Death Sentences For Depraved 2007 Connecticut Multiple Rape, Murder, Arson Convictions Revoked

Victims: Dr. William Petit (left) said it's an 'insult' that Hayes, who raped and murdered his wife Jennifer Hawke-Petit (right) and killed daughters Michaela (center-bottom), 11, and Hayley (center-top), 17, won't be executed.

[From article]
The Connecticut man who lost his wife and daughters in a brutal home invasion in 2007 said Wednesday it was 'sad' one of the killers had his death sentence revoked to comply with new state laws.
Dr. William Petit was tied up in the basement of his New Haven home during the July 23, 2007 attack and almost beaten to death. He could only listen as his wife was raped and murdered by Steven Hayes. Petit managed to flee to a neighbor's home as his daughters perished in the fire Hayes lit.
'It is a very sad day when a prolonged trial and decision and sentencing by a jury that took 4.5 months to seat is overturned by a legislature that ignores the wishes of the people of CT,' he said in a text message via Twitter on Wednesday.
He added: 'The insult is compounded by a Supreme Court that rules on not one but 2 cases based on personal opinions and politics and not the law.'

Tragic: Wolfe-Petit was taken to a bank to withdraw money for the robbers before her murder, while her daughters were tied to their beds. She told the cashier to call the police, but they arrived too late.

Hayes was sentenced to death in 2010 after being convicted of murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault and 13 other counts.
Co-defendant Joshua Komisarjevsky was also sentenced to death in 2011.
But in 2012 the Connecticut House of Representatives voted to repeal capital punishment, stopping it from being handed out in future cases.
Originally, the 11 people on death row - including Hayes and Komisarjevsky - were still to face execution.
But in August last year that was deemed to be 'cruel and unusual punishment' and their death sentences were commuted.
Hayes's trial, which ended Wednesday is the first in a series deciding what will be done with those men. Komisarjevsky and the other nine men who were on death row have yet to face theirs.
Petit and his family declined to make a statement in court, saying they had already said what needed to be said during the trial, as did Hayes and his public defender Thomas Ullmann.
Superior Court judge Jon C. Blue concluded: 'With the gravity of these crimes and the depravity of your character, nothing more needs to be said.'
He then handed down six consecutive sentences of life without possibility of parole, followed by a total of 106 years for Hayes's crimes.
Hayes and Komisarjevsky committed their crimes in July 2007, when a home-invasion robbery spiraled into a nightmarish litany of rape, child abuse and murder.
The pair forced their way into Petit's home and beat him badly with a baseball bat before tying him up in the basement of his house, which he shared with his wife Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and their daughters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11.
The pair demanded money from Petit, then 50, and ransacked his home - but when they found a banking book with $30,000 in it, they changed their mind.
Instead, they decided they would take Hawke-Petit to a bank, and force her to withdraw $15,000. She did, and told the teller what was happening.
But the police did not arrive in time for what happened next.
Once back home, Hayes raped Hawke-Petit, then strangled her to death. Petit, still tied up in the basement, could only listen.
When he heard one of the men say that it 'it will all be over soon,' Petit realized that they were all going to be killed and managed to break the bonds on his hands - but not those on his feet - and crawl to his neighbor's house.
The doctor was so bloodied and disfigured by his beating that his neighbor of 18 years didn't even recognize him at first.


Horror: Hayes and friend Joshua Komisarjevsky raided the Petits' home (pictured after the invasion) in July 2007. They tied Petit up in the basement, then Hayes raped Hawke-Petit before strangling her to death.

As Petit was crawling to safety, his daughters were suffering. They had been tied to their beds, with pillowcases placed over their heads.
Komisarjevsky raped 11-year-old Michaela - he later told authorities he thought she was 16 or 17 - and then Hayes splashed gasoline around the house and set it ablaze.
In journal entries read in court during the trial, Komisarjevsky wrote that he 'resented' the idea that people believe he raped Michaela, but admitting he did sexually assault her and then 'ejaculated onto her' in a 'vulgar display of power.'
He also took photos of her after the assault.
Hayley was able to free herself, but died in the hallway due to the superheated fumes. Michaela's body was found on her bed. It could not be determined how she died.
The suspects then fled the house, ramming through a police barricade with the Petits' vehicle, before being apprehended.
Facing the prospect of execution in 2013, Hayes told The New Haven Register: 'Death for me will be a welcome relief and I hope it will bring some peace and comfort to those who I have hurt so much.'
[. . .]
Since the deaths of his daughters and wife in 2007, Petit has remarried. He and his wife Christine had a son, William Petit III, in 2013.
But he has said he will never come to terms with the loss of his first family.
[. . .]
In May he began a run for state legislature.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3644078/Connecticut-man-listen-wife-raped-killed-daughters-burned-alive-says-s-sad-killer-death-sentence-commuted-new-state-laws.html

'It's an insult': Disbelief of William Petit who was forced to listen to wife being raped and killed and his daughters burned alive as Connecticut court overturns killer's execution because it's 'cruel'
Steve Hayes was convicted on 16 counts, including murder, in 2010
He was put on death row, but in 2012 Connecticut revoked its death penalty
And in 2015 he and ten others had their death sentences commuted
Now he's been sentenced to six life sentences plus 106 years in prison
In 2007 Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky invaded the Petit home
Dr. William Petit was tied up in his basement while Hayes raped his wife
He then strangled her to death while Komisarjevsky raped Michaela, 11
Michaela and sister Hayley, 17, were tied to beds while the house burned
Dr. Petit was nearly beaten to death but managed to escape to a neighbor's home but his daughters died
Komisarjevsky and nine others on death row have yet to be re-sentenced
By JAMES WILKINSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 21:47 EST, 15 June 2016 | UPDATED: 06:32 EST, 16 June 2016

