Death row inmate hanged

SO LONG, SLAGLE :

A death row inmate hanged himself in an Ohio jail cell yesterday, just days before his scheduled execution.

 

Convicted killer Billy Slagle. 44, was sentenced to die for the 1987 stabbing death of his neighbor, Mari Anne Pope, while she was babysitting two young children.

 

His original motive for breaking-and-entering into the home had been to burglarize it so he could "buy alcohol."

 

Another Cleveland creep with significant issues, Slagle, then 18, already had a criminal history including assault before the brutal slaying, and had been a habitual drug user since the age of 12.

 

He used a pair of scissors to kill Pope, knifing her 17 times while her small charges looked on.

 

One of the boys who witnessed the bloody event was so traumatized thereafter that eventually, as a young adult, he took his own life.

 

The case of a death row inmate hanged before his executioners can do the job isn't so uncommon, which is why such prisoners are customarily put on a suicide watch three days before their date with death.

 

Psycho Slagle beat the clock by a few hours however, but his fate still remains the same -- goodbye and good riddance.

 

EPONYMOUS ROX

 

PERMITTED TO OFFEND: George Zimmerman and FBI Informants

What Criminal Justice System?

George Zimmerman, barely acquitted one month for the coldblooded killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, promptly and predictably reoffends and isn't arrested; while his criminally-bent counterparts secretly employed as FBI informants are also permitted to be fulltime miscreants.

 

In fact, the FBI now shamelessly admits that they've given thousands of prize stool pigeons carte blanche to commit thousands of crimes annually, even supervising these illegal acts which they then have the balls to describe as "tightly controlled" and "situational."

 

In 2011 alone a reported 5,658 assorted misdeeds -- 15 per day -- were allowed by the nation's highest law enforcement agency, which lays claim to a stable of at least 15,000 snitches at any given time, all of them free to rob and rape at their leisure.

 

Yet it's innocent citizens, with no records at all, whose e-mails are being searched by the NSA, whose letters are being photographed by the U.S. Post Office, whose license plates are being scanned by local police departments, whose phone calls are being listened in on by Big Brother...

 

Why aren't our hotshot cops actually protecting us?

 

How can a magistrate's son with a history of violence and his fellow felons get away with so much mayhem and murder?

 

Who broke the criminal justice system?

 

And when can we expect it to be fixed again?

 

EPONYMOUS ROX
 

Life plus 1000 years for Ariel Castro

Serial kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro had already accepted a plea deal for life without parole before yesterday's sentencing hearing. Agreeing to that term and an additional 1000 years rather than gamble with a possible death verdict.

 

So there were no courtroom surprises in store for the world's "worst sexual predator" to date, save, perhaps, for being confronted by his most battered victim.

 

An emotional Michelle Knight made a courageous appearance in the proceeding, bearing witness against her now-shackled abuser and warning him that while her and her fellow captives' nightmare had finally ended, his hell "is just beginning."

 

She's right about this too, because child rapists, kidnappers and killers have a tough time once incarcerated, viewed by their prison mates as the lowest of the low, even among other murderers and sex offenders.

 

In fact, many such inmates are slain behind bars in assassination plots hatched well in advance of their integration with the general population. So Castro can expect a similarly harrowing prison experience, although, in his own eyes, he really isn't a bad guy after all, nor violent...

 

Standing unmoved and remorseless during sentencing, a bespectacled Ariel Castro once again conveyed his firm belief that he "is not a monster" but rather just a harmless, "sick man" with a "porn addiction."

 

Those proclamations fly in the face of his confession and recent plea deal though, as well as the mountain of evidence which eventually led to his 937-count indictment for abduction, assault, sexual assault, and murder.

 

The defendant's unapologetic statement, delivered in a calculatingly beseeching tone, belies a criminal attitude that seemed to enrage the presiding judge, but which isn't that uncommon for perps as incurably deviant as Castro is.  

 

This brand of violent sociopath can distort reality with relative ease, even to the degree where hundreds of vicious rapes and beatings, committed against defenseless victims held in bondage, can all become "consensual."

