It's no secret I have been looking forward to TNT's new reality crime series, "Cold Justice". I really admire former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and that initially drew me to the show, but now that I've seen two full episodes, it really appears Kelly Siegler, Yolanda McClary and Johnnie Bonds can make an impact and bring closure to some of these long suffering crime victims.
In episode 2, Siegler and McClary traveled to Collingston Louisiana - I believe they said the population there was less than 400 people. That's definitely small town USA. They wanted to look into the August 26, 2006 unsolved murder of 67 year old Mattie Williams. Williams was a mother of thirteen children, and she now has such a large extended family that Siegler and the team had to meet with them in a local church. It was sad to see how many people this crime effected, and how they are haunted to this day that her killer has gone unpunished.
By all appearances, Mattie Williams lived a modest life and was a well liked church going woman who was known to help people in need. Her murder looks like a robbery gone very bad, her blood was found in certain areas of her small home but larger smears of her blood was found on the outside of her home. The blood outside her house caused a concerned friend to contact the police back in 2006. Inside the home, Mattie's purse was found on the floor, turned inside out and signs of a struggle were obvious. Her body was found 3 miles away, she died from stab wounds to her neck and she was hit on the head with an object that left a distinctive mark on her head. Another key piece of evidence recovered from the inside of Mattie Williams house was a pay stub belonging to Renwick Jackson.
Siegler, McClary and former detective Johnnie Bonds went back to the crime scene after reviewing the case file thoroughly, and they came up with what they believed was the most likely scenario of how this crime unfolded. During their meeting with the family, they were told that Mattie would not open her door to someone she did not know. There were several persons of interest in this case, one of which was one of Mattie's own sons. Family members appeared conflicted or split on whether they believed their brother could have been involved in a robbery plot - but they found it difficult to think that he could stand by as his mother was being assaulted. Stealing is one thing, assault and murder are another.
One thing they decided after visiting the home and the area where Mattie's body was eventually found - Mattie Williams was most likely alive when she was taken from her home. The slashes to her neck tell a story. Had she been stabbed in the neck in her home, there would have been distinctive blood evidence in or around her home. Rather, there was blood pooling found where her body was dumped which seems to point to Mattie being assaulted in her home, taken by force to the remote location and then she was fatally stabbed and died in the field where they found her. How could something like this happen to a decent, good hearted, church going mother? Who could be so desperate to steal whatever little money Mattie may have had in her purse or in her house and then kill her?
It seems likely she was killed because she knew the man or men who were robbing her and they feared being identified. I can think of no other reason. An early suspect in this investigation was a 52 year old man named Renwick Jackson. He reportedly lived across the railroad tracks from Mattie Williams, and she knew him and may have opened the door to him, although family members were split on this issue. Mattie reportedly didn't trust Renwick Jackson. Jackson was an early suspect for numerous reasons - a pay stub with Renwick Jackson's name on it was found in the home of Mattie Williams. Witnesses reported seeing Renwick Jackson and Stanley Mitchell together in the neighborhood the day of the killing. That could be explained away since Renwick lived nearby.
Suspicions were raised when it was discovered that Renwick Jackson power washed the inside of the car he was known to drive at the time of this murder. Renwick's own sister told law enforcement that she thought it was highly unusual and suspicious when he asked her to help clean the car. She told police Renwick "wildly" power washed the entire interior of that car, including the ceiling. Renwick told her, and later the police that he cleaned the car because his employer had asked him to. However, when Johnnie Bonds re interviewed Renwick's employer he denied ever asking him to clean his car and denied having ever been in Renwick's car.
Williams told investigators he was working on the day of the murder. His employers records show that Renwick was not working on any project for the company on the day in question, he was a salaried employee and they hadn't given him any assignments on that day. It would take more than 2 lies to catch Renwick Jackson. Stanley Mitchell was another early suspect in the investigation. Mitchell was a friend of Williams, as was Mattie's son John Williams. Johnny Bonds and another detective known to be a master interrogator re interviewed Mitchell and Renwick. A big break in this case came when a jailhouse informant provided a tip that Stanley Mitchell had told him he was involved in the robbery and murder. Mitchell told the inmate that he hit Mattie on the head with a brick he found on the side of Mattie's home. Siegler, McClary and Bonds revisited the crime scene photos and they got a big break when an oddly shaped brick was seen in the photos. Could this be "the brick"?
The team went back to Mattie's house to look for overlooked evidence, in particular they wanted to see if that brick shown in crime scene photos was still there. To their surprise, they found a brick that looked an awful lot like the brick in the photos. They collected it and sent it to the crime lab for analysis. Could an overlooked brick left out in the elements for 7 years yield any DNA, fingerprints or other blood evidence? It was a long shot. McClary took the brick, and acting on a hunch she traced parts of the brick to see if she could match it up to that distinctive mark that was left on Mattie's head. Using a pencil and a sheet of paper, she made a crude tracing and the results were shocking. It looked an awful lot like the mark on Mattie's head. The team decided to write up their findings and take it to the DA to see if they had enough probable cause to arrest the pair. The DA didn't believe it was enough, and he asked them to keep working.
This is where the interrogations played a key role in breaking the case wide open. Johnnie Bonds and former detective Armando Perez brought in Stanley Mitchell for another (voluntary) interview, Mitchell gave up nothing. He never implicated himself, and when Bonds and Perez confronted him with the statements made by the confidential (jailhouse) informant, Mitchell downplayed it. They then showed him photos of the brick and told him they had recovered that same brick and sent it to the crime lab. Mitchell insisted his fingerprints or DNA would not be found on the brick. Did he use gloves?
Bonds and Perez had one last shot at getting some type of admission when they invited Renwick Jackson in for an interview. Renwick came in voluntarily, and they needed to tread lightly since Renwick was free to leave at any time. They confronted Renwick with his whereabouts on the day of the crime and asked him why he power washed the interior of his car. Renwick continued telling the same story he had originally told investigators, that he cleaned his car after his boss asked him why he didn't keep it cleaner, and his alibi was that he was at work on the day in question. Johnnie Bonds told him he suspected he was not being truthful, and told him about the conversation he had with his employer and his own sister. Bonds stuck to his story. It seemed he would not implicate himself - Bonds stepped out of the room for a moment and consulted with the team, who were watching the interview from another room via video feed. Armando Perez wanted a shot at Renwick Jackson. His role was of the good cop. He tried to befriend Renwick, attempting to minimize his possible involvement in the crime and the murder.
His strategy worked. After discussing their suspicions about Stanley Mitchell, including the statements provided by the jailhouse informant with Renwick Jackson, Jackson finally admitted something he had never admitted during any prior interview with the police. He admitted he was there at the crime scene. He placed himself outside of the house, almost to the point where he was in his car, but he described the role John Williams allegedly played in the robbery ploy that ended in murder. Williams knocked on his mother's door, she answered the door but didn't initially let him in. Mattie asked "who's out there with you"? At some point, Mitchell strong armed his way into the house and hit Mattie on the head with the brick. Jackson described things that were being said inside the house at the time of the chaotic assault - two things were becoming clear to the investigators. Number one: Renwick Jackson could not have seen or heard the things he reported had he been near or inside of his car. It's just not possible. He was closer to the home, he may have even been inside the house and possibly was involved in the assault. Number two: John Williams was there, and he played some part in the robbery - even if he didn't participate in the actual assault or murder - he was involved. That will be a hard pill for the family to swallow.
Renwick Jackson admitted to Armando Perez that Mattie Williams was forced into his car. The detectives had managed to get Jackson to place three people at Mattie's house, participating in the robbery in varying degrees. His admissions were relayed to the District Attorney while Jackson was still at the police station. The DA now agreed they had enough probably cause to arrest Renwick Jackson. He was arrested on the spot. This was an incredible thing to watch - prior to their involvement in the cold case, local law enforcement only had their suspicions about the involvement of Mattie Williams son John Williams. This was the first statement ever given to law enforcement that Williams was there. It makes sense - it fits. It seems unlikely that Mattie would have opened the door to Renwick Jackson OR Stanley Mitchell. But it appears she opened it for her son, which turned out to be a fatal mistake.
