[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, UTAH, N.C.

[Rick Halperin]

Dec. 9


TEXAS:

Time nearly up for Texas' longest-serving death row inmate


Condemned prisoner Ronald Chambers describes himself as "loaded with
patience."

But time finally may be running out for the 51-year-old longest-serving
Texas death row inmate.

Chambers has received formal notice that he's to die January 25th.

He arrived on death row on January eighth of 1976.

The Dallas man was condemned over the 1975 carjacking and slayings of
Texas Tech student Mike McMahan and Texas-Arlington student Deia Sutton.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the 1st verdict eight years
later. The appeals court ruled a state-appointed psychiatrist who
questioned him failed to warn Chambers his responses would be used against
him.

He was retried in 1985 and convicted again. The U-S Supreme Court threw
out that conviction, ruling prosecutors improperly excluded 3 blacks from
his jury.

Chambers is black.

He was tried a third time in 1992, convicted and sentenced again to die.

Chambers says, quote: "No rich folks here. I'm not mad at that. But again,
if I had the money, I wouldn't be here."

(source: Associated Press)

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

Carter County District Attorney Seeking Death Penalty for Ardmore Man


The Carter County District Attorney says he plans to seek the death
penalty for a 33-year-old Ardmore man accused of 1st degree murder.
Brandon Ray Cross is charged with allegedly strangling his wife to death
in July.

Cross will be in court next week for his formal arraignment. District
attorney Craig Ladd plans to file a bill of particulars, requesting the
death penalty.

Ardmore police found the body of 27-year-old Devon Louise Cross in the
couple's home on July 31st. Police say Cross and his wife were arguing on
their way home from work, and the fight escalated.

Cross was in court in October for his preliminary hearing. Two Ardmore
police officers were called to take the witness stand to describe the
crime scene. The judge found there was probably cause that cross commited
first degree murder.

Ardmore officials say seeking the death penalty for murder won't
necessarily deter people from committing violent crime. "It's not real to
people because it takes so long for somebody who is put on death row to be
put to death," said Lt. Eric Hamblin. "So, I don't think it has the
immediate impact, or the impact that it would if it didn't take so long to
get people executed."

Cross' formal arraignment date has been set for December 13th at 9 am. He
is currently being held in the carter county jail on a 10 million dollar
bond.

(source: KTEN News)






UTAH:

Prosecutors say death penalty didn't fit in Shelby Andews' death


Prosecutors will NOT seek the death penalty against the man accused in the
beating death of his 10-year-old daughter.

This week, 38-year-old Ryan Andrews pleaded guilty to murder in the death
of Shelby Andrews.

Prosecutors say although a lot of people want the Andrews to die and
everybody agrees the crime was heinous in nature, they don't have enough
evidence to prove Ryan and Angela Andrews intended to kill the girl last
August.

Prosecutors say they admit the line is thin, but they all agreed as a
staff, they just don't have enough evidence.

(source: Associated Press)






NORTH CAROLINA:

2 could face death penalty in slaying of Marines


2 men accused of killing 2 Marines from the Chicago area will face the
death penalty when they go on trial. That's according to the prosecutor in
the case.

Onslow County Assistant District Attorney Ernie Lee says in court papers
that the state would seek the death penalty against Jondre Lowemincey and
Tharon Johnson.

The pair is accused in the August slayings of Camp Lejeune lance corporals
Jordan Barrow of Joliet, Illinois, and Amanda Carrithers of Chicago at
their home near the base in Jacksonville. Carrithers was pregnant at the
time of the shootings.

Lowemincey and Johnson pleaded not guilty to 1st-degree murder. Each was a
private at Camp Lejeune, and were assigned along with the victims to a
supply battalion.

Police said Carrithers was shot twice in the back and Barrow was found on
the walkway of a house next door, shot once in the face and twice in the
chest.

(source: Associated Press: