NC - Janine Sutphen, 57, found murdered, Durham, Jan 2003

The State Bureau of Investigation will explore the contents of more than a dozen computers this week in an attempt to bolster fraud and murder charges against Robert James Petrick, who is accused of killing his wife and dumping her body in Falls Lake.

Eleven of the machines belonged to Petrick, a computer consultant. Two others reportedly were used by his dead wife, Janine Sutphen. A fourteenth is owned by Phaedra Oorbeck, a pagan woman with whom Petrick allegedly had a "polyamorous relationship."
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-473888.html

Wiccan beliefs and sexual preferences will take center stage in the trial of a North Carolina man accused of killing his wife, unless the defendant has his way before the start of his trial on Halloween.

Earlier this week, Robert James Petrick asked a Durham County Superior Court judge to keep all references to his neo-pagan religion and "sexual habits" out of his first-degree murder trial for the death of his wife, Janine Sutphen, a cellist with the Durham Symphony Orchestra, in January 2003.

Judge Orlando Hudson is expected to rule on the motions before jury selection begins Monday with Petrick, a computer consultant by trade, representing himself.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ct/20051027...A1vzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

This is a N.C. case and I'm anxiously waiting to hear how this case comes out. This guy is a nut case for sure!!

less0305 said:

This is a N.C. case and I'm anxiously waiting to hear how this case comes out. This guy is a nut case for sure!!

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He isnt crazy just a common liar and thief . Numerous fraud charges in his
background. Hopefully he will spend alot of time in jail this time.

Well, now I'm curious. Just what kind of "sexual preferences" are we talking about here?

Just kidding!!!!

Seriously, it seems that his religion and perhaps his sexual appitite are part of the motive of why he committed the murder. I hope the judge doesn't rule them out. Just another case of 'attack the law, attack the evidence, attack the witness.' IMO, criminals have too many rights!. But I'm all for people defending themself. It's just confirmation of what type of 'fool' they are. :loser:

This guy is a selfish, self-centered, ........ :razz: .......nevermind.

I can't get over how many SO's kill their spouse. It's astounding!! :doh:

JMHO
fran

mysteriew said:

Wiccan beliefs and sexual preferences will take center stage in the trial of a North Carolina man accused of killing his wife, unless the defendant has his way before the start of his trial on Halloween.

Earlier this week, Robert James Petrick asked a Durham County Superior Court judge to keep all references to his neo-pagan religion and "sexual habits" out of his first-degree murder trial for the death of his wife, Janine Sutphen, a cellist with the Durham Symphony Orchestra, in January 2003.

Judge Orlando Hudson is expected to rule on the motions before jury selection begins Monday with Petrick, a computer consultant by trade, representing himself.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ct/20051027/cr_ct/manaccusedofkillingwifewantsnomentionofhissexualhabitsattrial%3b_ylt=A9FJqarsyGFDBasALA1vzwcF%3b_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

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I see his lawyer has a fool for a client.

Now I really want to hear the details...

fran said:

Well, now I'm curious. Just what kind of "sexual preferences" are we talking about here?

Just kidding!!!!

Seriously, it seems that his religion and perhaps his sexual appitite are part of the motive of why he committed the murder. I hope the judge doesn't rule them out. Just another case of 'attack the law, attack the evidence, attack the witness.' IMO, criminals have too many rights!. But I'm all for people defending themself. It's just confirmation of what type of 'fool' they are. :loser:

This guy is a selfish, self-centered, ........ :razz: .......nevermind.

I can't get over how many SO's kill their spouse. It's astounding!! :doh:

JMHO
fran

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I agree that he sounds like a big loser, but I fail to see how Wicca could be a motive in his crime. I'm guessing they want to have that part excluded from trial because of people's misconceptions and prejudices about Paganism.

ETA: Just reread the article, TWO affairs? I just don't understand why these creepos just don't get divorced, WHY KILL YOUR SPOUSE????

