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

Sheriff: Suspect killed after false sex assault report

9-7-2012 South Carolina:

A man who was killed in an altercation with deputies was the subject of a false police report that led to the confrontation, according to a release from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.

A woman, later identified as 21-year-old Sabrina Michelle Smith, reported on Aug. 13 that she had been sexually assaulted by Anthony Lee Lamboy. When deputies arrived at the Red Roof Inn on Laurens Road, Smith gave them a description of Lamboy, and three deputies confronted him in the parking lot.

Deputies said a background check found that Lamboy had outstanding warrants from Greenwood County for resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and two charges of malicious injury to property.

The release said after deputies told Lamboy he was being placed under arrest, he began to struggle with them.

Sheriff Steve Loftis said, "One deputy had the Taser out. The suspect was so violently resisting that he knocked the Taser out of the deputy's hand. About that time, the suspect grabbed the deputy's gun that was still in his holster."

The release said that Master Deputy Brandon Lackey and Lamboy fell to the ground during the struggle, and Lamboy was able to pull the trigger of Lackey's weapon that was still in its holster, the release said. The round hit Lackey in the upper thigh and exited through the back of his leg.

The other two deputies then fired at Lamboy, killing him. The release said one deputy fired five shots and the other fired one.

One of the deputies had a tourniquet in his pocket and was able to help stop Lackey's blood loss.

Loftis said, "According to the surgeon, (the tourniquet) saved the deputy's life because there was an extreme loss of blood."

The release said that investigators determined that Lamboy had not sexually assaulted Smith. She was arrested on Aug. 16 and charged with filing a false police report. She has since been released on a $5,000 bond. ..Source.. by WISTV.com

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SC woman charged with false report in shooting

A Greenville County woman has been charged with filing a false report about a sexual assault in an incident involving two sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed a man at a motel last month.

Sheriff Steve Loftis says two deputies shot and killed 26-year-old Anthony Lee Lamboy of Greenville during a scuffle over a deputy’s gun on Aug. 13. Lamboy died at the scene.

Twenty-one-year-old Sabrina Michelle Smith of Taylors has been charged with filing a false report.

Deputies responding to the complaint scuffled with Lamboy, who was able to fire an officer’s gun in the holster, wounding him in the leg. Two other officers then shot Lamboy, killing him.

Loftis says the officers followed proper procedure and have been returned to regular duty. ..Source.. by Post and Courier

Jerry Sandusky case may have led Sussex man to kill ex-Scout leader

6-27-2012 New Jersey:

The prosecuting attorney is investigating whether the man accused of killing an elderly, well-known member of a small Sussex County community was spurred to the act, at least in part, by the sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

"I’m mindful that the Sandusky trial started one day before this murder," Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said. "Whether this was a triggering event is part of the investigation."

Clark Fredericks, 46, of Fredon, was arrested just hours after State Police found the bloodied body of former Sussex County corrections officer Dennis Pegg, 68, in the living room of his Stillwater home on June 13. Pegg was stabbed 20 times and his throat was slit.

A friend of Fredericks, Robert A. Reynolds, 47, of Hackettstown, was also arrested.

Pegg, according to officials from the Boy Scout’s Patriots Path Council, was a former troop leader and Fredericks, according to his mother, Joan, and sister-in-law Carol, was once a Scout in Pegg’s troop.

Both women contend Fredericks was molested by the older man decades ago.

In the tiny town of Stillwater, where signs saying "In God we Trust" sprout from lush green lawns and tangles of orange daylilies grow wild by the side of the road, people are still talking about the murder of one of their own.

Many people say Dennis Pegg was devoted to children and a pillar of the community, a man who taught a survival course for park rangers in the 1990s, hand-fed deer in his front yard and was known as a "trail angel" for helping hikers along New Jersey’s branch of the Appalachian Trail.

No sex abuse charges were ever brought against Pegg. In 1998, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, criminal accusations were made claiming he’d made terroristic threats and engaged in coercion, or the restraining of someone’s movement, but those accusations were dropped two months later.

Mueller said the complaints did not appear to be sexual in nature nor did they seem to support the molestation accusations.

Tuesday, Carol Fredericks declined to speak further on the matter, saying her brother-in-law had retained a defense lawyer, Dan Perez, a civil rights attorney who once represented one of the victims in the famous Bernard Goetz, "Subway Shooter" case in New York City.

"The investigation into the death of Dennis Pegg is active and ongoing," Perez said. "My understanding is that the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police are pursuing a number of leads. When the investigation has been concluded, the case will proceed to court."

Mueller, the assistant prosecutor, said he was "aware that allegations against the victim have been made," and added, "You want to separate what is real and what is rumor. We want to know the accuracy of the allegations before we comment on them."

Fredericks and Reynolds are being held in the Sussex County jail with a bail of $350,000 each. Fredericks was charged with first-degree murder and Reynolds with being an accomplice to murder, conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. He is being represented by David Nufrio, a public defender.

Pegg, like Fredericks, was a longtime resident of Sussex County. He was a Vietnam veteran, according to his sister, Nancy Pegg, 74, of Carbondale, Pa., and was unmarried. An avid fisherman and hunter, he was also a firearms expert, say those who knew him, and retired from his job in county corrections 15 years ago.

Nancy Pegg said she was taken by surprise by the accusations against her brother, and John M. Broda, a nephew of Pegg’s, said by email: "At this time, I do not care to comment since there is an ongoing investigation. The motive is irrelevant; no one has the right to violently murder another member of our family, this community, and our society."

In the 1962 edition of Aurora, the Newton High School yearbook, Dennis Pegg is a handsome, strong-chinned teenager with light brown hair. The yearbook says he was a member of the Rifle Club, his homeroom representative and a singer with the concert choir. He was also "noted" for his "loyalty to friends," and his secret ambition was "To be a state policeman." ..Source.. by Seth Augenstein and Amy Ellis Nutt/The Star-Ledger

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Suspect's family says years of anger led to attack on retired Sussex County corrections officer

Four days after Dennis Pegg was killed, splatters of dried blood still clung to the cement step in front of his small white cottage in Stillwater — the only evidence that something horrible had happened in this quiet Sussex County community.

Sometime on Tuesday, Pegg, 68, a retired county corrections officer and former Boy Scout leader, was stabbed more than 20 times and his throat was slit, authorities said. Within hours, Clark T. Fredericks, 46, of Fredon and Robert A. Reynolds, 47, of Hackettstown were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Fredericks, according to his mother and sister-in-law, was a member of Pegg’s Scout troop decades ago.

"While it doesn’t appear the defendants were invited guests, it doesn’t appear they broke down the door," said Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller. "Robbery does not appear to be the motive."

Fredericks’ relatives believe the motive was anger and revenge. Joan Fredericks, 82, said her son was molested by Pegg when he was a Boy Scout, but it took decades for him to open up to her about it.

"Young boys don’t like to confess these things to their mothers," Joan Fredericks said. "They hold it in, hold it in, hold it in."

The executive director of the Boy Scouts’ Patriots Path Council, Dennis Kohl, confirmed that Pegg, whom he did not know, was a Boy Scout leader in the 1970s.

Pegg, unmarried and living alone, was well known in Stillwater, a 28-square-mile township in northwestern New Jersey with a population of 4,300. He was president of the Sussex County Historical Society and a founding member of the Sussex County Bird Club.

On Thursday, a message was posted online from the Historical Society of Stillwater Township: "Due to the passing of Dennis Pegg, beloved officer and long-term member of HSST, the events scheduled for this week — the Deserted Villages program and the Strawberry Festival — have been cancelled.

Though Dennis would have loved for us to persevere for the sake of the organization, it would be very difficult for our members to carry out hosting the events given the sudden loss of such a dear friend and colleague."

"He was the most careful, deliberate person you’d want to know. Absolute integrity," said Ed Szabo, secretary of the Stillwater Township Taxpayers Association.

