Jan. 4 NORTH CAROLINA: Judge: Pursue death penalty----Man charged in killing of a 14-year-old girl in Cooleemee in fall 2004 Superior Court Judge David Lee granted a prosecutor's request yesterday to pursue the death penalty against a Cooleemee man who was charged with murder in the death of Danielle Klase, 14. Davie County sheriff's officials charged Randy Ridgeway, 38, with murder Sept. 23, two days after the killing occurred. During the brief "Rule 24 hearing", the judge heard Assistant District Attorney Greg Brown's reasons for pursuing the death penalty in the case. State law allows the death penalty in cases of 1st-degree murder. After Brown read a graphic statement that Ridgeway gave to sheriff's deputies about his role in the death of Klase, Lee said that there was evidence of 1 aggravating factor that warranted the death penalty. In Ridgeway's statement, he said that he "just lost it," and threw a hammer at Klase after the 2 had argued, Brown said. It has been reported that Ridgeway has confessed to killing Klase by striking her in the head with a hammer. Ridgeway then dragged Klase into the shower to wash off the blood and took her to the living room where he sexually abused her, Brown said. A report from the medical examiner's office shows multiple skull fractures, abrasions, contusions and lacerations on Klase's body, Brown said. The report also showed bite marks on Klase's thigh and contusions of the vulva, Brown said. Ridgeway was indicted in November on first-degree murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense, taking indecent liberties with a child, felony child abuse, statutory rape and statutory sex offense. Ridgeway lived with Klase and her mother, Sherri Collison, on Main Street. They had moved from Delaware to Davidson County and then Cooleemee. Collison described her daughter as loving and trusting. Collison had said that she wanted the death penalty for Ridgeway, her former boyfriend of 4 years. "I think the death penalty is too good for him," Collison said after Ridgeway was charged. Ridgeway did not speak at the hearing. His attorney, Lori Hamilton Dewitt, did not argue against the death penalty for her client. An additional attorney will be appointed to help defend Ridgeway; state law says that he is entitled to co-counsel. (source: Winston-Salem Journal) CONNECTICUT: Judge denies request from Ross' father to block execution A state judge on Monday denied a request 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. Fuger Jr. ruled that neither Dan Ross nor the public defenders had legal standing in the case. Ross has decided to forgo any further appeals and said he's prepared to die by lethal injection. Fuger said it was up to Ross to ask the court to block the execution, which would be the first in Connecticut and New England since 1960. Ross, 45, has confessed to killing eight women in Connecticut and New York in the 1980s. Monday's court proceeding at Rockville Superior Court - at times contentious between the public defender's office and the judge - marked one less hurdle between Ross and his planned execution. Various court hearings and motions are expected between now and Jan. 26. The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday on whether New London Superior Court Judge Patrick Clifford was right last month to deem Ross competent in deciding to not pursue any more appeals. A federal court hearing is scheduled for Thursday on another challenge filed by Dan Ross and the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, who are claiming that lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment. "This is just kind of round one for the week," said T.R. Paulding, Michael Ross' lawyer. Jon Schoenhorn, a Hartford lawyer representing Dan Ross, and the public defenders said they will appeal Fuger's ruling. They argued that they should have standing to intervene in the scheduled execution and to file a writ of habeas corpus that spells out alleged faults with Ross' conviction. Dan Ross, for example, contends his son received ineffective counsel and was mentally ill when he murdered the women. Schoenhorn and the public defenders also claim Michael Ross is not mentally competent to decide against any further appeals. They say the New London judge did not adequately assess Ross' mental state and that Ross is attempting to commit state-assisted suicide after years of living on death row. Ross has tried to kill himself in prison three times, state officials have said. "His son does not have the capacity, the mental capacity, to make the decision whether to die," said Schoenhorn, who mentioned Ross' previous suicide attempts. "His father feels he can't stand aside and allow this to happen." Raymond Roode, the stepfather of one of Ross' victims, 14-year-old April Brunais of Griswold, said he did not have sympathy for Ross' father and his efforts to stop the execution. "Parents are responsible to some degree for their children's actions," said Roode, who attended the hearing with his wife. Roode said he still thinks Ross might change his mind at the last minute and appeal, which would automatically trigger a temporary stay of the execution. "It's incomprehensible how long this has taken," Roode said of the death penalty process. April would have been 34 years old today. Michael Ross was not physically in the courtroom Monday, but could be seen listening and watching the proceedings through closed circuit television from Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers. At times, Ross showed his frustration with the public defenders, shaking his head and occasionally flailing his arms as Temmy Ann Pieszak, head of the public defenders' habeas corpus unit, spoke about his alleged incompetence. He fired his public defenders last year and hired a private lawyer, Paulding, to help him expedite his execution. He has accused the public defenders of lying by pursuing arguments that he is incompetent and that he is trying to commit a state-assisted suicide. Paulding dismissed claims that Ross' competency has not been adequately assessed. He acknowledged the serial killer has been diagnosed as a sexual sadist with narcissistic tendencies, but said Ross is also competent to decide whether to pursue any additional appeals. Paulding, who has known Ross for 9 years, said if he gets the "slightest inkling" that his client is not competent, or that he wants to change his mind about appeals, "I'm going to bring it to the court's attention." Paulding added that the public defenders did not suggest until Dec. 1, 2004, that Ross might not be mentally competent. Paulding said his client is angry and irritated by the public defenders' efforts to stop the execution. Although Ross opposes the death penalty, he believes his former lawyers are fighting his execution for political reasons and not to save him, Paulding said. The public defenders denied the accusation. "They don't like his choices, but they're his choices to make," Paulding said. "How many times are we going to revisit this?" Paulding asked. "Are we going to have a competency hearing everyday until Jan. 26? We need to stop this. We need to let this man have a little dignity." (source: Associated Press)
