[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----PENN., N.C., S.C., LA.

[Rick Halperin]

April 8




PENNSYLVANIA:

DA will seek death penalty for starter of McKeesport fire that killed 6



Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Tuesday he will 
seek the death penalty if the man accused of setting a fire that killed 6 - 
including 4 children - on Oct. 18 in McKeesport's Tenth Ward is convicted.

It is the 3rd time this year that Zappala has announced his intent to seek the 
death penalty in crimes where Mon-Yough residents lost lives.

"I took an oath to uphold the law," Zappala said Tuesday when he spoke at a 
meeting of McKeesport's Joint Task Force. "I intend to seek the death penalty 
in a fair and evenhanded way."

Police say Ryan Williams, 25, tossed a flaming roll of toilet paper onto a 
couch in the home while everyone inside was asleep because he held a grudge 
against one of the men who lived there.

The intended target, Keith Egenlauf, was severely burned but survived the 
blaze.

Killed in the fire were Egenlauf's wife, Hope Jordan Egenlauf, 27; her children 
Dominic Jordan, 7, Autumn Jordan, 6, Serenity Jakub, 3, and Victoria Jordan, 2; 
and Egenlauf's father, Ronald Egenlauf Sr., 55.

"What (Williams) needs to get, he can't get," said Donna Ackerman, 54, of 
McKeesport, the sister of Ronald Egenlauf. "That's for him to sit in a 
wheelchair and burn like my brother did, not being able to move. He killed a 
crippled person and those 4 innocent babies."

Prosecutors say Williams was motivated by desire for revenge. Williams and 
Egenlauf broke into a home in 2013, and Williams suspected that Egenlauf had 
snitched on him, according to a criminal complaint.

"If you take multiple lives, that is an aggravated circumstance that merits the 
death penalty," Zappala said.

Zappala stated his intent to seek the death penalty against 4 suspects in 3 
Mon-Yough area cases in recent weeks, but said that was not an unusual number.

"I have a review committee, some of the senior people in my office," Zappala 
said. "We've actually had, over the past 2 1/2 years, nearly 75 cases that have 
qualified."

Zappala announced he would seek the death penalty in the cases of James Everett 
Karr, 47, of South Park; and Jonathan "BJ" Coles, 20, and Roman Jones, 24, both 
of Clairton.

Karr is charged with starting the Dec. 30 fire that killed his estranged wife 
Maureen Karr, 56, and destroyed the home the couple once shared in Duquesne.

A status hearing is scheduled on Monday before Allegheny County Common Pleas 
Judge Donna Jo McDaniel.

Coles and Jones are charged in the Jan. 20 shooting of William Doyle, 24, of 
McKeesport.

Zappala indicated in his filing that Doyle was a witness to a murder and was 
killed to prevent him from testifying.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled on Friday before Allegheny County Common 
Pleas Judge Randal B. Todd.

Williams was arrested on Jan. 16. He is scheduled for formal arraignment on 30 
counts, including 6 homicides, 1 attempted homicide and multiple charges of 
arson and aggravated arson at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"I hate him," said Dawn McPherson of Elizabeth Borough, sister of Hope Jordan 
Egenlauf. "I'll never change my mind about that. I don't care if he lives or 
dies."

Serenity Jakub's father, Andrew Jakub, 26, said he had no comment. Neither 
Keith Egenlauf, nor his mother, Laverne Egenlauf, could be reached for comment.

Any statement of intent to seek the death penalty runs into the moratorium Gov. 
Tom Wolf issued on Feb. 13.

"The action that the governor took regarding the death penalty was in no way an 
expression of sympathy for the guilty on death row or for anyone who has 
committed a heinous crime - such as the Tenth Ward fire - and all of those 
individuals who are found guilty must be held to account," Wolf press secretary 
Jeffrey Sheridan said.

"That was a heinous crime and the governor's sympathies are with the families 
of the victims," Sheridan continued. "The guilty deserve no compassion and 
receive none from the governor."

Sheridan said sentencing guidelines and law do not change under the governor's 
moratorium and the situation does not change for those on the state's death 
row.