Pegg’s sister, Nancy, who lives in Carbondale, Pa., said Saturday she was horrified by the molestation accusations.

"If it’s true, it would be a shock to the family," she said. "I know he was devoted to children, but I never heard anything like that."

Nancy Pegg, who is 74, said Dennis was the fourth of five children in the family growing up in Newton. Their mother left and moved to Florida when Dennis was 5, she said.

"He was my baby brother — I helped raise him," she said.

Nancy Pegg said she chatted online with her brother after midnight the day he was killed. He mentioned he was looking forward to a trip to Europe in October. Because of problems with his knees and pending surgeries, it would be his "last hurrah," he told her.

Kurt Eliasson, a neighbor of Pegg’s, was also in the Boy Scout troop, though not at the same time as Fredericks.

"He was pretty quiet; he kept to himself," Eliasson said of Pegg, adding he’d never heard about abuse allegations.

Wayne McCabe, the Sussex County historian, also was surprised.

"I find it hard to believe with Dennis," he said.

But Fredericks’ sister-in-law, Carol Fredericks, did not.

"It’s rage, the way this was done," she said. "There’s a lot more to this story that people don’t even know."

When assistant prosecutor Mueller was asked about the claims made by Joan and Carol Fredericks, he responded, "The motive is under investigation. That’s all I can say at this time. We’re spending a lot of time trying to find out why this occurred."

On Tuesday evening, when Fredericks returned to his parents’ home, where he was living, covered in blood, a family member contacted a counselor who then called the New Jersey State Police.

Troopers found Pegg’s body about noon Wednesday on the floor of his living room a short distance from the front door. A short time later, Fredericks and Reynolds were arrested and two knives were confiscated from Fredericks’ garage.

When he made his first court appearance Thursday, Fredericks’ hand was in a cast and his arm in a sling.

"He stabbed himself in the process of killing Mr. Pegg," Mueller said of the severe laceration on Fredericks’ left hand.

Fredericks met Robert Reynolds about eight years ago, according to Mark Pillion, who has been a friend of Reynolds’ since they were 6 years old. Pillion said Reynolds and Fredericks became acquainted through their mutual interest in Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

"There was nothing in Bob’s past to make him want to kill that person," Pillion said. "I can’t believe Bob would be involved in this."

Pillion said Reynolds has been living with him and his family for the past two years. Reynolds had been unemployed for several months and had a falling out with his family, according to Pillion.

Pillion said it was his van that Reynolds and Fredericks borrowed to drive to Pegg’s house on Tuesday.

"I guarantee he didn’t know what was going to happen," said Pillion. "He would have walked away."

As of Saturday evening, Fredericks and Reynolds were being held in the county jail in lieu of $350,000 bail each.

"We will find out what led to this," said Mueller. "I expect the suspects’ motive will be a large part of the trial."

Almost none of the townspeople were willing to speculate on that motive Saturday. Under blue skies they gathered at Veterans Field to celebrate the annual Stillwater Day with colorful tents, inflatable rides, a dunk tank and a talent show. In the afternoon, children ran back and forth chasing Frisbees and playing in the hot June sun. When several adults were asked about the slaying of one of their own just days earlier and two miles up the road, their faces clouded over.

"This town is like ‘Cheers’ — everyone knows everyone," said Anita Straway, a township committeewoman. "These are our friends and neighbors — it’s a tragedy for everyone."

"Everybody’s sad," said Bob Fritsch, an organizer of the town day. "We’ll find out what happened sooner or later." ..Source.. by Seth Augenstein and Amy Ellis Nutt/The Star-Ledger

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No child pornography found in home of Stillwater stabbing victim, investigators say

A box containing pictures of young boys was found by investigators in the home of Dennis Pegg, but they weren’t the nude child photos being sought by the attorney representing one of Pegg’s accused killers, a Sussex County prosecutor said Tuesday.

Last week a man came forward to authorities alleging he’d been abused by Pegg decades ago and that the murdered man had owned a box of salacious photographs.

"What the witness described was definitely pornographic," First Assistant Sussex County Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said during a hearing Tuesday before Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti in Newton. The judge had ordered Pegg’s assets frozen and an inventory made before they were distributed to his heirs.

As to the box found in the house where Pegg was stabbed to death on June 12, Mueller said, "We have young boys in photographs, but they’re definitely not pornographic."

Daniel Perez, who represents accused killer Clark Fredericks, 46, of Fredon, said, "Look, the one thing we’re all looking for is a box of child porn. It existed at some point. It raises the question of where it is and who has it."

Two members of Fredericks’ family have claimed Fredericks was also molested by Pegg decades ago when he was a Boy Scout and Pegg a troop leader. The killing was a result of years of rage over the assault, they said.

Mueller had not yet seen the pictures unearthed by investigators, but said, "There was nothing remarkable about the photos. It wasn’t nudity."

However, Perez said, "evidence that may not be relevant today may become relevant somewhere down the road."

Pegg, 68, didn’t leave much to his heirs, said attorney William Haggerty, who spoke during Tuesday’s half-hour hearing. Clothing, furniture and a few personal effects, including a family Bible, have already been given to Joshua Orinowski, a co-executor of the estate, said Haggerty, who prepared Pegg’s will.

Pegg was killed inside a modest rental house on Millbrook Road the night of June 12. Unmarried and living alone, he had paid the rent until July 15, said Haggerty, who expects to hand over the keys of the now-empty rental to the landlord Thursday.

Fredericks has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly slitting Pegg’s throat and stabbing him more than 20 times. He was arrested a day later, telling authorities Pegg "got what was coming to him" and had been a "child molester for years," according to the arrest affidavit.

Robert Reynolds, 47, of Hackettstown, a friend of Fredericks, has been charged with helping him kill Peg and hiding evidence.

Fredericks and Reynolds, both shackled and wearing orange jail jumpsuits, attended Tuesday’s hearing flanked by four sheriff’s officers.

Fredericks, his left hand still heavily bandaged from injuries he allegedly suffered while attacking Pegg, and his co-defendant did not speak during the 30-minute court session.

Superior Court Judge Edward Gannon is expected to decide Thursday on the disposition of 14 letters left by Pegg that were found in a safe deposit box he rented at a bank in Stillwater.

Fredericks and Reynolds are being held in the Sussex County Jail on $350,000 bail each with no 10 percent option.

Lee Liddy, an investigator with the sheriff’s office, said Fredericks is being held in a "medical watch" cell separate from the general jail population due to his hand injury. Reynolds is being held with the general population, he said.

Liddy said he did not know if the other inmates were supportive of the two murder suspects.

"We only get reports of ‘hot activity’ if they’re having a problem," he said. "They’re not having problems with the other inmates." ..Source.. by Joe Moszczynski/The Star-Ledger

UPDATE Deputies: Suspect Admitted to Pope County Killing

5-22-2012 Arkansas:

A murder suspect admitted to deputies he pulled the trigger, all because he believed the murder victim had molested his five-year-old daughter.

Andrew James Cody appeared before a judge for the first time Monday, charged with first degree murder.

Deputies say he told them he waited for 65 year-old Lee Britton in Britton's home off Shadow Lane in London in Pope County and then shot him once in the head.

Cody's supporters believe his actions were justified.

"He did me a favor, my little girl could have been the next victim," said Heather Shrives-Dornan.

Before a judge, a deputy recounted his interview with Cody just hours after the murder.

"He stated he went into the residence to confront Mr. Britton about molesting his daughter," said deputy Sgt. Stephen Pack.

Pope County Sheriff Aaron Duvall confirmed to KARK, Thursday they received allegations Lee Britton sexually abused a child.

But deputies say Friday, Cody put trash bags over his shoes to conceal evidence and put one shot into Britton's head.

"There's nothing I can say," Cody said in court, regarding his bond.