A news story reported on July 2, 2013 announced the three had been indicted on second degree murder. They face mandatory life sentences if convicted. The story does not state if they are being charged with robbery and/or kidnapping, but it seems they should be given they appeared to have taken Williams from her home injured but she was alive. How very sad. How much could they have possibly gained monetarily by robbing this loving mother and friend of the community? It just all seems so senseless. I honestly think this team is in this for all of the right reasons. Not for television fame or fortune, but for the victims. Kudos to Siegler, McClary, Bonds and Perez. Well done, TNT. Cold Justice seems to be the real deal.
MY CRIMETIME BY MY FORTE. A DISCUSSION OF MURDERS IN THE NEWS.
Gender Bias And The Death Penalty - Debra Milke Out On Bond
Regardless of where you stand on capital punishment, many states in America still have the death penalty. The most staggering of statistics is where female offenders are concerned. While many people stand firmly for or against the death penalty, the lines seem to blur when it comes to sentencing a woman to death. Men overwhelmingly make up the majority of those on death row today. It stands to reason that statistics show that violent crimes including rape and murder are more often committed by men. However, there are women who commit horrendous crimes - the difference in viewing their crimes and the reasons behind the crimes is where the gender inequality seems to begin.
Women have fought for equal rights in this country for decades, however when it comes to murder all things do not seem equal. In the United States, only 13 women have been executed in the last 40 years. Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center said "there is less enforcement of the death penalty at almost every stage for females". A recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that between 2000-2010, less than 10% of all murders in the United States were committed by women, yet women make up around 1.87% of the death row population. Fewer women are executed than their male counterparts.
A recent Business Insider report claims that 40 women have received the death penalty in America, only 13 since 1976 - according to the Death Penalty Information Center. 1,343 have faced execution since then. The most common murder committed by females seems to be the killing of an intimate partner. Since the ratio of murders committed by women is so much lower than those committed by men, there may be a tendency for jurors to believe a woman who kills her husband or intimate partner must have done so for a reason. With the increased awareness of domestic violence in America, the battered woman defense has become commonplace in the courtroom. If jurors believe a woman killed her partner because of abuse, they may believe the incident is isolated and they would not likely re-offend - thus, some women are shown leniency and are not sentenced to death.
Looking at all female murderers in the same light would be a very dangerous position to take. Women are just as capable of violent and horrendous crimes as men are, given it occurs at a much lower frequency than with men. That doesn't mean these women aren't dangerous. In 1984, Velma Barfield became the first woman to be executed in 22 years in North Carolina. An admitted drug addict, Barfield was sentenced to death for poisoning her husband so he wouldn't find out she had forged a check for $300.00. One could look at Barfield's drug addiction and factor that into the murder, in this case that would be a mistake. Barfield later admitted to killing 3 other people, including her own mother.
Women who kill their partners, husbands or ex husbands seems to be the most common of all female involved murders. Some female killers actually garner sympathy from the public after their stories of philandering husbands becomes known. Think Betty Broderick. I certainly understand that Broderick may have felt helpless and humiliated after husband Dan left her and married a younger woman. Broderick entered the house of her ex husband and his new wife and shot them both as they slept in their bed, yet she found sympathy and support during her trial. She was convicted on two counts of second degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life. How did Broderick escape a first degree murder conviction? She may have felt slighted by her ex husbands advantage in their nasty divorce proceedings because he was a well known attorney, but there was evidence that she stalked him, left threatening messages on the couples' answering machine and generally harassed him before entering their house using her children's key and shot two defenseless people as they slept in their own bed. Murder is not a remedy for an unfair divorce settlement. Broderick remains in prison, having been denied parole in 2011. Broderick is another woman who sought to use the media to gain advantage in the public eye and shame her deceased ex husband. She's still angry, and I really don't think to this day she believes she did anything fundamentally wrong.
Susan Smith is another woman who many believe deserved the death penalty for the drowning deaths of her two small sons, Michael and Alex. The Smith case is well known because the nature of the crime shocked the nation and she originally blamed the crime on a black man. After lying to police and the public about this black man who stole her car with the children inside, Smith played it up to the media, pleading for the return of her children. When it came to light that Smith killed her children because her current love interest did not want children, people were enraged. Smith drove her car to the edge of a South Carolina lake, got out and watched the car go into the water with her two boys strapped in their car seats. At trial, Smith dodged a death sentence and instead received a 30 year sentence.
Female murderers sometimes escape the death penalty by plea deals. That brings me to the most recent and perhaps the most widely followed capital murder trial in recent years, Arizona v. Jodi Arias. Arias hoped to avoid a trial altogether, she claims. It has been reported that early on, Arias wanted to plead guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a short prison sentence. State prosecutors said "no thanks". The murder of 30 year old Travis Alexander was one of the most brutal killings to occur in Maricopa County. It shocked an entire community, the state and then the country and perhaps the world. It was a murder that certainly warrants the consideration of the death penalty in that it was extremely cruel, heinous and depraved. When a person is stabbed more than 2 dozen times, shot in the head and has his throat slashed - it's extremely rageful and personal. No doubt about it, she wanted him dead. She watched him struggle for life. Evidence presented at trial shows that she followed him from the bathroom where the attack began to the bedroom, where he tried in vain to escape her wrath.
She had many chances to stop what she was doing and call for help. Prosecutors believe the killing took less than 3 minutes from start to finish, but there was time from the first swing of that knife for her to stop. She would've been in big legal trouble for assault, but he would have stood a chance of living. She could not or did not want to stop herself. The jury in this case correctly convicted her of first degree murder, but could not agree on the sentencing. Would they have had such a difficult time if the roles were reversed, and Travis had done this to Jodi? I'm not so sure this trial would still be ongoing if this were the case.
The fact that Arias lied about the crucial facts in this case didn't sway the jury enough to give her a death sentence. I'm not sure what else the prosecutor could have done to convince the jury this murder warrants the death penalty - and I truly believe this is a case of gender bias. That jury knew the death was horrific, they saw those graphic photos. The jury seemed to reject Arias' claims of physical abuse. Juror questions seemed to question her account of the relationship and her lack of memory of the actual killing. They had to know she lied on the stand, and in a big way. She called him a pedophile. She made him out to be a womanizer. She painted herself as the real victim as she sort of took responsibility.
I believe Arias presented herself as an unlikely killer to the jury, somebody who never would have done something like this, if not for a reason. Whether or not she would kill again is not something a jury should consider. She's on trial for THIS murder, not future conduct. The jury was to weigh the mitigation put on by Arias versus the aggravating factors. The jury got this one wrong. The law is the law, like it or not. The circumstances surrounding this case are fairly clear. How does such a clear cut case of homicide get so muddied? Does Arias stand a chance of receiving the death penalty given the statistics and the surprising outcome of the first trial? Men have been sentenced to death for far less horrific murders. This bothers me a great deal and based on the last two status conferences regarding the sentencing re trial, I think this case is going to be around for some time.
I want to make one thing clear here, I don't "have it in" for Jodi Arias. I don't claim to know what makes her tick or why she chose to do what she did. I just feel that the punishment should fit the crime. But in the states that have the death penalty, it should be equally enforced. If that jury had any doubts going into deliberations for sentencing, the lies that Arias told before, during and after the trial should have come into consideration. If you consider how the victim died and how scared and shocked he must have been and all the chances she had to save him, I don't see how the mitigation she presented outweighs the aggravating factors in this case. It seems overwhelming, yet she escaped a death sentence and seems to be thriving in her jail environment. Some believe the state's best chance at a death sentence was with the first jury, the jury that heard the entire case. I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps a new jury will look at the facts of the case, and not let emotion play a part in their decision making process.