This man cannot truly be Wiccan. Though I tend to pull a little from each religion because I question the validity of anything that comes from mortal man's mouth and choose to think that the goodness that will guide us is in every one of our hearts if we just listen to it and not in some book that has been revised over and over again by often times corrupt mortal man. I draw most of my spirituality from Wiccan beliefs, which consist mostly of respecting the Earth and her creatures and using herbs for healing. By no means would a true Wiccan do evil toward anyone.

The Wiccan motto is "An in it harm none, do what thou will" which means as long as you don't hurt anyone or anything, live life the way you wish & be happy.

Sounds more like this guy was into to dark witchcraft or at least thought he was , & trying to be cool but failing miserably...
Wiccans are often confused with these type...he is a poser at best, and is using an excuse.

Wiccans are peaceful if they are truly Wiccan. It's about being one with nature, the Earth, the spiritual world and knowing your inner self. Wiccans also worship gods and goddesses. Some would say that is strange...but unless I am totally off, that is the most ancient way of worship. The Greeks did it, as did the Romans and Vikings. Much like our American Indian had different spirits to pray to for a good hunt, harvest, ect and our Catholic pray to Saints. Don't judge me too quick, I do believe in God. Maybe just not so much Christianity's God...though I do believe Christ was born but question how that came about because one of God's commandments is "thou shalt not covet another man's wife"...but didn't he do just that with Mary?...she was Joseph's...and although she was a virgin...the commandment said "covet" not have sex with... anyway... It is known that through the ages and religions that there has been an Almighty...one that is the most supreme being. Who or what that being may be is what I'm am not sure of. Are any of us?

Sorry to run on...My point is...this man is NOT Wiccan and I get so sick of wiccans being distorted by small minded fools that do not know the "religion".

This guy is just whacko!

JMO! Happy Halloween!

Some people use religion because they truly believe their own version of it, however twisted it may be.
But some (and it sounds like this guy is one) pick a religion (any one will do) and twist it to justify anything they do. He probably used Wicca because it was different, and not well known. As an attention getter maybe. Well it is going to get him a lot of attention now.

BillyGoatGruff said:

I see his lawyer has a fool for a client.

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That is just what I was thinking. He'll get hung for sure. How stupid to be his own attorney. Guess he must have a lot of confidence in his own ability in knowing the law...that arrogance will be his undoing. :loser:

For two years, odd tidbits of information about Robert James Petrick turned up as police and prosecutors developed a case against him in the death of his wife, cellist Janine Sutphen.
Now, as lawyers prepare to begin Petrick's murder trial Monday, the pieces form a strange tale involving paganism, an unorthodox marriage, a check forgery scheme and a mysterious death.

At the center is Petrick, whose behavior has at times been unpredictable. This summer, he fired his court-appointed attorney, claiming he knew better how to handle his own defense. With a $46 law book and months to learn what lawyers take years to master, Petrick will defend himself against the most serious of charges -- murder.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/2827259p-9276767c.html

This should be a SLAM DUNK for the prosecutor!!!!!!!
:waitasec: :slap: :snooty: :silenced: :crazy:

What a FOOL!!!!!!! :behindbar

JMHO
fran

mysteriew said:

Some people use religion because they truly believe their own version of it, however twisted it may be.
But some (and it sounds like this guy is one) pick a religion (any one will do) and twist it to justify anything they do. He probably used Wicca because it was different, and not well known. As an attention getter maybe. Well it is going to get him a lot of attention now.

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Sad but So true!!! Exactly why I question every form, especially after the priest sex abuse scandals broke. My mind had a very hard time grasping why a suppossed "man of God" could hide behind his so-called religion to committ such atrocious acts on a child. The most two-faced, corrupt people I have ever come across are fanatic about thier religion. I see them sit in church on Sunday, bleary eyed from the bar Saturday night or better yet... when they go to church & look down their long, condeming nose at someone not as fortunate as they are & then go out Monday morning...opening day of deer season... and kill some innocent, unsuspecting animal who never had a chance against their raccoon urine, high powered rifle w/scope and camo. I just never got it how people can twist these things to fit them. Guilt, I guess, plays hard. After all, their God says "thou shalt not kill" not "thou shalt not kill humans"! Just never got that...