He was handed a half million dollar bond.

But outside the courtroom, his supporters were very vocal, saying they don't blame Cody one bit.

"I wish more daddies would stand up for their children like this, they should," said supporter Tara Laffoon.

Supporters of Lee Britton declined an on-camera interview, but soon, began a shouting match, calling out to Cody's supporters to prove the allegations of sexual abuse.

Deputies forced the crowd to break it up.

But people say as the case proceeds in court, they'll be back.

"This is what daddies have to do," Laffoon said.

While Cody's wife was originally arrested for being an accomplice to murder, the prosecutor says he won't be pursuing charges on her for now.

As of 4:00 p.m. Monday, Cody had not yet posted bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for July. ..Source.. by Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News

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Sheriff's office received complaint on slain man

5-25-2012 Arkansas:

Pope County Sheriff Aaron DuVall confirmed Thursday the Pope County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) received a report late last week that a 65-year-old man who was killed Friday for allegedly molesting his accused murderer’s daughter had committed inappropriate acts with a child.

Fifth Judicial District Prosecutor David Gibbons said the initial complaint against Britton is being investigated further, but he and DuVall were unable to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

While Andrew James Cody, 26, has not yet been formally charged with first-degree murder, he admitted to killing Lee Britton in his home with a shotgun to police, according to testimony given by PCSO Investigator Stephen Pack at Cody’s bond hearing Monday.

Cody was arrested Friday about 30 minutes after PCSO received a report of a shotgun blast at a home on Shadow Lane, about two miles northwest of London. PCSO responded to Britton’s residence at 12:58 p.m. Friday and found Britton’s body in the kitchen. An investigation led police to believe Britton was killed by a shotgun blast to the head, according to Pack’s testimony.

Pack said Cody was arrested about two miles from the crime scene on U.S. Highway 64 approximately 30 minutes after Britton’s body was found. Pack said Cody was arrested and upon being interviewed, initially denied involvement in Britton’s death, but eventually changed his story and admitted to the charges.

Pack said Cody stated he entered Britton’s home with plastic bags wrapped around his feet and a long-sleeve shirt on “to cut down on blood splatter.” Cody waited inside the residence for Britton to return home, at which time he confronted the man.

“Once he came in, he confronted him with the shotgun and stated that he got pretty irritated and shot him in the head,” Pack said.

Pack said Cody admitted to shooting Britton in the left side of the head and then fled, dumping the plastic bags and his shirt in a nearby creek bed. Pack said Cody then hid the shotgun, and upon arrest, showed police where the gun was stored.

Pack said Cody stated he went inside the residence to confront Britton about molesting his daughter.

Britton’s body was turned over to Pope County Coroner Leonard Krout Friday to be transported to the Arkansas Medical Examiner’s office in Little Rock.

Cody was issued a $500,000 bond Monday by District Judge Don Bourne. He posted his bond and was released from police custody Tuesday evening.

Sheena Lakay Cody, 25, was arrested with Andrew Cody Friday on accomplice charges, but her charges were dropped by Monday morning

A Freedom of Information request to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for Britton’s criminal history was not immediately returned Thursday; however, Britton’s name was not featured on several online sex offender registry websites. ..Source.. by Preston Tolliver

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Trial begins for father accused of killing suspected child molester

6-17-2013:

RUSSELLVILLE (KATV) - Opening statements began Monday in the Pope County trial of a father accused of killing the man suspected of molesting his child.

Andrew Cody is accused of killing 65-year-old Lee Britton of London in May 2012. Cody told investigators he believed Britton had sexually abused his 5-year-old daughter.

A handful of people turned out to make their support for Cody clear on the first day of the trial.

Security is reportedly extremely high because of the sensitive and volatile nature of the trial. ..Source.. by KATV.com

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

Opening statements to begin in mistaken identity murder trial

The choice of "mistaken identity" in the title implies that, if the neighbor WAS a RSO it would be OK to kill him. Poor choice of words..

4-5-2012 florida:

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Opening statements are expected to begin Thursday in the trial of an Orange County man accused of a mistaken identity murder.

Prosecutors said Michael Garay and another man killed his 79-year-old neighbor because he thought he was a sexual offender.

It's been two years since investigators say that Garay and his friend Robert Pascale beat 79-year-old Hugh Edwards to death.

After Pascale was caught by deputies hiding in the mud, he even admitted to his role in the alleged crime to WFTV.

"What did you do to him?" WFTV asked.

"I hit him twice with a bat. That was it," replied Pascale.

Investigators said Garay and Pascale were drunk and angry when they attacked Edwards, who they thought was a sex offender, but it turns out he was not.

Pascale hit Edwards with the bat and then threw it into the woods, police said.

Detectives also said that both of them also disposed of bloody clothes, information the prosecution is expected to share.

Pascale will face a judge later in a separate trial.

At one point on Wednesday Garay wanted to defend himself. WFTV found out that is because he tried to fire his defense attorney. But Judge Mike Murphy ruled that Garay's arguments were not legally sufficient.

Prosecutors offered Garay a plea deal, which would put him in prison for 33 years, but he turned it down and now he's facing life behind bars if convicted.

WFTV will have a crew in the courtroom before opening statements begin at 8:30 a.m. ..Source.. by wftv9.com

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Trial starts in elderly man's baseball bat beating death

4-11-2012 Florida:

One of two men charged in the killing of an elderly Bithlo resident beaten to death almost two years ago faces trial this week in Orlando on a murder charge.

Deputies found Hugh Edwards, 78, dead in a trailer in Bithlo on May 12, 2010, after a woman who lived nearby called to report she thought two men she knew had killed him.

She had been drinking with Michael Garay, 33, and Robert Pascale, 22, an arrest report states, when Garay asked her what she would do if she lived "next to a sex offender."

Her response, the report states: I would kill him.

Soon after the conversation, the woman told deputies, she saw the two men enter Edwards' trailer and heard thumping sounds coming from inside.

An arrest report states the men later ditched a baseball bat used to beat Edwards and their bloody clothes in a wooded area. Edwards, records show, was not a sex offender.

Garay's trial began Wednesday with jury selection before Circuit Judge Mike Murphy. Opening statements are expected early Thursday. ..Source.. by Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel

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Man convicted in Bithlo baseball bat murder

4-12-2012:

After a trial that lasted several days, a jury today returned a murder conviction for Michael Garay, one of two men accused in the beating death of an elderly Bithlo man almost two years ago.

The jury began deliberating about noon Wednesday, and returned its verdict this morning. Garay was also convicted of accessory after the fact. He faces life in prison.

Hugh Edwards, 78, was found dead in a trailer in Bithlo in May 2010. Garay and co-defendant Robert Pascale are accused of beating him to death with a Louisville Slugger.

According to testimony, the men mistakenly thought Edwards was a child molester.

Before deliberations, Prosecutor William Jay showed the jury Edwards' driver license.

"This was a senseless beating of a little old man," Jay told jurors. "Why? Because a few people thought he was a sex offender."

Jay described the injuries suffered by Edwards before showing jurors a photo of his bloody corpse, collapsed on a broken, overturned tabletop on the floor of his trailer.

"He was struck with a bat hard enough that his head actually caved in," Jay said.

The defense, however, argued that the state failed to prove not only that Garay had a hand in Edwards' killing, but that Garay was even in Edwards' trailer.

Garay's defense lawyer, Joseph Haynes Davis, told the jury that it was Pascale that killed Edwards. Any actions Garay took, Davis said, were for fear of Pascale.

It remains unclear why the men suspected that Edwards, who had no criminal history, was a molester.

During the trial, jurors heard multiple witness accounts of the night of the killing, as well as DNA and other forensic evidence. Pascale is currently awaiting trial on a murder charge. ..Source.. by Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel

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Bithlo man guilty of beating 78-year-old man to death

7-19-2012:

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A Bithlo man will spend the rest of his life in prison for beating to death a 78-year-old man he mistakenly thought was a sex offender

Robert Pascale, 22, had no reaction on Friday as the judge read the “guilty of first-degree murder’’ verdict in the 2010 slaying of Hugh Edwards. The sentence carries a mandatory life sentence.

