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

Man who found Hanahan victim 'knew something wasn't right'

7-17-2012 South Carolina:

Hanahan — Roy Ray Bennett had been a victim of crime before.

Last week, a man was arrested on forgery charges after $10,000 worth of checks were cashed in Bennett's name.

And Bennett had been accused of crime, too.

He recently learned that prosecutors were pursuing a trial in his 2009 child pornography arrest.

But Bennett's son doesn't know why anyone would want to hurt the man, known by residents of his Otranto neighborhood as “Mr. Ray.” The retiree and Army veteran was found dead in his bed about 1 p.m. Sunday, his limbs bound with duct tape and a bag over his head, according to the person who discovered his body.

“Who kills a 71-year-old man?” Tim Bennett, a 47-year-old Columbia resident, said outside his father's home Monday. “I was just hoping he died in his sleep.

“I found out he was murdered instead. I thought he had passed peacefully.”

The Hanahan Police Department released few additional details Monday about the city's first homicide this year. Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury said an autopsy Monday morning did not immediately indicate how he died and that toxicology tests might shed light on that.

Detectives found no sign of forced entry at Bennett's home at 2 Lombardi Lane and were still looking for his Toyota Tacoma pickup, which was thought to be stolen after the killing.

A neighbor who borrowed Bennett's lawn mower Sunday morning told The Post and Courier that he became suspicious when he spotted two men inside Bennett's Toyota. The neighbor said the men, who had been living with Bennett for a short time, scrambled back inside the house.

When the neighbor returned with the mower and to check on Bennett, he saw several empty bottles of alcohol on a counter. He walked through an unlocked door and found Bennett's body on the bed.

“He was a nice man, but he didn't let people take his truck,” said the neighbor, who cited fear of retribution in asking that his name be withheld. “I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't expect to find him in the state he was.”

Hanahan police Lt. Michael Fowler would not “confirm or deny” the account about how Bennett's body was found and said investigators still were looking for the Toyota. They intended to question several people but had developed no firm suspects, Fowler said.

At the request of the local police force, the State Law Enforcement Division was helping to run down leads and interview Bennett's acquaintances.

Neighbors said they recently saw several people from outside the community visiting the home. Some might have been staying there.

“There was a lot of traffic in and out of that house, but I can't go into details,” Fowler said. “Some of those people, we are desperately interested in talking to.”

Previous cases

Police officers knew of Bennett, though they did not visit the home frequently, according to Fowler.

An officer last spoke with him Friday, when Bennett said prosecutors were continuing to pursue the 2009 charge of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

That case was based on SLED agents' discovery of “visual materials” on his computer that showed children engaged in sex, according to a 2009 news release. He was accused of downloading and distributing the porn.

In letters to neighbors, he defended himself by saying someone else had put the images on his computer and used a peer-to-peer network to share them, according to his son.

On Friday, the Hanahan officer visited his house to follow up on an arrest that the North Charleston Police Department made July 10 in which a man was accused of forging 13 of Bennett's checks and cashing $9,800 worth.

The man, 39-year-old Harry Shane Dupree of Vine Street in Goose Creek, told police that a woman would forge Bennett's signature on the checks, then give them to Dupree to cash.

But Bennett refused to tell authorities about the activity because of his history with that woman, according to Dupree's statements to the police.

“(The woman) had been a neighbor of (Bennett),” Dupree said, according to an incident report. “While she was a child, (Bennett) had supposedly taken advantage of her that was criminal in nature.”

Fowler, the Hanahan lieutenant, would not say whether Bennett's past was connected to his slaying.

“The officer went there because someone was writing bad checks,” Fowler said. “But he ended up not wanting a report.”

'Had no enemies'

Though they were aware of the allegations against him, neighbors knew Bennett as a caring man who often would lend his possessions, such as power tools.

He was a skilled woodworker. He constructed much of his own furniture from cedar.

Children living in houses along his tree-lined, dead-end street often went for a swim in his backyard pool, including 18-year-old Cody Buehrer.

“If anyone here needed anything, he was the one who did it,” said Buehrer, a next-door neighbor of Bennett's for seven years. “This cul-de-sac is losing a good man.”

A native of Raleigh, Bennett graduated from North Carolina State University in the 1960s, his son said. He then spent two years in the Army, a requirement of his involvement with the school's ROTC program.

After serving a tour in Germany during the Vietnam War, he moved to Hanahan with his wife and only child. The couple later divorced.

He worked his entire career as an electrical engineer at the MeadWestvaco paper plant in North Charleston, where he retired during the last decade.

“He kept to himself, but he liked piddling in the yard and the garden. That was his life,” said his son, who last saw Bennett on Christmas, when they ate sugar cookies and exchanged gifts. “He always had his garden of tomatoes and corn.”

Tim Bennett said his father's Sunday newspaper had been retrieved from the yard and was on his living room couch, where he read it religiously each week. Nothing in the house seemed disturbed, though his wallet was missing.

“I'm just in a numb state right now,” Tim Bennett said. “He had no enemies.” ..Source.. by Andrew Knapp

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Hanahan homicide victim was charged for child porn in 2009

7-14-2012 South Carolina:

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCIV) -- A person is dead in the Otranto area of Hanahan, and police investigators believe foul play was involved.

The victim has been identified as 71-year-old Roy Bennett. An autopsy will be conducted today to determine the cause of death. Officials say his body was found by a neighbor.

ABC News 4 spoke with Lt. Fowler with Hanahan Police this morning who said Bennett was killed between 6:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

Fowler says investigators continue to believe that Bennett knew the suspect because there was no sign of struggle. He says there were many people coming and going from the house.

According to SLED records, Bennett was charged with felony first degree sexual exploitation of a minor back in April of 2009. SLED filed those charges when investigators reported they found pornographic images of minors on Bennett's computer.

Fowler does not believe the suspect in Bennett's death was connected to the 2009 incident.

The Berkeley County Coroner's Office released a statement Monday saying an autopsy was conducted and the results are pending.

"We will be awaiting the results of toxicology test before a final cause of death can be determined," said Coroner Bill Salisbury.

Police have asked for the public's help in this investigation by locating a 2009 Toyota Tacoma taken from the home. The truck is Silver and has a license tag number of CBP-692.

Lt. Fowler said the homicide is the first in Hanahan for 2012. ..Source.. by WCIV.TV

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Arrests made in Hanahan killing

7-20-2012:

Roy Bennett may have been killed over money.

Hanahan police arrested three people Thursday night in connection with the 71-year-old's death, saying that's what drove them to go to his home over the weekend.

Brittany Lynn Swagner, 24; Robert Andrew McFadden, 24; and Robert Randolph Clark, 39, are charged with murder, according to Lt. Michael Fowler of the Hanahan Police Department.

Police believe Bennett was killed Sunday, between 6:30 a.m., when he picked up his newspaper from his Lombardi Lane home, and 1 p.m., when a neighbor found him dead in his bedroom.

The three accused in Bennett's slaying were living in area motels and didn't have permanent residences, Fowler said. They're being held in the Berkeley County jail and are scheduled for a bond hearing at 11:30 a.m. today.

Goose Creek police also will charge McFadden with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, Fowler said.

Additional charges may follow, Fowler said, as police continue their investigation.

McFadden was spotted in surveillance footage abandoning Bennett's 2009 Toyota Tacoma in the Goose Creek Walmart parking lot and walking toward a nearby Murphy USA gas station, Fowler said.

The State Law Enforcement Division scoured the truck for clues Wednesday and found fingerprints, and investigators examined surveillance video from Walmart and the gas station.

