Death Sought in NC Homicide Case: A North Carolina man accused of killing an elderly woman and stabbing a man will face the death penalty at trial, set to begin in early September. WXII 12 reports that Jordon Lowdermilk is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Claudia Smith, 80, who was beaten to death in her home. After killing Smith, Lowdermilk stole her car and crashed it on the interstate, and when a man, Bryan Mace, pulled over near the area of the crash site, Lowdermilk stabbed him. Lowdermilk faces additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill, first-degree burglary and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Five Shot at Vigil for Baltimore Shooting Victim: Four women and one man were shot in Baltimore Monday night while attending a candlelight vigil for another shooting victim. Jessica Chasmar of the Washington Times reports that the victims, ranging in age from 20 to 48, sustained non-life-threatening wounds when a gunman opened fire into a crowd of 25 people who had gathered to honor Jermaine Scofield, 24, who was killed early Sunday in the same location. No arrests have been made.
TN High Court Upholds Murderer's Conviction and Death Sentence: The Tennessee Supreme Court last week upheld the 2010 conviction and death sentence of a man who murdered a married teenage couple over a decade ago. WTVC reports that Howard "Hawk" Willis killed Samantha Leming Chrismer, 16, and her husband Adam Chrismer, 17, in 2002 and was later found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder and one count of felony murder in the perpetration of a kidnapping. Willis was sentenced to death on each conviction, and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions and death sentences last year. The latest ruling stems from an appeal Willis filed in October, arguing that his Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated when the trial court admitted into evidence incriminating statements he made to his ex-wife, who he said was acting as an agent of the state at the time the statements were made. The Tennessee high court held that Willis's right to counsel was not violated, as some of the incriminating statements made to his ex-wife were before his indictment when he had no right to counsel. Further, other statements he made were from a jailhouse telephone, preceded by a recording informing him all calls are subject to monitoring and recording, so he implicitly consented to be monitored and recorded.
Five Shot at Vigil for Baltimore Shooting Victim: Four women and one man were shot in Baltimore Monday night while attending a candlelight vigil for another shooting victim. Jessica Chasmar of the Washington Times reports that the victims, ranging in age from 20 to 48, sustained non-life-threatening wounds when a gunman opened fire into a crowd of 25 people who had gathered to honor Jermaine Scofield, 24, who was killed early Sunday in the same location. No arrests have been made.
TN High Court Upholds Murderer's Conviction and Death Sentence: The Tennessee Supreme Court last week upheld the 2010 conviction and death sentence of a man who murdered a married teenage couple over a decade ago. WTVC reports that Howard "Hawk" Willis killed Samantha Leming Chrismer, 16, and her husband Adam Chrismer, 17, in 2002 and was later found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder and one count of felony murder in the perpetration of a kidnapping. Willis was sentenced to death on each conviction, and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions and death sentences last year. The latest ruling stems from an appeal Willis filed in October, arguing that his Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated when the trial court admitted into evidence incriminating statements he made to his ex-wife, who he said was acting as an agent of the state at the time the statements were made. The Tennessee high court held that Willis's right to counsel was not violated, as some of the incriminating statements made to his ex-wife were before his indictment when he had no right to counsel. Further, other statements he made were from a jailhouse telephone, preceded by a recording informing him all calls are subject to monitoring and recording, so he implicitly consented to be monitored and recorded.
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