Prosecutors said Pascale and Michael Garay, who had previously been convicted, beat Edwards to death with a baseball bat in May 2010 because they thought he was a sex offender.

On Friday, paramedics had to be called to Orange County Courthouse after Ruth Pascale, the defendant’s mother, was overcome with emotion and collapsed on the courtroom floor. She did manage to walk out of the courthouse on her own.

Moments after the verdict, Robert Pascale said as he was being led away, "It's not over until God says it is. I'm still coming home."

Prosecutor William Jay emphasized during closing arguments that Pascale admitted several times, including in an interview aired on WFTV, that he beat Edwards with a baseball bat.

Pascale’s attorney, Roger Weeden, argued that his client was only guilty of aggravated assault and not premeditated murder. Weeden said Pascale chose not to testify in his own defense because prosecutors could have then asked him about his prior felony convictions for robbery, battery and grand theft.

Garay is already serving a life sentence. ..Source.. by WFTV.com

First-degree murder charge filed against Kingman man; parts of victim found in desert

11-28-2011 Arizona:

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- A Kingman man accused of killing and dismembering a man he believed had molested his daughter has been jailed on charges that include first-degree murder.

George Loader, 34, was arrested Wednesday after a family member called the Mohave County sheriff's office to report that Loader had killed a man named "John" in the garage of a house in the 2200 block of East Devlin Avenue, police said. The relative said Loader and his girlfriend had been staying at the house while his mother was in Colorado.

The relative told police that Loader said he "lost it" when his 3-year-old daughter told him that "John" had touched her inappropriately, said Detective Jason Elsbury. The relative also told police that Loader said he chopped up the corpse, placed the body parts in bags and dumped them near a dirt track on the outskirts of Kingman.

A deputy found the body parts in the area. Police also recovered evidence at the house that included a bag of human hair, a box of blood-soaked towels and rags, multiple knives and a shotgun.

"The remains were badly burned, and the victim had been decapitated and had limbs removed from his torso," court documents stated.

The victim recently was released from jail and was living with Loader.

Spokeswoman Trish Carter said the sheriff's office was withholding the victim's identity until the medical examiner's office could positively identify the remains. ..Source.. by Dave Hawkins

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Murder victim ID'd, molestation claims unproven

12-4-2011 Arizona:

Investigators with the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said they have been unable to substantiate claims made by a murder suspect that he killed a man because he molested his young daughter.

Although forensic identification of the body is still pending, the Sheriff's Office released the victim's name as John Oppenheim, a 41-year-old Fort Mohave man. Oppenheim was reportedly staying with George Loader, 34, following his release from jail on assault charges stemming from an incident earlier this summer involving his roommate, and resisting arrest.

Though he has not spoken with authorities, a search warrant sought by authorities indicates that Loader made statements to a family member saying that he had killed Oppenheim in a rage after Loader's 3-year-old daughter complained to him of being inappropriately touched. Sheriff's Spokeswoman Trish Carter said detectives have been unable to find evidence substantiating the claim and believe that it did not happen.

Oppenheim is believed to have been killed Nov. 22 but his dismembered and burned body was not discovered until the following day when a person with knowledge of the crime called authorities to report where the body had been dumped.

Loader was indicted last week by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges. ..Source.. by Erin Taylor, Miner Staff Reporter

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Loader Pleads Not Guilty In Ft. Mohave Murder Case

12-12-2011 Arizona:

A Kingman man charged in the murder and dismemberment of a Fort Mohave resident pled not guilty during his arraignment Monday. George Loader, 34, is charged with misconduct involving weapons, abandoning a body and first degree murder in thelate November slaying of 51-year-old John Oppenheim.

Court records indicate Loader told a relative he killed Oppenheim suspecting Oppenheim molested his three-year-old daughter. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office has reported its investigation determined the suspicion was unfounded.

Loader is held without bond in the Mohave County jail pending a Thursday hearing to review release conditions. More case specifics could emerge during the hearing. ..Source.. by AZI News.com

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Testimony: Single shotgun blast fatal in Kingman dismemberment case

12-18-2011 Arizona:

Authorities say a man killed over what a father has said was retaliation for molesting his daughter was shot in the face before he was dismembered.

The disclosure was made during a hearing Thursday in which Mohave Superior Court Judge Steven Conn said 34-year-old George Loader would continue to be held without bond in the first-degree murder case.

Mohave County Sheriff's Detective Jason Elsbury said Loader and the victim, John Oppenheim, are believed to have met while housed together in the same pod at the Mohave County Jail. Both were released and Oppenheim, 51, was staying with Loader, his girlfriend, their four children and some of Loader's relatives when he was reportedly killed at the home Nov. 22.

Elsbury testified Thursday that Loader's girlfriend said she was changing their 3-year-old daughter's diaper when she noticed a red spot. When she asked the girl what happened, she reportedly pointed at Oppenheim.

The girlfriend told detectives she told Loader about the girl's complaint and saw Loader go into the garage to confront Oppenheim before hearing a "bang," presumably the gunshot.

Elsbury said the Medical Examiner's Office said Oppenheim was shot once in the lower jaw and neck area. He did not specify how the body was dismembered but said investigators found a bloody saw along with bloody clothing and a bag of human hair in the garage.

Loader's girlfriend reportedly admitted to helping clean up the blood in the garage but she is not believed to have helped move the body to a dirt bike track off of Bank Street where the remains were dumped and set on fire. A canister of lighter fluid was found alongside the body, which had been beheaded and had its limbs removed.

All of the remains were found at the dirt bike track with the exception of the fingers, which have still not been found.

Elsbury said that after the murder was called in to authorities by an anonymous caller who was later determined to be a Loader family member, a search warrant was served at Loader's home at 3 a.m. Nov. 24. A 12-gauge pump shotgun believed to be the murder weapon was found in a drawer in his bedroom. The four children in the home were removed at that time and remain in the custody of Child Protective Services.

Elsbury said an examination by a nurse trained in examining sexual assault victims found no evidence that the 3-year-old girl had been molested. Detectives were also unable to corroborate the information in interviews with the girl.

Prosecutor Greg McPhillips said the Mohave County Attorney's Office is reviewing if Loader's girlfriend will face charges. He added that his office has until February to decide whether to pursue the death penalty against Loader. ..Source.. by Erin Taylor, Miner Staff Reporter

Lawyer accused in neighbor’s fatal stabbing

8-31-2006 Connecticut:

Connecticut attorney suspected of killing over child-molestation suspicions

A lawyer climbed through a neighbor’s bedroom window and stabbed him to death after being told by a family member that the man had molested his 2-year-old daughter, authorities say.

Barry James, 58, was stabbed in the chest nearly a dozen times Monday. The lawyer, Jonathon Edington, 29, was charged with murder and burglary and was released on $1 million bail Wednesday.

Capt. Gary MacNamara said that police had not received a complaint about the child being assaulted before the killing, and “we have no indication it’s true or not true.”

Edington’s attorney, Michael Sherman, said the information came from Edington’s wife. “The daughter gave the mother information which was alarming and disturbing. The mom relayed it to her husband. That was the spark,” Sherman said.

James’ 87-year-old mother discovered his body. When officers went to Edington’s home, they found him standing by his kitchen sink with what appeared to be blood on him, and a large kitchen knife next to him on a counter, authorities said

“He’s in shock,” Edington’s attorney said. “This is the most unexpected turn of events one can imagine with this young man’s background.”

Police had gone to the neighborhood before, when Edington called to complain that he could see James through a window, police said. “Either he was partly clothed or revealed parts of his anatomy that were inappropriate,” MacNamara said.

