicted on four counts of incest in December 1990. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was up to date with the state Sex Offender Registry.

Police will not say whether his prior sex crimes are related to his death. They're also withholding who was at home at the time of the attack and who called 911, saying it's too early in the investigation.

Overnight, detectives combed the scene looking for those answers. There are still no suspects.

If you have any information on the murder, you're asked to call the tipline, 574-LMPD. ..Source.. by FOX41.com

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Registered sex offender found dead in home, police suspect foul play

4-26-2011 Kentucky:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS)--Louisville Metro Police were called out on a death investigation to the 9500 block of Cochise Way in southwest Louisville around 3:30 a.m. Monday, after receiving a call from a neighbor. When police arrived at the scene, they found 64-year-old Donald Thornhill dead inside his home. Thornhill lived in the residence with his wife and mother-in-law for more than 30 years. Several neighbors say the family had a troubled past. Thornhill is a registered sex offender and listed on the registry as serving four counts of incest in 1995. Since his time served, police say he has been compliant and has no other criminal history. Many residents in the neighborhood say they are shocked, because they say the area of Valley Station near the Greenbelt Highway is normally quiet. Police said Thornhill does have signs of outward trauma, but they are not sure at this time how he died. They also said they do suspect foul play and they are investigating the death as a homicide. Police said they have no suspects at this time. If you have any information about this investigation, call the anonymous tip line at 502-574-LMPD. ..Source.. by WHAS11.com

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Mother: Joseph K. Baer didn't deserve brutal death

3-31-2011 Wisconsin:

MANITOWOC — Joseph K. Baer may have been in and out of trouble much of his life, but he didn’t deserve to die the brutal way that he did, said his mother, LouAnn Baer of rural St. Nazianz.

The 37-year-old Manitowoc man’s body was found Saturday at a rural residence south of Brillion. Robert Saurbeir, 29, of Manitowoc, and James Loewe, 33, of Hilbert, are charged with beating him to death with several objects, including a metal pipe and hammer, during a night of drinking.

Baer was released from Manitowoc County Jail just two days before he was killed in Calumet County.

LouAnn Baer spoke Tuesday of her reaction when she was told of her son’s death on Sunday afternoon.

“I cracked. I cried and I cried. (Monday) didn’t help when they said they found a chain with blood on it and a hammer,” she said. “They claimed they were his friends.”

His death was any mother’s nightmare.

“I’m just imagining how he felt, being beaten to death,” Baer said. “I’m just imagining him saying stop, stop, stop. I can see him. I’m crying a lot. I’m angry and upset … he did not deserve to die like that. Nobody does. Nobody does.”

Joseph Baer grew up and lived in the St. Nazianz area most of his life, first with his mother and father and then, when they divorced in 1987, with his father, she said.

His father, who changed his name from Herbert A. Baer to Elvis A. Presley, died in 2004.

LouAnn Baer spoke of her son’s childhood.

“He was a sweet kid when he wanted to be but he had an awesome temper. He had to have it his way,” she said. “He had a hard time getting along and studying. He was a hyper child.”

Her son started his education at Riverview School and continued it in prison, she said.

“He was in detention and jail and prison all his adult life,” LouAnn Baer said. “I’ll grant you he was rowdy …. In all, he could be a very, very sweet person. He wasn’t all bad. He was more misunderstood.”

Joseph Baer had an extensive criminal record, said Capt. Scott Luchterhand of the Manitowoc Police Department.

Most recently he was in jail on extended supervision starting Jan. 29, said Jason Jost, Manitowoc County Jail administrator.

According to Manitowoc County Circuit Court records, Baer was sentenced to prison on felony burglary charges in 1999 and again in 2006. Baer had other criminal convictions in Manitowoc County, including for theft, negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.

Baer also was a registered sex offender, convicted on Jan. 2, 1992, of sexual assault of a child, according to Wisconsin Department of Corrections records. ..Source.. by Suzanne Weiss, Herald Times Reporter

Warren police question son, 34, found in attic after slaying of father, 61

3-3-2011 Michigan:

A man authorities believe killed his father this morning was found hiding in the attic of the family’s Warren home and is now in custody, police said this afternoon.

Police hadn't been sure the son, identified as Jason Kinnie, 34, was in the home or whether he fled after the killing of his father, Donald Kinnie, at the home on the 30200 block of Madison Avenue near Warren’s city hall complex.

Police found Donald Kinnie, 61, with significant head trauma in a first-floor bathroom at the home this morning. Police said a friend told police that Jason Kinnie told him he killed his father.

Kinnie was arrested and taken to the Warren jail for interrogation, Warren Deputy Police Commissioner Louis Galasso said. Kinnie wasn’t armed, but police said they found an empty gun holster in the home.

