TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Category: Crime

  • Underwood’s attorney wants death penalty removed

    Jamie Rose Bolin
    Jamie Rose Bolin

    Underwood defense asks to strike death penalty option:

    The defense for would be cannibal Kevin Ray Underwood is trying to get the death penalty taken off the table because of press leaks.

    Underwood’s defense attorney, L. Wayne Woodyard, appearing in Cleveland County District Court, argued Wednesday that too much information about the case has been leaked to the public that the case no longer represents “due process.” He asked that the bill of particulars be struck and the death penalty be taken out of consideration for sentencing.

    The defense pointed out the latest instance of “leaks” to the media. A TV news station ran a story Feb. 11 that unnamed sources revealed a sealed judgment of District Judge Candace Blalock. Only about an hour after the lawyers received the judgment via e-mail, it was posted online that Blalock decided to let incriminating evidence into the trial, the defense said.

    The defense blamed the District Attorney’s office for the leak.

    This is what I like to call grasping at straws.

    As the District Attorney pointed out in the article Mr. Woodyard knows that Underwood is a lost cause. Underwood basically confessed to the killing of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin and the desire to consume her flesh. This isn’t some overcomplicated case that you might see on some crime drama TV show.

    I’d be very surprised if the death penalty is removed as a sentencing option.

  • Other Marshfield witness can’t recall anything either

    Former classmates testify in Joseph Nee trial:

    Several former classmates of Joe Nee were able to testify about specific details of Joe Nee’s obsession with guns and Columbine. Yet when it came time for the other witness that was granted immunity to testify Joseph Sullivan also conveniently claimed that he couldn’t recall the details of Nee’s role in the plot to attack Marshfield. Just like Daniel Farley’s testimony.

    It almost seems like this trial is being put on just for show.

    Also, the prosecution rested today.

  • School shooting in Oxnard

    Oxnard teen shot by fellow student:

    A shooting took place yesterday at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California.

    15-year-old Lawrence King was shot by another 15-year-old student of the school.

    As of the time of the article King was listed in serious condition and in intensive care.

    The shooting allegedly happened because of a dispute between the two students.

    I’ll post more details as they become available and as time permits.

  • Written Permission

    Cross seeks new Internet safety laws to shield kids:

    State legislators in Illinois are trying to pass a law that would require sites like MySpace and Facebook to get written parental permission before kids would be allowed on the site.

    This may be the stupidest proposed legislation yet.

    Is the state going to verify each and every written permission that they receive to make sure the signatures are authentic? Because you know no kid would ever just have someone sign as their parents.

    Let’s throw some reactionary quotes from politicians in order to enrage the unenlightened.

    Cross and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow acknowledged the proposed laws are aggressive and that lawmakers could face some obstacles in getting them passed. Some judges might feel some of the proposals could violate freedom of speech, Glasgow said.

    But they also said it would be worth the fight.

    “This is an area that is constantly evolving,” said Glasgow, calling the Internet a “portal to hell” where children are concerned. “We have to very aggressively push the legislative envelope.”

    This isn’t pushing the legislative envelope, it’s legislatively crashing and burning.

    The government wasn’t designed to be parents to everyone.

  • Marshfield witness can’t recall details

    Witness in ’05 school plot case says he can’t recall many details:

    Could the trial of Joe Nee be any more of a joke?

    Yesterday one of the witnesses who was granted immunity, Daniel Farley, all of a sudden can’t recall details of the plot to attack Marshfield High. Which is funny to me because in the trial of Tobin Kerns Farley had no problems with recollection. You would think that if your ass almost went to jail you’d remember the details of why pretty clearly.

    Farley, who was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony, said during cross-examination: “It’s been dragged out so many years, everything’s foggy. . . . I cannot give an accurate testimony.”

    How convenient now that you’re testifying in the trial of the son of the head of the Boston police union.

    His father, Thomas J. Nee, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, said after the nearly seven-hour hearing that he was glad to finally be in court.

    “This is where the truth comes out,” he said. “I have faith in the system.”

    Don’t you mean faith in collusion? Coercion maybe?