Edington, a graduate of Syracuse University and Fordham University Law School, has been practicing patent law, Sherman said. Police said Edington has no criminal record.

Rita James declined to comment on her son’s death.

James served two days behind bars in 2001 on a drunken driving charge, according to the state Correction Department.

“He had some bizarre behavior over the last month,” said Darrell Maynard, a neighbor. “He drove his car through his garage, hit the other neighbor’s building.”

Another time a neighbor found James intoxicated on the street, Maynard said. James shouted obscenities at children, he said.

As for Edington, Maynard said: “Something had to happen that was terrible for this to have occurred.” Edington “seemed like a computer geek or something. He was not anybody you would ever feel you were threatened by.” ..Source.. by MSNBC

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Lawyer gets 12 years for killing suspect

8-31-2007 Connecticut:

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A lawyer who stabbed his neighbor to death because he thought the man had molested his 2-year-old daughter was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter.

"It's a Shakespearean tragedy brought into the real world," Superior Court Judge Richard F. Comerford Jr. said at the sentencing. "Something was set into motion in this man's mind -- real or perceived. It was very real to him."

Jonathon Edington, 30, attacked neighbor Barry James, 58, in James' bedroom last year after his wife told him she thought James had molested their daughter. Officers said they found Edington washing the victim's blood off in a kitchen sink.

Fairfield police also investigated the molestation allegation and said they found no evidence to back it up. They said Edington's wife, Christina, refused to cooperate with the investigation of the slaying, and prosecutor Jonathan Benedict has said a defense psychiatrist determined she suffered from postpartum depression.

Jonathon Edington's attorney, Andrew Bowman, said Edington was not in his right mind when he cut through a window screen, climbed into the room and stabbed James 11 times.

"He is a good and decent man who suffered such a traumatic event in his life that he lost control," Bowman said, urging a more lenient sentence of five to eight years in prison.

Edington, a patent attorney, and his wife entered court holding hands. After the sentence was read, Edington, who had been free on bond, was handcuffed and led away as Christina Edington fell to her knees. The judge issued a 20-year sentence in a plea bargain, but suspended eight years of that, leaving 12 years to serve, plus five years' probation.

"He is extremely remorseful and takes responsibility for his actions as he has always done," Bowman said after sentencing.

James' parents, Rita and Charlie James, filed a victims' statement with the court saying, "We will never be the same." Rita James witnessed her son's stabbing.

"A terrible tragedy has happened for nothing, but it has destroyed all that we have," they wrote.

Also Friday, an attorney for the Jameses served Christina Edington with a wrongful death lawsuit, accusing her of triggering the stabbing and making up the abuse claim. A similar lawsuit is pending against Edington.

Christina Edington did not comment as she left the courthouse.

Benedict had asked the judge to impose the maximum 20-year prison sentence.

"I'm a bit disappointed," he said after the hearing. "To the judge's credit, it was a very difficult case, a tough call."

James' family also wanted the full 20 years.

"Many lives have been destroyed here," said Charlene Benoit, James' sister. "Twelve years is not nearly enough. I think it's a terrible injustice for my brother."

James' relatives said he was a good person who was kind to others and devoted to his elderly parents. They said the molestation claim was an outrage.

"As if taking his flesh was not enough, you went after his good name with your twisted accusations," Benoit said at the hearing, directing her comments toward Jonathon Edington. ..Source.. by Dave Collins

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Man guilty in Fairfield homicide offers no explanation

10-29-2010:

After stabbing his neighbor on a quiet Fairfield street 13 times after his wife told him the neighbor molested their young daughter, Jonathon Edington walked back to his house and calmly called 911.

"You need to send an ambulance to 101 Colony St.," Edington is heard calmly telling the emergency dispatcher on the 4-year-old recording that was played Thursday to a Bridgeport Superior Court jury. "You need to send police, too ... there has been a stabbing."

When the dispatcher pressed Edington to tell him who did the stabbing, Edington hung up.

But at the home next door, it was anything but calm.

"A man just stabbed my son!" screamed Charles James on the 911 tape when he found 59-year-old Barry James lying in a pool of blood on the floor. "It was some neighbor. What did he do this for?"

The 33-year-old Edington, a patent lawyer, later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing Barry James on Aug. 28, 2006. However, he now is facing trial before a civil court jury as the James' family seeks to clear the victim's name.

Edington, a lawyer who despite evidence to the contrary, maintains that James molested his 2-year-old daughter, is representing himself and plans to testify before the six-member jury when the trial resumes Friday morning.

In opening arguments Thursday, Edington told the jury he has no explanation for stabbing his disabled neighbor to death.

"I wish I had an explanation of what happened. I have no explanation for you or for the James family," he told the jury in his opening statement.

But Richard Meehan Jr., who represents the family of Barry James, had no trouble explaining to the jurors why the plaintiffs feel they should find Edington responsible for the victim's death and order him to pay damages to the James' family.

"Barry James died at the age of 59. This man had no right to take his life," Meehan argued.

Meehan presented four witnesses in his case Thursday, Fairfield police Officers Gregory Gunter, Robert Chaisson and Frederick Hine, and James' sister Charlene Benoit.

Gunter said when he arrived at the Edington home, he saw Edington standing at the kitchen sink washing James' blood off his hands. "He was unemotional, as well as cool, calm and collected," the officer testified.

In addition to investigating James' death, Hine also said he investigated Christine Edington's claim that James molested their daughter.

Hine said they tested the little girl's bedding, her clothing and checked her bedroom window for James' fingerprints and turned up nothing. "No evidence of a sexual assault was found," he added.

Benoit testified her brother suffered from a heart condition and Type Two diabetes, and needed help to walk up stairs.

Meehan ended his case showing the jury a videotaped deposition or questioning session with James' 91-year-old mother, Rita.

In it, Rita James recalls walking into her son's bedroom to see Edington confronting him.

"He was saying something to Barry about his daughter," the frail woman recalled. Her son responded: "I don't even know your daughter," and then Rita James said she saw Edington pounding his fist over and over into the victim's chest. It wasn't until seconds later that she realized Edington was holding a knife in the fist. ..Source.. by Daniel Tepfer, Staff Writer

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Insurer won't cover Fairfielder who fatally stabbed neighbor

Oct. 27--BRIDGEPORT -- A Superior Court judge on Monday ruled a Fairfield lawyer, who fatally stabbed his disabled neighbor three years ago because he erroneously believed the man had molested his daughter, won't get help from his insurance company in the lawsuit filed against him by the victim's family.

Judge Richard Arnold, in a 19-page decision, stated USAA Casualty Insurance Co. is not responsible for any civil verdict against Jonathan Edington because of his policy's exclusion against intentional or criminal acts.

In August 2007, Edington pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after he serves 12 years, followed by five years probation, for fatally stabbing 59-year-old Barry James in his Colony Street home on Aug. 28, 2006.

Richard Meehan Jr., who represents the James family, said their lawsuit against Edington will head to trial in Superior Court next month.

"Judge Arnold's decision does not affect our lawsuit against Jonathan Edington, it just means his insurance company will not cover him" for any damages, Meehan said.

James, stabbed by Edington nearly a dozen times in the chest, was found by his 87-year-old mother, Rita, lying on the floor of his bedroom at 101 Colony St. in Fairfield, police said.

A short time later, officers went next door to the Edington house at 111 Colony St. and found the suspect at the kitchen sink, his hands and arms covered in the victim's blood.

Rita

Barry told police she was in her kitchen when she heard an argument erupt in her son's bedroom. She entered the room and saw a man climb in through the window, push her son to the floor and stab him repeatedly.

After the attack, the intruder jumped out the window, Rita James told police, adding that she saw the man run to the house next door.