Galasso said the head trauma was so extensive that police aren’t sure whether a weapon was used, or what kind it may have been.

The Kinnies were no strangers to the Warren Police, who had been called to the home before for disputes between the father and son. Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green said the son had mental health issues and his father had him involuntarily committed for evaluation in 2004.

Donald Kinnie, meanwhile, was convicted in 2007 of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person age 13-15 and was on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, online state records show. Additional details about the conviction weren’t immediately available.

Neighbors knew of the conviction and were leery of Kinnie, said Bonnie Hessling of Sterling Heights, who was looking after her mother who lives across the street from the victim. Hessling said neighbors had passed around photos of Kinnie from his entry on the sex offenders database.

Hessling said the father and son fought often, and she described the two as “just angry people.” Little things including parking too close to his driveway would set the father off, Hessling said.

“There was always something going on,” she said. “There was always fighting. Just little things like that always seemed to bother them.”

Police initially weren’t sure whether Jason Kinnie fled – his red Ford Explorer was not at the home – but police suspected he may have never left. He’d told his mother in a phone call that he’d killed his father and that he could hear police outside the family home.

Green said State Police and Sterling Heights SWAT officers were called in to help with the search. State Police brought equipment with cameras and heat detection to search hard-to-reach areas of the home.

Green said a small opening to the attic was ajar in a closet in the home, and there was insulation on the floor. There also were dents in the ceiling drywall indicating someone had stepped on it.

“Logic just told us he’s got to be in the house,” Green said.

Green said Warren’s SWAT team was getting ready for training today, with its officers at the city hall complex a block from the home “literally putting their gear on when this homicide took place.”

The team used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to try and flush Jason Kinnie from the home, Green said, but ultimately coaxed him out after the search gear from the State Police confirmed he was hiding in the attic.

The search for Jason Kinnie led school officials to lock down Cromie Elementary and Warren Cousino High as a precaution. ..Source.. MATT HELMS and PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI, DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Police Make Arrest In March Slaying

This man was killed because his status a a FSO was revealed to the Landlord by the police doing a address check. i.e. Killed by Law case

12-17-2010 Nevada:

David Morrison, 30, Was Convicted Sex Offender

LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas Metro police arrested a man on Tuesday in connection with the slaying of David Morrison, 30, in March.

Police arrested George "Goofy" Casanova and booked him for murder, robbery, burglary and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Police said Morrison was found dead in an upstairs bedroom at 6121 Edgewood Circle on March 22.

Morrison had lived there since the beginning of the month with several roommates.

Police said the day before Morrison was killed, a detective with Metro's sex offender unit had stopped by the house to speak with Morrison, a registered sex offender. The detective told police that no one was home when he visited, so he left a card at the door.

When Donald Clewell, one of the roommates, returned home and found the card, he gave the card to Jose "Rascal" Calderon, police said.

Pascal, in turn, gave the card to James "Chip" Fragala, who is employed by the owner of the house to collect rent, police said.

Clewell told police that Fragala disliked that Morrison was a sex offender because he has a teenage daughter. He said he overheard a conversation between Fragala and Calderon that talked about Morrison and "taking him out," police said.

A few days after Morrison's death, Fragala overheard Casanova speaking on the phone about fighting with a "chomo," prison slang for a child molester.

Fragala's girlfriend, Andrea Raney, said she had dropped Casanova outside of Morrison's home the day after his death, and when he returned, he was "as white as a ghost," police said.

Casanova, who failed a polygraph test, said someone else had hit Morrison on the head several times and he had returned to the house as Morrison lay dying to steal his wallet and cell phone, police said. ..Source.. FOX5 News

Neighbor recalls murder suspect as calm, pleasant

12-18-2010 Maine:

Accused killer remains in jail

AUGUSTA -- Peter Bathgate seemed to neighbors a quiet, respectful young man who cared about Jessica Jones, the woman he often referred to as his wife.

But the 30-year-old Bathgate is behind bars today, accused of murdering Paul Allen, 47, of Augusta, in a fit of jealous rage sparked by Allen's alleged romantic interest in Jones, the mother of Bathgate's 3-year-old daughter.

"It was a sad thing," Marlene Coyne said Thursday from the door of her home next to the apartment Bathgate and Jones shared. "He was so calm."

Bathgate was arrested outside a Washington Street apartment building Tuesday after a 10-hour standoff with police and charged with murder. He continues to be held without bail at the Kennebec County jail and faces a minimum of 25 years in prison if found guilty.

Game wardens found Allen's body Sunday off Winthrop Street in Hallowell.