Colorado Murder Rates Show Rapid Rise After Legalization of Pot

[From article]
According to the latest reports coming out of Colorado, marijuana is a major cause of homicides in the state, and the problem is only getting worse.
Regular readers will know that Colorado has seen a massive increase in crime since it legalized pot. The numbers just keep getting worse. Over the first four months of 2016, total crime in Denver is up 10% over the same period from 2015. This rate of increase is five times the population growth rate and adds to equally large increases in 2015 and 2014, as well as the period in 2013, after which the state government signaled marijuana legalization was forthcoming.
The cops in Colorado knew this would happen. They predicted it, and it has come to fruition.
Now a prosecutor in the state has gone on the record with his concerns. Arapahoe County district attorney George Brauchler provides some disturbing statistics: 10 of the last 15 murders in his jurisdiction were connected to marijuana.
[. . .]
The pot legalization advocates told us that legalized marijuana would reduce crime and effectively eliminate the black market. Now we have experienced and respected prosecutors saying they are seeing, firsthand, the exact opposite.
The legalization proponents overlooked a basic fact that District Attorney Brauchler's comments make clear – you will always require money to purchase pot, whether it is legal or not, and it is that need to acquire currency to procure the addictive drug that is a primary driver of marijuana-related crime.
[. . .]
And then there are the road hazards from legalized pot:
A report by the AAA Foundation released Tuesday found that traffic fatalities involving drivers in Washington where marijuana was involved had doubled between 2013 and 2014. Marijuana became legal in the state in 2012.
Similar trends were observed in Utah, where "officials say the number of fatal car wrecks in Utah in which drivers tested positive for marijuana has more than doubled in the last three years."
This social experiment has failed miserably. Time to recriminalize marijuana in all jurisdictions as a means of minimizing, as best as practical, the damage already done.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/06/colorado_prosecutor_marijuanarelated_murders_are_skyrocketing.html

June 1, 2016
Colorado prosecutor: Marijuana-related murders are skyrocketing
By Sierra Rayne

New Jersey Suspected Murder-Suicide Couple Found Dead By Son.

Prosecutors have identified the couple who died in an apparent murder-suicide at their New Jersey home on Saturday as 36-year-old Annette Torres (above) and 41-year-old Mark Morris (below).


[From article]

The parents of an 11-year-old boy have been identified after he found them dead at their New Jersey home in apparent-murder suicide.
However, prosecutors still have not said what may have sparked the incident involving 36-year-old Annette Torres and 41-year-old Mark Morris.
Police responded to the Bergenfield home around 10.20am on Saturday after the couple's son told a neighbor, who alerted authorities, that his parents were not breathing.
Torres, who would have turned 37 next weekend, was found dead in an upstairs bedroom while Morris was found in the basement.
Authorities said it appears that Morris killed his partner, Torres, then shot himself in the head.
Authorities have not released details on how Torres was killed.
Acting county Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal said on Sunday that the deaths were being investigated as a 'domestic violence-based murder-suicide' and declined to further comment.
On Sunday, a small makeshift memorial with a teddy bear and flowers could be seen on the steps outside the couple's home, according to NorthJersey.com.
Their son, who has not been named, is in the custody of New Jersey child welfare authorities.
The couple, who it is not clear if they were married, reportedly had four children and a history of domestic issues, according to the Bergenfield Daily Voice.

[. . .]

Acting county Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal (pictured) said the deaths were being investigated as a 'domestic violence-based murder-suicide' and declined to further comment.

Torres had worked at a local Dollar Tree store and some of her co-workers went to her house late Saturday afternoon after she did not report to work and did not respond to their calls.
After speaking briefly with police, the coworkers were seen sobbing at the scene.
One of the coworkers described Torres as 'wonderful person and good friend,' according to NorthJersey.com.
Another colleague, 21-year-old Jennifer, who worked with Torres about four years ago, called her an 'amazing lady', a 'good mother to her children' and as having a 'very chill' demeanor.

[. . .]
A neighbor described the couple as 'friendly' and reportedly never noticed any signs of trouble in the home.
'Yeah, they are usually quiet, they hadn't any bad thing (sic), I didn't see anything outside, but they are living goodly, friendly, everything,' a Bergenfield resident told WABC.
Another neighbor, who was only identified as Suja, told NJ.com that she had left her home that morning around 9.30am and did not notice any disturbances at the home or hear gunshots.
'They are so nice and quiet,' the neighbor said of the couple.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3502058/Couple-dead-11-year-old-son-apparent-murder-suicide-New-Jersey-home.html

Pictured: Couple found dead by their 11-year-old son in apparent murder-suicide at their New Jersey home
Prosecutors identified couple as Annette Torres, 36, and Mark Morris, 41
Police found Morris in basement and partner Torres upstairs on Saturday
The case is being treated as a domestic violence-based murder-suicide
Prosecutors said Morris died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
Meanwhile they have not released details on how Torres died but said it appearshe killed her then shot himself
By MYRIAH TOWNER and CLEMENCE MICHALLON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 21:36 EST, 20 March 2016 | UPDATED: 07:57 EST, 21 March 2016