The Edingtons, who were renting the Colony Street house, were vacationing in Rhode Island with family on Aug. 28, 2006, but Jonathan Edington returned home before his wife and two children. Police said when Edington got home, he received a call from his wife who told him their daughter, who was 2 years old at the time, had just told her that she had been abused by Barry James in their home and in his car.

Edington, apparently enraged by the call, ran to the James home and leapt through the window of James' first-floor bedroom and stabbed him to death.

Christina Edington had previously complained to Fairfield police that she could see James walking around the bedroom in his underwear from her kitchen window. Police went to the James home, and Barry James agreed to keep the blinds down in his room when he was undressed. After James' death and her husband's arrest, Christina Edington filed a complaint with police in which she claimed James had molested their daughter.

Fairfield police conducted an intensive investigation into Christina Edington's claims and determined it was improbable that James, who was diabetic and couldn't walk without leg braces, could have pulled himself up the 4 feet to the Edington daughter's window, crawl inside and molest the girl while her parents were home, as Christina Edington had claimed.

James' family later filed the lawsuit against Christina Edington, contending that her false accusations against James contributed to her husband's attack, but a judge threw out that suit. ..Source.. by AllBusiness.com

Police: Killer accused man of molestation, gunned him down

Posted in Related Deaths

1-26-2012 Washington:

A Des Moines man accused of killing a man after accusing him of molesting children has been charged with murder.

King County prosecutors contend Denzil R. Moore shot Thomas R. Humphries at point-blank range during an argument inside Moore’s pickup truck on Jan. 10. The Des Moines man and a purported accomplice are alleged to have then dumped Humphries’ body at a vacant house in Auburn, where it lay undiscovered for days.

“Moore effectively executed a man,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Don Raz told the court. Moore, 41, has threatened to kill others who know the details of the killing and is believed to have a list of people to kill, the prosecutor added.

A review of court records showed Humphries has not been arrested for or convicted of sex crimes in Washington. He was not listed on the county sex offender registry.

Police learned of the killing just before 11 a.m. on Jan. 14, when a gardener at a vacant Auburn home called 911 to report a body, Detective Buie Arneson told the court.

Mowing the lawn at the home in the 11100 block of Southeast 304th Street, the gardener noticed Humphries in the grass behind the home. When he found the 57-year-old man was dead, he called the police.

Officers responded to the scene and found Humphries partially stripped with his jacket pulled over his face, his pants around his knees and wounds to his torso and head. Two .22-caliber casings were found amid a pile of broken safety glass nearby.

A medical examiner later determined Humphries had been shot three times in the left shoulder; one of the bullets pierced his heart. He was also shot in the back of the head. A fifth round is believed to have struck his belt.

Having identified Humphries by his fingerprints, police contacted a friend of his the following day who said she’d last seen him on Jan. 9, five days before the body was found. At the same time, a King County deputy sheriff notified Auburn police that he had a witness to the killing – Glae M. Roland – in custody.

According to court documents, Roland, 34, told investigators that on Jan. 10 he met up with Moore, whom he knew well, and Humphries at a Goodwill store in Des Moines hoping to get a ride to work. All three climbed into Moore’s GMC pickup and headed toward Roland’s place of employment in Kent.

On the way, though, Moore began accusing Humphries of molesting children, Arneson told the court. As the argument intensified, the detective continued, Moore pulled a .22-caliber pistol and pointed it at Humphries.

Moore pulled into a gas station, Ernie’s Truck Stop, around 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. and shot Humphries at once, Arneson continued. Moore then drove from the area with Humphries mortally injured in his passenger’s seat.

Continuing to drive, Moore shot Humphries four more times as Roland looked on from the rear passenger’s seat, according to charging documents.

“Moore told Roland that he needed to call in and say that he would be late because they needed to get rid of the body,” Arneson told the court.

Moore then drove to the vacant home and, with Roland’s help, dumped Humphries’ body on the grass, the detective said in court documents.

Following the killing, Moore tossed some of Humphries’ belongings in the Green River, then spent $5 taken from Humphries at a convenience store, Arneson added.

Police contend the men returned to the house the night after the body was discovered to hide it better.

Gloved and masked, the men found the property had been cleared and that the body was gone, the detective told the court. They searched the area with flashlights and noticed orange spray paint marks left behind by death investigators.

Concerned that police had discovered Humphries, the men repainted the truck and concocted a story they would tell police if arrested, Roland allegedly told investigators.

Having taken Roland’s statement, officers arrested Moore at his Des Moines home. Moore allegedly told police the fabricated story Roland said they rehearsed after finding the body had been removed.

According to charging documents, Moore threatened to kill Roland, his family and at least one woman who learned of the killing if any of them spoke to police.

Jailed on $1 million bail, Moore has been charged with first-degree murder. Roland, who also remains jailed, has been charged with rendering criminal assistance to Moore following the crime. ..Source.. by LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Authorities say woman stabbed Diamond Bar man to death before dismembering him

6-2-2011 California:

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A prosecutor said Thursday that the head and arms of a slain Diamond Bar man were recovered by police Wednesday in two large flower pots at a Bell Gardens house.

The victim, 63-year-old Samuel Wiggins Jr., was allegedly stabbed to death by his girlfriend, Carmen Montelongo of Riverside, then dismembered, authorities said.

Authorities believe both the killing and the dismemberment may have occurred at Wiggins' Diamond Bar home in the 23700 block of Meadow Falls Drive.

"Probably, but we can't be sure," said David Hidalgo, a supervising deputy district attorney in San Bernardino County.

Montelongo is accused of hiding Wiggins' head and arms in two separate flower pots that she delivered to a relative's home in Bell Gardens. She allegedly buried the rest of his body in the backyard of a relative's home in Ontario.

An autopsy was performed Thursday on Wiggins' remains. Based on the examination, a medical examiner found that Wiggins likely died from multiple stab wounds, said Deputy District Attorney Erica Gallegos, who attended the autopsy.

It also confirmed the body's identity through fingerprints, dentures and unique surgical scars, Gallegos said.

Montelongo was arrested Sunday in Ontario after she allegedly exhumed Wiggins' body in the backyard of a relative's home in the 700 block of North Holmes Avenue, then loaded the remains into a trash can.

Police arrested her after she wheeled the container about 200 yards through residential streets.

A cousin who lives at the Holmes Avenue address said this week that Montelongo may have buried the body about a month ago during what she said was a gardening project.

Hidalgo said police aren't certain of Montelongo's motive in her alleged killing of Wiggins. But he said it may have been for financial gain.

Montelongo used Wiggins' credit cards after his disappearance and was also in possession of his car, Hidalgo said.

When she was arrested, Montelongo told an officer that the body in the trash can was that of a man who assaulted her, according to a declaration from Ontario police Detective Al Parra contained in Montelongo's court file.

Montelongo's son and daughter were arrested at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of being accessories to Wiggins' killing.

Daniel Ortiz, 25, and Chanel Alicia Ortiz, 26, have not yet been charged by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, but they may be after police deliver reports to prosecutors about the siblings' alleged crimes, Gallegos said.

Daniel Ortiz allegedly helped his mother deliver the flower pots in early May to a relative's home in the 6700 block of Foster Bridge Road in Bell Gardens. One of the pots contained Wiggins' head, and the other contained his arms, Gallegos said.

Gallegos said she did not know Chanel Alicia Ortiz's alleged involvement.

At Wiggins' home on Thursday, his son, daughter-in-law and neighbors were loading a moving truck with the man's possessions.

His daughter-in-law, Michelle Wiggins, said Wiggins' landlord asked his family members to clear out the home as soon as possible.

Michelle Wiggins said that Samuel Wiggins was retired, and a former serviceman who fought in the Vietnam War.

"He was a good man that didn't deserve this," she said. "He was a great father and father-in-law. He's going to be greatly missed."

Wiggins lived in the Meadow Falls Drive home for at least 10 years, neighbors said.