 

Coincidentally, that same perverse perspective was embraced by criminal justice officials for centuries, and even today the state of Ohio, from Steubenville to Cleveland, is grappling with an alarmingly high rate of violence against women.

 

A dangerous situation for Ohio's female citizenry in general, and one greatly exacerbated by law enforcement's historically wanton approach in guaranteeing the "weaker sex" equal protection.

 

 EPONYMOUS ROX

Jodi Arias Poll Question: Life or Death?

Deadlock for Jodi Arias jury;
mistrial declared on penalty phase: 

Even given a second chance to determine Arias' fate a Phoenix jury still couldn't unanimously decide whether she should be put to death for killing Travis Alexander or given a life sentence instead. 

 

In Arizona, such indecision automatically results in a mistrial, which can either be resolved by the prosecution abandoning pursuit of the death penalty, or, alternately, by seating a brand new sentencing jury.

A new jury entails months more of deliberations as they necessarily review all the previous testimony and evidence -- a daunting task in a trial that has dragged on for months and months without end.

Millions of dollars have already been spent to prosecute the defendant, in a highly televised trial of circus proportions that even saw witnesses for the defense intimidated from testifying and defense lawyers motioning at least twice to be recused citing irreconcilable differences with their client.

Although these now-dismissed jurors are the very same ones who previously proclaimed Jodi Arias guilty of "especially cruel" premeditated homicide, her subsequent mitigating testimony and post-trial television interview from jail has clearly created some confusion in their minds.

Yet another reason cameras should have been barred from the entire courtroom spectacle and jurors sequestered at all times.  

Also perplexing, no doubt, is the fact that Arias had no prior criminal history before the gruesome slaying of Alexander, and still firmly clings to the contention that she was a victim of domestic violence and his murder committed in self defense.

Certainly, from sexually graphic descriptions of her relationship with the victim, plus reams upon reams of the couple's less than loving communiqués, there undeniably existed an inherently abusive and unhealthy bond between them.

Whatever happens now, though, there are more than ample grounds for future appeals, so whether Arias ultimately lives or dies is still a destiny that's as far off as ever.

SCROLL TO THE POLL AND YOU DECIDE THEN: Should the defendant be executed by lethal injection for 'cruelly' killing Travis Alexander, or given a life sentence instead? 

 

She claims she ought to be spared and "given a second chance" because she can "contribute to society" in a variety of useful ways, including encouraging literacy among fellow inmates, donating her long hair to cancer patients (again), and advocating for domestic abuse victims.

 

But Team Alexander says NOPE, Arias is just a heartless, conniving, fork-tongued sociopath who should be put to death without a second thought or a moment's hesitation.

To cast your vote, simply post a reply of "Life sentence" or "Death sentence" in the comment section below (no essays please) and I'll tally the results as they come in.

 

EPONYMOUS ROX

 

Screaming mad Drew Peterson declares he's innocent

I did not drown that woman! 

 

The formerly smirking and cool-as-a-cucumber Drew Peterson flipped his lid yesterday upon learning he will now have to do 38 years for the suspected slaying in 2004 of his third wife Kathleen Savio. 

 

That's a veritable death sentence when considering the sorry lot of an ex-cop in prison, and that he's hardly a young man anymore.

 

Many who witnessed the spectacle of the infuriated defendant going off the deep end in an emotional rant directed at the judge and anyone else present at his sentencing say his angry outburst was nothing but the real Drew surfacing at the eleventh hour.

 

THERE, all his diehard haters assert, was the coldblooded, serial wife-murderer who knew his day had come at last. 

 

The prosecution, victorious not through prima facie forensic proofs or evidentiary facts, but rather via Illinois's new 'Hearsay' statute enacted solely to nail Peterson for first-degree murder, even went so far as to call him "a psychopath" in their subsequent gloating statements to the media.

But is prisoner Peterson's bitter diatribe merely an example of a half-crazed killer completely losing his courtroom composure, or does this guy really have something to yell about?  find out here

 

Closing the Year on Crime & Punishment

Killing Killers wishes everyone the very best of fortunes for 2013 and is closing out the calendar of 2012 on a light note today, since this year's news has been so heavy.

 

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

 

It might appear, from the photo above, that these two bashful teenagers were in the midst of a tryst of sorts and got busted by their peers.