McFadden ditched the pickup in the far reaches of the Walmart camera's range, Fowler said, but police analyzed the gas station's footage Thursday and were able to capture “a really good view” of him.

A North Charleston police officer recognized McFadden in that image and knew where he hung out, Fowler said. He was arrested and helped lead police to Swagner, then to Clark.

“Everything really got rolling after we found that truck,” Fowler said.

From interviews, police also learned that the three took guns from Bennett's home, and Fowler said Clark and McFadden stole duct tape from Walmart before Bennett's death.

The neighbor found Bennett's body with duct tape around his arms and legs and a bag over his head after he returned a lawn mower he had borrowed.

Fowler said late Thursday that police are confident that they have found the three people who were at Bennett's home in the Otranto neighborhood Sunday. They haven't ruled out the possibility of other related arrests.

“The real work has just begun,” Fowler said. “It's entirely conceivable that once they realize they're charged with murder that they might be forthcoming with even more information.”

Early in their search, investigators said they hadn't found signs of forced entry in Bennett's home, leading them to think he knew his killers.

Fowler said police think Clark and Bennett knew each other “in some form or fashion.”

All three knew that Bennett had money, and police say that was the trio's motive.

Bennett's money had been exploited previously, authorities said.

On July 10, a North Charleston man was charged with forging 13 checks totaling nearly $10,000 in his name. He worked with a woman who was not charged. She was “supposedly blackmailing” Bennett over an incident from her childhood, according to a police report.

Bennett “had supposedly taken advantage of her (in a way) that was criminal in nature,” the report said.

Whether those cases are related is not clear. “We haven't made any connection as of yet to North Charleston's arrest last week,” Fowler said.

Bennett was charged in 2009 with second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was accused of downloading and distributing child pornography and had been recently told that prosecutors were pursuing a trial.

An autopsy Monday didn't indicate how Bennett died, and toxicology tests are still pending. Those usually take two to three weeks to complete, said Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury. ..Source.. by Thad Moore

Body found in cemetery identified as sex offender

6-14-2012 Michigan:

We now know the identity of a man found dead Thursday morning in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Around 7:15 a.m. a person walking along a path through the cemetery found the body near the intersection of Eastern and Hall Street SE.

Tracing a license plate of a vehicle near the body, WZZM 13 has learned the man is Robert Shields, 67. He was a registered sex offender living in Omega Life Alternatives, a halfway house on Eastern Avenue about half a mile north of the cemetery.

Records show Shields was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in Newaygo County in 1981. In 1999, Shields was convicted in Kent County of one count of second-degree sex assault involving a victim younger than 13. He was released from jail in January 2011.

Police say Shields was lying next to a grave stone and they also found a van registered in his name near his body. The scene was marked off with crime tape Thursday morning and investigators used several cones marking evidence of some sort.

Authorities have yet to confirm the body's identity to the media or release the circumstances surrounding his death. They tell WZZM 13 the death is "suspicious." ..Source.. by Chris Zoladz, Multi-Media Producer, WZZM 13

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Police: Man found dead in Oak Hill Cemetery died of multiple stab wounds

Robert Louis Shields, the man found dead this morning in Oak Hill Cemetery, died of multiple stab wounds and police are investigating the case as a homicide.

Shields, 67, was found by a walker in the cemetery about 7:15 a.m. and police found his van parked on the south side of the grounds this morning.

In a release issued late today, police named Shields as the victim. But he was identified earlier in the day as the victim by officials at Omega Life Alternatives, a halfway house at 722 Eastern Avenue SE where Shields had lived for a little more than a month.

Shields is a registered sex offender and was released from prison in January 2011 after spending several years behind bars for a 1999 sex assault against a 7-year-old.

Oak Hill Cemetery, at Eastern Avenue SE and Hall Street, is not far from the halfway house.

Eric Price, a manager at Omega Life Alternatives, said he believed Shields had been out with his girlfriend Wednesday evening.

He was supposed to return for an 11 p.m. curfew, but did not.

Price was told that Shields' girlfriend was in the hospital, but it was unclear why.

Police released no other details about who may have stabbed Shields or how the van ended up in the cemetery. ..Source.. by John Tunison

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Body found in cemetery identified as sex offender

We now know the identity of a man found dead Thursday morning in Oak Hill Cemetery.

The Executive Director of Omega Life Alternatives says the victim is 67-year old Robert Shields. A resident at the transitional home. "Last night was the first night he broke curfew, we knew something was wrong," says Price. He says Shields moved-in a month ago. "We mentor guys who have been in trouble with the law or they don't have family or may have made mistakes in general."

Sheilds had been in prison off and on for criminal sexual conduct since 1981. He was released early last year and had been working as a maintenance man before he moved to Omega Life. "And everything he put his hand to, he saw that needed fixed-up, he did it, so he was kind and generous."

Just after 7am someone walking at Oakhill Cemetery discovered shields body near a grave. Grand Rapids police taped off a large portion of the cemetery and marked potential evidence with cones.

Captain Eric Payne says, "Well, just because of the size of the cemetery, we want to make sure we're not missing anything. it's a large area to process."

Because of the injuries to shields body, police are investigating the death as a suspicious death. At Omega Life, Price says although he didn't know Shields very long, it's sad to hear. "No matter what they've done in the past, you hate seeing tragedy like that." ..Source.. by Chris Zoladz

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Girlfriend held in GR cemetery stabbing

6-14-2012:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A woman is being held in the stabbing of a 67-year-old man found dead early Thursday morning by a jogger along a path through Grand Rapids' Oakhill Cemetery.

On Thursday evening, Grand Rapids police announced they had ruled the death of Robert Louis Shields a homicide.

Authorities said he was stabbed multiple times.

Christina Miller is being held in the Kent County Jail in connection with the case, 24 Hour News 8 confirmed.

Jail records indicate Miller was charged on two counts of obstructing police, one count of providing false information, and one count is failure to obey instructions on Friday.

No arraignment has been set yet.

Sheilds's brother told 24 Hour News 8 earlier Thursday that Miller was Shields's girlfriend. He also said she is mentally unstable.

"He may have had some enemies I didn't know about," older brother Bill Shields told 24 Hour News 8 before becoming aware of the arrest. "It's hard to say because I don't know."

Bill Shields said he didn't know why his brother was in the cemetery. He said no one in their family is buried there.

"It hurts me, but what can I say or do?" he said. "It's not going to change the fact. He's dead. He's gone. All we can do is live with his memories. And I believe my brother's had a very rough life."

Shields had an extensive criminal record, including convictions for felonies and criminal sexual conduct. He was listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

Shields lived for six months at Omega Life Alternatives in Grand Rapids. The pastor there, Eric Price, said Shields made his mark in more ways than one. He mowed the lawn and fixed things around the house.

"He came here with a willing heart, not just to hold a bed for him, but he came with a willing heart to really work and to serve. ... Whatever he can to help out things around here," said Price. "Robert tried to live a good life and I'm sorry that this had to happen."

Like Price, Bill Shields remembered his brother as a hard worker.

"He was a hard-working boy, I'll tell you that. He worked all the time," said Bill Shields. "I don't think he's hardly ever missed a day of work."

But Price he said he was aware there was another side to Shields.

"It came as a shock, but the company he was keeping, I've seen it happen before," said Price.

Price said he thinks Shields's friends may have been involved in drugs and perhaps that had something to do with his suspicious end, which he called a tragedy.

"He definitely didn't deserve this tragedy upon this life, no matter what he's done," Price said. "I wouldn't want anybody to suffer that way."

About a dozen officers and a K-9 unit were sent to the cemetery near Hall Street and Eastern Avenue around 7:15 a.m. They taped off a large section of the property and placed several evidence markers throughout the area as they searched for clues.