He said Wolf plans to grant a reprieve in every case where an execution is 
scheduled until he receives a report to be issued by the Pennsylvania Task 
Force and Advisory Committee on Capital Punishment established in a 2011 state 
Senate resolution "and any recommendations continued with the report as well as 
other issues are satisfactorily addressed."

Zappala is on that committee.

"There are a lot of good people involved," he said.

Zappala has focused special attention on McKeesport and dealings with landlords 
who do not keep their rental homes up to building code standards.

He is waiting for city council to approve an ordinance that would allow a team 
of Duquesne University law students to inspect homes, beginning in the Tenth 
Ward. "Every piece of property that isn't owner-occupied must be inspected 
before a tenant comes in," Zappala said.

Mayor Michael Cherepko said he expects passage by June at the latest.

He said the program would begin in the Tenth Ward because of the Oct. 18 fire 
but then move to the Seventh Ward because of its large number of rental units.

Cherepko and Zappala stressed the effort is meant to save lives.

American Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Region spokesman Kevin Brown said his 
organization will conduct another fire canvassing event in the city this 
spring.

"It's a fire safety awareness campaign that is part of a national Red Cross 
goal to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by 25 % in the next 5 
years," Brown said.

"We will have teams of volunteers fan out through McKeesport neighborhoods 
going door-to-door with fire safety information and applications for free smoke 
alarms. When the application is turned in, the fire department will contact the 
resident for a visit to install the alarm."

(source: triblive.com)

********************

Attorneys for alleged Ross Township shooter want death penalty thrown out



Attorneys for a man charged with killing 3 people at the Ross Township 
municipal building are asking a judge to dismiss the death penalty against him 
and to move the trial outside of Monroe County.

Attorneys William Ruzzo and Michael Weinstein argue Rockne Newell should not 
face death for the Aug. 5, 2013, shooting rampage because Pennsylvania's death 
penalty statute is unconstitutional on several grounds. They also contend 
Newell cannot receive a fair trial in Monroe County due to extensive pre-trial 
publicity. Newell, 61, formerly of Flyte Road, is accused of opening fire at a 
township meeting, killing James V. LaGuardia, Gerard Kozic and David Fleetwood. 
Kozic's wife, Linda, and 2 other people were wounded. Police said the shooting 
was tied to a long-running dispute Newell had with township supervisors over 
his property.

Newell's attorneys previously sought to have the charges dismissed, arguing he 
has a long history of mental illness and is incompetent to stand trial. Senior 
Judge Joseph Cronin denied that motion last month. The trial is now set to 
begin on Oct. 19.

In pre-trial motions filed last week, Ruzzo and Weinstein cite several 
arguments in challenging the death penalty, including statistics that show 150 
defendants who were sentenced to death or life imprisonment nationwide since 
1973 were later found to be innocent. That includes six defendants in 
Pennsylvania who were sentenced to death.

"The high rate of error, coupled with the prolonged delay before such errors 
are detected in capital sentencing, creates an undue risk that Pennsylvania's 
capital sentencing scheme will allow for the executing of innocent people," the 
attorneys said.

Citing several recent botched executions, the attorneys also argue the lethal 
injection process used by Pennsylvania to execute offenders constitutes cruel 
and unusual punishment.

Judge Cronin scheduled a hearing on the motions for 10 a.m., April 28 in Monroe 
County Court.

(source: Morning Call)

*************************

Triple homicide suspect seeks dismissal of death penalty



Attorneys for a man charged with killing 3 people at the Ross Twp. Municipal 
Building are asking a judge to dismiss the death penalty against him and to 
move the trial outside Monroe County.

Attorneys William Ruzzo and Michael Weinstein argue Rockne Newell should not 
face death for the Aug. 5, 2013, shooting rampage because Pennsylvania's death 
penalty statute is unconstitutional on several grounds. They also contend Mr. 
Newell cannot receive a fair trial in Monroe County due to extensive pre-trial 
publicity.

Mr. Newell, 61, formerly of Flyte Road, is accused of opening fire at a 
township meeting, killing James V. LaGuardia, Gerard Kozic and David Fleetwood. 
Mr. Kozic's wife, Linda, and 2 other people were injured. Police said the 
shooting was tied to a long-running dispute Mr. Newell had with township 
supervisors over his property.