A woman who lives in the neighborhood said she believes Samuel Wiggins and Carmen Montelongo met through the Internet. She said she was unsure how long they dated, though she said she believed it was a short time.

The neighbor, who asked to remain unnamed, said Montelongo and her daughter also lived in Wiggins' home for a brief period.

Montelongo appeared in West Valley Superior Court on Thursday for a brief hearing in which Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Taft was confirmed as her attorney.

Montelongo's only statement during the hearing was "correct," which she said in response to a question from Judge Michael Libutti about whether she wished to be represented by Taft.

Montelongo is in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. She was handcuffed during the hearing and her legs were shackled.

She wore orange scrubs, which indicate she's being housed in the general population area of West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

Taft said during the hearing that she plans to visit Montelongo today. Taft withdrew Montelongo's request at her arraignment Tuesday for reduced bail.

Montelongo is set to return to court Monday. Her children may also be arraigned today or Monday if they are charged in the case, Gallegos said.

Authorities have given conflicting statements as to Montelongo's true name and age.

Montelongo has been identified in some police news releases as Montenegro, but a police spokesman said Wednesday that Montelongo is her true name and Montenegro is an alias.

In mail scattered in the suspect's frontyard in the 6200 block of Indian Camp Road in Riverside, she is identified as Carmen Montelongo. She is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit in San Bernardino County under that name.

Parra identified her as Montelongo in his declaration of probable cause.

Montelongo also uses two different dates of birth - one that makes her 51, and another that makes her 44 - and authorities have given conflicting statements about which they believe is her true age. ..Source.. By Will Bigham Staff Writer

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Money, sex abuse possible motives in trash can body case, says San Bernardino County DA

6-3-2011 California:

Money and sexual abuse are two possible motives investigators are probing in the bizarre case of a Southern California woman charged with stabbing her ex-boyfriend to death, dismembering him and pushing his body parts down the street in a trash can, authorities said.

The San Bernardino County district attorney's office said Carmen Montenegro might have acted for financial gain in the killing of Samuel Wiggins Jr.

Investigators have surveillance video showing Montenegro, 51, using credit and ATM cards belonging to Wiggins after he disappeared on April 20, said David Hidalgo, supervisor of the district attorney's family violence unit. Montenegro also used the 63-year-old Wiggins' car in the days after his disappearance, he said.

Montenegro also told police that she had been sexually abused and authorities are also considering that as a possible motive, Hidalgo said.

Her public defender, Rebecca Taft, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Montenegro has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bail.

Authorities said she also has a criminal history under the name Carmen Montelongo, but charging documents in the current case list her last name as Montenegro.

An autopsy performed Thursday on Wiggins' remains determined he likely died from multiple stab wounds, Deputy District Attorney Erica Gallegos told The Sun of San Bernardino.

It also confirmed the body's identity through fingerprints, dentures and unique surgical scars, Gallegos said.

Montenegro was arrested Sunday at a house in Ontario, a San Bernardino County city 40 miles east of Los Angeles, after neighbors called police to say a woman was dragging what appeared to be body parts down the street in a 30-gallon trash bin.

Police found a torso and legs at the address, which was the home of some of Montenegro's relatives, and later discovered a head and arms in two large flower pots that Montenegro and her son delivered on Mother's Day to another relative's address in Bell Gardens, near Los Angeles.

The body parts all have been identified as Wiggins' and an autopsy was under way Thursday to determine how Wiggins was killed, authorities said.

Montenegro's two adult children were arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of helping their mother dispose of the remains.

Daniel Ortiz, 25, and Chanel Alicia Ortiz, 26, both of Riverside, were stopped in Rancho Cucamonga and could be charged as early as Friday, Hidalgo said.

It was not immediately clear if they had retained attorneys.

"It's hard to comprehend that someone could be so callous and pushing body parts down the street in a trash can like it was nothing," Hidalgo said. "She was desperate and she was looking for people to help her dispose of the body."

Authorities believe Montenegro killed Wiggins at his home in Diamond Bar, in Los Angeles County, and then transported the remains to her relative's home in Ontario, where she buried the body parts. She dug several deep holes and told relatives she was re-doing the garden, Hidalgo said.

Investigators have also discovered carpet at a home in Riverside where Montenegro was renting storage space, Hidalgo said. The carpet was in a large cardboard box that was used to deliver a sofa and is believed to have come from the victim's house, he said.

At some point, Montenegro uncovered the body and put the head and arms in flower pots that were delivered to the Bell Gardens address, he said.

A family member of Montenegro's, Matthew Bell, told The Sun that he saw Montenegro in a hole in the backyard of his grandmother's house on Sunday. He said he also saw her throw body parts in the trash can and that she offered him $5,000 to help dispose of the remains.

Bell said he instead went to call police and that Montenegro followed him with the trash can, still pleading for help.

She was arrested about 200 yards from the home. ..Source.. by Gillian Flaccus

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Money possible motive in US trash can body case

6-3-2011 California:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Money and sexual abuse are two possible motives investigators are probing in the bizarre case of a Southern California woman charged with stabbing her ex-boyfriend to death, dismembering him and pushing his body parts down the street in a trash can, U.S. authorities said.

The San Bernardino County district attorney's office said Carmen Montenegro might have acted for financial gain in the killing of Samuel Wiggins Jr.

Investigators have surveillance video showing Montenegro, 51, using credit and ATM cards belonging to Wiggins after he disappeared on April 20, said David Hidalgo, supervisor of the district attorney's family violence unit. Montenegro also used the 63-year-old Wiggins' car in the days after his disappearance, he said.

Montenegro also told police that she had been sexually abused and authorities are also considering that as a possible motive, Hidalgo said.

Her public defender, Rebecca Taft, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Montenegro has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bail.

Authorities said she also has a criminal history under the name Carmen Montelongo, but charging documents in the current case list her last name as Montenegro.

An autopsy performed Thursday on Wiggins' remains determined he likely died from multiple stab wounds, Deputy District Attorney Erica Gallegos told The Sun of San Bernardino.

It also confirmed the body's identity through fingerprints, dentures and unique surgical scars, Gallegos said.

Montenegro was arrested Sunday at a house in Ontario, a San Bernardino County city 40 miles east of Los Angeles, after neighbors called police to say a woman was dragging what appeared to be body parts down the street in a 30-gallon trash bin.

Police found a torso and legs at the address, which was the home of some of Montenegro's relatives, and later discovered a head and arms in two large flower pots that Montenegro and her son delivered on Mother's Day to another relative's address in Bell Gardens, near Los Angeles.

The body parts all have been identified as Wiggins' and an autopsy was under way Thursday to determine how Wiggins was killed, authorities said.

Montenegro's two adult children were arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of helping their mother dispose of the remains.

Daniel Ortiz, 25, and Chanel Alicia Ortiz, 26, both of Riverside, were stopped in Rancho Cucamonga and could be charged as early as Friday, Hidalgo said.

It was not immediately clear if they had retained attorneys.

"It's hard to comprehend that someone could be so callous and pushing body parts down the street in a trash can like it was nothing," Hidalgo said. "She was desperate and she was looking for people to help her dispose of the body."

Authorities believe Montenegro killed Wiggins at his home in Diamond Bar, in Los Angeles County, and then transported the remains to her relative's home in Ontario, where she buried the body parts. She dug several deep holes and told relatives she was re-doing the garden, Hidalgo said.

Investigators have also discovered carpet at a home in Riverside where Montenegro was renting storage space, Hidalgo said. The carpet was in a large cardboard box that was used to deliver a sofa and is believed to have come from the victim's house, he said.

At some point, Montenegro uncovered the body and put the head and arms in flower pots that were delivered to the Bell Gardens address, he said.

A family member of Montenegro's, Matthew Bell, told The Sun that he saw Montenegro in a hole in the backyard of his grandmother's house on Sunday. He said he also saw her throw body parts in the trash can and that she offered him $5,000 to help dispose of the remains.

