2 LETTERS - Murder Victims.com
Transcription
2 LETTERS - Murder Victims.com
~ Non-Profit 501(c)3 Tux I. D. #68-0330408 I A non-profit, public benefits organization Christy Ann Galvin (April 29, 1979- July 4,2005) On July 5, 2005, our family received the phone call that every parent dreads, a phone call from hell. It was from the Charlotte Police Department. They informed us that our 26-year-old daughter Christy had been found murdered in her apartment alone. Desolate and shocked, we boarded the first plane to North Carolina We arrived at our hotel lobby to face Christy's picture on the front pages of newspapers. We retreated to our room, only to be confronted again with Christy's picture on the full -screen monitor. The news commentator reported that after Christy failed to show up for work, co-workers entered her apartment and discovered the gruesome scene of her lifeless body. Her car was missing and the police were searching for her ex-boyfriend. Christy had ended her relationship with him the week before her murder. On July 6, detectives notified us that Christy's ex-boyfriend had been apprehended and taken into custody at serving families and friends of homicide victims. the New York-Canadian border as he attempted to flee the United States and cross into Canada in Christy's car. On July 7, a local newspaper ran a story about a 911 call made from Christy's apartment on the fourth of July. The line was silent. The dispatcher returned the call. A male voice answered saying that the call was just a child's prank. A response team was not dispatched to her apartment, and her body was found the next day. Until the fourth of July, Christy was a caring, hardworking young adult. She grew up in the small, family-oriented community of San Carlos, CA, where she was passionate about volleyball. In high school, she was a two time State Champion, and won Bronze at the Junior National Volleyball Championships. Christy was awarded a full volleyball scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she was a four year starter. She was awarded AII-American 2001 Strength and Conditioning Athlete and ranked 3rd in all time hits and digs as outside hitter. She used her quiet leadership skills both on and off the court. After Christy graduated in 2001, she stayed in Charlotte, her second home. She wanted to be close to her new family of college friends, co-workers, and teammates. She worked two jobs, one as a restaurant hostess and another as an assistant residential manager at the apartment complex where she lived. Christy worked hard, earning two awards as national leasing agent of the month. When her company sent her to Washington, D.C. for manager training, she sent for her sister to visit the Capitol sights with her. Though she lived far Continued on page 4 2 LETTERS 3 LETTERS DNA (cant.) LINK TO SLAYING 4 PAROLE PROFILE 5 AN OPEN DENIED (cant.) APPEAL 16TH ANNUAL VICTIM'S MARCH 6 PAROLES 7 PAROLES ANNUAL (CONT.) CRIME VICTIM'S CONFERENCE BILLBOARD 8 THE HUMAN RACE Become a CAH Member! Who We Are The majority of the board members of Citizens Against Homicide have had a family member murdered. They are surviving the devastating loss of a loved one and still suffer the continued emotional trauma of coping with our criminal justice system. We have joined together to creat£ a voice for the survivors and friends of murder victims. CAR Objectives O Assist families through the complicated criminal justice system. O Pro\ide trial and courtroom support to victims. O Accompany victims to parole hearings in their endea\or to keep the comicted murderer in prison O Provide information on pending crime legislation. Protecting Your Own Interests You can't prepare for the event that makes you a victim. You can only react. You need to know how to deal with the subsequent trial, sentencing and unavoidable parole hearings. CAH helps yOL take action to protect your own interests. If you have friends or family \\ho may be in need of our assistance, please pass along the information regarding our organization. Location for Meetings We hold monthly meetings on the second Sunday of each month at 302 4th Street, San Rafael, CA The monthly meeting starts at 10:00 a.m. We encourage anyone interested to attend meetings. Officers Jan Miller Jane Alexander Perfect Printers Alice Ostergren Carol Silveira Anne roverello Jaque MacDonald Angelita Fernandez Advisory Nancy Terri Guggemos Jack Miller de la Cuesta President Vice President Newsletter Editors Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Victim Representative Victims Voice-Publicity Announcements Board Bill Miller Chuck Mitchell Ed Sullivan CITIZENS AGAINST Homicide P. 0. Box 2115 San Anselmo, CA 94979 Tel 415-455-5944 Fax 415-454-0298 E-Mail [email protected] Dear Jane & Jan, Now it has been five years and five months since our son, Andy was brutally murdered in San Diego. These last five years without Andy have been as you well know, years of sadness, anger, frustration and resolve. Our resolve is to do whatever we can to promote the identification of Andy's killer and his conviction, finally for Andy's murder. After dealing with Andy's death we now find ourselves trying to deal with the fact that his killer is still free, able to wreck his unspeakable havoc on some other unsuspecting family. When we adopted Andy from Vietnam and brought him home to Pennsylvania we knew that life for