Jan. 3 CONNECTICUT: Judge denies request from Ross' father to block execution A state judge denied a request Monday by the father of serial killer Michael Ross and the chief public defender's office to block Ross' scheduled Jan. 26 execution. Judge Stanley T. Feuger Jr. ruled that neither Dan Ross nor the public defenders had legal standing in the case. Ross has decided to forego any further appeals and said he's prepared to die by lethal injection. Feuger said it was up to Ross to ask the court to block the execution, the 1st in New England, since 1960. Ross, 45, has confessed to killing 8 women in Connecticut and New York in the 1980s. Ross' father and the public defenders said they will appeal the ruling. They argued that they should be able to intervene in the scheduled execution. They claim that even though Ross has decided to forego any other appeals, they say he's not mentally competent to make that decision. They say another judge in New London didn't adequately assess Ross' mental state. Ross, 45, was not in the courtroom Monday, but participated through closed circuit television from Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers. He fired his public defenders earlier this year, and obtained the services of a private lawyer, T.R. Paulding, to help him expedite his execution. He has accused the public defenders of lying by pursuing arguments that he is incompetent and trying to commit a state-assisted suicide. (source: Associated Press) INDIANA: Prosecutors Mull Death Penalty After Girl's Slaying--Formal Charges Not Yet Filed In Case Marion County prosecutors need more time to file charges against the man accused of killing a 12-year-old Indianapolis girl, including a decision on whether to seek the death penalty. Christina went missing Christmas Eve, and her body was found early Thursday morning in a creek about 4 miles east of Geist Reservoir in northwestern Hancock County, police said. According to court documents, authorities believe Voss duct-taped Christina's mouth shut, and strangled her with electrical cord from a vacuum cleaner before placing her in the creek, RTV6's Derrik Thomas reported. Police said Voss admitted to the crime and told authorities where to find the body. Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said he was 100 percent sure they have the right man, but that it's not clear whether the crime fits the eligibility for the death penalty. "We have met briefly with the family, but they are grief stricken. We want to have some time to digest this. We can always file the death penalty later down the road," Brizzi said. Christina's mother attended Voss' hearing Monday but referred questions to her lawyer, Mario Garcia. "They'd like to ask the community to remember the life of Christina, as well as those who have suffered a tragic loss at such a young age. They ask for your prayers and support and they look forward to the successful prosecution and conviction in this case," Garcia said. An autopsy had not yet been completed, another reason why formal charges were not filed Monday, Thomas reported. Voss is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. He is being held without bond. (source: The IndyChannel.com) PENNSYLVANIA: Death penalty upheld for Allentown serial killer Lehigh County's top prosecutor says he'll seek 2 more death penalties for a serial killer who terrorized Allentown in the early 1990s, now that the state's highest court has upheld the death sentence for one of his 3 victims. District Attorney James Martin says the murders committed by Harvey Miguel Robinson were "horrific" and that he believes the death penalty should be imposed for all 3 murders. Robinson was convicted of raping and murdering 2 women and a 15-year-old girl during an 11-month period in 1992 and 1993. A jury convicted Robinson, who's now 30, and imposed separate death sentences for all 3 murders. But a county judge vacated two of the death sentences on technical grounds involving the jury's consideration of aggravating circumstances. Martin said a separate jury will be picked to consider whether Robinson should be sentenced to death or life for the other 2 murders. (source: Associated Press)