Police continue to figure out how Shields died and why he ended in the cemetery.

"It's a very large area. We want to be thorough and make sure we check the entire area to see if there's any evidence out there if in fact it is foul play," Grand Rapids Police Capt. Eric Payne told 24 Hour News 8 before the announcement that the death was homicide.

"It doesn't happen every day to have a body discovered in a cemetery, but we're processing it and we'll wait and see on the determination of the medical examiner whether or not it's foul play," he added at the time.

Police towed a van from the scene that family members confirmed to 24 Hour News 8 belonged to Shields. ..Source.. by Amanda Jarrett and Dani Carlson

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

Police ID man killed on Santa Ana River Trail

12-30-2011 California:

ANAHEIM – A man stabbed to death on the Santa Ana River Trail, near the 91 freeway, has been identified as 42-year-old Lloyd Middaugh, police said Friday.

About 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday, a person exercising on the trail called police to report a person down between Tustin and Lakeview avenues, Anaheim police Sgt. Bob Dunn said.

Police and paramedics responded to the trail and found a man, later identified as Middaugh, suffering from at least one stab wound, Dunn said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"There is information that he lived under the freeway overcrossing but we are not certain," Dunn said, adding that there was no indication that Middaugh, who was about 6 foot 4 inches tall and about 300 pounds, had been moved.

The motive for the stabbing is under investigation, Dunn said, and the weapon was not found.

Detectives are investigating whether the incident is related to another fatal stabbing involving a transient on Dec. 21 at a shopping center in Placentia.

Middaugh was a registered sex offender, according to the Megan's Law online database. Police indicated that he was required to register after a crime that occurred more than 20 years ago in San Diego.

The popular Santa Ana River Trail stretches 30 miles along the Santa Ana River, from Huntington Beach to the Orange-Riverside county line.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the stabbing to call 714-765-1900. ..Source.. by DENISSE SALAZAR / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Arrest Made in Slaying of SoCal Homeless Men

1-15-2012 California:

Alert citizens chased a man down and led police to him in a Friday night attack of a homeless man in Anaheim

The man arrested in connection with the Friday night killing of a homeless man in Anaheim is being held as the main suspect in a month-long string of transient murders in Orange County.

"We are extremely confident that we have the man who is responsible for the killing of four homeless people," Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters said in a press conference Saturday afternoon.

Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, of Yorba Linda, is being held at the Anaheim Jail without bail, said Anaheim Police Sgt. Bob Dunn, a department spokesman.

Friday's stabbing was the fourth such killing of a homeless person in OC.

Officials will ask the District Attorney to pursue four counts of murder against Ocampo, Walter said during the press conference.

"This is great news to know that's been caught," Brad Olsen, brother-in-law of victim Lloyd Middaugh, told NBC 4. "Prayers have been answered. We feel blessed that it's over."

Middaugh was one of four homeless men killed in the area since December. James McGillivray, 53, was stabbed to death Dec. 20 near a Placentia shopping mall. Lloyd Middaugh, 42, was found on the Santa Ana River trail in Anaheim on Dec. 28. Paul Cornelius Smit, 57, was killed outside a Yorba Linda library on Dec. 30.

The latest victim, John, was killed after 8 p.m. Friday behind a Carl's Jr., at 3110 E. La Palma Ave.

The victim has not been identified, but locals called him “John” and believe he is a Vietnam War vet in his mid-60s.

Anaheim Deputy Chief Craig Hunter said the man arrested fits the description of a man wanted in three stabbing deaths - in Anaheim, Placentia and Yorba Linda - dating to Dec. 20.

“I saw (John) at CVS about a week ago and I started crying when he said he wanted to leave the area and I hugged him,” a woman told NBC4. “But then I saw him and I was so happy he was still here, but I've been busy and I didn't have time the last couple of days to say 'hi.'”

The suspect, chased away by some people who saw him running, was caught on La Palma about a quarter-mile away in next-door Yorba Linda.

Police were believed to be questioning more than two dozen witnesses, whom they recognized as "brave citizens" during the public meeting Saturday.

A task force of local police and the FBI had been set up to investigate three homeless men who were killed in December at the hands of what police believed was a serial killer.

A surveillance camera in Placentia captured images of the suspect, a thin man wearing a dark-hooded sweater, who may have been driving a four-door Toyota Corolla. ..Source.. by Jason Kandel and Samantha Tata

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Former Marine pleads not guilty to 6 murders

2-21-2012 California:

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Itzcoatl Ocampo, the former Marine accused of killing four homeless men and two other people, pleaded not guilty to charges on Tuesday.

During the hearing, Ocampo mumbled to himself and at times appeared to smirk. His own defense attorney said his client is mentally ill.

"He's cracked. He's ill. He's got a mind that is wounded. His mind is so fractured that I think it's hard for him to understand not only the gravity, but even where he is right now," said defense attorney Randall Longwith.

The 23-year-old is charged with stabbing four homeless men to death. The murders took place in Orange County over a three-week period starting in December. It ended with Ocampo's arrest as he ran from the scene of the fourth murder in Anaheim.

Ocampo is also charged with stabbing to death a mother and son in Yorba Linda last October. Unlike the homeless victims, authorities allege Ocampo knew 53-year-old Raquel Estrada and her 34-year-old son Juan Herrera through Estrada's younger son.

Family members of one of Ocampo's homeless victims, 42-year-old Lloyd Middaugh, came to court to see the suspect. Middaugh was found stabbed more than 40 times along the Santa Ana River Trail in Anaheim.

"I'm kind of sick to my stomach," said Marie Middaugh, the victim's mother. "I can't wrap my head around it. It just doesn't seem possible."

Longwith said he has not yet decided whether to use an insanity defense, but stressed that Ocampo was affected by his eight months in Iraq. While he did not see combat, his attorney said Ocampo drove a truck and would have to deal with wounded and deceased people.

Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will seek the death penalty. Ocampo is due back in court on March 9. ..Source.. by Eileen Frere

Man found shot to death in ditch

10-30-2011 Oklahoma:

Tulsa Police are searching for clues after the body of a man is discovered in a ditch.

It happened near 3100 E. Virgin Street around 8:30 this morning.

Police say the body of 48-year-old Eric Fuller was found lying in a ditch. He had been shot.

At this time, the Homicide unit is still working on leads regarding a motive or suspects.

According to the police department, the number of homicides in 2010 is very close to the numbers last year.

"This is the 44th one we've investigated this year. Last year at this time almost to the day we were at 50, so it's running pretty much the same," says Sgt. Dave Walker.

There were a total of 62 homicides in 2010.

Fuller was wanted for failing to register as a sex offender, however police do not believe this was a motive. ..Source.. by Sharon Phillips

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Man arrested in death of man found in ditch

11-3-2011:

Antwan Maurice Reed, 34, was taken into custody on a complaint of first-degree murder after investigators found evidence linking him to the death of Eric Fuller, 48, Sgt. Dave Walker said.

Fuller was found dead with a gunshot wound in a ditch near 3100 E. Virgin St. about 8:25 a.m. Sunday. Police believe he was killed between 3 and 4 a.m.

Reed is being held at the Tulsa Jail without bail. He also is being held for traffic violations.

He has a history of criminal convictions that include assaulting a police officer, burglary, kidnapping, concealing stolen property and possession of drugs, records show. He served nine years in jail and was released in 2009. ..Source.. by ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff Writer

Man shot to death outside home near Exeter

7-26-2011 California:

A man was shot to death Monday morning while waiting for a ride to work outside his home northeast of Exeter.