Women for the most part are the fairer sex. But some women are evil, violent and calculating. I don't know if there will ever be true gender equality when it comes to the death penalty.
**Debra Milke has been freed on $250,000 bail in Maricopa County. Milke has been imprisoned since 1990 for the murder of her 4 year old son. Milke was on death row until recently. Her conviction was overturned after a federal appeals court found that prosecutors in her trial should have disclosed important information about the truthfulness of the now retired detective who testified at trial that Milke confessed to him. Milke has maintained her innocence from the start. Maricopa County prosecutors intend to re try Milke for murder. Her trial date is tentatively set for September 30th. I hope this trial is televised. Many supporters of Milke are convinced the detective who allegedly took Milke's confession is a liar and a criminal himself. The interview where Milke reportedly confessed was not audio or videotaped. It's the word of one detective with a questionable character against a mother who had no motive to kill her son. I'll be watching for this one.
Women have fought for equal rights in this country for decades, however when it comes to murder all things do not seem equal. In the United States, only 13 women have been executed in the last 40 years. Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center said "there is less enforcement of the death penalty at almost every stage for females". A recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that between 2000-2010, less than 10% of all murders in the United States were committed by women, yet women make up around 1.87% of the death row population. Fewer women are executed than their male counterparts.
A recent Business Insider report claims that 40 women have received the death penalty in America, only 13 since 1976 - according to the Death Penalty Information Center. 1,343 have faced execution since then. The most common murder committed by females seems to be the killing of an intimate partner. Since the ratio of murders committed by women is so much lower than those committed by men, there may be a tendency for jurors to believe a woman who kills her husband or intimate partner must have done so for a reason. With the increased awareness of domestic violence in America, the battered woman defense has become commonplace in the courtroom. If jurors believe a woman killed her partner because of abuse, they may believe the incident is isolated and they would not likely re-offend - thus, some women are shown leniency and are not sentenced to death.
Looking at all female murderers in the same light would be a very dangerous position to take. Women are just as capable of violent and horrendous crimes as men are, given it occurs at a much lower frequency than with men. That doesn't mean these women aren't dangerous. In 1984, Velma Barfield became the first woman to be executed in 22 years in North Carolina. An admitted drug addict, Barfield was sentenced to death for poisoning her husband so he wouldn't find out she had forged a check for $300.00. One could look at Barfield's drug addiction and factor that into the murder, in this case that would be a mistake. Barfield later admitted to killing 3 other people, including her own mother.
Women who kill their partners, husbands or ex husbands seems to be the most common of all female involved murders. Some female killers actually garner sympathy from the public after their stories of philandering husbands becomes known. Think Betty Broderick. I certainly understand that Broderick may have felt helpless and humiliated after husband Dan left her and married a younger woman. Broderick entered the house of her ex husband and his new wife and shot them both as they slept in their bed, yet she found sympathy and support during her trial. She was convicted on two counts of second degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life. How did Broderick escape a first degree murder conviction? She may have felt slighted by her ex husbands advantage in their nasty divorce proceedings because he was a well known attorney, but there was evidence that she stalked him, left threatening messages on the couples' answering machine and generally harassed him before entering their house using her children's key and shot two defenseless people as they slept in their own bed. Murder is not a remedy for an unfair divorce settlement. Broderick remains in prison, having been denied parole in 2011. Broderick is another woman who sought to use the media to gain advantage in the public eye and shame her deceased ex husband. She's still angry, and I really don't think to this day she believes she did anything fundamentally wrong.
Susan Smith is another woman who many believe deserved the death penalty for the drowning deaths of her two small sons, Michael and Alex. The Smith case is well known because the nature of the crime shocked the nation and she originally blamed the crime on a black man. After lying to police and the public about this black man who stole her car with the children inside, Smith played it up to the media, pleading for the return of her children. When it came to light that Smith killed her children because her current love interest did not want children, people were enraged. Smith drove her car to the edge of a South Carolina lake, got out and watched the car go into the water with her two boys strapped in their car seats. At trial, Smith dodged a death sentence and instead received a 30 year sentence.
Female murderers sometimes escape the death penalty by plea deals. That brings me to the most recent and perhaps the most widely followed capital murder trial in recent years, Arizona v. Jodi Arias. Arias hoped to avoid a trial altogether, she claims. It has been reported that early on, Arias wanted to plead guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a short prison sentence. State prosecutors said "no thanks". The murder of 30 year old Travis Alexander was one of the most brutal killings to occur in Maricopa County. It shocked an entire community, the state and then the country and perhaps the world. It was a murder that certainly warrants the consideration of the death penalty in that it was extremely cruel, heinous and depraved. When a person is stabbed more than 2 dozen times, shot in the head and has his throat slashed - it's extremely rageful and personal. No doubt about it, she wanted him dead. She watched him struggle for life. Evidence presented at trial shows that she followed him from the bathroom where the attack began to the bedroom, where he tried in vain to escape her wrath.
She had many chances to stop what she was doing and call for help. Prosecutors believe the killing took less than 3 minutes from start to finish, but there was time from the first swing of that knife for her to stop. She would've been in big legal trouble for assault, but he would have stood a chance of living. She could not or did not want to stop herself. The jury in this case correctly convicted her of first degree murder, but could not agree on the sentencing. Would they have had such a difficult time if the roles were reversed, and Travis had done this to Jodi? I'm not so sure this trial would still be ongoing if this were the case.
The fact that Arias lied about the crucial facts in this case didn't sway the jury enough to give her a death sentence. I'm not sure what else the prosecutor could have done to convince the jury this murder warrants the death penalty - and I truly believe this is a case of gender bias. That jury knew the death was horrific, they saw those graphic photos. The jury seemed to reject Arias' claims of physical abuse. Juror questions seemed to question her account of the relationship and her lack of memory of the actual killing. They had to know she lied on the stand, and in a big way. She called him a pedophile. She made him out to be a womanizer. She painted herself as the real victim as she sort of took responsibility.
I believe Arias presented herself as an unlikely killer to the jury, somebody who never would have done something like this, if not for a reason. Whether or not she would kill again is not something a jury should consider. She's on trial for THIS murder, not future conduct. The jury was to weigh the mitigation put on by Arias versus the aggravating factors. The jury got this one wrong. The law is the law, like it or not. The circumstances surrounding this case are fairly clear. How does such a clear cut case of homicide get so muddied? Does Arias stand a chance of receiving the death penalty given the statistics and the surprising outcome of the first trial? Men have been sentenced to death for far less horrific murders. This bothers me a great deal and based on the last two status conferences regarding the sentencing re trial, I think this case is going to be around for some time.
I want to make one thing clear here, I don't "have it in" for Jodi Arias. I don't claim to know what makes her tick or why she chose to do what she did. I just feel that the punishment should fit the crime. But in the states that have the death penalty, it should be equally enforced. If that jury had any doubts going into deliberations for sentencing, the lies that Arias told before, during and after the trial should have come into consideration. If you consider how the victim died and how scared and shocked he must have been and all the chances she had to save him, I don't see how the mitigation she presented outweighs the aggravating factors in this case. It seems overwhelming, yet she escaped a death sentence and seems to be thriving in her jail environment. Some believe the state's best chance at a death sentence was with the first jury, the jury that heard the entire case. I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps a new jury will look at the facts of the case, and not let emotion play a part in their decision making process.
Women for the most part are the fairer sex. But some women are evil, violent and calculating. I don't know if there will ever be true gender equality when it comes to the death penalty.