Airline Employee Cited For Bravery During Hijacking

Neerja Bhanot

[From article]
Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 flying from Mumbai to the United States when it was hijacked by armed men on September 5, 1986 at the Karachi airport in Pakistan. There were 361 passengers and 19 crew members. Because of her quick thinking, Bhanot alerted the cockpit crew who escaped from an overhead hatch in the cockpit so that the aircraft could not be forcibly flown. The three-member American pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer were following protocol procedures.
The Palestinian hijackers were part of the terrorist Abu Nidal Organization that was backed by Libya. Conflicting reports indicate that the terrorists "were planning to use the hijacked plane to pick up Palestinian prisoners in both Cyprus and Israel. However, in 2006, surviving hostage Michael Thexton published a book in which he claimed he had heard the hijackers intended to crash the plane into a target in Israel (in the manner of 9/11).
[. . .]
Born in Chandigarh, India, Bhanot received her schooling at Sacred Heart Sen. Sec. School, Chandigarh. She attended St. Xavier's College in Mumbai and it was here that she began a career in modeling. She decided to apply for a flight attendant job with Pan Am and once selected, she went to Miami for training. As a flight purser, Bhanot oversaw the flight attendants, and ensured the comfort and safety of the passengers. If there is a disturbance, the purser acts as the intermediary between the cockpit and remaining cabin crew members. The purser is ultimately second in command to the pilots and is usually the only one allowed to make on board announcements. Thus, since the pilots were no longer aboard the plane, Bhanot as the most senior cabin crew member remaining aboard, took charge. After a tense 17 hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives
During the ensuing panic, "...the terrorists shot and killed an American citizen, heaved his body out of the plane's door onto the tarmac, and threatened to kill another passenger every ten minutes if their demands were not met. As the aircraft's power failed and the lights went out, the hijackers recited a martyrdom prayer, opened fire on the passengers with automatic weapons at point blank range, and threw hand grenades into the tightly packed group. In addition to the 20 passengers and crew who were killed, many more were severely maimed, blinded, or disfigured by bullets, grenades, and shrapnel."
In the subsequent chaos, Bhanot opened one of the doors, flung open an emergency chute and assisted passengers from the plane. In addition, she had secretly hidden instructions inside pages of a magazine for a passenger who was next to an emergency exit so he could open the exit. Though she could have escaped first, she let the passengers escape and was shielding three children from a hail of bullets when she was shot and killed.
One of the children, whose life she saved, is a now a captain for a major airline and has stated that Bhanot has been his inspiration and he owes every day of his life to her.
[. . .]
After her death, her parents established the Neerja Bhanot award which "is an award of recognition conferred up to once a year by the the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust in India to a woman of that country subjected to social injustice, who faces the situation with grit and determination and extends help to other women in similar distress."
The names of the unsung heroes need to be etched into our subconscious while the names of the evil ones need to be blotted out. But more importantly, we must vow not to accede to the demands of the malevolent or else we diminish the memory of the brave.

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/03/remembering_the_brave.html

March 9, 2016
Remembering the Brave
By Eileen F. Toplansky

Baltimore Chaplain Takes To Streets To Stop The Killing. Son Prays For His Safety

[From article]
My 87-year-old black preacher Dad phoned me from Baltimore, Maryland at my home in Florida. Dad spent the day at a conference for Baltimore City Fire Dept. chaplains. Dad chuckled that he received a round of applause at the conference for being the oldest active chaplain in the state.
[. . .]
Dad attended the funeral of the grandson of a couple who are members of his church. The slain 17-year-old black male lived with his grandparents. He was shot multiple times and killed in a battle between black drug dealers.
Baltimore, Chicago, Washington DC, New York and numerous other cities controlled by liberal Democrats are hotbeds of blacks murdering blacks, despite super restrictive gun laws. Blacks are murdering each other in epidemic record-breaking numbers. The Democratic Party and mainstream media are doing black Americans a huge disservice by keeping this truth on the down-low. For shameful self-aggrandizing political purposes, the Left continues to further the lie that the biggest threat to young black males is white cops.
Months ago, before his death, the young drug dealer was shot in the leg and bragged about it as if it were a badge of honor. Dad prayed with his grandparents that the boy would change.
Dad said the funeral was outrageously lavish, which he learned is called Ghetto Fabulous. The coffin was mahogany on the outside lined with silver inside. The corpse was dressed in a white shirt, white pants and $1700 white tennis shoes. The coffin was paraded through the ghetto neighborhood on a carriage that looked like glass, pulled by two white Clydesdale horses driven by two white guys in top hats. After parading the neighborhood, the coffin was transferred to a standard funeral hearse.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew the funeral was funded with drug money.
[. . .]
A woman who lived two doors away from the slain young man said she would not shed a tear for him, but felt bad for his grandparents. She said she found a gun with a loaded magazine under her front porch. The woman turned the gun over to the police. She said the now deceased 17 year old slashed all four tires of her car. She knew it was him because he came by her home taunting her, rapping about what he did to her.
Dad said the funeral and everything connected to it was very disturbing. Other than the day of his church's weekly outreach of handing out free meals, he cannot get the local street people anywhere near hearing him preach. After praying about it, Dad felt led to get out of his church and into the streets. He decided to walk the neighborhood around his church with a sign that read, “Stop the Killing.”
Word spread and neighbors began joining Dad. Dad said cars drove by honking their horns and giving his group thumps up. Group members began spontaneously chanting, “Stop the killing! Stop the killing!”
Dad said they stood in a circle holding hands and praying. A uniformed female black cop pulled her police car over to check out what was going on. She said, “Go ahead and pray, I got your backs.” Thugs joined Dad's prayer circle, laughing and making fun of them. Dad said by the end of their prayer, he saw a few of the thugs wiping their eyes.
Dad is extremely excited and plans to hit the streets again next week. Please pray that God will keep my dad safe out there on the mean streets of Baltimore.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/03/a_baltimore_drug_dealers_ghetto_fabulous_funeral_and_my_black_preacher_dad.html

March 20, 2016
A Baltimore Drug Dealer’s ‘Ghetto Fabulous’ Funeral and My Black Preacher Dad
By Lloyd Marcus

One Hundred Twenty Four Illegal Aliens Released By Homeland Security Over Past Five Years Charged With Murder