Incompetent

Mr. Newell's attorneys previously sought to have the charges dismissed, arguing 
he has a long history of mental illness and is incompetent to stand trial. 
Senior Judge Joseph Cronin denied that motion last month. The trial is now set 
to begin on Oct. 19.

In pre-trial motions filed last week, Mr. Ruzzo and Mr. Weinstein cite several 
arguments in challenging the death penalty, including statistics that show 150 
defendants who were sentenced to death or life imprisonment nationwide since 
1973 were later found to be innocent. That includes 6 defendants in 
Pennsylvania who were sentenced to death.

Errors

"The high rate of error, coupled with the prolonged delay before such errors 
are detected in capital sentencing, creates an undue risk that Pennsylvania's 
capital sentencing scheme will allow for the executing of innocent people," the 
attorneys said.

Citing several recent botched executions, the attorneys also argue the lethal 
injection process used by Pennsylvania to execute offenders constitutes cruel 
and unusual punishment.

In February, Gov. Tom Wolf imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in the 
state, saying it will remain in effect at least until he receives a report from 
a legislative commission that has been studying the topic for about 4 years.

Judge Cronin scheduled a hearing on the motions for 10 a.m., April 28 in Monroe 
County Court.

(source: The Times-Tribune)








NORTH CAROLINA:

We're better than the death penalty



At least 30 people have been murdered in Durham County over the past year and a 
half, and in all manner of brutality: stabbed, beaten, strangled, decapitated, 
shot. The victims included innocent children, feuding roommates, scorned 
lovers, gang rivals and an Anglican priest. Yet so far, none of these 
murderers, accused or convicted, faces the possibility of punishment by death.

Now there is an exception. Craig Hicks is accused of intentionally killing 3 
Muslim students in February. Durham District Attorney Roger Echols has asked 
for, and received, permission to allow the state of North Carolina to kill him.

This is a different Echols from the candidate who campaigned on his personal 
opposition to the death penalty; he explicitly outlined his reasoning in his 
questionnaires to the INDY and the Durham People's Alliance. Echols says to 
preserve the integrity of the trial he can't disclose why he is seeking the 
death penalty in this case.

But if Hicks, then why not Andrew Scheper, charged with murdering his roommate 
by decapitating him and throwing him in a pond? Or Matthew Reed, who allegedly 
blackmailed and then strangled an Anglican priest? One of the problems with the 
death penalty is that it's unevenly applied.

It's to be expected that many people, especially the victims' families, want 
Hicks dead. For whatever reason Hicks killed the 3 students, apparently he 
could not control his darker impulses. It's up to us as better people to 
control ours.

(source: Lisa Sorg, Indyweek.com)








SOUTH CAROLINA:

South Carolina police officer charged with murder, could face death penalty



A South Carolina officer has been charged with murder after a video surfaced 
that appears to show him shooting an unarmed man who was running away.

Michael Slager, an officer with the North Charleston Police Department, was 
arrested Tuesday, according to a statement from the South Carolina Law 
Enforcement Division, or SLED. If found guilty of murder, he could face up to 
life in prison or death.

The shooting took place Saturday after a traffic stop, SLED said. Video 
obtained by The New York Times shows what happened.

A black man breaks away from the white officer. Something falls, and the 
officer fires 8 shots at the man as the man runs away. The man, who appears to 
be unarmed, drops to the ground.

"I can tell you that as the result of that video and the bad decision made by 
our officer, he will be charged with murder," North Charleston Mayor Keith 
Summey told reporters Tuesday. "When you're wrong, you're wrong."

CNN affiliate WCIV identified the victim as 50-year-old Walter Scott. His 
family spoke to WCIV over the weekend, before the officer was arrested, 
describing Scott as a good man who was about to be married.

"All we want is the truth, and we'll go any length to get that so that my 
brother can rest in peace," Anthony Scott told the affiliate.

According to WCIV, Slager initially said through his attorney, David Aylor, 
that he followed the appropriate policies and procedures. Aylor later told CNN 
that he no longer represents the officer, and it was unclear whether Slager had 
obtained new representation.