**Debra Milke has been freed on $250,000 bail in Maricopa County. Milke has been imprisoned since 1990 for the murder of her 4 year old son. Milke was on death row until recently. Her conviction was overturned after a federal appeals court found that prosecutors in her trial should have disclosed important information about the truthfulness of the now retired detective who testified at trial that Milke confessed to him. Milke has maintained her innocence from the start. Maricopa County prosecutors intend to re try Milke for murder. Her trial date is tentatively set for September 30th. I hope this trial is televised. Many supporters of Milke are convinced the detective who allegedly took Milke's confession is a liar and a criminal himself. The interview where Milke reportedly confessed was not audio or videotaped. It's the word of one detective with a questionable character against a mother who had no motive to kill her son. I'll be watching for this one.
"Cold Justice" Resembles Dateline's "Unsolved Case Squad"
Only one episode into TNT's new Cold Justice, I'm already a fan of the show. It's hard to say if I would be as enthusiastic if former Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler was not part of this show - after all, Cold Justice looks a lot like Dateline's Unsolved Case Squad. Dateline's Unsolved Case Squad featured a similar pairing of a former prosecutor (Los Angeles prosecutor Alan Jackson) with Yolanda McClary and retired homicide detective Dwayne Stanton and had them review cold case files in the hopes of uncovering new leads on old cases.
I watch Dateline regularly, and I watched a few episodes that featured the Unsolved Case Squad. I believe that although Cold Justice has the same premise as the earlier Dateline series, what's different with this show is there is better chemistry between the former prosecutor (Siegler), the former CSI (Yolanda McClary) and former detective (Johnny Bonds). Siegler and McClary seem to have some early success in their ability to bring justice to these victims. Perhaps the success is in part due to the case selection, I'm not sure after watching one episode but this show seems different to me than the earlier Dateline format. I hope the series continues.
I admire Kelly Siegler's story. She has a phenomenal record as a prosecutor. From 1986 to 2008, she had a perfect record prosecuting murder cases. She never lost one, making her one of the most feared prosecutors in the state of Texas. But Sieger's seemingly humble beginnings and what she made of herself is what I admire the most. She grew up in Blessing, TX - a small town in Matagorda County in Texas with a population of 927 (as of 2010). Her father owns a barber shop in town, and her late mother managed several local restaurants. Siegler graduated from Tidehaven High School in 1981, received a degree in International Business from University of Texas in Austin in 1984, and received her law degree in 1987 from the South Texas College of Law. Siegler went on to prosecute high profile cases such as Texas v. Robert Fratta and Texas v. Susan Wright - both stories have been covered extensively in the media and on various crime shows.
Not bad for a woman who grew up in a county where the median household income is $17,181 (2011), (these figures were obtained on zillow.com). While I don't know anything else about Sieger's family other than her mother and father's occupations, it would seem Siegler has worked her way to where she is today. I always admire the self-made Kelly Siegers of the world. That's part of the reason I'm rooting for Cold Justice. Who doesn't like the idea of getting justice for victims of long forgotten murders?
Whether TNT and Dick Wolf got the idea for Cold Justice from Dateline's less successful Unsolved Case Squad or not - if they can tweak the format and make it work, good for them. Episode 2 airs tonight and features the 2006 murder of Mattie Williams, a 67 year old woman found stabbed and bludgeoned to death just 3 miles from her home. Arrests have been made in that case. I know I'll be watching to see how Siegler, McClary and Bonds helped.
I watch Dateline regularly, and I watched a few episodes that featured the Unsolved Case Squad. I believe that although Cold Justice has the same premise as the earlier Dateline series, what's different with this show is there is better chemistry between the former prosecutor (Siegler), the former CSI (Yolanda McClary) and former detective (Johnny Bonds). Siegler and McClary seem to have some early success in their ability to bring justice to these victims. Perhaps the success is in part due to the case selection, I'm not sure after watching one episode but this show seems different to me than the earlier Dateline format. I hope the series continues.
I admire Kelly Siegler's story. She has a phenomenal record as a prosecutor. From 1986 to 2008, she had a perfect record prosecuting murder cases. She never lost one, making her one of the most feared prosecutors in the state of Texas. But Sieger's seemingly humble beginnings and what she made of herself is what I admire the most. She grew up in Blessing, TX - a small town in Matagorda County in Texas with a population of 927 (as of 2010). Her father owns a barber shop in town, and her late mother managed several local restaurants. Siegler graduated from Tidehaven High School in 1981, received a degree in International Business from University of Texas in Austin in 1984, and received her law degree in 1987 from the South Texas College of Law. Siegler went on to prosecute high profile cases such as Texas v. Robert Fratta and Texas v. Susan Wright - both stories have been covered extensively in the media and on various crime shows.
Not bad for a woman who grew up in a county where the median household income is $17,181 (2011), (these figures were obtained on zillow.com). While I don't know anything else about Sieger's family other than her mother and father's occupations, it would seem Siegler has worked her way to where she is today. I always admire the self-made Kelly Siegers of the world. That's part of the reason I'm rooting for Cold Justice. Who doesn't like the idea of getting justice for victims of long forgotten murders?
Whether TNT and Dick Wolf got the idea for Cold Justice from Dateline's less successful Unsolved Case Squad or not - if they can tweak the format and make it work, good for them. Episode 2 airs tonight and features the 2006 murder of Mattie Williams, a 67 year old woman found stabbed and bludgeoned to death just 3 miles from her home. Arrests have been made in that case. I know I'll be watching to see how Siegler, McClary and Bonds helped.
**UPDATE** Murder Trials Gone Wrong - AZ vs. Jeffrey Martinson
**UPDATED**
This story was originally posted in September of 2013. I was just following up on the progress of the case, and was shocked to see an article saying that Jeffrey Martinson was being set free November 26, 2013 after spending 9 years in prison!
Because of double jeopardy, he will not be re-tried for the murder of his 5 year old son. The trial cost the taxpayers an estimated $2.97 million dollars, nearly half of the cost of the Jodi Arias defense. Judge Sally Duncan dropped all charges against Martinson citing a pattern of "misconduct by the prosecutor" - and ordered his release.
In a 28-page ruling, Judge Sally Duncan said that Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Frankie Grimsman charged Martinson with felony murder, on the grounds that 5 year old Joshua died by child abuse inflicted by Martinson. But during his trial, Grimsman tried Martinson as if he were charged with premeditated, intentional murder. Judge Duncan warned Grimsman many times throughout the trial not to treat the charge as premeditated. This trial looks like it was a mess - Martinson was found guilty, but before he could be sentenced a juror came forward and accused the forewoman of "browbeating" them for a guilty verdict. The guilty verdict was thrown out in March of 2012. Now it appears that Martinson will not be re-tried or held accountable for his son's death! See below for details on the case, and I'm posting a link to the article announcing his ordered release:
http://www.miaminewsday.com/national/32662-man-charged-with-murdering-son-to-walk-free-from-prison-after-9-years.html
The public has gotten used to the annoying and sometimes seemingly senseless delays in the judicial system. Bringing a murder suspect to trial can be a daunting task and be years in the making before the case sees the inside of a courtroom. Most recently the public has been frustrated by the delays in setting a date to begin jury selection in the sentencing retrial of Jodi Arias who was convicted in early May for the June 4, 2008 murder of her ex boyfriend Travis Alexander. Believe it or not, I found a case that's taken even longer, had more attorneys involved and still is unresolved. I'm talking about AZ v Jeffrey Martinson. There's more to this story than I can get into right now, but the delay aspect is what I wanted to hit on in today's blog.
This story was originally posted in September of 2013. I was just following up on the progress of the case, and was shocked to see an article saying that Jeffrey Martinson was being set free November 26, 2013 after spending 9 years in prison!
Because of double jeopardy, he will not be re-tried for the murder of his 5 year old son. The trial cost the taxpayers an estimated $2.97 million dollars, nearly half of the cost of the Jodi Arias defense. Judge Sally Duncan dropped all charges against Martinson citing a pattern of "misconduct by the prosecutor" - and ordered his release.