Anyway, I hope this yay-hoo gets exactly what he deserves for taking her life, making that poor woman's family wonder so long and just plain being a scurge on society...

A miscommunication between court officials and Raleigh's Central Prison was to blame for Robert Petrick showing up two hours late for the first day of his murder trial.

But once inside the courtroom, Petrick wasted no time making known more than a dozen pretrial motions before jury selection got under way.

"I'd prefer there be no cameras," Petrick said to District Court Judge Orlando Hudson Monday afternoon. "I am, as you are well aware, a novice at this and it's going to be difficult enough to prepare my defense without feeling like I'm performing for a media circus."

Hudson denied Petrick's request to ban cameras, but the defendant had more than a dozen other requests, including a motion that would keep jurors from hearing about sexual items found in his home after Sutphen was reported missing.

Prosecutors want to refer to an adult film found in the house and tell jurors about e-mail and other items found on Petrick's computer that shed light on Petrick's sex life.

Hudson agreed with the prosecution on the autopsy photos and sexual evidence, but deferred a ruling on Petrick's possible involvement in witchcraft. Petrick worries the jurors will be prejudiced against him if they hear about it.
http://www.wral.com/news/5217888/detail.html

Homicide suspect Robert James Petrick's marriage was plagued by affairs with women other than the spouse he is accused of killing, and some of his acquaintances were made through paganism and witchcraft, a prosecutor said Monday.

Petrick "was having more than one affair with more than one woman at the same time without [his wife's] knowledge," Assistant District Attorney Mitchell Garrell alleged during a hearing on the opening day of Petrick's first-degree murder trial in Durham County Superior Court.

"This has put the nature of the marriage at issue," Garrell added.
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-662882.html

Thread started in Trials

The Durham County jail, built nine years ago for $43.5 million, often is bursting at the seams with inmates these days, worrying administrators and at least one high-profile murder defendant: Robert James Petrick.

Cecily Smith, legal counsel to Sheriff Worth Hill, announced in court Monday that the jail population stood at 580 -- 52 more than the facility is staffed to handle.

Chief Deputy Wes Crabtree confirmed the situation Tuesday.

"For some reason, the inmate population has been going nuts," he said in an interview.

It was bad news for Petrick.

He told a judge earlier this week that he hoped to stay in the county jail overnight for the duration of his first-degree murder trial, rather than being driven back and forth from Raleigh's Central Prison every day.

The trial began Monday with the start of jury selection. Petrick is accused of killing his wife, 57-year-old Durham Symphony Orchestra cellist Janine Sutphen, whose chained and asphyxiated remains were found floating in Falls Lake in May 2003.

Acting as his own attorney, Petrick complained that Central Prison guards awaken him at 2:30 a.m. in preparation for the drive to Durham County Superior Court.

He said lack of rest was hampering his ability to defend himself effectively.

Petrick also told Judge Orlando F. Hudson on Monday that he had better access to legal research materials in the county jail.

But Smith said the overflowing jail population created problems for housing Petrick.

She said Petrick belongs in a state prison anyway, since he is serving an 11- to 14-year sentence for forgery.

So Petrick will continue to be shuttled daily between Raleigh and Durham.
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-663311.html

I hope Court TV covers this one! I bet the jerk didn't count on cameras in the courtroom.

WhiteWolf said:

I hope Court TV covers this one! I bet the jerk didn't count on cameras in the courtroom.

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No, he isn't happy about the cameras. He also isn't happy about his sleeping arrangements. This is going to be an interesting trial.

In a late-breaking discovery announced today in court, prosecutors said they found evidence that Robert Petrick searched the Internet for details about Falls Lake four days before he reported his wife missing.
The body of Janine Sutphen was found in the lake by fisherman in May 2003.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/2830493p-9280298c.html