[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, N.C., ALA., IND., KY., NEV., CALIF., USA
July 3 TEXAS: Death penalty dropped for man charged in murder of Breanna Wood Prosecutors say they will no longer be seeking the death penalty against the main suspect in the death of 21 year old Breanna Wood, though there is no clear indication as to why. Wood's body was found in a box wrapped in plastic in an abandoned building off FM 666 near Robstown in January of 2017, 28 year old Joseph Tejeda is facing capital murder charges for the fatal shooting of Wood. He is also accused of hiding her body after telling police officers he was offer $500 dollars to commit the crime. He is 1 of 6 other defendants facing charges in the murder. Tejeda is set to go to trial in September. (source: KIII TV news) NORTH CAROLINA: Flurry of motions delays sentencing phase in Dixon capital murder case A motion for Judge Greg Horne to recuse himself for the Nathaniel Dixon case has been denied and so has a request for a mistrial in the death penalty case. Last week, a jury found Dixon guilty of shooting and killing his pregnant girlfriend, Candace Pickens, and severely injuring her 3-year-old son in May 2016. Defense attorneys for the convicted murderer filed a motion that Horne recuse himself, saying the judge had mishandled communications involving a juror. Another judge, who temporarily took over proceedings, denied the request and said Horne was the best judge for the job, given that he had presided over the trial. Horne then denied motions made by defense attorney Vicki Jayne, who repeatedly argued for a mistrial. Her argument focused on a juror who inadvertently saw a WLOS story on about a witness who had been killed after testifying in the Dixon trial. Horne questioned the juror, who had notified a bailiff after he saw the story about Dixon’s former girlfriend Tiyquasha Simeul. In open court Tuesday, Jayne said she’d received information that investigators don't believe her client, Dixon, had any role in the killing, though she did not say where she got the information. She said at the time the juror saw the report, he only had the initial story to go on. Jayne said the juror expressed concern over the killing to a bailiff and she thought it could have influenced him in deliberations. The bailiff then took the stand and testified he had communicated the information to Horne. In court Monday, Horne apologized and said he didn’t have any recollection of the bailiff communicating the information, but said he didn’t find it warranted a mistrial. Defense attorney Michael Casterline has been following the case and isn’t surprised by the defense’s flurry of motions given the fact the case was charged as a capital case. “No one’s been put to death in a number of years in the state of North Carolina,” Casterline said. “But, it’s still is the law, and, in theory, it could happen. Obviously, a juror being aware of potentially prejudicial information could affect how they feel about that case. So, I think they’re probably doing what they need to do.” Jayne also asked the judge to take the death penalty option off the table, since the jury’s guilty verdict dictates an automatic life sentence for Dixon. Legal motions delayed the start of the sentencing phase, which is now scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 22. “I think in a criminal trial it could cut either way,” Casterline said. “It could be beneficial to the defense in some ways, because it creates distance from when they heard the evidence, or it could hurt them, as well." In filing the multiple motions and repeatedly arguing for a mistrial, the defense team made no apologies. “I am fighting for my client's life,” Jayne said to the judge. (source: WLOS news) ALABAMAfemale may face death penalty Woman accused of killing 7-year-old Alabama boy pulled from burning home A south Alabama woman has been charged with capital murder in the death of her boyfriend’s 7-year-old son, whose body was pulled from the family’s burning mobile home Sunday morning. Jacqueline “Pat” Stewart, 45, of McIntosh, is being held in the Washington County Jail in connection with the death of Case Trae Ketchum. Stewart, who was initially held on a 48-hour investigative hold, was arrested on the murder charge Monday, according to NBC 15 in Mobile. Case died of blunt force trauma, according to court documents obtained by the news station. The documents state he was killed on or about the morning of the fire. Firefighters with the McIntosh Volunteer Fire Department responded to the family’s home around 5:20 a.m. Sunday, where they found the house in flames. According to department officials, they were able to enter the trailer and pull the boy out. Case was already dead when they pulled his body from the fire. According to AL.com, Stewart was outside the home by the time firefighters arrived. Case’s father, Jesse Ketchum, and another child were out of town when Case die