In a 28-page ruling, Judge Sally Duncan said that Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Frankie Grimsman charged Martinson with felony murder, on the grounds that 5 year old Joshua died by child abuse inflicted by Martinson. But during his trial, Grimsman tried Martinson as if he were charged with premeditated, intentional murder. Judge Duncan warned Grimsman many times throughout the trial not to treat the charge as premeditated. This trial looks like it was a mess - Martinson was found guilty, but before he could be sentenced a juror came forward and accused the forewoman of "browbeating" them for a guilty verdict. The guilty verdict was thrown out in March of 2012. Now it appears that Martinson will not be re-tried or held accountable for his son's death! See below for details on the case, and I'm posting a link to the article announcing his ordered release:
http://www.miaminewsday.com/national/32662-man-charged-with-murdering-son-to-walk-free-from-prison-after-9-years.html
The public has gotten used to the annoying and sometimes seemingly senseless delays in the judicial system. Bringing a murder suspect to trial can be a daunting task and be years in the making before the case sees the inside of a courtroom. Most recently the public has been frustrated by the delays in setting a date to begin jury selection in the sentencing retrial of Jodi Arias who was convicted in early May for the June 4, 2008 murder of her ex boyfriend Travis Alexander. Believe it or not, I found a case that's taken even longer, had more attorneys involved and still is unresolved. I'm talking about AZ v Jeffrey Martinson. There's more to this story than I can get into right now, but the delay aspect is what I wanted to hit on in today's blog.
In August of 2004, Martinson's 5 year old son Joshua Eberle-Martinson was found dead in a bunk bed at Martinson's apartment. Martinson himself was found unconscious with a plastic bag over his head and (self-inflicted) cuts on his wrists - believed to be a murder/suicide by police. Martinson was in the middle of a very contemptuous custody battle with ex-wife Kristin Eberle over visitation with 5 year old Joshua. Martinson was seeking more time with his son, over the objections of Eberle who had been granted several orders of protection against the allegedly abusive Martinson. Police responded to Martinson's apartment when Eberle called to report she had been trying to pick up Joshua from a weekend visitation at his father's home where nobody was answering the door. It was too late for Joshua, but Martinson was still alive and he was arrested on August 29th, 2004 - the day after Joshua's body was discovered.
The state believes that Martinson drugged his young son, after medical examiner Dr. John Hu found toxic levels of the drug carisoprodol (Soma) in the 5 year old's system and the death was ruled a homicide. Over the years that the case made its way through the system, Martinson reportedly went through a total of 5 sets of court appointed defense teams (11 attorneys). Each change in representation caused further delays in bringing the case to trial. The trial finally began in August of 2011, 7 years after Joshua's death. In November, the jury convicted Martinson of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. The jury deadlocked on sentencing, with 2 jurors voting for death, 8 voted for life imprisonment and 2 were undecided.
Ordinarily the judge would then set a date for retrial on sentencing and choose a new jury panel. We all know the Arizona process after watching the Arias trial! However, this is where this case was turned upside down. After the mistrial was announced, detailed notes from jurors were sent to Judge Duncan claiming the jury forewoman "bullied several jurors into submission", badly interpreted the judge's legal instructions on felony murder as it relates to child abuse. "Laura", the juror who wrote the note claimed forewoman "Kathy" was an employee of the AZ Supreme Court and she alleged Kathy would not allow the jury to discuss anything other than the most serious counts of child abuse - several jurors wanted to discuss or at least consider the lesser charges. Judge Duncan spoke to each juror, one by one in January of 2012. Martinson's attorney asked for a mistrial - wanting to start over from the beginning of the guilt/innocence phase. Another juror named "James" told the judge he didn't feel the state proved murder, but he voted guilty anyway.
Judge Sally Duncan overturned Martinson's guilty verdict and ordered he be given a new trial, citing "juror misconduct" and a recently filed Arizona Court of Appeals opinion regarding the "opinion" testimony of medical examiner in her 7 page ruling on the case. Dr. Hu had testified at trial that Joshua "absolutely died as the result of a murder - what he called of "acute Soma toxicity". Judge Duncan's ruling further said that Hu "did not rely on any specialized knowledge in making his findings. Instead, he based his findings on information that he was no more uniquely qualified to determine than the jurors". The judge also found that juror misconduct occurred, an independent basis to grant a new trial".
A September 20, 2012 article from the eastvaluetribune.com wrote that Martinson's new trial was supposed to begin in October of 2012 and he would not face the death penalty. They estimated the trial would go "no longer than January of 2013". As far as I can tell, this trial STILL has not started. According to the Maricopa County Superior Court websites "minute entries" shows the last minute entry referred to a 9/6/13 court date to hear oral arguments on the defendants "Request for Consolidation" and Ruling on Defendants "Motion to Dismiss Prosecutorial Misconduct/Double Jeopardy".
This case has been going through the justice system for more than 9 years now. I can only imagine the outrage that Joshua's mother feels, as Martinson's conviction was overturned after waiting 7 years and 11 defense attorneys to get to trial. Does this seem just to you??
A September 20, 2012 article from the eastvaluetribune.com wrote that Martinson's new trial was supposed to begin in October of 2012 and he would not face the death penalty. They estimated the trial would go "no longer than January of 2013". As far as I can tell, this trial STILL has not started. According to the Maricopa County Superior Court websites "minute entries" shows the last minute entry referred to a 9/6/13 court date to hear oral arguments on the defendants "Request for Consolidation" and Ruling on Defendants "Motion to Dismiss Prosecutorial Misconduct/Double Jeopardy".
This case has been going through the justice system for more than 9 years now. I can only imagine the outrage that Joshua's mother feels, as Martinson's conviction was overturned after waiting 7 years and 11 defense attorneys to get to trial. Does this seem just to you??
Sign "Fallon's Petition" - In Honor Of Jennifer Martel, Murder Victim
I continue to be saddened and outraged at some of the things that are happening in our society with shocking frequency - senseless murders, and some of the laws or lack of laws protecting women from the men that abuse them.
I received an e-mail from Change.org requesting my signature on "Fallon's Petition". The story is sad. If you would like to be a part of enacting positive change to prevent this from happening to another young woman, I would encourage you to use the link at the bottom of this blog entry and sign the petition. They still need a lot of signatures. Here's part of the e-mail I received, summarizing the victim and circumstances of the murder of 27 year old Jennifer Martel:
"27 year old Jennifer Martel was a caring mom to a little girl. Working her way through college, Jennifer hoped to become an elementary school teacher. Jennifer's boyfriend had a long history of criminal activity, including domestic violence, yet he was released on his own recognizance after smashing Jennifer's head into a mirror Tuesday, August 13th. Just two nights later, he was found covered in blood after stabbing Jennifer to death in the presence of their 4 year old daughter and neighbors".
"While Massachusetts law is at the forefront of the war against domestic violence, the recent murder of Jennifer Martel highlights a gaping hole in the current system. Under MGL 276 Sec. 58A, offenders can be released on their own recognizance, without any bail set, within 24 hours of an assault.
An emergency restraining order was issued against Jennifer's assailant, but since Jennifer did not appear in court the day after she was attacked her assailant was released without bail on his own recognizance".
Fallon's Petition "hopes to close the loophole that allows repeat, violent offenders to be released without immediate consequences, putting their female victims and the public at risk". Here is the link to Change.org:
https://www.change.org/petitions/honor-jennifer-martel-protect-victims-of-abuse?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=33530&alert_id=myKSlswmic_ByINstaOPJ
Unfortunately, these stories are becoming far too commonplace and this will never be acceptable. If they need to build more prisons to keep these violent predators locked away for longer, so be it. Jennifer looks like a beautiful young woman, and now her daughter will grow up without her - who knows what she witnessed and how it will effect her in the future. Thank you "Fallon" for your petition.