Neighbors said Frederico Acuna, 30, was a field worker who was usually out waiting to be picked up for work at that time, about 5:45 a.m.

Later that afternoon, Elias Alberto Zurita Ramos, 23, of Lindsay was arrested on suspicion of murdering Acuna, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department reported.

The department had also searched Ramos' home.

The shooting occurred on Eaton Road, just a few yards from Highway 198, where a small cluster of homes are located.

Kerry Dalberg, who lives nearby, said he was asleep when he heard a boom. "I thought it was a wreck," he said.

He said he and others went outside to see what happened and saw Acuna. He had walked a few yards from the place where he was shot to the front door of his home and collapsed. He said a woman there was pressing a towel to wounds to his chest.

"He was saying 'I don't want to die. I don't want to die,' " Dalberg said. He was also telling some of the people around him that he loved them, he added.

Acuna was taken by ambulance to Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, where he was pronounced dead at about 6:45 a.m.

A sheriff's report states that Acuna was shot multiple times in the upper body by someone who either drove up near him or approached him on foot.

The shooting doesn't appear to be gang-related, the report states.

Acuna is listed on the Megan's Law website — with the first name of "Federico" — as a registered sex offender for a 2003 conviction on a charge of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14. The site states he was released in 2010.

A man at Acuna's home who identified himself as his brother declined to be interviewed Monday.

As for the suspect in the case, a sheriff's press release didn't state how detectives connected Ramos to the killing, where he was located or a possible motive for the shooting.

Detectives were still questioning him late Monday afternoon.

Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call 800-808-0488. Anonymous tips also can be called or sent by text message to 725-4194. They also can be emailed to tcso@tipnow.com. ..Source.. by DAVID CASTELLON

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Lindsay man pleads not guilty to murder

8-3-2011 California:

A Lindsay man arrested in connection with the shooting of an Exeter man is being charged with murder.

Elias Alberto Zurita Ramos, 23, of Lindsay pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on July 27 at the Pretrial Facility where he is being held without bail.

Ramos is being charged with one count of murder and discharging a firearm in commission of a felony- PC12022.53(d). Ramos returned to court yesterday to set a date for his preliminary hearing, which was unavailable as of press time.

The shooting happened in the early morning on July 25 in the 21000 block of Avenue 296, or Highway 198. Frederico Acuna, 30, of Exeter was waiting in front of his home for a ride to work when he was shot multiple times in the upper body.

A neighboring resident called 911 at about 5:45 a.m. and deputies responded to the scene on Eaton Road at the base of Badger Hill just off Highway 198.

Deputies arrived and paramedics transported Acuna to the Kaweah Delta Medical Center. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at approximately 6:45 a.m. at the hospital.

Detectives from the Violent Crimes and Forensic Investigations Units were called to take over the case.

The case does not appear to be gang related but Acuna is a registered sex offender, except his name is listed as Frederico Acuna Lira. According to the Megan’s Law website, Acuna was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 in 2003 and released in 2010.

The Sheriff’s Department has not released any motive behind the crime. ..Source.. by Sun Gazette

Man shot to death, found in Facility Drive duplex

2-17-2011 North Carolina:

A man was killed in a volley of gunfire Wednesday afternoon that broke out along Ramsey Street near the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fayetteville police said.

The victim, Patrick Donte Lloyd, 27, of White Oak, was found dead in a duplex at 108 Facility Drive after patrol officers found the back door of the home open and entered, police spokesman Sgt. John Somerindyke said.

Detectives were questioning several people Wednesday night but had made no arrests.

Police were called to two afternoon reports of shots being fired in the area, but it wasn't known whether they were related, Somerindyke said.

Officers first were summoned to the 2100 block of Ramsey Street at 1:56 p.m. for a report of shots being fired from a black vehicle, he said. The vehicle soon was seen in the area by an officer responding to the call.

"Officers got in the area pretty quick and saw it. It fit the description; it was travelling at a high rate of speed," Somerindyke said. "When they tried to stop it, it refused."

The driver of the suspect vehicle led police on a short chase to North Street, where the vehicle stopped and its two occupants got out and ran, he said. One man was captured a short time later, though the man was not immediately identified.

While on the scene at North Street, police received another call about shots being fired on Facility Drive off Ramsey Street, he said. Officers responding to that call checked the home at 108 Facility St. and found the back door open, Somerindyke said. A subsequent search revealed Lloyd had been shot and killed in the home.

According to Department of Correction records, Lloyd served 16 months in prison after being convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child in 2005. He was convicted in 2007 of two counts of selling cocaine and served 13 months in prison.

In 2007, he was again convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison.

Lloyd was a registered sex offender, according to the state registry. His address is listed as the 7200 block of River Road in White Oak. A police spokesman said he didn't know what Lloyd was doing in the home on Facility Drive.

At the crime scene Wednesday afternoon, more than 20 police cars clogged Facility Drive and the parking lot of a gas station, which was sealed off with yellow police tape, at the corner of Ramsey Street. Orange markers on Facility Drive marked at least five shell casings that had fallen to the pavement in front of the home. Officers were seen photographing areas in the back of the home.

Vaden Hill, 37, who lives across Ramsey Street from the shooting, said he was coming outside as the shooting unfolded. He said he saw a man running from behind a wooden privacy fence that separates the home from the gas station. The man had a gun and was firing toward the home as he ran to the gas station, he said.

"He was still shooting when he was coming around the corner," Hill said. "There was a black Dodge Charger sitting right here waiting for him, but there was another car on the other side (of the parking lot), too. He ran up to the first car, yelled at it, said something, hopped in the car, rolled to the next car. They said something to each other and they raced down the street."

Hill said he didn't recognize the vehicles or the shooter. They both drove off south on Ramsey Street, he said.

Another neighbor from across Ramsey Street, Frank Bowles, 47, said he was working outside when he heard about seven shots ring out. He went over to see what was going on and saw a black Charger bolting down Ramsey Street, he said.

Bowles said he knew the occupant of the property, and the victim was not him.

"Apparently, whoever ran in there, ran in there to seek refuge," Bowles said. ..Source.. James Halpin, Staff writer

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Suspect wanted in Fayetteville slaying

Fayetteville, N.C. — Police were searching Wednesday for a Fayetteville man who has been named as a suspect in a fatal shooting last week.

Rinald Anthony Jackson, 28, is wanted on a first-degree murder charge in the Feb. 16 death of Patrick Donte Lloyd, 27, of White Oak. Police said Lloyd was found shot to death inside a home at 108 Facility Drive.

Jackson, who also goes by Cuervo, has a distinguishing tattoo between his eyes, police said. He is known to frequent the areas of Murchison Road and Colony Place Apartments.

Police cautioned that Jackson is armed and dangerous. He has previous convictions for assault inflicting serious injury, assault on a policeman, possession of a firearm by a felon and selling drugs, according to state Department of Correction records. ..Source.. by WRAL.com

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Fayetteville Man Arrested In Connection With Facility Dr. Murder

3-14-2011:

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- A Fayetteville man has been arrested and charged in connection with a Feb. 16 murder on Facility Drive.

The Federal Marshal Violent Fugitives Task Force apprehended Rinald Anthony Jackson, 28, Monday morning at a private residence on the 5000 block of Morganton Road.

Jackson was taken into custody and charged with first degree murder in the Feb. 16 shooting death of Patrick Lloyd.

Lloyd was found dead at a home at 108 Facility Drive.

Jackson is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center. ..Source.. by WNCT.com

Senior found strangled and beaten identified as Robert Moncrief, 65

9-28-2010 Ohio:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cuyahoga County coroner's office has identified the man found dead Friday at a public-housing high-rise at East 13th Street and Superior Avenue in Cleveland.