  • Opening statements in Nee trial

    Trial starts for ex-Marshfield student charged in plot:

    A little more from the proceedings at yesterday’s trial of Joe Nee.

    In his opening statement Nee’s attorney, Thomas Dreschler, argued that his client deserved the same treatment as ‘informants’ Daniel Farley and Joseph Sullivan. Farley and Sullivan originally fingered Tobin Kerns as the ringleader then after Kerns’ arrest rolled on Nee. Farley and Sullivan were active participants in the plot but were granted immunity for their testimony in both trials.

    In the prosecutions opening statement, Karen O’Sullivan stated that Nee and Kerns plotted the attack together. I don’t see how she could say that since in my estimation all evidence points squarely at Nee.

  • Father of Dillon Cossey jailed

    Father of boy who planned school attack is jailed:

    Frank Cossey, the father of would be homeschooled school shooter Dillon Cossey, has been jailed. He violated his parole when he failed a drug test.

    Cossey the elder was convicted of manslaughter back in the ’80s and had attempted to buy a rifle for his son by lying on the application stating he had no previous convictions.

  • Trial starts for Joe Nee

    The trial for the second suspect in the plot to attack Marshfield High school in Massachusetts started today. The first ‘suspect’, Tobin Kerns, was convicted for his alleged role in the plot and was sentenced to 10 months in jail.

    It’s no secret that I think Tobin Kerns was actually set up by the defendant in today’s trial, Joe Nee. For all my posts on that, you can check the archives.

    Here are two articles about today’s proceedings. Pretty much both of them say a whole lot of nothing. All they say is that there were opening statements and witness testimony. Way to display those journalism degrees guys. Considering that the trial of Tobin Kerns was documented in detail by both newspapers this is ridiculous.

    As I’ve mentioned before Nee’s father, Thomas Nee, is the head of the Boston police union. Is it possible that the media is downplaying this trial because of some kind of arrangement with the Boston Police Department? That’s pure speculation on my part but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

  • Trial of Dane Abdool starts

    Man Accused Of Burning Girlfriend Heads To Trial:

    Longtime readers may remember when I first posted about Dane Abdool. Almost two years ago a 19-year-old Dane Abdool was arrested for setting his 17-year-old girlfriend, Amelia Sookdeo, on fire, killing her.

    It’s alleged that Amelia told Abdool that she was pregnant. Abdool allegedly wrapped her in duct tape, doused her in gasoline, set her on fire, then left her in a ditch to die. The medical examiner determined after Amelia’s death that she wasn’t even pregnant.

    Abdool’s trial started today on first-degree murder charges with a possible death sentence.

    Today was the start of jury selection.

  • Brain exam allowed for one of Cassie Jo Stoddart’s killers

    Brain exam allowed for one of Cassie Jo Stoddart’s killers

    Judge Allows Brain Exam on Adamcik:

    Congratulations to the citizens of Idaho. You’re now footing the bill for a neurological exam for an already convicted killer.

    Torey Adamcik and his mutant buddy Brian Draper were both sentenced to life without parole in the brutal murder of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart. Don’t forget they also videotaped the murder.

    Now Judge Peter McDermott has allowed the request of Adamcik’s attorney for the state to pay for a brain scan because his lawyer claims that Adamcik has a ‘brain deficiency’.

    In his ruling, Judge McDumbass stated…

    “Mr. Adamcik is a needy person… He is being detained under a conviction of a serious crime, since he has been sentenced to a fixed life term without the possibility of parole. Mr. Adamcik does not have the funds, or the ability to generate the funds necessary to conduct the neuropsychological examination requested by his attorney.”

    So how is that the state’s responsibility? The state has already proved Adamcik’s role in Cassie Jo Stoddart’s murder. Why should the state now have to foot the bill for a ploy by his attorney to get his sentence reduced? If McDermott wants the test done so bad, why doesn’t he pay for it out of his own pocket? Better yet, why don’t all the people who think that he shouldn’t have been tried as an adult chip in? Oh, that’s right, they don’t put their money where their mouth is.