Bell said he instead went to call police and that Montenegro followed him with the trash can, still pleading for help.

She was arrested about 200 yards from the home. ..Source.. by WFAA.com

Possible motive released in Albany landlord-tenant homicide

6-30-2011 Oregon:

ALBANY, Ore. (KMTR) -- New information and a possible motive has been released in an Albany homicide, as the female suspect in the case makes her first appearance in court on Thursday.

35-year-old Melissa Amber Haley of Albany is charged with murder in the shooting death of 49-year-old Derrick Miller of Albany. Haley was arraigned on the charge Thursday, June 30th, 2011.

Albany Police say Miller and Haley lived in the same house. Miller was Haley’s landlord. Police say Haley admitted to shooting Miller just before noon on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011.

According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, at least four people lived in the home where the shooting happened, on the 600 block of Montgomery Street in southeast Albany.

In the affidavit, Albany Police say Haley rented two rooms in the home, one for herself and one for her 12-year-old child, starting in December 2010. Police say Miller and his wife also lived in the home.

Police say Haley called 911 on Wednesday, telling dispatchers she has “just shot a man.” When Albany Police officers arrived on scene, according to the affidavit, Haley exclaimed, “I couldn’t take it anymore!” and “He’s a pedophile!”

According to the affidavit, Haley later spoke to detectives, accusing Miller of sexually abusing a 4-year-old in the basement of the home in December 2010. Haley alleged that the 4-year-old was in Miller’s wife’s care. Haley also told police that she never reported the allegations to authorities, only to her friend.

In the investigation, Albany Police also interviewed Miller’s wife. In the affidavit, police say Miller’s wife told detectives that she hasn’t provided day care to anyone in the last five years, also that no young children visit the residence at all.

Neighbors say they are shocked by the shooting.

“These people were really nice people. They never fought and argued with each other, we spent afternoon with them where they could have, and they just didn't do that, they were just really gentle people," says David Cunningham, a neighbor, speaking of the Miller family.

"Always active in the neighborhood and active going out boating, camping all the time, fishing,” says Cunningham.

Other details in the affidavit also state that Haley told Albany Police that she had shot Miller in the stomach. Officers found Miller in his home with a gunshot wound in his head.

The affidavit also states that Haley told Albany Police that she suffers from “anxiety” and “depression” and is on medication to treat both conditions.

The Albany Police Department and Linn County District Attorney’s Office declined any further comment on the case on Thursday, June 30th, 2011. Both agencies are continuing to investigate the case.

Albany Police served a search warrant on the home on Thursday and cleared the crime scene early Thursday afternoon. ..Source.. by Chris McKee

Women shocked by brother's death

The news story does not explain why this is listed, but, once you read the court case of the prosecution of the person who killed him, then it comes to light.

QUOTE: "Defendant‟s blood test was negative for alcohol and positive for methamphetamine. During his blood test, defendant commented he had to “take care of a rapist.” At his arraignment on March 9, 2009, defendant bragged he had “popped” the victim “in the chest three times” for “molesting.”

B. Defense Evidence
Defendant was born in Guam. He testified that, between the ages of 9 and 14 years old, he was molested by his Uncle Tony, who fondled him and forced him to engage in oral sex. Defendant and Nick were friends for many years. Defendant testified that he killed Nick to protect his family because he believed Nick was going to molest and rape the women. Defendant acknowledged Nick had never harmed defendant‟s sister or his niece."

2-20-2009 California:

Two women whose brother was shot to death said Friday that they would never forget his singing, or his smile or his generosity.

Gina and Fatima Nick were shocked to learn that a family friend who had grown up in the same Riverside neighborhood had been arrested Thursday on suspicion of shooting their brother, Qaddafi Nick, 35.

Their brother had been living in the 6200 block of Hillside Avenue for about 18 months with the family of his best friend, Gina Nick said.

Riverside police Sgt. Derwin Hudson said someone saw Ivan John Cepeda, 47, put a person with bloody clothing in the back of his truck Thursday morning, and when Cepeda returned to the house, his truck was empty.

Hudson said the body was found nearby a couple of hours later.

Gina and Fatima Nick said their brother and Cepeda's brother were best friends.

"I was scared and hurt at the same time because we all grew up together in the same neighborhood," Gina Nick said. "It was a good family."

Gina Nick said her brother had been working in construction and laying carpet. He had two daughters, 14-year-old Pasha and 13-year-old Tasia, she said.

His older daughter called him just days before his death to tell him she earned all A's in school, Gina Nick said.

The sisters said their brother was known for his bad singing.

"We always teased him that we were going to put him on American Idol," Fatima Nick laughed.

He would laugh too, when they teased him about his singing; he was always eager to have fun, his sisters said.

"He was loved by a lot of people," Fatima Nick said, motioning to dozens of people who were gathered to wash cars to raise money for his funeral. His family and friends will return to the parking lot of Nichols Park at 5505 Dewey Ave. today to continue to raise money. ..Source.. by JESSICA LOGAN

Arrest made in Pickens County stabbing death

3-24-2010 South Carolina:

PICKENS COUNTY — A 31-year-old Pickens County man told investigators he had rid the world of a pedophile as he was being arrested Wednesday morning in the fatal stabbing of his stepfather.

According to an arrest warrant, Travis Chad Davidson was quoted as saying, “Damn right I killed him. I rid the world of a pedophile.” An investigator said there was nothing to substantiate the accusation of pedophilia.

Richard Alvin Mulkey was pronounced dead in the living room of his home on Mt. Bethel Church Road in Sunset around midnight Tuesday, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.

He had been stabbed several times in the chest and head, Kelley said.

Kelley said he was stabbed with a kitchen knife and said a second weapon, possibly an awl, a small pointed tool used for making holes in wood or leather, was involved.

Investigators arrived at Mulkey’s home and found his wife, Debra Mulkey, 54, standing on the front porch.

She said Davidson had stabbed her husband and fled into the woods nearby.

Investigators said they found Richard Mulkey, 49, lying face-down on the living room floor with a knife sticking out of his body.

Debra Mulkey told investigators that the two men had been arguing when Davidson began choking Mulkey, who was sitting in a chair. She said Davidson then threw Mulkey face-down on the floor and began stabbing him in the head and body.

Pickens County Chief Deputy Sheriff Tim Morgan said there was nothing to substantiate Davidson’s allegation that Mulkey, who was Davidson’s step father, was a pedophile.

No one by the name of Richard Alvin Mulkey was found in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s sex offender registry.

Davidson, who also lives on Mt. Bethel Church Road, was taken to the Pickens County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

An autopsy determined the cause of death to be the stabbing, Kelley said.

Morgan said the investigation continues. .Source.. by Rick Spruill

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Sunset man arrested in stabbing death

3-24-2010 South Carolina:

A 31-year-old Sunset man faces a charge of murder in connection with the stabbing death of his stepfather who was found dead late Tuesday at a residence in the Sunset community, according to Pickens County Sheriff’s Office warrants and a release.

Travis Chad Davidson, of 236 Mt. Bethel Church Road, is charged in the death of Richard Alvin Mulkey, according to an arrest warrant.
The warrant states that Davidson stabbed Mulkey "multiple times with a knife in the head and body.

“The pair had been engaged in an argument when the defendant began strangling the victim while he sat in a chair,” according to the warrant. “He threw the victim onto the floor and on his stomach and began stabbing the victim about the head and body.”

According to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley, Mulkey, 49, of 206 Mt. Bethel Church Road, was pronounced dead at his home shortly before midnight Tuesday.

The death has been ruled a homicide, Kelley said in a press statement, and an autopsy is being performed today to determine the cause of Mulkey’s death.

A release from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said Davidson is currently being held in the Pickens County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing. ..Source.. by Julie Howle