I received an e-mail from Change.org requesting my signature on "Fallon's Petition". The story is sad. If you would like to be a part of enacting positive change to prevent this from happening to another young woman, I would encourage you to use the link at the bottom of this blog entry and sign the petition. They still need a lot of signatures. Here's part of the e-mail I received, summarizing the victim and circumstances of the murder of 27 year old Jennifer Martel:
 |
| Jennifer Martel, from Change.org |
"27 year old Jennifer Martel was a caring mom to a little girl. Working her way through college, Jennifer hoped to become an elementary school teacher. Jennifer's boyfriend had a long history of criminal activity, including domestic violence, yet he was released on his own recognizance after smashing Jennifer's head into a mirror Tuesday, August 13th. Just two nights later, he was found covered in blood after stabbing Jennifer to death in the presence of their 4 year old daughter and neighbors".
"While Massachusetts law is at the forefront of the war against domestic violence, the recent murder of Jennifer Martel highlights a gaping hole in the current system. Under MGL 276 Sec. 58A, offenders can be released on their own recognizance, without any bail set, within 24 hours of an assault.
An emergency restraining order was issued against Jennifer's assailant, but since Jennifer did not appear in court the day after she was attacked her assailant was released without bail on his own recognizance".
Fallon's Petition "hopes to close the loophole that allows repeat, violent offenders to be released without immediate consequences, putting their female victims and the public at risk". Here is the link to Change.org:
https://www.change.org/petitions/honor-jennifer-martel-protect-victims-of-abuse?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=33530&alert_id=myKSlswmic_ByINstaOPJ
Unfortunately, these stories are becoming far too commonplace and this will never be acceptable. If they need to build more prisons to keep these violent predators locked away for longer, so be it. Jennifer looks like a beautiful young woman, and now her daughter will grow up without her - who knows what she witnessed and how it will effect her in the future. Thank you "Fallon" for your petition.
"Pillowcase Rapist" Christopher Hubbart Being Released?
Thanks to Nancy B for bringing this unbelievable story to light in one of her recent comments. The women of California need to know this man's face - and be aware that he may soon be wandering the streets of their neighborhood. I'm still at a loss for words that Santa Clara Judge Gilbert Brown granted the " conditional release" of Christopher Hubbart - a man who admitted to violently raping nearly 40 women throughout the state of California. Those are the rapes he admitted to, who knows the real number? Why in God's name would any Judge, any court in the United States of America release an inmate with this type of predatory background?
Here's some background on Hubbart. Beginning in 1968, he began raping women in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. In the year 1972 alone, he reportedly raped 25 or 26 women. Yet in 1983, he was paroled - and on the same day of his release, he raped another woman. The SAME DAY of his release he found his next victim. He went on to rape 9 more woman in San Jose before being caught and returned to custody. Do you think at that point he ever should have been released? Is there any question this man should have been locked up for life? He was released AGAIN in 1990, and shortly thereafter he attacked a woman who was jogging and was returned to custody. Hubbart spent time at Atascadero State Hospital as a "mentally disordered offender". That's a polite way to put it. He's in another state hospital now, Coalinga State Hospital.
Dubbed "The Pillowcase Rapist", Hubbart terrorized women in their own homes by covering their heads with pillowcases in an attempt to drown out their screams for help. A true predator, he would stalk neighborhoods, looking for telltale clues that the man of the house was gone - like looking into open garages for cars, and looking for signs of children. He believed women with children would be less likely to fight him in order to keep their children safe. What a monster. He would bind them, cover their faces and assault them.
Los Angeles District Attorney Jacky Lacey says her office is doing everything they can to challenge the release of Hubbart. State law requires that inmates conditionally released must be placed back in the community they lived in prior to their incarceration, unless circumstances require placement elsewhere. His last known residence was in Claremont, CA. How can this happen? This man has offended, re offended and re offended again - yet the state thinks it's time to release him into a community? Lacey petitioned the state Supreme Court in July to block the release, but was unsuccessful. The Huffington Post reported that Lacey said "we have aggressively pursued and exhausted all legal avenues to stop the release of sexually violent predator Christopher Hubbart to Los Angeles County".
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said "releasing this individual into the county where many of the victims and their families live is unreasonable and unfair". I say releasing him ANYWHERE is unreasonable and unfair. He should be locked up for life. Efforts are reportedly under way to notify his victims. Hubbarts case prompted the passage of the Sexually Violent Predators Act, which allows authorities to keep offenders like Hubbart in custody until officials deem them safe.
After hearing from mental health professionals in April, a Santa Clara County judge ruled 62 year old Hubbart eligible for release, and ordered him to be relocated back to Los Angeles County. A San Jose appeals court and state Supreme Court upheld the ruling, over the protests of DA Lacey. Is there anything that we, as concerned citizens do to block the release? If this man committed these sex crimes today, he would undoubtedly face life in prison. This is completely unacceptable, and seems to put an entire community in harms way. If history tells us anything about Hubbart, he'll be stalking another neighborhood looking for another victim - ankle bracelet, GPS or whatever they will be using to monitor him will not be enough.
I'm outraged. Nancy B, you were SO right about this story - truly outrageous and outright frightening. Thank you so much for bringing this to light. I'm looking for some type of petition that we can all sign. If you know of one, please post the location. It's frightening to think of what this man is capable of and how many times he's been released only to commit more rapes. What makes these mental health officials believe he's reformed? Would they be comfortable with Hubbart being released into their neighborhoods? How about Judge Gilbert Brown? How would he like to be Hubbarts' neighbor?
 |
| Christopher Hubbart |
Here's some background on Hubbart. Beginning in 1968, he began raping women in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. In the year 1972 alone, he reportedly raped 25 or 26 women. Yet in 1983, he was paroled - and on the same day of his release, he raped another woman. The SAME DAY of his release he found his next victim. He went on to rape 9 more woman in San Jose before being caught and returned to custody. Do you think at that point he ever should have been released? Is there any question this man should have been locked up for life? He was released AGAIN in 1990, and shortly thereafter he attacked a woman who was jogging and was returned to custody. Hubbart spent time at Atascadero State Hospital as a "mentally disordered offender". That's a polite way to put it. He's in another state hospital now, Coalinga State Hospital.
Dubbed "The Pillowcase Rapist", Hubbart terrorized women in their own homes by covering their heads with pillowcases in an attempt to drown out their screams for help. A true predator, he would stalk neighborhoods, looking for telltale clues that the man of the house was gone - like looking into open garages for cars, and looking for signs of children. He believed women with children would be less likely to fight him in order to keep their children safe. What a monster. He would bind them, cover their faces and assault them.
Los Angeles District Attorney Jacky Lacey says her office is doing everything they can to challenge the release of Hubbart. State law requires that inmates conditionally released must be placed back in the community they lived in prior to their incarceration, unless circumstances require placement elsewhere. His last known residence was in Claremont, CA. How can this happen? This man has offended, re offended and re offended again - yet the state thinks it's time to release him into a community? Lacey petitioned the state Supreme Court in July to block the release, but was unsuccessful. The Huffington Post reported that Lacey said "we have aggressively pursued and exhausted all legal avenues to stop the release of sexually violent predator Christopher Hubbart to Los Angeles County".
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said "releasing this individual into the county where many of the victims and their families live is unreasonable and unfair". I say releasing him ANYWHERE is unreasonable and unfair. He should be locked up for life. Efforts are reportedly under way to notify his victims. Hubbarts case prompted the passage of the Sexually Violent Predators Act, which allows authorities to keep offenders like Hubbart in custody until officials deem them safe.