 

But take a closer look and you'll see it just isn't so. The boys are merely getting their comeuppance for doing what some boys seem to do so well: brawling in the schoolyard.

 

Most school administrators take the view that fighting is a very serious crime no matter how old or young the perpetrators. Consequently, it's the kind of conduct that usually amounts to suspension as the swiftest and most appropriate form of punishment.

 

Of course, as in the real criminal justice system, determining just how long somebody should get banned from attending their classes usually depends on whether it's his first offense or if it's part of a troubling pattern.

 

Two days, a week, a month, forever...despite what most students loudly say about this in the presence of their friends, it's actually not their number one objective. Suspension from school for any length of time, or worse even permanently, is not ideal in the long run.

 

In fact, apart from being a lonely experience much akin to being publicly shunned, most kids can easily comprehend it's a real academic hassle as well. Especially those who have plans to graduate and get somewhere in life.

 

That's what the principal of Westwood High School in Mesa Arizona was figuring when he stumbled upon Charles and Julio above engaged in all out fisticuffs on school grounds. He broke their fight up and gave each young man the option to be suspended for the squabble or, alternately, to simply hold hands for an hour and be done with it.

 

A picture's worth a thousand words---you can see what these two intelligent youngsters prudently decided between them.

 

Leading up to this particular day in Westwood history, principal Timothy Richards had been highly praised for his somewhat maverick approach to student tardiness, delinquency, and other educational problems running rampant at Westwood before he was hired.

 

Indeed, during his brief tenure there, Richards' innovative policies were credited for thwarting the scholastic failure of some 300 students at the high school. Although not by forcing them all to hold hands, naturally.

 

For this particularly inventive method, however, the man has drawn some fire and ire. Not from Julio and not from Charles, mind you, but from critics on both sides of the isle.

 

But, regardless of this controversy over whether the punishment fits the crime or is way over the top and socially "traumatizing", the youths made the final choice, and this time they used their heads and chose very well.

 

What's more, at least one of them claims to have learned a valuable lesson from this experience, and that would be an obvious one: "Don't fight in school," Charles told an inquisitive CBS reporter earlier this month.

 

Right.

 

His arch nemesis, Julio, appears to have crumpled a bit under days of ridicule and unwanted Facebook photo-sharing. But, last heard, he's back in classes again too, and not fighting.

 

- Eponymous Rox 

 

 

Sigg's New Digs

 

Over numerous objections from his lawyers, Austin Reed Sigg was reportedly transferred on November 30, 2012 from Colorado's Mount View youth incarceration center to an adult jailhouse facility where he is currently being kept in isolation from the general population and can be guarded 24/7.

 

The rabid video-gamer and death-obsessed killer of ten-year-old schoolgirl Jessica Ridgeway turns 18 in January and, since he would technically then no longer be considered a minor, would have required different housing anyway.

 

An ever present danger to children, and fearing for his own safety too, officials at the youth center had kept Sigg separated from the other juvenile inmates prior to yesterday's transfer. Extreme conditions of his residency there which they'd pleaded in court papers was becoming a serious drain on their resources and couldn't be maintained for much longer.

It was their idea to be rid of him, assuring the Court that their little charge was "very mature" and therefore much better suited to life in an adult prison environment.

The transfer request should come as no real surpise--the teen has been charged as an adult and will face trial as an adult as well.
 

Another mugshot, another psychotic stare

Sigg's new addy is a small dungeon room in Colorado's Jefferson County Jail complex which contains minimum, medium, and maximum security prisoners of both sexes. 

However, searching through the current inmate list for official confirmation of this repeatedly produced the following error message: "We're sorry, but we couldn't find anyone in custody with the information you gave us."

It seems then that inmate Sigg is in some kind of limbo for awhile, at least until his 18th birthday arrives and hits him like a ton of bricks.

 

Whatever cell or wing he's presently being held (or hidden) in though, Jefferson County officials say that in approximately 50 days they plan to try and fully integrate him with his fellow prisoners.

That's preferable to solitary confinement, of course, but it's doubtful Sigg will fare too well let loose among them because violent pedophiles are walking targets in such closed quarters and extremely difficult to protect.
 