[From article]
The Center for Immigration Studies is releasing a report today showing that 124 illegal aliens who were subsequently released over the last five years by the Obama administration's Department of Homeland Security have been charged with murder.
Washington Times:
In all, some 121 immigrants who were freed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement between 2010 and 2014 went on to be charged with a total of 135 homicide-related crimes. Another three immigrants were charged with murders in 2015, bringing to 124 the total number of murder suspects the government had, then released.
Two of the immigrants in question had even been convicted of homicide before, but they were released anyway and went on to rack up new murder charges again, the report said. The others had amassed 464 total criminal charges, ranging from drugs to drunken driving, before they landed on the homicide list.
[. . .]
ICE’s decision-making has come under fire in recent years after the agency acknowledged it regularly released tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who would go on to be charged with other serious crimes.
Just as troubling are the number of repeat-offenders whom ICE arrests and releases more than once. More than 156 immigrants with criminal records were released at least twice by ICE. Those immigrants averaged more than 11 charges per person.
[. . .]
This charade has gone on long enough. Over the last five years, 135 Americans are dead because the government refuses to protect our borders. And once in the U.S., violent criminals are allowed to continue their lives of crime because ICE and DHS, as well as sanctuary cities, refuse to enforce the law.
Make no mistake. It is perfectly legal for the government to detain illegal aliens if they are deemed a threat to American citizens. This small sampling of repeat offenders obviously qualify for detention.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/03/124_illegal_aliens_released_by_dhs_in_the_last_5_years_charged_with_murder.html

March 14, 2016
124 illegal aliens released by DHS in the last 5 years charged with murder
By Rick Moran

Chicago ABC Producer Murdered While Vacationing In Belize

Tragic loss: ABC's Executive producer of online operations, Anne Swaney, 39, was kiled in Belize this week where she was vacationing.

[From article]
An ABC producer was killed while vacationing in Belize this week.
Executive producer of online operations, Anne Swaney, 39, arrived last Saturday to Nabatunich Resort, Benque Viejo, according to ABC.
Swaney was allegedly sexually assaulted before being killed after doing yoga on Thursday morning near the Mopan River nearby the resort.
A tour guide found Sawney's yoga mat another items near the river but he didn't see her and alerted the authorities.
Dogs tracked her scent on Thursday night but she was not found until the next morning.
Benque Viejo Police Superintendent Daniel Arzu said that Swaney's injured corpse was found floating on the river. She was wearing just a bra.
She also had lacerations on the side of her head along with bruises on her neck.
'We suspect that she may have been sexually violated,' Arzu said.
'She had bruises around her neck that reveals that there might have been some strangulation or some sort of fight back.'
[. . .]



'She was a trailblazer in the digital news space and was one of our first website employees,' said John H. Idler, president of ABC7.
'Anne helped us evolve our business and our newsroom, but most importantly, she was a kind person who was always had a smile and a positive attitude.'
A State Department official said in a statement: 'We offer our sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones on their loss. Our consular staff is providing all possible consular assistance.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3402147/ABC-producer-murdered-sexually-assaulted-vacation-Belize.html

ABC producer was 'murdered and sexually assaulted while on vacation in Belize'
Producer Anne Swaney, 39, arrived last Saturday to Nabatunich Resort, Benque Viejo in Belize
She disappeared on Thursday after doing yoga by the Mopan River
Swaney's half-naked corpse was found floating on the river on Friday
By ALEXANDRA KLAUSNER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 20:48 EST, 15 January 2016 | UPDATED: 00:19 EST, 16 January 2016

Updated: American Woman Artist Found Dead in Florence, Italy

Posted January 13, 2016 8:34 PM ET; Last updated January 15, 2016 5:04 PM ET


Cheik Tidiane Diaw's (right) DNA was found on a condom and cigarette in Ashley Olsen's Florence apartment, according to Italian police.
Photo: AP, EPA

[From article]
The Senegalese immigrant who was charged Thursday with murdering an American artist in Florence is the brother of the city’s top club promoter, The Post has learned.
DNA that matched Cheik Tidiane Diaw, who came to Italy illegally a few months ago, was found on a condom and cigarette inside Ashley Olsen’s Florence apartment, Italian prosecutors said at a press conference.
They believe the two met at a shady, members-only drug den called Montecarla last Thursday night and later went back to her pad to have sex.
“Then he probably slammed her head against something, twice fracturing her skull, and then strangled her,” Florence Prosecutor Giuseppe Creazza said Thursday.
An American living in Florence for the past decade told The Post that he’s met Diaw several times through his brother, Abraham, who works as the main club promoter in the city.
[. . .]
He’s not sure how the accused murderer wound up at Montecarla, which he described as the “after-, after-, afterparty” place where scantily dressed women serve coke on platters to patrons.
“His brother, who took care of him, would not allow his brother to do those type of things,” he said.

Italian police have surveillance video that shows Diaw leaving 35-year-old Olsen’s apartment and he allegedly confessed to the grisly murder while in police custody, saying that it was an accident, according to NBC News.
http://nypost.com/2016/01/14/suspect-in-killing-of-american-is-brother-to-top-club-promoter/

Suspect in killing of American is brother to top club promoter
By Sophia Rosenbaum
New York Post
January 14, 2016 | 10:02am

* * *


Victim: Ashley Olsen, 35, was found dead in her flat in Florence, Italy on Saturday by her boyfriend, an Italian artist. He has been entirely cleared by police. Sources said he had a watertight alibi.

[From article]
The American artist murdered in Florence took part in a 'consensual, erotic sex game' before she was strangled to death, police said today.
Ashley Olsen, 35, died when she was strangled with a USB wire or cord, an autopsy has found.
The development came as police also identified a potential suspect seen with her on CCTV from outside her apartment.
The man, who is thought to be a drug dealer and may be of African origin, was apparently already known to the victim.
She was found by her boyfriend on Saturday after failing to be in touch with him. He tried desperately to revive her but she was already dead.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3397826/American-murdered-Florence-took-kinky-sex-game-strangled-autopsy-finds-police-arrest-drug-dealer-seen-outside-apartment.html

American murdered in Florence took part in 'kinky sex game' before being strangled, autopsy finds as police close in on 'drug dealer' seen with her outside her apartment
Artist Ashley Olsen was found dead in her apartment in center of Italian city by her boyfriend on Saturday
Autopsy results show she had engaged in 'consensual, erotic sex game' before dying when she was strangled with a USB wire or cord
Forensic investigators are continuing to search her apartment today and say they will be there for some time
Potential murder suspect has been identified by police and is thought to be a drug dealer whom she knew and who may be of African origin
Father of 35-year-old, originally from Florida, has told of devastation at her death and mother is arriving in city to decide on funeral arrangements
By JAKE WALLIS SIMONS IN FLORENCE, ITALY, FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 11:53 EST, 13 January 2016 | UPDATED: 13:41 EST, 13 January 2016

Detroit Teen Raped and Beaten During Home Invasion

De'Naye Washington, 17, has died from injuries she suffered after being sexually assaulted in her home.