After hearing from mental health professionals in April, a Santa Clara County judge ruled 62 year old Hubbart eligible for release, and ordered him to be relocated back to Los Angeles County. A San Jose appeals court and state Supreme Court upheld the ruling, over the protests of DA Lacey. Is there anything that we, as concerned citizens do to block the release? If this man committed these sex crimes today, he would undoubtedly face life in prison. This is completely unacceptable, and seems to put an entire community in harms way. If history tells us anything about Hubbart, he'll be stalking another neighborhood looking for another victim - ankle bracelet, GPS or whatever they will be using to monitor him will not be enough.
I'm outraged. Nancy B, you were SO right about this story - truly outrageous and outright frightening. Thank you so much for bringing this to light. I'm looking for some type of petition that we can all sign. If you know of one, please post the location. It's frightening to think of what this man is capable of and how many times he's been released only to commit more rapes. What makes these mental health officials believe he's reformed? Would they be comfortable with Hubbart being released into their neighborhoods? How about Judge Gilbert Brown? How would he like to be Hubbarts' neighbor?
"Cold Justice" Heats Up Unsolved Murder Cases
This is my third blog post on TNT's new reality show, "Cold Justice". Cold Justice pairs former Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler with former Las Vegas CSI Yolanda McClary, who travel to small rural towns across America to look at unsolved murder cases. Their first episode which aired Tuesday has already delivered results - the arrest of Ronnie Hendricks (see yesterdays post for details) for the murder of Pam Shelley. TNT lists an episode guide online, and
I couldn't resist taking a peek and looking for details on those cases. I was astonished at what they have accomplished in their first season. This is more than just another crime drama, these ladies are committed and determined to bringing justice to those who may have escaped it previously in small towns that may lack the resources to bring a suspect to trial.
You can see the episode guide on their website. They give a brief description of the victims and circumstances of their deaths. Here is a list of this seasons cases:
Episode 2) Victim: 67 year old Mattie Williams was found stabbed and bludgeoned to death in the woods outside of an abandoned house approximately 4 miles from her home on 8/28/06. Williams lived in Morehouse Parish, LA and was said to be an active member of her church and a loving mother. Her daughter, LaShonda Williams told reporters how difficult life was without her mother during a 2008 interview with a local reporter. She also stressed how the family leaned on each other for strength after the killing. Williams was initially believed to be missing, after a friend went to her home and saw blood outside of her house and called the police. Her body was found just 6 hours later. This episode runs next Tuesday, and it appears Siegler and McClary may have breathed new life into this cold case.
On 7/2/13, know.com reported there were 3 people indicted for second degree murder in relation to this case. All three face mandatory life sentences if convicted. Sadly, one of the three is Mattie Williams' own son, John Williams. This episode airs next Tuesday on TNT.
Episode 3) Victim: 32 year old Eric Baxter, who was found shot to death in his home in Dickson, Tennessee on 8/20/98. This is said to be the only unsolved homicide in the small community where it occurred. I haven't been able to find any additional information on the circumstances around his death, possible suspects or the outcome of Siegler and McClary's investigation.
Episode 4) Victim: 17 year old Rachelle Escalante was believed to have been killed by a hit and run driver on 7/6/88 in Globe, Arizona. Escalante was said to have been walking home from a party when she was struck. Escalante had just completed her junior year in high school when she attended a party with friends where a fight broke out. Escalante left the party on foot, and patrol officers came across her crawling across the middle of the road - they initially believed it was an injured animal but as the got closer they realized it was a young girl. They stopped their patrol car and attempted to help her, but it was too late. I was unable to find any additional information on this investigation online. Guess I'll have to wait until the episode airs!
Episode 5) Victim: 48 year old Charlene Corporon was found shot to death in her home in Palacios, Texas on 6/6/82. Corporon owned the most successful agricultural business in town and worked with her son Gary. It was widely known that Gary had been physically and verbally abusive towards his mother in recent years, and when a friend of Charlene's knocked on the door looking for her, Gary answered reportedly said "Charlene doesn't look too good". She had been shot in the head with a .22 caliber gun. This is by far the most perplexing of the cases/episodes so far. The episode guide gives little information on this case, but what I found online makes this a mystery. In a May 4, 2012 article in the houstonchronicle.com it says that Charlene's son Gary was charged with murder but may never be tried. The issue at hand seems to be this: was he ever indicted for this murder, and if he was indicted and charged, why hasn't there been a trial? Gary Corporon is said to be working offshore near LA and remains free on $100,000 bail. OK, if he's free after posting bail, that would indicate that he WAS arrested wouldn't it? It's confusing. Some law enforcement officials say he had been arrested, some aren't so sure. District Clerk Becky Denn said there was no record of Corporon's indictment. What gives here? District Attorney Steven Reiss told the Houston Chronicle reporter that he planned to ask a new grand jury to "re-indict" Corporon, he further stated that "the delay does not appear to have been created by any law enforcement agency". He has requested additional investigation into the improprieties which appear to have caused a 31 year delay in prosecuting this case. South Texas College of Law professor Geoffrey Corn believes Corporon has a great case for a "speedy trial dismissal". There is no statute of limitation on murder, but what happens if Corporon was arrested 30 years ago, and never brought to trial - and the charges were never dropped? What if the ball was dropped entirely? If there is no record of the indictment, what could the bail bondsman tell us about this issue?
The circumstances around Gary Corporon's freedom were brought to light after Kelly Siegler began investigating the case for a Cold Justice episode. Nubbin Chambbe, a former Sheriff's Detective who worked this case back in 1982 said he was told that Corporon was not indicted, and that the grand jury "passed" on the case, wanting additional information. So is that where the ball was dropped? Matagorda County Sheriff Douglas "Skipper" Osborne declined to answer questions on the case because it is a pending case. Sam Hurta, who was Sheriff in the early 80's and former DA Jack Sayler were unavailable for comment on the case. This will be another episode I'll have to watch to see what they uncover. Was Gary Corporon ever arrested back in 1982? Has he been living free of consequences for 31 years, after being a strong suspect in his mother's murder?
Episode 6) Victim: 29 year old Mary Ann Holmes was a single mother living in the small mostly Mormon community of Thatcher, Arizona when she was found handcuffed, tortured, raped and sexually mutilated in her own home. Her two small girls witnessed the murder, and the 3 and 5 year old girls were also tied up and naked. The oldest girl managed to free herself and ran across the street to a neighbor/friend's house for help. It was too late, Mary Ann Holmes was dead, and it appeared her 3 year old was covered in her mother's blood. It was reported that one of the girls said "mommy was hurt by a lion-man". Holmes had a yard sale in the morning, and the money she made from the yard sale was missing. Police believe someone at the yard sale may have come back later that evening. Police initially interviewed more than 75 people about this case, but no suspect emerged. Holmes' ex boyfriend was an early suspect after police noticed Holmes had filed a report, believing he was en route to Arizona from Florida. Although Holmes feared him, the ex-boyfriend's alibi checked out according to investigators. Little evidence has been disclosed, but there was a bloody shoe print, said to be size 11 1/2 found at the scene. There may have also been a single finger print on the handcuffs used on Holmes. What an awful murder, and for some animal to do that in front of two innocent children is just unfathomable. I really hope they find this guy.
Episode 7) Victim: 49 year old Isabel Corale was found dead on the couch in her Fremont, Ohio home on 1/24/88. It appeared that the mother of six fell asleep on the couch and in the early morning hours, somebody hit her in the head with an object. She never woke up. She was discovered the following morning by her husband, who called police. When police arrived, Corale's husband and three of her children were upstairs, frightened and covered in blood. A hatchet was found propped against a wall in the home - was it the murder weapon? I was unable to find any additional information on this case, or the outcome of Siegler and McClary's investigation.
Episode 8) Victim: 54 year old Robert Bryant was found beaten to death on the floor of the Agriliance Fertilizer Warehouse in Seagrave, Texas where he worked for 26 years. His body was discovered by a fellow employee. Bryant was known as a reliable employee who always arrived early and started the coffee. He was well liked and the community was shocked at this crime. Bryant's wallet was found with money inside, still in his pocket. Little else is known about this case. Was he killed by another employee, or did he interrupt a robbery? I can't find anything else on this case online. I'll have to watch the episode!