Andy, as for everyone, would be fraught with challenges, as well as joys. We thought that Andy's challenges would be met within the framework of a loving family, complete with two older sisters who loved him fiercely. Life was good and we took so much for grantedlike love and life that would last and last and last. How wrong we were. When Andy died, a part of our world died with him. Now we work to preserve his memory with scholarships and other projects which we feel he would approve of. However, there is a whole, unsettled part of the picture that will never be settled until we have the answer to our questions...who took Andy's life...and why would anyone want to hurt Andy who was friendly to a fault and would do anything for anyone. Answers won't bring our son back to us. The conviction of Andy's killer will certainly bring a realization that, finally the person who robbed Andy of his future will finally reap justice for the unimaginable horror he has brought upon Andy's family and friends. So we have joined the unhappy fraternity of families who grieve for children who have undeservedly lost their lives through the callousness of another person or persons. How heartbreaking to have families fractured this way. Now we grope to seek some kind of healing for that fracture in a multitude of ways that give honor to our child's life. Through it all, we rely and find solace in organizations such as Citizens Against Homicide. Your newsletter educates, advises and comfe-rts as we find information and stories that lift us up and confirm our determination to do whatever we can to promote justice in this imperfect world of ours. It is all the more imperfect without our children in it. We appreciate all you do to help grieving families everywhere. Rita and Richard Moore To: Jane and Jan Citizens Against Homicide From: Patricia M. Gioia Comments: Hello, from Schenectady, New York. Wanted you to know the latest in my daughter, Mary Regina's murder case. This decision, which came down on March 6th, had to do with the evidentiary hearing held in AugustNovember of 2002 at the Alameda County Court in Oakland. My daughter, Joan, a witness for the AG, and I attended. Senior Assistant Attorney General Gerald A. Engler telephoned to notify me of the 6 to 1 decision in our favor. There was a 37 page affirmative decision and the 8 page dissenting opinion. Enclosed is copy of local paper. Keep up your good work! VERDICT UPHELD IN WOMAN'S KILLING Schenectady woman murdered in 1985 in California; row...by Steven Cook, killer to stay on death Continued on page 3 Gazette Reporter, 3/7/06 A man convicted of killing a Sch'dy woman more than 20 years ago will stay on California's Death Row, that State's Supreme Court ruled this week. In a 6-1 decision, the court found that Ralph L. Thomas' trial attorney did not do enough to track down potential defense witnesses to support the claim that a man named "Bo" killed Schenectady native MarY Regina Gioia and a friend. But those witnesses alone would not have been enough to overcome the prosecution's case, the court found. Gioia's mother Pat, still a Schenectady resident, praised the decision Wednesday. Since her daughter's killing Gioia has become an advocate for crime victims, including heading the local support group Parents of Murdered Children and Survivors of Homicide Victims. "This means the trial I attended in 1986, was right on track," Gioia said. "We have the right person in prison." Gioia said she never gave much credence to the theory that another man killed her daughter, saying the "Bo" name had to be short fu;--" "Bogus." Mary Gioia, 22, was killed along with friend Greg Kniffen, in August 1985 in Berkeley, Calif. The two were both fans of the band The Grateful Dead, Associated A man convicted in a child-support case three years ago is now charged with murder after a DNA sample, required under a new state law for convicted felons, was matched to the 1994 killing of a college freshman. The 35-year-old man hadn't been suspect in her death until the DNA match was discovered last year. He was jailed Thursday on $1 billion bond. Police say Jonathan J. Gravely didn't know the victim, 18 year-old Stephanie Hummer. Her body was found in a field hours after she disappeared while walking to a friend's house near the Ohio State University campus. She had been raped and died of a blow to the and stayed with fellow fans at a homeless encamp-ment on the shores of San Francisco Bay awaiting a show that weekend. Mary was in California that summer of 1985 looking for work and traveling the state, Pat Gioia said. In her last letter home, she wrote of possible job opportunities in the San Francisco area, and of the upcoming Dead concert. They were killed early on the morning of Aug 16, beaten and shot at point-blank range. Their bodies were later found in the bay. Thomas was arrested shortly after the killings. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to die. But the defense centered from the beginning around one woman's testimony that implicated in the killings, a man named "Bo." The California court ruled Monday that Thomas' trial attorney did not do enough to track down corroborating witnesses in the traveling Deadhead group, only focusing on the Berkeley homeless community. But, even if those witnesses were found, they would not have overcome the prosecution's case the court found. "The real difficulty with the potential case, against "Bo," however, is that it does absolutely nothing to Press/Columbus, Ohio undermine the case presented against Thomas," the majority justices wrote in a decision available on line. That case included the "fortuitous disappearance" of Thomas' .44 Magnum rifle, multiple witnesses linking him to the victims, Thomas identifying Gioia the next morning and repeated inconsistencies in his statements, according to the ruling. "Put it another way...listening to the prosecution case would establish in a reasonable juror's mind the near certainty that Thomas did kill them." The one dissenting justice argued there was a "reasonable probability" that the jury would not have convicted, given the missing testimony. The jury also deliberated for five days, the justice wrote, a sign that the jury had d!fficulty coming to a verdict. Monday's ruling does not end the appeals. Pat Gioia said she expects more, even after 20 years. But, she said, she's resigned herself to whatever happens, he dies or spends the rest of his life in prison. "I don't know whether it will happen, I almost want to say it doesn't matter," she said, "as long as he's out of society. I want him totally out of society." 1/20/06 head in what appeared to have been a random attack, said Columbus police detective Russell Redman. Hundreds of people were interviewed, and DNA testing eliminated several suspects, but the case remained unsolved. Then, last year, a DNA sample from Gravely was submitted to a crime database. A new Ohio law required DNA samples be taken from anyone convicted of a felony, and Gravely had a 2003 felony conviction !n the Columbus area for failure to pay child support, Sgt. Michael Woods said. Hummer's parents said they were relieved the case could be approaching an end, but they said the arrest had stirred old emotions. "Now we have a person to be quite angry at, and I'm not quite sure what to do with it," said her mother Sue Hummer. Judge Scott VanDerKarr set the bond when Gravely made his initial court appearance Thursday. The judge said later that the unusually high bond was appropriate in a potential death penalty case where a suspect had "been able to elude law enforcement for 12 years." CAH says; Too bad every state doesn't have this great law like Ohio. NORTH PLAINFIELD, Convicted A state appeals court has affirmed the denial of parole to a borough man who is serving a life sentence for the fatal shooting of his wife outside a church on Dec. 25, 1976. William Geiger, 58, of North Plainfield was convicted in 1977 of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit. Later that year, he was sentenced to life in prison. For several months before the murder, Geiger stalked his 27 -yearold estranged wife, Nancy. At one time he accosted her in her place of employment, entered her car, placed a gun to her head and threatened to kill her and himself. On the day of the murder, Geiger, Profile: (cont. from page killer NEW denied JERSEY parole who had been drinking, armed himself with a loaded revolver and followed his wife, her parents and grandmother to midnight Mass. After filing for divorce, his wife was living with her parents. At the end of the service, Geiger followed his wife and her family to their home, he approached his wife in the garage and fired five bullets into her head and chest at point blank range. After being charged, Geiger was released on bail, but fled to Florida. He was captured in Florida, and returned to New Jersey. Geiger first became eligible for parole in 1991 I but was denied then and again in 1996. After being placed twice in a halfway houses, he became eligible again in 2002 and again denied. The board stated Geiger had not sufficiently resolved a gambling addiction and substance abuse problem. The panel also found that Geiger had not made "satisfactory progress in reducing the likelihood of future criminal activity." The appeals court found that the reasons for denying parole were "supported "by the record. THANKS A MILLION! YOu DID IT AGAIN. LOVE, THE HELD FA MIL y 1 From her hometown, Christy remained a caring big sister and was close to her siblings, Brendan and Brianna. She returned to Charlotte, looking forward to Fall when her sister would come to live with her as Brianna was set to play volleyball for UNCC. The two sisters were planning a vacation to the Florida Keys with their cousin, Erin, in mid-July... Then tragedy struck. On the fourth of July, Christy's murderer deprived her of all her constitutional rights when .he made her into a casualty of domestic violence. Gone are Christy's smile, her generous spirit, and her witty sense of humor. Her murderer took what no other person should be allowed to take from another: Her life, her potential, her future contributions to her community. Her murderer alone decided that she would never marry or experience the deiight of her own children. Christy's family and friends will feel this tragic and senseless loss forever. Currently, the alleged murderer remains in county lock-up facing a 1st degree murder charge. Nortl1 Carolina has one of the highest domestic homicide rates in the nation, ranking sixteenth in the number of women killed by men in 2003. Last year alone, the state had 67 domestic violent-related murders. But many of the perpetrators in these cases never face a jury when they take advantage of the choked