[From article]
A 17-year-old who was sexually assaulted in her home has died from injuries she suffered in the brutal attack.
De'Naye Washington was sleeping inside her home in Detroit on January 7 when her attacker burst through the window, battered over the head and sexually assaulted her.
The high school senior spent days fighting for her life in hospital, but died yesterday.
Police have named Darian Winfield, 19, as a person of interest in the attack.
[. . .]
De'Naye's aunt, Terri Washington, told Fox 2 Detroit that her niece's death - which is now being treated as murder - was 'senseless'.
'It's crazy and she is just a baby,' Ms Washington said. 'She got hit six times and her brain was swollen so much, there was nothing they could do - they tried everything.'
GeNaye's sister, Shaquetta, added: 'I just want to know why would you do that to her. What did she do to you why would you target her?
'She's so loving just like a big kid we were sitting here playing Uno the day before it happened.'
Police sources told the news station that fingerprints found inside the home link Winfield to the scene.
De'Naye's aunt, Terri Washington, told Fox 2 Detroit that her niece's death - which is now being treated as murder - was 'senseless'.
'It's crazy and she is just a baby,' Ms Washington said. 'She got hit six times and her brain was swollen so much, there was nothing they could do - they tried everything.'
GeNaye's sister, Shaquetta, added: 'I just want to know why would you do that to her. What did she do to you why would you target her?
'She's so loving just like a big kid we were sitting here playing Uno the day before it happened.'
Police sources told the news station that fingerprints found inside the home link Winfield to the scene.

Darian Winfield suspect allegedly burst through the window, battered over the head and sexually assaulted the dead girl.

He is also accused of breaking into another house on the same street as DeNaye's home on December 30, before allegedly stabbing a 39-year-old woman in the chest with the intent of sexually assaulting her.
James Craig, from Detroit Police Department, said: 'In one incident we know he was armed with what appeared to be a kitchen knife. In the most recent incident, blunt force trauma. We don't know what weapon may have been used.'
Winfield is yet to be charged following DeNaye's murder.
His family claim (sic) he is innocent, with his mother, Anita Pace, telling the Detroit News: 'It's not him. They have the wrong person'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3398135/Girl-17-dies-attacker-burst-bedroom-window-sexually-assaulted-battered-head.html

Girl, 17, dies after attacker burst through her bedroom window, sexually assaulted her and battered her over the head
De'Naye Washington, 17, was sexually assaulted in her home in Detroit
Attacker burst through her bedroom window and smashed her over head
High school senior died yesterday - five days after the brutal attack
Police have named 19-year-old Darian Witfield as a person of interest
He is already being held in jail on a $1million bond on suspicion of sexually assaulting two other women
By OLLIE GILLMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 15:37 EST, 13 January 2016 | UPDATED: 17:46 EST, 13 January 2016

Sanctuary Cities And Murder of Kate Steinle

Kate Steinle

[From article]
When Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco, the most troubling aspect of her death was that it could have been prevented. The alleged murderer had been convicted of seven felonies, and deported five times. He should not have been in the city at all. Yet even with the public outrage over this irresponsible action by law enforcement, the San Francisco board voted to keep its sanctuary policy, setting up similar scenarios in the future.
[. . .]
This reflects the unbelievable attitude created by Democrat-run cities that they can pick and choose those who reside in their cities as long as those new residents vote for them and keep the wealthy teacher and other public unions employed. It is a clear violation of Federal law done for profit and political power.
But there may be a silver lining to this cloud of corruption. These actions are so outrageous they have created an opening for a lawsuit. And on December 4, 2015 a lawsuit, filed by a Los Angeles Law Firm and Judicial Watch, may have far reaching implications for all American cities. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of San Francisco City and County resident Cynthia Cerletti. Cerletti’s lawsuit is based on California’s common law taxpayer standing doctrine and Code of Civil Procedure § 526a, which allow any citizen to sue government officials to prevent the unlawful expenditure of taxpayer funds.
[. . .]



Democrats in the U.S. Senate filibustered a measure to crack down on sanctuary cities by stripping funding from communities such as San Francisco that refuse to cooperate with Federal immigration law. This proves that illegal immigration is not created by businesses who want cheap labor but by Democrats who want residents in their cities and states.

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/12/sanctuary_city_policy_finally_challenged_in_court.html

December 18, 2015
Sanctuary City Policy Finally Challenged In Court
By Michael Bargo Jr.

British Gentle Lady With Daughter Convicted of Attempted Murder of Husband

Jacqueline Patrick tried to poison her husband twice in October and on Christmas Day in 2013.

Photo: Metropolitan Police

[From article]
A British woman who tried to kill her husband by poisoning his Christmas drink of sparkling fruit wine with antifreeze was jailed for 15 years Monday after being undone by a spelling mistake and a trail of text messages.
Following family arguments, Jacqueline Patrick, 55, twice tried to kill her husband Douglas, 70, in October and on Christmas Day 2013, by spiking his cherry Lambrini, a drink favored by teenagers looking to get drunk on a low budget.
“Perhaps most shocking of all was the note she gave to the London Ambulance Service purporting to be from her husband, stating that he did not wish to be resuscitated,” Detective Inspector Tracey Miller, of London’s Metropolitan Police, said in a statement.
The forged note showed a misspelling of the word dignity as “dignerty.” When police later asked her to write the word, Jacqueline Patrick made the same mistake.