Those are the episodes listed thus far. Very interesting to see what can happen when new eyes look over these cold cases. Even though there has only been one episode so far, I really like this show. This seems much different from "The First 48", "Dateline" and "48 Hours". I think the chemistry between Siegler and McClary is great - they are both well respected in their fields - and I like the detective they are using, named Johnny Bonds. He's known to be a master interrogator. Looks like at least 3 of the 8 cases now have arrests to go with them. Not bad!
I couldn't resist taking a peek and looking for details on those cases. I was astonished at what they have accomplished in their first season. This is more than just another crime drama, these ladies are committed and determined to bringing justice to those who may have escaped it previously in small towns that may lack the resources to bring a suspect to trial.
You can see the episode guide on their website. They give a brief description of the victims and circumstances of their deaths. Here is a list of this seasons cases:
Episode 2) Victim: 67 year old Mattie Williams was found stabbed and bludgeoned to death in the woods outside of an abandoned house approximately 4 miles from her home on 8/28/06. Williams lived in Morehouse Parish, LA and was said to be an active member of her church and a loving mother. Her daughter, LaShonda Williams told reporters how difficult life was without her mother during a 2008 interview with a local reporter. She also stressed how the family leaned on each other for strength after the killing. Williams was initially believed to be missing, after a friend went to her home and saw blood outside of her house and called the police. Her body was found just 6 hours later. This episode runs next Tuesday, and it appears Siegler and McClary may have breathed new life into this cold case.
On 7/2/13, know.com reported there were 3 people indicted for second degree murder in relation to this case. All three face mandatory life sentences if convicted. Sadly, one of the three is Mattie Williams' own son, John Williams. This episode airs next Tuesday on TNT.
Episode 3) Victim: 32 year old Eric Baxter, who was found shot to death in his home in Dickson, Tennessee on 8/20/98. This is said to be the only unsolved homicide in the small community where it occurred. I haven't been able to find any additional information on the circumstances around his death, possible suspects or the outcome of Siegler and McClary's investigation.
Episode 4) Victim: 17 year old Rachelle Escalante was believed to have been killed by a hit and run driver on 7/6/88 in Globe, Arizona. Escalante was said to have been walking home from a party when she was struck. Escalante had just completed her junior year in high school when she attended a party with friends where a fight broke out. Escalante left the party on foot, and patrol officers came across her crawling across the middle of the road - they initially believed it was an injured animal but as the got closer they realized it was a young girl. They stopped their patrol car and attempted to help her, but it was too late. I was unable to find any additional information on this investigation online. Guess I'll have to wait until the episode airs!
Episode 5) Victim: 48 year old Charlene Corporon was found shot to death in her home in Palacios, Texas on 6/6/82. Corporon owned the most successful agricultural business in town and worked with her son Gary. It was widely known that Gary had been physically and verbally abusive towards his mother in recent years, and when a friend of Charlene's knocked on the door looking for her, Gary answered reportedly said "Charlene doesn't look too good". She had been shot in the head with a .22 caliber gun. This is by far the most perplexing of the cases/episodes so far. The episode guide gives little information on this case, but what I found online makes this a mystery. In a May 4, 2012 article in the houstonchronicle.com it says that Charlene's son Gary was charged with murder but may never be tried. The issue at hand seems to be this: was he ever indicted for this murder, and if he was indicted and charged, why hasn't there been a trial? Gary Corporon is said to be working offshore near LA and remains free on $100,000 bail. OK, if he's free after posting bail, that would indicate that he WAS arrested wouldn't it? It's confusing. Some law enforcement officials say he had been arrested, some aren't so sure. District Clerk Becky Denn said there was no record of Corporon's indictment. What gives here? District Attorney Steven Reiss told the Houston Chronicle reporter that he planned to ask a new grand jury to "re-indict" Corporon, he further stated that "the delay does not appear to have been created by any law enforcement agency". He has requested additional investigation into the improprieties which appear to have caused a 31 year delay in prosecuting this case. South Texas College of Law professor Geoffrey Corn believes Corporon has a great case for a "speedy trial dismissal". There is no statute of limitation on murder, but what happens if Corporon was arrested 30 years ago, and never brought to trial - and the charges were never dropped? What if the ball was dropped entirely? If there is no record of the indictment, what could the bail bondsman tell us about this issue?
The circumstances around Gary Corporon's freedom were brought to light after Kelly Siegler began investigating the case for a Cold Justice episode. Nubbin Chambbe, a former Sheriff's Detective who worked this case back in 1982 said he was told that Corporon was not indicted, and that the grand jury "passed" on the case, wanting additional information. So is that where the ball was dropped? Matagorda County Sheriff Douglas "Skipper" Osborne declined to answer questions on the case because it is a pending case. Sam Hurta, who was Sheriff in the early 80's and former DA Jack Sayler were unavailable for comment on the case. This will be another episode I'll have to watch to see what they uncover. Was Gary Corporon ever arrested back in 1982? Has he been living free of consequences for 31 years, after being a strong suspect in his mother's murder?
Episode 6) Victim: 29 year old Mary Ann Holmes was a single mother living in the small mostly Mormon community of Thatcher, Arizona when she was found handcuffed, tortured, raped and sexually mutilated in her own home. Her two small girls witnessed the murder, and the 3 and 5 year old girls were also tied up and naked. The oldest girl managed to free herself and ran across the street to a neighbor/friend's house for help. It was too late, Mary Ann Holmes was dead, and it appeared her 3 year old was covered in her mother's blood. It was reported that one of the girls said "mommy was hurt by a lion-man". Holmes had a yard sale in the morning, and the money she made from the yard sale was missing. Police believe someone at the yard sale may have come back later that evening. Police initially interviewed more than 75 people about this case, but no suspect emerged. Holmes' ex boyfriend was an early suspect after police noticed Holmes had filed a report, believing he was en route to Arizona from Florida. Although Holmes feared him, the ex-boyfriend's alibi checked out according to investigators. Little evidence has been disclosed, but there was a bloody shoe print, said to be size 11 1/2 found at the scene. There may have also been a single finger print on the handcuffs used on Holmes. What an awful murder, and for some animal to do that in front of two innocent children is just unfathomable. I really hope they find this guy.
Episode 7) Victim: 49 year old Isabel Corale was found dead on the couch in her Fremont, Ohio home on 1/24/88. It appeared that the mother of six fell asleep on the couch and in the early morning hours, somebody hit her in the head with an object. She never woke up. She was discovered the following morning by her husband, who called police. When police arrived, Corale's husband and three of her children were upstairs, frightened and covered in blood. A hatchet was found propped against a wall in the home - was it the murder weapon? I was unable to find any additional information on this case, or the outcome of Siegler and McClary's investigation.
Episode 8) Victim: 54 year old Robert Bryant was found beaten to death on the floor of the Agriliance Fertilizer Warehouse in Seagrave, Texas where he worked for 26 years. His body was discovered by a fellow employee. Bryant was known as a reliable employee who always arrived early and started the coffee. He was well liked and the community was shocked at this crime. Bryant's wallet was found with money inside, still in his pocket. Little else is known about this case. Was he killed by another employee, or did he interrupt a robbery? I can't find anything else on this case online. I'll have to watch the episode!
Those are the episodes listed thus far. Very interesting to see what can happen when new eyes look over these cold cases. Even though there has only been one episode so far, I really like this show. This seems much different from "The First 48", "Dateline" and "48 Hours". I think the chemistry between Siegler and McClary is great - they are both well respected in their fields - and I like the detective they are using, named Johnny Bonds. He's known to be a master interrogator. Looks like at least 3 of the 8 cases now have arrests to go with them. Not bad!
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