legal system by plea bargaining their way out of a trial. Please help us to keep Christy from being another one of Charlotte's victims whose murderer foregoes a trial in favor of a reduced charge and sentencing. We need your support to bring Christy's case to trial. Please write to the District Attorney to have Christy Galvin's murderer tried for 1st degree murder. Together, we can be Christy's voice for justice and resolution. Thank you for your support. Please write to: Peter Gilchrist III, District Attorne' Attn: Case # 2005 CRS 231303 700 E. Trade St. Charlotte, NC 28202 Appreciate copy to: The Galvin Family P.O. Box 1153 San Carlos, CA 94070 "WHAT ABOUT THEIR VICTIM'S" An open appeal to all F ederal, State & Local Criminal Court Judges Here in California an appellate court judge has issued a ruling that execution by lethal injection is cruel and inhumane because great pain and suffering by one who is being executed may occur. The lethal drug administered that causes the heart to stop bearing it is said will not prevent pain if the other drug injected that renders the murderer unconscious is not effective or does not cause or maintain a state of unconsciousness. This judge has effectively placed a moratorium on the death penalty being carried out in California that more than likely will happen in other states. I am of the sponsored doctor or medical expert was at his side at the time of his death monitoring him as he lay dieing making certain his pain was minimized. No anti death penalty advocates cried out on his behalf as he was being executed. In the name of justice being carried out for victims everywhere whose murderers have been found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of their peers and sentenced to receive the ultimate punishment, too much concern is given to their comfort and minimum or no pain being experienced when they are executed. Mister or madam judge opinion his ruling is both arbitrary and capricious. In the very least I doubt any consideration was given to the murderer's victim(s) cruel and inhumane pain and suffering. please remember this the next time you are reaching a decision or ordering a stay in an execution for a murderer who had no care or compassion for the pain and suffering they inflicted upon their victim(s). SO "YOUR HONOR" their victim(s)? what ;3bout ~ As a father of a son who was murdered twelve years ago I have agonized nearly each and every day since about the excruciating pain he must have felt when his heart and other vital organs were ravaged by the effect of the bullets as they were being literally blown apart. No state SO "YOUR HONOR" what about their victim(s)? While we are considered to be a civilized society and because of this fact many feel that the death penalty and executions are wrong, even as the father of a murdered son I can perhaps understand those thoughts and conv 'ictions even if I don't agree with then 1, and if the death penalty is eventu ally abolished by the Courts, s o be it. However, in memory Iof my son and all other murder v ictims here in America I as a survivo r and other survivors of murdere( j loved ones are offended and outrciged when we hear or read about ultiimate justice not being carried 01ut as a result of a whim, belief or I:>pinion of a judge, simply only becc~use he or she may believe a lethal ir1jection is cruel and unusual (Jr inhumane. It is a slap in the face I:>fthe American Justice System, .the members of the jury who fulfill led their duties as citizens by servin g on jury duty and handed down a v erdict of death by executior 1 only to have their decision simply iglnored. It is even more egregiou s "Your Ho nor" to further prolong and negate the expectation that the punishment befitting the crime will be carried out is the epitome of a miscarriage of justice SO "YOUR HONOR" their victim(s)? Sincerely, 3112106 what about Ralph L. Meyers These parole hearings are imminent. Send letters in support of these families today. Parole #1 On September 13, 1983, William Walter Nichols brutally murdered two people. One of the victims was my son Michael Gene McDonald, 27. The other victim was Nichol's exgirlfriend Susan Mandarin, 25, whom Mike had met just six weeks prior to his murder! This meeting was to have been just the third time my son had ever seen her. Nichols waited around the corner from my son's house until he saw Susan reach Mike's front porch and then he ran his pickup across the lawn. As Susan screamed, Mike started out of the house, before he even got through the screen door, Nichols shot Mike three times with a .357 Magnum; one of the bullets tearing through his heart. Nichols then turned the gun on Susan, shooting her twice in the head. He then raced away, trying to kill others before he was apprehended by the police. Nichols did not know Mike, nor had he ever seen him before. Nichols would have shot and killed anyone who had come through the door! Nichols DID NOT have a trial. He was sentenced by a judge, to 25 years to life for each victim and is serving these sentences concurrently-meaning AT THE SAME TIME! For California Only Nichols spent several years at The California Men's Colony located in San Luis Obispo. While there he was trained as an X-Ray Technician, costing the tax-payers several thousand dollars. Also the most disgusting of all WHILE IN PRISON he was allowed to marry, and through "Conjugal