(source: CNN)








LOUISIANA:

Marty Stroud, Prosecutor Who Put Innocent Man On Death Row: 'Whole System Is 
Fatally Flawed'



Former Louisiana prosecutor A.M. "Marty" Stroud III made a mistake 30 years ago 
that cost an innocent man named Glenn Ford nearly half a lifetime of freedom.

Now, Stroud is sharing his story, both as a cautionary tale and as a call to 
action for ending the death penalty. Stroud appeared on MSNBC's 
"PoliticsNation" with Al Sharpton Wednesday night with a warning to 
prosecutors:

"They should take heed in the fact that if something does go wrong, as it did 
in this case, it will be with them until the day they leave this earth."

Ford was exonerated in 2014 after nearly 30 years on death row. He emerged from 
Louisiana's Angola Prison sick and penniless. He's now terminally ill with 
stage 4 lung cancer. A judge last week denied Ford restitution for his years of 
wrongful incarceration.

Last month, roughly a year after Ford's release from prison, a Shreveport Times 
editorial called for the state to give Ford his due. In response, Stroud wrote 
an emotional op-ed, apologizing for his role in Ford's conviction.

"I feel like a big yoke has been taken off my shoulder that I've carried for 
years since I served in the district attorney's office," Stroud, 64, told The 
Huffington Post in an interview Friday. "As far as total peace, I don't think 
that will ever occur. I think the stain is too great to ever completely erase."

Stroud and Ford were roughly the same age when their lives first crossed in 
1984. Stroud, who is white, was a self-described "arrogant, narcissistic, 
judgmental" Louisiana attorney. Ford, who is black, was a murder defendant who 
was facing an all-white jury. His defense attorneys did not come from legal 
aid, but rather they were pro bono attorneys on restrictive budgets whose prior 
experiences had been in oil and gas or personal injury, and had not litigated 
criminal trials before.

Stroud successfully led the prosecution, convicting Ford for the 1983 murder of 
Isadore Rozeman, a Shreveport jewelry store owner and watchmaker. Jurors 
condemned Ford to death.

Stroud said he faults himself for being "too passive" during the case, and for 
not taking seriously rumors that people other than Ford committed the murder. 
Ford was freed after the prosecutor's office told a judge it had discovered 
evidence that others were responsible for the crime. No one else has been 
arrested.

"Prosecutors should want justice, not convictions," Stroud said. "We still deal 
in the politics of blood."

Death penalty cases are high-priority and high-profile for prosecutors' 
offices, and a successful capital case can be a badge of achievement for a 
young assistant district attorney.

"I thought when I was prosecuting death penalty cases, I was doing them in the 
name of justice and championing the interests of the victim's family," Stroud 
said. "I wanted to show our office was tough on crime."

Stroud said he observed that prosecutors with several death penalty convictions 
on their resumes often ran for higher office, as a judge or legislator.

"This is the Deep South, and the death penalty is still favored among the folks 
in this state," Stroud noted. "You won't see any politician running on an 
anti-death penalty plank."

Stroud said he's changed in the years Ford spent in prison. He said he now 
thinks death penalty prosecutions are "a badge of showing how out of touch we 
are with other civilized societies."

"I don't know where for the life of me we get off preaching to other countries 
about their criminal justice systems," Stroud said. "We need to look inward. 
We're with the likes of the Yemen and North Korea and Iran."

"We can't trust the government to fix potholes," he continued. "Why should we 
believe they can design a death penalty system that's fair?"

Stroud hasn't yet apologized face-to-face with Ford, who has been in hospice 
care.

Stroud said he rejects the pro-death penalty argument that there's no proof a 
guilty person has ever been executed.

"I think the number of people exonerated since '72 should say something," 
Stroud said. "If I were going to fly on a plane and went up and bought a ticket 
and asked, 'How is your safety record?' and they said, 'We had 142 crashes 
since 1972, but don't worry about it,' I don't think I'm going to get on that 
plane.

"The bottom line is, the death penalty does not encompass justice," he said. 
"It's little more than state-assisted revenge. And I don't think revenge falls 
within any definition of justice which I know. Justice is subverted so many 
times for the will -- for the winning. Everyone wants to win, so the ends 
justify the means."

(source: Kim Bellware, Huffington Post)