Tag: stabbing

Venue change request rejected in Randolph teen murder trial:

The trial for Jonathan Zarate will not be moved out of Morris County, New Jersey a judge ruled today.

Zarate is accused in the 2005 murder and dismemberment of 16-year-old neighbor Jennifer Parks.

Zarate’s lawyer argued that there is an anti-Hispanic sentiment in Morris County. It’s more like he was shopping for a sympathetic jury in my opinion.

It’s been over 3 years now since Jennifer’s brutal murder. Can we finally get this trial started and get some justice for Jennifer?

Judge rules Randolph man’s murder confession admissible:

Jonathan Zarate’s videotaped confession to the killing of Jennifer Parks will be allowed into evidence. Superior Court Judge Salem Ahto ruled today that Zarate was not coerced into giving a confession and was read his Miranda rights six times which he gave consent for each.

Today (the 30th) is the third anniversary of Jennifer’s murder. Let’s get this trial started already and bring some much-needed justice to the Parks family.

Videotaped confession details girl’s slaying:

Confession: Insult led to Randolph girl’s killing:

“When I stabbed her in the mouth, she was still alive, so I stabbed her in the neck,”

Those are the words of Jonathan Zarate in his videotaped confession describing the 2005 murder of 16-year-old Jennifer Parks. In the tape, he casually uttered those words while eating a Snickers bar.

The tape was played in court today to determine if the confession is admissible in the trial.

Zarate’s attorney, Rich Mazawey, argued that his client uses PCP, has OCD, anger issues, and was hallucinating at the time of the interview and the murder. Are those supposed to be reasons not to throw his ass in a hole for the rest of his life?

The lead investigator, Lt. Jane Recktenwald of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, testified that Zarate did not appear to be under the influence of any drugs at the time of the interview.

Zarate’s lawyer wants Randolph murder trial moved out of Morris County:

The lawyer for accused killer and mutilator Jonathan Zarate wants the trial moved out of Morris County. Defense lawyer, and another comedian, Richard S. Mazawey, wants the trial move because of alleged anti-Hispanic sentiment in the county along with pre-trial publicity.

I wouldn’t call it anti-Hispanic sentiment. I’d call it anti-scumbag who killed 16-year-old Jennifer Parks, dismembered her body and tried to dump it in the Passaic River sentiment.

Just another act of desperation and another delay from another lawyer who knows that Zarate is a lost cause.

It’s been 3-years already since Jennifer’s death. Justice has long been overdue.

Thanks to Keb for the tip.

Accused killer may have been in drug stupor, attorney says:

The last time I posted anything about accused killer Jonathan Zarate I thought the judge had denied his attorney’s request for toxicology reports. Zarate’s attorney is claiming that Zarate was in a marijuana laced with PCP stupor when he brutally beat, stabbed, dismembered, hid the body, then tried to dump the remains of 16-year-old Jennifer Parks into the Passaic River. A reader corrected me and said the judge had, in fact, approved the request for a toxicology report. Now Zarate’s attorney is requesting two bags of marijuana and blood from his client to be analyzed by a lab.

Mazawey said he was merely seeking the scientific data to bolster a February finding by forensic psychiatrist Diana Riccoli that Zarate’s diminished mental capacity may be the result of several years of continued use of marijuana laced with PCP and alcohol. The abuse could have contributed to a “state of de-realization” that would have permitted Zarate to detach himself mentally from his actions and precluded him from giving informed consent before talking to authorities.

So basically all this delay is to try to get Zarate’s confession to be ruled inadmissible. I think the fact that Zarate tried so meticulously to cover up his crime by enlisting the aid of others shows that Zarate has no mental defect. Unless you want to count being a murderous bastard.

Randolph killing defense: It was the drugs talking:

It’s been almost three years since Jonathan Zarate murdered 16-year-old Jennifer Parks, dismembered her body, and tried to dump her in the Passaic River. Almost three years and the case still hasn’t gone to trial. Mostly because of Zarate’s defense either stalling or being completely unprepared. Now they’ve tried to delay it even more by attempting to consult with a toxicologist. Why is that you may ask? Well. now almost three years later Zarate is trying to claim that there’s no way he could have confessed to police willingly because he was high on weed laced with PCP.

Instead, defense attorney Richard S. Mazawey said in court Tuesday that a psychiatrist he plans to use in the case wants to consult with a toxicologist he just hired. Mazawey said his expectation is that the toxicologist would opine that Zarate couldn’t knowingly waive his legal right to remain silent because of the effects of “marijuana laced with PCP lingering in his system.”

Thankfully the judge denied the request.

Today a hearing will be held to determine if Zarate’s confession will be admissible.

Hat tip to Keb.

Prosecutor: Accused Randolph killer not impaired:

Morris County, NJ assistant prosecutor Robert Lane told a judge Tuesday that accused killer Jonathan Zarate bragged to other inmates that he wasn’t mentally diminished when he killed and dismembered his 16-year-old neighbor Jennifer Parks. This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one.

It seems that Zarate has a new lawyer as well. Richard S. Mazawey replaces Anthony Fusco as Zarate’s attorney. No reason was given why Fusco is no longer his attorney. Mazawey plans to use the same diminished capacity defense that Fusco was pursuing.