Jones told police that Allen, whom she described as an acquaintance, had stopped by her apartment around 11 p.m., Dec. 2 for about an hour.

Bathgate showed up unannounced a short time after Allen left, Jones told police.

Bathgate and Jones then left with their daughter, around 3 a.m., to drive to Hallowell, where Bathgate made a cell phone call, police say.

Jones told police she let Bathgate out of the car carrying a walking stick, then drove a short distance and parked near Town Farm Road.

She told police a pickup truck similar to Allen's passed, heading in Bathgate's direction, then reappeared a short time later and proceeded up Town Farm Road.

Some time later, Bathgate, now without the walking stick, called Jones and asked her to pick him up near where Jones had seen the truck, according to Jones' account to police.

"Bathgate said the reason for what happened to Allen was jealously and rage," Maine State Police Detective Adam Kelley wrote. "Bathgate said he was jealous and did not like the way Allen talked to and flirted with his girlfriend, Jessica Jones."

Police believe Bathgate stabbed Allen using a walking stick, the broken remnants of which were found near his body.

But they have thus far been silent on the legal status of Jones, whose own account of the incident has her driving Bathgate to and from the area of the alleged murder scene. A call placed to Deputy Attorney General William Stokes regarding Jones' legal status was not returned Thursday.

Until recently, Bathgate and Jones, 23, shared one of two apartments inside a ranch-style home on Western Avenue Place.

On Thursday, two men, one of whom identified himself as Jones' father, were loading a pickup truck with toys and other items from that apartment.

The man who identified himself as Jones' father said she did not wish to speak about the charges against Bathgate. He did not indicate whether Jones is still in the area.

Bathgate and Jones were unfamiliar to most neighbors, but Coyne said she had spoken to Bathgate several times and had seen the couple outside with their daughter.

"He was always polite and pleasant to us," Coyne said.

Coyne recalled an exchange a few months ago regarding a neighbor's dog that had been left inside alone and had been barking for several hours.

Bathgate was concerned for the dog's safety, Coyne said.

"He said, 'It's keeping my wife and baby awake,'" Coyne recalled. "He always told us she was his wife." ..Source.. by Kennebec Journal Staff

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Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Drugs from Murder Victim

12-9-2010 Maine:

Augusta - A man from Augusta is going to prison for three years for robbery, theft and stealing drugs, including medication from a man who was recently murdered.

23-year old Joshua Theriault-Patten pleaded guilty yesterday to three separate crimes.

Among them, stealing prescription medication from 47-year-old Paul Allen in January.

Allen's body was found over the weekend in Hallowell and another man is charged with his murder.

The Kennebec County District Attorney says because Allen is dead, one of the drug charges against Theriault-Patten was dropped.

Theriault-Patten also admitted to beating up a man in August, stealing $300 and a cell phone. ..Source.. byCatherine Pegram

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Police say jealous rage fueled slaying

Peter George Bathgate II stabbed Paul Allen with a cane over a woman, a police affidavit says.

AUGUSTA - Peter George Bathgate II used a walking cane to stab 47-year-old Paul Allen to death in a fit of jealous rage, court documents say.

Bathgate, 30, of Augusta, who was arrested Tuesday after a long standoff at an apartment building in Augusta, made his first court appearance Wednesday morning in Kennebec County Superior Court. The judge ordered him held without bail on a single count of murder.

Justice Michaela Murphy told Bathgate that a conviction on the charge carries a minimum 25-year prison sentence and a maximum sentence of life without opportunity for release.

The charge is to be presented to a grand jury, she said.

An affidavit filed by Maine State Police Detective Adam Kelley says Allen had aroused a murderous rage in Bathgate by flirting with Jessica Jones, 23, of Augusta, who has a 3-year-old daughter with Bathgate.

Jones told investigators that Allen visited her briefly late on Dec. 2. When Bathgate came home later, he called Allen and arranged to meet him near Town Farm Road and Winthrop Street in Hallowell, early on Dec. 3.

According to the affidavit, Jones told police that she drove Bathgate there, and that Bathgate carried a walking cane. Jones then drove a short distance away and parked. ..Source.. by Betty Adams

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Augusta homicide victim was registered sex offender

12-7-2010 Maine:

We're learning more about the victim in a murder case out of Augusta.
47 year old Paul Allen was indeed murdered but police are not releasing the cause of death. Game wardens searching for Allen over the weekend found his body on Winthrop Street in Hallowell. He was last seen alive at a toy auction in Chelsea on Thursday. Allen worked as a worm digger, was married and had four sons. He was also convicted of four counts of sexual assault against a minor in 1997, and was a registered sex offender.
Augusta homicide victim was registered sex offender. ..Source.. by WGME13.com