Robert Moncrief, 65, was asphyxiated with a ligature and beaten on the head, according to Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller.

Police have not released information about the investigation.

Moncrief, who lived at the Ernest J. Bohn Tower, was the second older man discovered killed in eight days at Cleveland subsidized housing for seniors.

On Aug. 26, the body of 87-year-old Phillip Gossett was found in his fifth-floor apartment in Lupica Towers on Community College Avenue. He, too, was beaten and strangled.

Gossett's case remains under investigation. Police said they do not believe the homicides are connected. ..Source.. by Amanda Garrett, The Plain Dealer

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Further research on Robert Moncrief

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Notice that Amanda Garrett (Reporter from the Plain Dealer [see above]), in response to a comment from Born2Hang [below, copied from comments following article], admitted she knows that Robert Moncrief was a registered sex offender. Accordingly this qualifies for our blog.

Comment by: Born2Hang on 9-4:

Question: Was his muder in any way related to the fact that Moncrief is a registred sex offender from some 1989 sex crimes against children in Alabama?

"THE VICTIMS WERE HIS DAUGHTERS AND STEPDAUGHTER AGES 8,10,12.SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON AND 7 1/2 YEARS IN PAROLE. " See the sex offender list at either the Cuyahoga County Sheriff web site, or the list at the Ohio Attorney General's site called eSORN.

his description: "GLASSES; SCAR - on throat; SCAR ON BACK - lower back; DENTURES, UPPER; TATTOO ON LEFT ARM - upper arm a little devil w/'raise hell"; TATTOO ON LEFT ARM - lower arm a black panther; TATTOO ON RIGHT ARM - inside lower park of arm a naked woman; DEAF IN RIGHT EAR"

His classification: "(Pre AWA) Habitual Sex Offender With Notification"

Did he harm someone else's child? Did a past vitcim come after him?

It seems pretty personal when someone is strangled to death. But, then again, the other senior citizen was strangled, too, so maybe it is someone preying on these senior citizens' homes. I just thought it was interesting that a habitual sex offender who victimized kids met this fate, and wondered if someone was out for revenge against him.

Obviously no one has to a right to murder someone for their past crimes.

Comment by Amanda Garrett, The Plain Dealer:

FYI: I am aware of his criminal history and had already posed this question to both police and CMHA. Moreover, I have asked whether felons and/or sex offenders are eligible for CMHA housing. I am awaiting those answers.

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Later article on who was arrested for Robert Moncrief's murder

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Bank robbery suspect Lateeshia Scott charged with murder of Robert Moncrief

CLEVELAND -- A 32-year-old Cleveland woman suspected of robbing four area banks is now accused of murdering a 65-year-old man who was found dead in his apartment earlier this month.

Lateeshia Scott has been charged with the murder of Robert Moncrief at his 12th-floor apartment at the Ernest J. Bohn Tower, 1300 Superior Ave., according to Cleveland police.

Moncrief was found on Sept. 3. He had been strangled and beaten on the head, according to the Cuyahoga County coroner's office.

Scott appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court on Monday. Bond was set at $4 million.

Scott was wanted for robbing a U.S. Bank on West 25th Street on Sept. 4, a Key Bank branch on Broadway on Sept. 14, a Key Bank branch on West 25th on Sept. 17 and a Charter One Bank branch on Euclid Avenue on Sept. 20.

According to court documents, Scott has been charged with only one count of aggravated robbery at this point.

Police arrested Scott at a four-suite building on East 83rd Street on Sept. 22. She was found hiding behind a washer and dryer in a laundry room.

Scott told authorities at the time of her arrest that she was seven months pregnant and was high on crack cocaine, according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Koerbel. ..Source.. by Tonya Sams, The Plain Dealer

OH- Man Stabbed to Death on West Harrison Street

8-25-2009 Ohio:

The city of Newark has recorded its second homicide of the year. The latest happened around 10:15 Monday night on West Harrison Street.

A disconnected 911 call alerted authorities to a problem at 59 West Harrison Street. When police arrived they found the many residents of the rooming house, but didn't see a victim.

"They did a very good job It would have been easy turn around and say well there's no disturbance, but they did an excellent job in continuing the call and locating the victim," says Sgt. Scott Snow, Newark Police Department.

After searching the house, 25-year-old John Stouffer was found stabbed to death in his room. For neighbor Donna Queen, whose boyfriend lives at the home the discovery was shocking.

"I was scared, because I live here by myself and I was scared. I mean that's too close to home," says Queen.

Neighbors say with people going to and from the house it's hard to tell if there's anything suspicious going on.

"Sometimes it's kind of scary because you don't know who's going in and out. There's always quite a bit of traffic. You don't know who lives there and who don't," says Queen.

Sgt. Snow says the public should not be worried, because they don't believe this was a random act of violence, they are interviewing multiple residents of the house.

"The investigators are kind of wading through the scene and wading through the evidence and they'll be doing extensive interviews with each resident," says Snow.

Neighbors say it's some of the homes residents they're concerned about.

Authorities say the victim Stouffer was a convicted sex offender who was arrested for propositioning a child.

Queen says several residents of the home are criminals and she'd like to see the buildings owner take action.

"For the owner to like know the person that's going to be renting there, to know their background, you know a little bit more about who she's letting rent there."

Licking County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest of Stouffer's killer. If you have any information on the murder call the Newark Division of Police Detective Bureau at (740) 670-7215. ..Source.. by Kelly Gilmartin

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4 Arrested In Stabbing Death

8-28-2009 Ohio:

NEWARK, Ohio — Four people were arrested Thursday in connection with a man's stabbing death in a rooming house.

Police were called to the home on West Harrison Street at about 10 p.m. Monday, 10TV News reported.

Residents at the home told the officers that nothing was wrong, but they searched the house as a precaution and found John Stouffer's body in an upstairs room.

He was stabbed several times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested Beth Anne Doty, William Withem, William Snyder and Jason Stone in connection with the murder.

Stone, 20, was charged with murder. Doty, 29, Withem, 45, and Snyder, 33, were charged with complicity to murder.

All four people were expected to be arraigned on Friday. ..Source.. by 10TV News

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5th Stabbing Suspect Held On $1M Bond

9-25-2009 Ohio:

A 5th suspect arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a Newark man is being held on a $1,000,0000 bond.

Licking County Municipal Court officials say the case of 20-year-old Nicholas Wallace will now go before a Licking County Grand Jury next week.

Newark Police Sgt. Scott Snow says Wallace was arrested Thursday afternoon around 4:30.

He's being charged with aggravated murder and tampering with evidence in the death of 25-year-old John Stouffer.

He's currently being held in the Licking County Justice Center.

Stouffer was found stabbed to death at a West Jefferson Street home in Newark on August 24.

Four other suspects, Jason Stone, William Snyder, William Withem and Beth Doty have all been charged in Stouffer's death and are being held in the Licking County Justice Center. ..Source.. by WHIZ News

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Man Sentenced in Newark Murder.

12-18-2009 Ohio:

A 20-year-old Newark man will spend 18-years-to-life in prison in connection with an August murder.

Nicholas Wallace was sentenced Friday in Licking County Common Pleas Court on charges of murder, aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence in the stabbing death of 25-year-old John Stouffer on August 24 in Newark.

Four other co-defendants in the case have yet to go on trial. ..Source.. WHIZ News

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Man gets 18 years to life in stabbing death

12-18-2009 Ohio:

NEWARK — A 20-year-old man, sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for his role in the stabbing death of a Newark man, addressed the court with regret and gratitude.