Katherine Patrick goaded her mother into poisoning her father.
Photo: Metropolitan Police

The couple’s daughter Katherine, 21, was sentenced to three years in jail after admitting to inciting her mother to poison her father, while Jacqueline pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder at the family’s south London home.

http://nypost.com/2015/11/23/she-might-have-gotten-away-with-poisoning-her-husband-if-not-for-one-spelling-mistake/

She might have gotten away with poisoning her husband if not for one spelling mistake
By Reuters
New York Post
November 23, 2015 | 1:31pm

Woman's Body Found Hidden in Home After Boyfriend, Roomate Killed Himself

Sue Hutchinson's Body Found Hidden in Home She Shared With Roommate.


[From article]
Police searched the home of Sue Hutchinson after she was reported missing in September. They searched the house on Calef Road again Sunday night and found the body in a hidden crawlspace.
Hutchinson lived in the home with her roommate, Stephen Andrade, until she disappeared Sept. 20.
"Last night, we responded to a call of an odor coming from the apartment. Family members had called it in," Chief Nick Willard said. "We then did another extensive search of the apartment, which we had already done twice. However, this time, we were able to locate a hidden crawlspace that was actually walled off."
Officials said they believe the body is Hutchinson's, but an autopsy is needed to make a positive identification.
[. . .]


Stephen Andrade Killed Himself After, Police Believe He Killed Roommate Hutchinson.
 .
"Sue's been missing since Sept. 20," Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Strelzin said. "She lived in Manchester with a roommate. She went missing, and not long after that, her roommate, Stephen Andrade, also went missing. On Oct. 6, Stephen Andrade was found at a motel in Massachusetts. He had shot himself in the head."
Officials said that based on statements Andrade made shortly before his suicide, it's likely he killed Hutchinson, hid her body, fled and then killed himself.

http://www.wmur.com/news/missing-manchester-woman-found-dead-in-her-home/35791088

By Andy Hershberger
Missing Manchester woman found dead in her home
Body found in hidden crawlspace in home Sunday night
UPDATED 7:24 PM EDT Oct 12, 2015

Police Arrest Everett, MA Man In Murder For HIre, Feds Say

[From article]

In an affidavit filed in U.S. District court today, investigators tell of the seven-month investigation into Joseph Burke, who offered to kill the target—who was actually an undercover agent—on behalf of another man, who was also an agent working undercover. At stake was up to $100,000 that would be taken from the victim.
“You might know some rich people who want to get out of a marriage,” Burke allegedly told the undercover agent in a recording in March. Making a gun shape with his hand, he said, “I’ll do this all day long.”
The agent working with Burke told him that the target was messing with his business, and Burke agreed to do the hit, according to the affidavit. The pair checked out the target’s supposed office in New York City and discussed how the agent would pay for the hit. Burke allegedly suggested borrowing money from the target, who would be dead when the loan came due.
“That’s how wise guys do,” Burke said in the recording. “When the wise guys get clipped … you ain’t gotta pay it back; he’s gone.”
Burke’s girlfriend brought guns down to New York from Boston, the affidavit said, and Burke planned to use a silencer. At Burke’s request, the agent got two masks that looked like the faces of black men to wear during the hit.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2015/10/09/everett-man-arrested-for-plotting-murder-for-hire/dwahRPkyu6GXJ0Phvv0HVP/story.html

Everett man arrested for plotting murder-for-hire
By Allison Manning @allymanning
Boston.com Staff

10.09.15 | 12:37 PM

* * *

[From article]

Joseph Burke, of Everett, was arrested Friday morning in Everett on murder-for-hire charges. He provided an address of 43 Lexington Street, Everett, to authorities.
The murder-for-hire of a purported New York business man was scheduled for October 17, 2015, according to the affidavit.
Authorities have probable cause to believe that Burke traveled interstate and used facilities of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire, according to the affidavit. Federal authorities, assisted by local and state authorities, executed a search on Friday.
One of the undercover agents met with Burke on the numerous occasions, according to the federal affidavit, to discuss a variety of potential business ventures. During the course of those meetings, Burke offered to engage in several illegal activities, including marijuana trafficking, robberies, and the commission of violent acts, including murder, according to the federal agent.

http://patch.com/massachusetts/malden/massachusetts-man-charged-murder-hire-0

Massachusetts Man Charged in Murder-For-Hire
The murder-for-hire was scheduled for October 17, 2015, according to the affadavit.
Malden, MA
By LINDA BOCK (Patch Staff)
October 9, 2015

New York City Man Freed After 25 Years in Prison For Murder

Johnny Hincapie sobs after a judge says he will be freed from jail following a 25-year term. Photo: Steven Hirsch
[From article]

A man who spent the past 25 years in prison for the infamous 1990 subway slaying of young Utah tourist Brian Watkins has his conviction tossed Tuesday.
Johnny Hincapie, 45, sobbed as his family in the Manhattan Supreme Court gallery cheered at Justice Eduardo Pedro’s decision.
At a hearing earlier this year, Hincapie testified that he was beaten by cops and forced to sign a false confession. He was one of seven men found guilty in the sensational case. “The court does find that the defense has born their burden of proof” in terms of justifying a new trial, Padro said. “The court is going to set aside the verdict at this time. The court is going to order a new trial on these grounds.”
Hincapie’s lawyer, Ron Kuby, asked the judge to release his client without bail.
“Should Mr. Hincapie face a jury again, there is a reasonable likelihood he’ll walk out a free man,” the lawyer said.
The judge set bail at $1. The necessary paperwork was still being prepared Tuesday afternoon.
Watkins was stabbed in the heart as he tried to protect his parents from a gang of subway muggers.
The 22-year-old man and his family had just returned from the US Open when he was killed.
[. . .]



The horrific slaying galvanized the city, with an iconic New York Post front page imploring then-Mayor David Dinkins: “Dave, Do Something!”