Sigg could hardly defend himself against such attacks by claiming his innocence either, since he's already publicly and privately confessed to the abduction, assault, murder and dismemberment of his child victim.

 

Additionally, DNA links him to the crime, as well as to the previous attempted kidnapping of a female jogger months in advance.

 

Jefferson County's jail was originally designed for only 1300 inmates, but the facility has seen a steady growth in its numbers over the past few years and has been reported to house as many as 1500 inmates at times.

 

Crowded jails are notorious for increasing the likelihood of assaults and other cellmate offenses, so perhaps justice for Jessica will move much swifter than anticipated.

 

Pretrial predictions

 

Sigg's recent housing shake up should serve as a reality check of sorts for all the parties involved in his criminal case. Accordingly, it wouldn't be odd for Sigg and his defense team to hurriedly hatch a scheme that, if accepted by prosecutors and approved by the judge, might see him safely sentenced for life in the psycho ward instead.

 

This could also mean the teen will try to increase his bargaining strength by confessing to other similar, but yet unknown, violent crimes he's commited before the Ridgeway girl's slaying in October.

 

Revelations of that nature wouldn't exactly shock expert profilers who'd strongly suspected all along, based upon the coldblooded methodology behind the heinous act, that it wasn't Sigg's first kill and that, if he hadn't been apprehended promptly, it surely wouldn't have been his last.

 

Defense lawyers arguing Sigg is not guilty of that murder because he's insane is probably being contemplated too, just as a back up plan if all else fails. But with the prosecution holding all the cards so far, and insanity itself traditionally difficult to prove, it's not the surest legal route to be pursuing in their client's interest. Now, or during his trial...

 

Look soon for a plea offer then, accompanied by a few brand new and startling confessions.

 



Deadly Dingbat Attempts Jail Cell Suicide

It's a dilemma, isn't it? Whether to save lethal loonies like the Colorado Theatre Shooter from doing themselves in, or give his victims and their families swift closure by allowing him to succeed?

 

Prison officials report that Colorado Theatre Shooter, James Holmes, the young man responsible for the largest civilian-on-civilian massacre in the history of the United States, "attempted suicide yesterday" by repeatedly bashing his head into the wall of his jail cell. He survived the incident.

 

That's going to leave a mark, obviously, but in the meantime the misguided effort to off himself also resulted in his inability to come to court this afternoon.

 

(He's guilty as sin anyway, so what difference does it make.)
 

PEOPLE VERSUS SIGG: a quick guide to understanding the 17 charges brought against teen killer Austin Reed Sigg

Colorado throws the book at Jessica Ridgeway's killer

 

(Can't read this court document? Click the image to enlarge it.)

 

 

"Austin Reed Sigg unlawfully and feloniously, acting alone, committed sexual assault, and in the course of or in furtherance of that crime caused the death of Jessica Ridgeway...There's DNA evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming."

 

 

 - SUMMARY OF THE SEVENTEEN SEPARATE CHARGES -

 
COUNT  1: Murder in the First Degree per intentional and premeditated homicide
 
COUNT  2: Murder in the First degree during the commission of kidnapping

COUNT  3: Murder in the First Degree during the commission of robbery

COUNT  4: Murder in the First Degree during the commission of sexual assault

COUNT  5: Second Degree Kidnapping - aggravated by sexual offense
 
COUNT  6: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer for first degree offenses)

COUNT  7: Second Degree Kidnapping - aggravated by robbery

COUNT  8: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer for second degree offenses)

COUNT  9: Sexual Assault On a Child - aggravated by age variables
 
COUNT 10: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer for sexual assault on a child)

COUNT 11: Robbery as a result of force, intimidation, or threats

COUNT 12: Criminal Attempted Murder in the First Degree of female jogger May 2012

COUNT 13: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer for attempted first degree murder)

COUNT 14: Criminal Attempted Sexual Assault of female jogger May 2012

COUNT 15: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer for attempted sexual assault)

COUNT 16: Criminal Attempted Second Degree Kidnapping of female jogger May 2012

COUNT 17: Crime of Violence (sentence enhancer, attempted second degree kidnapping)