“Thank you very much for showing me some mercy,” Nicholas B. Wallace said at his sentencing Friday.

Wallace, last known address 33 S. Sixth St., pleaded no contest to aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Licking County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain sentenced Wallace to 15 years to life for aggravated murder, which merged with the murder and aggravated burglary counts, and three years for the tampering with evidence charge. Wallace could have faced up to life in prison and a $55,000 fine, Marcelain said.

On Aug. 24, Newark police were called to a rooming house at 59 W. Harrison St. after reports of screams coming from John Stouffer’s room, Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Huston said.

Police found Stouffer, 25, dead on the floor after being stabbed 29 times, allegedly at the command of leaders of a “Death Demon” club, Huston said. The reported leaders have not been charged.

Wallace gave the weapon to co-defendant Jason Stone, who stabbed Stouffer multiple times after co-defendant William Snyder got Stouffer to open the door under the pretense of talking about Stouffer’s truck, Huston said.

Co-defendant Beth Doty, who believed she was pregnant with Stouffer’s child, solicited the “Death Demons” to “take care of him,” Huston said. William Withem, also charged in connection with the killing, drove his co-defendants to and from the crime scene, according to court records.

Wallace also burned blood-soaked clothing after the stabbing in an attempt to remove evidence, Huston said.

“He was a very young individual being influenced by people he should have known not to be influenced by,” said Wallace’s attorney, Matthew Dawson.

Wallace said had time to think about the events while in jail and expressed regret for not going to authorities at the first sign of trouble.

“No amount of apologies can end the pain or hurt this has caused his family,” Wallace said.

Wallace was the last of the five to be indicted in Stouffer’s stabbing death but the first to be sentenced. Wallace’s case was expedited because he did not ask for a competency hearing, admitted to his role and expressed remorse, Huston said.

“Mr. Wallace takes full responsibility for his actions,” Dawson said. ..Source.. by JESSIE BALMERT, Advocate Reporter

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Attorney wants second evaluation for man charged in stabbing

1-6-2010 Ohio:

ARK -- The attorney for a 46-year-old man charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Newark man asked for a second assessment of his client's mental competency.

The first assessment declared him mentally retarded but fit to stand trial. Visiting Judge Jon Spahr accepted the reports that indicated William F. Withem, last known address 39 S. Sixth St., Newark, was able to understand his alleged actions were wrong and participate in court proceedings.

Withem's attorney, Diane Menashe, asked Spahr for an additional assessment because the report indicated her client is mentally retarded.

Withem has an IQ of 65, cannot read or write adequately and has records with the Department of Developmental Disabilities dating back to age 16, Menashe said.

"I have a real concern about his ability to retain information," she said.

Withem and his four co-defendants were charged with aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies; and aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.

On Aug. 26, Withem drove his co-defendants to a rooming house at 59 W. Harrison St., knowing a resident, John Stouffer, would be killed there, according to court records.

Withem drove a witness to buy cigarettes to get the man away from the scene, according to court records.

After reviewing Withem's mental-health records, Menashe wrote that she had grave concerns about Withem's ability to understand the nature and objectives of these proceedings and assist in his own defense.

One of Withem's co-defendants, Nicholas B. Wallace, was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison in connection with Stouffer's death.

Co-defendants Jason C. Stone, Beth A. Doty and William C. Snyder were found competent to stand trial. Withem's attorney was the only one to ask for a second evaluation. ..Source.. by JESSIE BALMERT, Advocate Reporter

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Woman Learns Fate In 'Death Demons' Stabbing

2-3-2010 Ohio:

NEWARK, Ohio — A woman was sentenced Wednesday after admitting her role in a fatal stabbing that was apparently linked to a cult called the Death Demons.

Beth Doty, 29, said she asked fellow members to kill her boyfriend, John Stouffer, in August, 10TV News reported.

Police found John Stouffer, 25, stabbed to death in a rooming house after someone reported screaming.

Doty received a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the slaying.

Three other men are awaiting trial in the case, while a fourth man is already serving 18 years to life in prison. ..Source.. by 10TV News

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Woman Guilty of Murder

2-3-2010 Ohio:

A Newark woman will spend at least 20 years in prison for a murder last August.

Wednesday in Licking County Common Pleas Court 29-year-old Beth Doty pled guilty to one count of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary.

Doty is believed to be the organizer of a group that stabbed 25-year-old John Stouffer to death August 24 on West Harrison Street in Newark.

Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Huston says Doty is 8 months pregnant and believes Stouffer is the child's father. Huston says Doty has another child that she does not have custody of and was concerned she would lose custody of her unborn child, because Stouffer was a convicted sex offender.

For her actions Judge Thomas Marcelain sentenced Doty to 20 years in prison before she has the possibility of parole.

In December, 20-year-old Nicholas Wallace was sentenced to 18-years-to-life in prison on charges related to Stouffer's death.

Other people believed to be involved in the crime 20-year-old Jason Stone, 34-year-old William Snyder and 46-year-old William Withem have yet to go on trial. ..Source.. by Kelly Mills

Sexual predator shot dead in Town 'N Country

12-1-2009 Florida:

TAMPA — A registered sexual predator was shot dead steps from his home Monday morning in the middle of a residential street in Town 'N Country. Hillsborough sheriff's deputies are searching for three young men suspected of killing him.

Miguel Antonio Gomez, 57, was in a confrontation with several men about 11:45 a.m. at the corner of Hanna Avenue and Eden Lane when he was shot, deputies said. Gomez collapsed in the street. An ambulance took him to Town & Country Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Deputies describe the three suspects as white or Hispanic, ages 18 to 24. One had a dark beard; one was wearing a dark skullcap; and one had long, curly hair, deputies said.

They think the three fled in a dark green, 1996 to 2000 Honda two-door coupe.

The car was last seen speeding away from the scene, going west on Willow Wood Lane.

On Monday afternoon, a black T-shirt, a baseball cap and what looked like a pastel, printed bedspread remained strewn in the street. Investigators examined a hole in a window at 6409 Eden Lane.

Gomez lived a few houses away, at 6417 Eden Lane. State sex offender records show he was convicted in 1997 on charges of false imprisonment of a child under 13 while committing sexual battery; sexual battery of a child under 16; and an attempted lewd and lascivious act on a child under 16. Less than a month ago, he was convicted on a marijuana possession charge.

A man who answered the phone at his house Monday night declined to comment.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call Cpl. O'Neal Jackson of the Homicide Unit at (813) 247-8649. ..Source.. Alexandra Zayas, Times Staff Writer

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Cousins charged with killing Town 'N Country sexual predator

12-16-2009:

Deputies arrested two cousins in the Nov. 30 shooting death of a sexual predator in Town 'N Country.

Christopher Rodriquez, 22, and Emanuel Rodriguez, 16, both of 4727 Town 'N Country Blvd., face charges of first-degree murder.

Here's what deputies said happened Nov. 30:

About 11:45 a.m., Miguel Antonio Gomez, 57, of 6417 Eden Lane, was walking his dogs at W Hanna Avenue and Eden Lane.

The Rodriguez cousins pulled up in a green two-door Honda Civic and tried to rob him. Emanuel Rodriguez pointed a .40-caliber handgun, and Christopher pointed a 9mm handgun.

Gomez tried to grab Emanuel Rodriguez's gun but was shot twice. Gomez fell in the middle of the intersection, and Emanuel Rodriguez ran toward the car.

Christopher Rodriquez walked up to Gomez and shot him two to three more times before running away.

Gomez was taken to Town & Country Hospital, where he died.