visits" fathered a child. Is this JUSTICE??? William Nichols is coming up for his THIRD parole in May. I am really worried he may get out. Would you please write to the parole board asking that they not release this killer back into society. Thank you for your time and concern. MURDERER: William CDC Walter Nichols # 91961 SEND LETTERS TO: Ironwood State Prison Records-BPT 19005 Wileys Well Rd. Blythe, CA 92226 copy TO FAMILY: Mrs. Doris L. Morgan 15525 Cottage Ave Manteca, CA 95336 Parole #2 My father, Peter E. Lucero, was murdered on Oct. 14, 1982 in Oakland, CA by Israel Whitmore. Our family would be eternally grateful if you could once again assist us in notifying the board of prison terms of our opposition to any consideration of parole to the murderer of my father. Parole hearing is tentatively set for May, 2006. Thank you. Davis Lucero/ on behalf of the family of Pete E. Lucero Sample parole opposition letter. MURDERER: Israel Whitmore CDC # C-81348 SEND LETTERS TO: Deuel Vocational Institute P.O. Box 400 Tracy, CA 95378-0400 Attn: Records/lifer desk COPY TO FAMILY: David Lucero & Family 38822 Farwell Drive Apt. # 19E. Fremont, CA 94536 Parole #3 Dear CAH, On August 1, 1995, Michael Joseph Noonan, who was 29 years old and the loving son of Janie and Peter and the loving brother to Debbie Kay and Shawn Patrick, was asked bya Mother of a 15 year old Son, to drive her to Richard Raday's residence because of a telephone conversation with Raday, which he said that her son was fornicating ("tag-teaming the girls") with another boy and two girls in the swimming pool at Raday's residence. All of the children were minors. Raday induced the children to come with him to swim in his pool and he would purchase beer and wine for them. At Raday's residence while drinking the conversation became very sexual an improper, which included Raday with the children. The conversation eventually led the children to go swimming in the nude and/or their underwear. When Michael and the So~ Mother arrived at Raday's, they went to the pool area to retrieve her son. While the Mother was talking to her son, who was in the pool Raday ATTORNEY acquired his illegal weapon which was an M-1 Carbine with a pistol grip stock and 30 shot clip. Raday was inside his residence with the screen door closed but the back door was open. Raday fired one shot through the screen door and a chip of concrete hit the Son's Mother. She hollered, "I have been shot." Michael jumped in between the Mother and Raday, Michael told him, "put the gun down and call the police," Raday went after Michael who realized he was going to be shot so dove for the pool. Raday shot Michael in the left side of his back; the bullet proceeded through his kidney and traveled upward through his liver, left lung, severed his esophagus and lodged in his sternum. The second bullet hit Michael under his left nipple, smashed his rib, punctured his right lung, proceeded through his heart and went out the right side of his back. Raday did not testify in his own defense, he spoke at his sentencing hearing. His last words to the jury were in answer to the prosecutor's question, "Why are you crying, is it for GENERAL'S OFFICE murdering Michael or because you are going to jail?" Raday answered, "I'm going to jail." Michael lived his life as a good person, a loving son, a brother, a friend to all and a child of God. WHAT A LOSS ! Raday was convicted of 2nd degree murder and given a 20 year sentence. Please help us Keep him in prison for his full term by writing today to the parole board. Thank you. MURDERER: Richard Walter Raday State I.D # 05479641 TDCJ #00761506 PIA SEND LETTERS TO: Board of Pardons and Parole Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice Raven Kazen, Director 8712 Shoal Creek Blvd. Suite 265 Austin, TX 78711 COPY TO FAMILY: Peter & Janie Noonan P.O. Box 7940 Pasadena,TX 77508 OF VICTIM'S SERVICES -~c.. Enclosed you will find a sign up sheet asking you to make a donation to the Human Race in the name of Citizens Against Homicide. We have a number of runners in the Sonoma County, California Race. Three of these runners work for a company which is wonderful enough to match the donations raised by their employees. Each year we have had this generous company and its employees along with all of the wonderful people like you, form CAH that donated to the Race. Together we have been responsible for helping to make Citizens Against Homicide a success. The Human Race has become our second annual fund raiser along with our annual golf tournament. We are asking each of our readers to make a donation, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, or $1 ,000 (whatever you feel comfortable with) and also ask a neighbor or friend or a I'd ~ Membership/Contribution I N arne Like To Form Make (plea~e A print) Difference! relative to also add their name and a donation to the enclosed sheet. Please mail this back to CAH with the check make out to THE HUMAN RACE. We will do all the paper work and have the sheets and checks to the runners in time for the Race. We need the pledge sheets and checks back to CAH by May 6, 2006. The Race is May 13, 2006. Remember if you send $20 we will receive $40. Our Thanks to all of you in advance!!! -N~;Pr~fit All 501 (c)j Contributions iax-l. Are D. #68-0330108 Tax DeductIble I I Home Phone: ". 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