MO High Court Sets Execution Date: Missouri's Supreme Court set an execution date on Wednesday for a man convicted of killing a woman and her two children almost two decades ago. The AP reports that Mark Christeson, 37, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Jan. 31. The Missouri high court scheduled the execution as five legal groups are actively urging an appeals court to spare Christeson's life. The groups -- three national criminal defense associations, a civil rights law firm and the American Bar Association -- argue that Christeson is unable to afford to bring in experts to testify that his mental impairment affected his ability to assert his rights when his lawyers did an inadequate job at his 1999 trial. In 1998, Christeson, then 18, and his 17-year-old cousin, Jesse Carter, planned to run away from home, armed themselves with shotguns and went to the home of Susan Brouk so they could steal her car. The cousins bound the hands of Brouk's two children, ages 12 and nine, before Christeson forced Brouk into a bedroom and raped her. The suspects then drove the family to a pond, where they stabbed Brouk and one of the children and threw them into the water to drown. The other child died of suffocation when Chrsiteson pressed on her throat while Carter held her. Carter was sentenced to life in prison after testifying against Christeson. Missouri's last execution was in May. The state has executed 19 murderers since November 2013, more than any state in recent years except Texas.
Weak Sentencing Laws Benefited CA Cop Killers: The criminal histories of the two ex-cons arrested in the killings of three California law enforcement officers last week are sparking outrage, as information continues to come out detailing the violent crimes and parole violations they committed. Patrick Healy of NBC reports that Trenton Lovell was arrested in Lancaster last Wednesday for fatally shooting Steve Owen, 53, who was responding to a burglary call. Lovell was sentenced to six years for a 2008 armed robbery but was paroled in just under five years after being entitled to credit for 15% of his sentence under Penal Code section 2933. Last year, while out on parole, Lovell was convicted of misdemeanor DUI causing injury and placed on county probation simultaneously with parole. On Saturday, John Felix shot and killed two Palm Springs officers, Jose Vega, 63, and Lesley Zerebny, 27, when they arrived at his home in response to a domestic violence call. Felix had completed his parole for a 2010 conviction of assault with a deadly weapon, which was plea bargained down from attempted murder. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but paroled after 19 months. While on parole, Felix was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and even absconded at one point. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says there is a need to address a system that is permitting repeat offenders to cycle in and out of custody.
Two Boston Cops in Critical Condition After Shootings: A man was shot and killed by police Wednesday evening after opening fire on several Boston law enforcement officers, leaving two of them in "extremely critical" condition. Fox News reports that Kirk Figueroa, 33, armed with an assault rifle and wearing body armor, opened fire on the officers after they arrived at his home in response to a domestic dispute call. The two critically wounded officers, one a 28-year veteran and the other a 12-year veteran, underwent surgery for their injuries. Nine other officers sustained minor injures and were also treated for trauma and stress.
Weak Sentencing Laws Benefited CA Cop Killers: The criminal histories of the two ex-cons arrested in the killings of three California law enforcement officers last week are sparking outrage, as information continues to come out detailing the violent crimes and parole violations they committed. Patrick Healy of NBC reports that Trenton Lovell was arrested in Lancaster last Wednesday for fatally shooting Steve Owen, 53, who was responding to a burglary call. Lovell was sentenced to six years for a 2008 armed robbery but was paroled in just under five years after being entitled to credit for 15% of his sentence under Penal Code section 2933. Last year, while out on parole, Lovell was convicted of misdemeanor DUI causing injury and placed on county probation simultaneously with parole. On Saturday, John Felix shot and killed two Palm Springs officers, Jose Vega, 63, and Lesley Zerebny, 27, when they arrived at his home in response to a domestic violence call. Felix had completed his parole for a 2010 conviction of assault with a deadly weapon, which was plea bargained down from attempted murder. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but paroled after 19 months. While on parole, Felix was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and even absconded at one point. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says there is a need to address a system that is permitting repeat offenders to cycle in and out of custody.
Two Boston Cops in Critical Condition After Shootings: A man was shot and killed by police Wednesday evening after opening fire on several Boston law enforcement officers, leaving two of them in "extremely critical" condition. Fox News reports that Kirk Figueroa, 33, armed with an assault rifle and wearing body armor, opened fire on the officers after they arrived at his home in response to a domestic dispute call. The two critically wounded officers, one a 28-year veteran and the other a 12-year veteran, underwent surgery for their injuries. Nine other officers sustained minor injures and were also treated for trauma and stress.
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