Based on information from the ensuing investigation, detectives identified the Rodriquez cousins as the suspects and arrested them at their home Tuesday evening.

State sex offender records show that Gomez was convicted in 1997 of false imprisonment of a child under 13 while committing sexual battery, sexual battery of a child under 16, and an attempted lewd and lascivious act on a child under 16. He had recently been convicted of marijuana possession. ..Source.. by Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer

Utica man, 66, shot dead after answering door

11-27-2009 New York:

State: Garrow also convicted sex offender

UTICA — .George Garrow and his roommate had just spent Wednesday evening baking pies and sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner when they heard a knock at the door of their Dudley Avenue apartment shortly before midnight.

Having only one leg, Garrow, 66, grabbed his crutch and made his way to the door. The roommate said he next overheard Garrow talking with what sounded like a man and a woman.

The unknown visitors then demanded money from Garrow, the roommate recalled, but Garrow refused.

Suddenly, shots rang out.

Moments later at 11:53 p.m., Garrow, a previously convicted sex offender, would be found dead in his first-floor doorway, said his roommate, who asked not to be named. By Friday morning, his killer or killers remained at large, Utica police said.

When officers arrived, they said the smell of nutmeg and cinnamon still wafted through the air inside 1139 Dudley Ave.

While police officials did not dispute the roommate’s account of what happened, investigators spent the Thanksgiving holiday trying to piece together who might have killed Garrow, and for what reason.

“I do know that there was a conversation at the door, and I do know that there were gunshots,” Utica police Capt. James Watson said. “That lends itself for us to believe that the victim may know the offender.”

Garrow appeared to be shot in the head, according to the roommate, but police would not confirm where Garrow was shot on his body or how many times. Officials said an autopsy most likely will take place early next week.

Interviews conducted at the scene of the homicide earlier that morning offered few clues about the culprits, Watson said.

“Based on the people we’ve spoken to, we need to do some follow-up interviews with people before we can even come remotely close to developing suspect information,” Watson said.

Shortly after the shooting, area police agencies were put on alert for an older white jeep occupied by two men and two women that reportedly drove away from the scene north on Dudley Avenue toward Eagle Street.

‘He didn't deserve to die this way'

Several hours after Garrow was killed, his crutch remained propped up against the porch near the front door, which still was stained with blood.

For those who knew Garrow, it was those crutches and a mobilized wheelchair that they most often saw him use to move throughout the Cornhill neighborhood.

And although Garrow spent more than 15 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy in the late 1980s in Otsego County, his status as a registered Level 3 sex offender wasn’t mentioned as they recalled their neighbor.

“I was a good friend of his,” neighbor Judith Torres said Thanksgiving Day afternoon in front of the first-floor apartment where Garrow was killed. “He didn’t deserve to die this way. God took a good man.”

Despite having only one leg, Garrow still offered to cut lawns for his neighbors, while using one hand to push the mower and the other hand to balance himself on a crutch.

He also drove a tractor that towed a small trailer throughout the neighborhood to collect scrap metal that he would sell for cash, friends said.

Garrow, they said, enjoyed bird-watching in his backyard, where a row of leafy collard greens still grew in the ground Thursday as a reminder of Garrow’s love of gardening.

“On his birthday, he would say God gave him another chance," Torres said.

Garrow did have a number of children that he hasn’t talked to for years, according to the roommate, who has lived with Garrow since July.

But shortly before Garrow was killed, he had just spoken on the phone with a son he hadn’t seen in about 14 years, the roommate said. Garrow also recently had made contact with another son living in Texas that he hasn’t seen for nearly 30 years.

After the roommate was questioned by police until about 6 a.m. Thursday, he was not immediately allowed to go back inside his apartment because it was a crime scene.

‘Like light bulbs dropping’

When police officers responded to the call, they already had been notified that multiple shots had been fired. The sound of gunfire had clearly been heard by nearby residents.

“It sounded like light bulbs dropping to the floor,” Torres said from her nearby home.

In the early morning hours after the shooting, area police agencies were put on alert for an older white jeep occupied by two men and two women that reportedly drove away from the scene south on Dudley Avenue toward Eagle Street

The city police forensic truck spent hours parked in the middle of the block with its spotlights shining on the 2-1/2 story house as evidence was collected.

As word of Garrow’s death spread, the Thanksgiving eve killing brought shock and fear to neighbors such as Jessenia Lopez, 19, who moved to the block with her three children about eight months ago.

Lopez was decorating a Christmas tree when she noticed the police activity on the street, she said.

“This is not what I want for my kids. ... Now I'm scared to even close my eyes,” Lopez said about an hour after the homicide.

This is Utica’s fourth homicide of the year.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 223-3510.

All calls will be kept confidential. ..Source.. ROCCO LaDUCA, JENNIFER BOGDAN and EMERSON CLARRIDGE, Observer-Dispatch

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Teen shows no remorse over shooting death of 66 year old

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Monday morning during his sentencing, 19 year old Robert Thompson told Oneida County Court Judge Michael Dwyer that he had no remorse at all for shooting and killing 66 year old George Garrow.

Prosecutors say Thompson and his half-brother, 19 year old Trevon Patterson went up the steps of Garrow's Dudley Avenue home to rob him of drugs and cash on Thanksgiving Eve 2009.

Prosecutors say Garrow was a known drug dealer, and the two teens intended to just rob him, but Garrow fought back and Thompson shot Garrow twice and killed him.

Dwyer was appalled at Thompson's lack of remorse and told him he would recommend to the parole board they never release Thompson early, that he serve every day of his 25 year sentence for 1st degree manslaughter.

"It's not new. It's rare. I've seen it before," said Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Kurt Hameline of Thompson's lack of remorse and statements to the judge. "He has no feeling whatsoever for what he did, no remorse, just cold blooded, he's basically evil, his streetname is 'Homicide', so I mean, that kind of fits him."

Trevon Patterson is due in court on Thursday to be sentenced on robbery charges.

Hameline says a third defendant, 28 year old Shantai Rogers also played a role in the robbery, getting Garrow to open the door in the first place. Shantai Rogers will be sentenced in January on robbery charges as well. ..Source.. by WKTV.com

AZ- Officials discuss motives in slaying of 3 in Ariz.

10-1-2009 Arizona:

ST. JOHNS, Ariz. — An Arizona man who confessed to killing three people and pronounced himself a serial killer told authorities he committed the crimes because one man shot a dog, he didn't want the second to hurt anyone else and his attempts to get a 16-year-old off drugs failed.

William Inmon of Springerville faces prison sentences of 25 years to life on each of three counts of first-degree murder. Authorities said the 21-year-old's killing spree started in April 2007 with 72-year-old William "Stoney" McCarragher, continued with 60-year-old Daniel Achten nearly two years later and ended with the death of teenager Ricky Flores in August.

Inmon pleaded guilty to the murders on Wednesday.

Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting said Thursday that Inmon's overwhelming motive in the murders was that he wanted to rid society of less-than-desirable people. He told authorities he would have continued his vigilante killing spree had he not been caught.

Authorities said Thursday that money and guns also were motives.

Inmon's attorney, Albert Lassen said in a statement Thursday that his client agreed to cooperate with authorities only if the death penalty was taken off the table. Prosecutors agreed.

McCarragher was the first known of Inmon's victims, but authorities say they are investigating whether he might be involved in at least two other murders.

McCarragher lived on a small rural ranch outside of St. Johns and was known to carry large amounts of money, sometimes thousands of dollars. In court documents, those interviewed by investigators said McCarragher was a "potty mouth" and was rough on kids. He also had a criminal history of sex offenses under an alias, according to court documents.