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 3 PAKISTAN: Man sentenced to death for murdering schoolgirl The Model Criminal Court, Haripur, has awarded death penalty to a man who had gunned down a schoolgirl four years back in the Hattar village. According to prosecution record, Azra Bibi, 14, daughter of, Amjad Iqbal of Hattar village, was a student of 10th grade in the Government Higher Secondary School, Hattar. On the morning of September 8, 2015, she was on the way to her school when Adnan, son of Muhammad Aslam from the same village, intercepted her. The convict attempted to drag her for an unknown purpose, which she resisted and the accused opened fire, killing her on the spot. (source: thenews.com.pk) SINGAPORE: Man charged over murders 1 week before Chinese New Year in 2017, debt-ridden property agent Teo Ghim Heng strangled his wife, who was 6 months pregnant, and their 4-year-old daughter. He slept on the same bed as the bodies for 1 week in his Woodlands flat, with the air-conditioner turned on to delay the decomposition process. He searched online for ways to commit suicide, leaving the flat only to buy food and air freshener. He then set the bodies on fire, claiming that he had also tried to kill himself in the blaze but aborted his attempt as it was too hot. He gave excuses when his wife’s family asked about her whereabouts and they eventually called the police on the first day of Chinese New Year. The details surrounding the deaths of Teo’s wife Choong Pei Shan, 39, her daughter Zi Ning, and unborn son emerged yesterday as prosecutors set out their case against him for a double-murder on the `st day of his trial. Teo, 43, is charged with 2 counts of murder for killing his wife and daughter on Jan 20, 2017, with the intention of causing death, which carries the mandatory death penalty. A 3rd charge of killing his unborn son has been stood down for now. The High Court heard that Teo was an avid gambler who racked up debts of at least S$120,000 (RM365,900) at the end of 2016, but kept his wife in the dark about the extent of his debts. He listed the flat for sale and took on another job as a sales coordinator. “The accused felt that Choong should have contributed to the household income by working. “He also never fully forgave her for an affair she had a few years back, and strongly suspected that Zi Ning was not his biological daughter,” said deputy public prosecutor Han Ming Kuang. According to Teo’s statements to the police, he and Choong, a housewife, had an argument on Jan 18, 2017, about his financial problems. He told her he had a debt of S$70,000 (RM213,450) and could not pay their daughter’s school fees. 2 days later, the couple argued about money again in the master bedroom. Teo told police that he looped a towel around Choong’s neck and pulled both ends for about 15 minutes, and then strangled her until she stopped breathing. He then did the same to his daughter. Teo claimed he tried to take his own life after setting fire to the 2 bodies by lying on the bed next to them. On Jan 23, 3 days after the killings, 3 of Teo’s colleagues went to his flat to look for him as he had not shown up for work, but Teo refused to leave. He also repeatedly lied to his and his wife’s families to explain their absence at Chinese New Year gatherings, saying that Choong was ill and using her phone to communicate with her family members and Zi Ning’s teachers. On Jan 28, the 1st day of Chinese New Year, Choong’s brother came knocking at the door but got no response. That same day, Teo used a payphone at the void deck to call his mother-in-law and mother, lying that his wife had kicked him out of the flat, deputy public prosecutor Dillon Kok told the court. Choong’s family was suspicious and returned to the flat. Upon detecting a pungent odour coming from inside, they called the police. (source: thestar.com.my) PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG parliament considers death penalty The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister says parliament will continue debate whether the death penalty is maintained in the criminal code. The newspaper The National reported James Marape was responding to questions about 11 prisoners who have been on death row for over 10 years. The Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Minister and Attorney-General, Davis Steven, said PNG officials conducted a $US600,000 fact-finding mission overseas to look at methods of execution. But he said the national court has directed the government to examine legal provisions relating to the power of mercy. Meanwhile, Mr Marape said he has instructed the Correctional Services Minister to convert prisons into an industry. The prime minister said prisoners should be educated with vocational skills to contribute back to society. (source: Radio New Zealand) SRI LANKA: Prisoners rights group to handover petition against death penalty to President A prisoners rights group will ha