At his previous hearing this year, Hincapie insisted through sobs that he wasn’t even on the subway platform where the killing occurred.
A surprise defense witness who read about the hearing in The Post also came forward and may have been instrumental in swaying the judge.
Mariluz Santana, 45, of Flushing saw the rowdy teens as they surrounded the Watkins family and attacked them, she testified.She knew Hincapie as an acquaintance from their neighborhood and insisted he was not among the group.
The gang robbed the family for money to get into Roseland Ballroom, where Hincapie and Santana were headed for a night of dancing. Hincapie was only 18 at the time of the murder.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/06/man-convicted-of-infamous-1990-subway-killing-ordered-freed/

Man convicted of infamous 1990 subway killing ordered freed
By Rebecca Rosenberg and Amber Sutherland
New York Post
October 6, 2015 | 1:46pm

UCLA Sorority Member, 21, From Texas Found Brutally Murdered, Two Arrested

Andrea DelVesco, fourth-year psychology major, UCLA, sorority sister of Pi Beta Phi.

[From article]
Andrea DelVesco, a UCLA student whose body was found during a blaze a week ago, was stabbed to death during a burglary, then her apartment was set on fire, according to a criminal complaint.
Alberto Medina and Eric Marquez, both 22, were each charged Tuesday with one count of murder and two counts of burglary, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.
Medina is accused of burglarizing an apartment in the 10900 block of Roebling Street, which was vacant, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. He then entered DelVesco's apartment and fatally stabbed her, prosecutors said.
Medina also faces a separate felony arson charge of maliciously setting a fire inside DelVesco's apartment before fleeing, prosecutors said.
[. . .]


Andrea DelVesco, fourth-year psychology major, UCLA, sorority sister of Pi Beta Phi.

A source familiar with some of the details of the case said DelVesco was stabbed 19 times.
DelVesco, a native of Austin, Texas, was a fourth-year psychology major, UCLA said Monday. Earlier, her sorority sisters identified her as a member of Pi Beta Phi.
[. . .]



“Andy had a contagious spirit and was a fearless giver,” Pi Beta Phi Chapter President Jacquie Medeiros said. “Andy was a friend to every person she met. She was always inclusive and there for everyone. More than anything, Andy wanted us to be ourselves … and most of all to never ever give up.”


Andrea DelVesco, fourth-year psychology major, UCLA, sorority sister of Pi Beta Phi.

DelVesco’s mother declined to comment Tuesday.
Melanie Peskett, DelVesco's aunt, said the woman's relatives were overwhelmed with grief. The family, she said, was glad the two men believed to be responsible were in custody.
Court records showed DelVesco was arrested and charged this summer with drug possession. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and was scheduled to appear in court last week, the district attorney’s office said.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-charges-ucla-student-murder-20150929-story.html

Murder charges filed against 2 men in UCLA student's death
By RICHARD WINTON, VERONICA ROCHA AND KATE MATHER
Los Angeles Times

Prominent Indiana Doctor Convicted of Plotting To Murder Ex-Wife

Joannah secretly recorded a conversation with her boyfriend Dr. Gregory Konrath as he appeared to be explaining his plan to kill his ex-wife.

[From article]
Today, Konrath is behind bars serving a nearly 10-year sentence. But it’s not for attempted murder.
[. . .]
Dr. Gregory Konrath lived in Peru, Indiana, and earned as much as $1.7 million a year specializing in orthopedic trauma.
[. . .]
Joannah decided to secretly record the conversation for 23 minutes on her cell phone as Konrath appeared to explain a plan to sneak into his ex-wife’s house at night and shoot her while their children were asleep in their rooms.
“She has a million dollar life insurance policy. I’m the beneficiary,” Konrath is heard saying on the recording.
[. . .]
“All the evidence was there,” Rogers told “20/20.”
Inside the home’s garage, police found a gun and rubber gloves
[. . .]
But Embrey later dropped the charges, because the law in Indiana says the accused must make a substantial step towards committing a murder in order to be charged with attempted murder.
“You had to be in the vicinity with the means to commit the murder,” [Prosecutor Bruce] Embrey said. He explained even if a jury found Konrath guilty the judge would have to throw the case out. “We couldn’t get the case past the judge.”
[What does that say about the competence of the prosecutor?]
[. . .]
He added that he has learned one thing from this experience: "Be careful what you say in front of your girlfriend," he said.
[This indicates how arrogant some doctors can be. His regret is expressing himself to his girlfriend not the idea of killing his ex-wife. What a guy.]
"I think she truly was thinking I was serious and truly thought she was doing the right thing."
Ana Konrath declined to comment for this report. As for Joannah, she still fears for her life.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/indiana-surgeon-recorded-allegedly-plotting-wifes-murder-claims/story?id=33807780

Indiana Surgeon Recorded Allegedly Plotting Ex-Wife's Murder Claims It Was Just 'Fantasy'
By KATIE OBRIEN
Sep 18, 2015, 4:13 AM ET

* * *


In an interview from jail, Dr. Gregory Konrath said his alleged plot to kill his ex-wife was a "fantasy."[From article]

Joannah, a nurse, mother and divorcee, said she was impressed with Konrath from the start.
“He was always a gentleman. He always came down to pick me up. Lots of times he brought flowers. He was a romantic, a gentleman, opened the door,” Joannah told “20/20.”
After four months of dating, the two moved in together. Joannah said he often spent a lot of money on her and bought her expensive things.
“I met his mom. I met his children. We went to his children’s games. We sat next to his ex-wife,” Joannah said. “[His ex-wife Ana] was nice. Greg and her got along fine. We did that regularly.”
Joannah had hoped she and Konrath would get married. She said they had looked at rings and she had purchased a wedding dress.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-bizarre-case-indiana-surgeon-accused-plotting-wifes/story?id=33800834

Inside Bizarre Case of an Indiana Surgeon Accused of Plotting Ex-Wife’s Murder
By ERIC M. STRAUSS
ALEXA VALIENTE
Sep 17, 2015, 9:53 AM ET


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Boston, MA Crime Boss' Girl Friend Ignored Murders of Her Brothers