Inmon, who was considered a potential suspect at the time, denied fatally shooting McCarragher and said, "the whole town is suspect because a lot of people did not care for Stoney."

Inmon recently confessed to the murder, saying he did not want McCarragher to violate anyone else.

Achten, who had been missing for five months before his remains were discovered in a shallow grave on his rural property outside of St. Johns last week, was a Vietnam veteran who locals said couldn't hear well. He was known to some as "Hummer Dan," because he was constantly humming, Apache County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Guinn said.

The gangly Inmon told authorities that Achten used drugs, shot his longtime dog and generally mistreated people, so he believed he had a duty to rid society of him.

Authorities said Inmon was proud of committing the murders of Achten and McCarragher, but was remorseful about the death of Flores, whom he killed with a single shotgun blast.

Springerville Police Chief Steve West said Inmon initially claimed that Flores' had threatened him with a firearm and he acted in self-defense. He eventually confessed and broke down in tears — one of only three moments when he showed real emotion, West said.

Inmon told authorities he wanted Flores to change his life, and authorities believe drugs were the issue.

The latest confessions are likely to further shake up the tiny town of St. Johns where violent killings had been rare. Last November, a then 8-year-old was charged with fatally shooting his father and his father's roommate. He pleaded guilty to the roommate's death and prosecutors dropped charges against him in his father's death. The boy, now 9, is awaiting sentencing. ..Source.. by FELICIA FONSECA

OH- Convicted Sex Offender Shot to Death

9-6-2009 Ohio:

Police are looking for the person responsible for the shooting death of a convicted sex offender early Saturday in Lincoln Heights.

Police responded to a 911 call around 2 a.m., the caller saying a man had been shot in the 1100 block of Simmons Ave. The first officers on the scene found 32 year old Rico M. Rutherford lying in the road, suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Hospital, where he died.

Investigators from Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Lincoln Height Police Department say Rutherford was involved in a verbal dispute before he was shot. The gunman was driving a 2 door gray car. The man fired several shots from the car and then fled the scene. Police don't know a make or model, and they have only a vague description of the man.

According to the Ohio Attorney General's Sex Offender registry and the Ohio Department of Corrections, Rutherford was a tier two sex offender and spent six years in prison for two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a young girl, possession of drugs and tampering with evidence. He was released from jail and put on parole on June 18th.

Anybody with information about the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (513) 825-1500 or Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3040, or text Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3050. ..Source.. by Local12.com

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Police Name Gunman in Murder of Sex Offender

9-8-2009 Ohio:

Cincinnati Police are looking for the person responsible for the shooting death of a convicted sex offender early Saturday in Lincoln Heights.

Police responded to a 911 call around 2 a.m., the caller saying a man had been shot in the 1100 block of Simmons Ave. The first officers on the scene found 32 year old Rico M. Rutherford lying in the road, suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was taken to University Hospital, where he died.

Investigators from Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Lincoln Height Police Department say Rutherford had just exited his vehicle in front of his cousin's home when Cameron Barron opened fire, shooting him five times. Barron was driving a 2 door gray car and officers have now issued a warrant for his arrest.

According to the Ohio Attorney General's Sex Offender registry and the Ohio Department of Corrections, Rutherford was a tier two sex offender and spent six years in prison for two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a young girl, possession of drugs and tampering with evidence. He was released from jail and put on parole on June 18th. His family says Rutherford had turned his life around in prison. ..Source.. by Local12.com

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Fugitive arrested in Sept. 5 homicide

10-22-2009 Ohio:

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Police have been looking for Killa Cam for a long time and on Tuesday they got him.

The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Force, led by the U.S. Marshals, arrested Cameron Lamar Barron - also known as Killa Cam - about 8:10 p.m. Tuesday on Constitution Drive.

Police believe he is the person responsible for the death of Avondale resident Rico M. Rutherford, 32, who was killed in the 1100 block of Simmons Avenue on Sept. 5.

Authorities allege that Barron shot Rutherford around 2 a.m. from a gray vehicle and fled the scene. Rutherford died of several gunshot wounds. A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Barron on the charge of murder and having weapons while under disability.

Barron, 23, has been on the run much longer than a month.

A year ago police signed a warrant for his arrest in a domestic violence case after he failed to show up to court.

Now that he has been arrested he will face all of these charges.

On Thursday he was arraigned in the domestic violence case. Friday he is scheduled for his arraignment on the murder and gun charge. ..Source.. by Carrie Whitaker

CA- Registered sex offender found dead in motel room on The Alameda — San Jose's 19th homicide

8-13-2009 California:

San Jose police today are investigating the city's 19th homicide of the year — the victim is a registered sex offender who was found stabbed to death in a motel room on The Alameda.

The 46-year-old man, who was not immediately identified by police pending notification of next of kin, was found in a room at the Santa Clara Inn at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.

He had been stabbed a single time, fatally. Police were still investigating the motive as of this afternoon.

This time last year, there had been 22 homicides.

Anyone with information about this case was asked to contact detective sergeants Tony Mata or Pete Ramirez of the San Jose Police Department Homicide Unit at 408-277-5283. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867). ..Source.. by Sean Webby, swebby@mercurynews.com

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San Jose's 19th homicide victim of '09 identified

8-14-2009 California:

San Jose police have identified the city's 19th homicide victim of the year as Tommy Williams, a registered sex offender. Williams was found stabbed to death in a room at the Santa Clara Inn at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.

He was seen in the San Jose State University area before he was killed. Police were investigating the motive Friday and were hoping to find anyone who saw the victim between Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m.

On the California Megan's Law Web site, Williams is reported to have been convicted of a sex act with a minor.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact detective Sgts. Tony Mata or Pete Ramirez of the San Jose Police Department Homicide Unit at 408-277-5283. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867). ..Source.. by Sean Webby

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City resident charged with Calif. murder

4-7-2010 California:

PORTSMOUTH — A month after an Iowa state trooper found him riding in a Lincoln that was stolen from a city driveway, Stephen James MacDonald stabbed a man to death in a California hotel room, police allege.

MacDonald, 23, with a last known address of 10 Weald Road, is charged by San Jose police with murder. According to the San Jose Mercury, police allege he stabbed registered sex offender Tommy Williams in a San Jose motel on August 12, 2009.

The alleged motive, according to the California newspaper, was “a disagreement of some sort.”

Portsmouth Police Lt. Rodney McQuate said local officers “were looking for him for a while,” before U.S. Marshals found MacDonald in Boston. McQuate said that after the murder, MacDonald and an accomplice rode a bus back to Boston.

The accomplice, Jill Marie Botelho, 29, pleaded no contest to being an accessory to murder and was sentenced to 320 days in a California county jail, according to the San Jose newspaper. McQuate said Botelho is from southern Maine and when she lived in the area, used the last name Pento.

The police lieutenant said MacDonald's history with local police includes a 2008 arrest for a warrant out of Maine and a 2005 theft arrest. According to Herald archives, he was also arrested by Hampton police in 2007 on charges alleging loitering, prowling and theft.

Police say MacDonald was a passenger in a 1997 Lincoln Town Car that was stolen from resident Peter Anania on July 16, 2009 and recovered two days later after a high-speed pursuit on an Iowa highway. Anania told the Herald he spent hundreds of dollars to retrieve it and 21 hours driving it back home.

The driver of the stolen Lincoln, Justin Collins, 20, of Main Street, Raymond, pleaded guilty to theft in Portsmouth District Court last October and was sentenced to six months in the county jail. The charge was reduced from a felony as part of a plea agreement. ..Source.. by Elizabeth Dinan