Donald McGonagle



Bobby McGonagle


Paul McGonagle


[From article]
When Whitey Bulger’s moll Catherine Greig was married, her last name was McGonagle.
She had a brother-in-law named Donald McGonagle — Whitey murdered him in 1969.
She had another brother-in-law named Paulie McGonagle — Whitey murdered him in 1974.
Her husband’s name was Bobby McGonagle. He was a Boston firefighter. He died before Whitey got around to murdering him.
Then there was her younger brother, David. Whitey took a shine to the lad, wanted him in the gang, but David Greig kept nodding off at the sit-downs. Whitey diagnosed his malady as a “vitamin deficiency.” Vitamin P — for Percocets. Greig ended up with a bullet in his head down on Cape Cod. The gun was a little far away from the body, but it was the 1980s — the Bulger decade. Verdict: suicide.
So, you can see why Catherine Greig fell so hard for Whitey. She liked “the bad boys,” as she once told her hairdresser, and what could be badder than running around with the guy who wiped out almost your entire family?
[. . .]
Gone, everything gone. From prison, Whitey has claimed that Catherine was the love of his life, but he had barely arrived at the Tucson lockup before he was making goo-goo eyes at the local BOP skirts. Which is why he was put on the bus to Florida. Even in prison, he’s livin’ here, lovin’ there, lyin’ in between.
One last thing. At Whitey’s sentencing, Greig’s late husband’s nephew Sean McGonagle, Paulie’s son, delivered a victim-impact statement about the murder of his father, who Whitey buried on Tenean Beach. Calling Whitey “Satan,” McGonagle spoke directly to his father’s killer:
“You stooped to an all-time low when you called my house. I answered. You told me, ‘Your father’s not coming home for Christmas.’ When I asked, ‘Who is this?’ you answered, ‘Santa Claus.’ ”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/howie_carr/2015/09/carr_horrific_slays_couldn_t_sway_bulger_s_galpal

Carr: Horrific slays couldn’t sway Bulger’s galpal
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
By: Howie Carr
Boston Herald

Cleveland Gentle Lady Charged With For Hire Murder of Her Fireman Husband

Uloma Walker-Curry, wife of Cleveland firefighter William Walker, charged with his paid-for-hire murder

[From article]

The wife of a Cleveland firefighter conspired with a group of young men to kill her husband so she could collect on a life insurance policy and cover up financial fraud she committed in her husband’s name, prosecutors said Monday.
Uloma Walker-Curry, 44, was indicted on aggravated murder, conspiracy and felonious assault charges in the November 2013 slaying of fire Lt. William Walker, 45, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office announced. He was shot to death in the driveway of his Cleveland home. Chad Padgett, 21, Christopher Hein, 22, and Ryan Dorty, 23, were indicted on the same charges.
Walker-Curry asked Padgett and a juvenile to kill her husband, prosecutors said. They allege Padgett then recruited his cousin, Hein, who turned to Dorty, who killed Walker.
Cleveland homicide detectives initially followed leads provided by Walker-Curry that neighborhood drug dealers might have killed her husband to stop him from complaining about them. But a Crime Stoppers tip and cellphone technology, including text messages, led detectives to investigate Walker-Curry, who was arrested last week, prosecutors said.

Dorty was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year for an unrelated aggravated robbery. Padgett was arrested Aug. 8 for Walker’s slaying. Padgett dated Walker-Curry’s daughter, prosecutors said.

http://nypost.com/2015/09/14/wife-had-husband-killed-for-insurance-payout-prosecutors/

Woman had husband killed to collect insurance: prosecutor
By Associated Press
New York Post
September 14, 2015 | 6:51pm

Journalists Silent On Brutal Murder of 9-year-old White Child By 12-year-old Black Boy

Connor Verkerke, 9

White House, CAIR, Iranian Mullahs and Al Sharpton have no comment. 

[From article]
Lawhorn is on trial for felony murder in the Aug. 4, 2014 stabbing death of nine-year-old Connor Verkerke at a Kentwood playground. The boy was stabbed five times in the back and once in the arm with a kitchen knife hidden in the playground sandbox, according to testimony. (snip)
Forensic pathologist Dr. David Start said Connor Verkerke was stabbed six times; two of the wounds would have been fatal by themselves.
Each penetrated three inches into his upper right back and into the right lung, causing fatal bleeding. "Either of those wounds would have been fatal and associated with significant bleeding,'' he testified.
[. . .]


Jamarion Lawhorn, 12, suspect in murder of 9-year-old white child

It is only speculation, but I believe that were the races reversed, and a white 13 year old convicted of brutally murdering a black 9 year old, we would be seeing a massive amount of attention to the case, and the familiar accusations of racism as the root of the crime.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/09/13yearold_black_boy_found_guilty_of_firstdegree_murder_of_9yearold_white_boy.html

September 5, 2015
13-year-old black boy found guilty of first-degree murder of 9-year-old white boy
By Thomas Lifson

Massachusetts State Police Capture Fugitive Wanted for Slashing His Cambridge Girlfriend

Arnold Gabbidon, 59

[From article]

The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Cambridge Police and the United States Marshals Service tracked Arnold Gabbidon, 59, to Jamaica, where he was living with a relative.
Gabbidon was arrested in Jamaica on Aug. 3. His extradition was processed and he was flown into Boston on Wednesday night. He will be arraigned in Middlesex County on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, mayhem, threats to commit a crime, armed burglary, stalking, and malicious destruction of property. His arraignment date has not yet been set.
In the early morning of Jan. 14, 1994, Gabbidon — who had been allegedly stalking an ex-girlfriend — broke down the door of the woman’s Cambridge residence, stabbed and slashed her as she slept, leaving her for dead, according to police. The victim was able to call Cambridge Police. She survived the attack, and Gabbidon fled the area.

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20150903/NEWS/150908612

Cambridge fugitive captured in Jamaica
Posted Sep. 3, 2015 at 8:57 AM
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle