GUILTY OH-Manhunt: Sex Offender Anthony Sowell, 11 bodies unearthed at His Home #2

[joe jones]

Originally Posted by JeannieC

Thanks, Joe for clarifying that for me. So this will be Sowell's chance to speak on his own behalf and hopefully sway the jury away from recommending the death sentence...Correct?

yes, he gets to make a statement to the jury, I wonder if he will profess his innocence as he is still doing, or will he just plead for his life

if he has any smarts he won't be repeating his innocence assertions to a jury who has recently convicted him on all charges and now has the power of life or death over him

best thing he can do is skip the I am innocent stuff and just ask them to spare his life

[JeannieC]

Originally Posted by joe jones

yes, he gets to make a statement to the jury, I wonder if he will profess his innocence as he is still doing, or will he just plead for his life

if he has any smarts he won't be repeating his innocence assertions to a jury who has recently convicted him on all charges and now has the power of life or death over him

best thing he can do is skip the I am innocent stuff and just ask them to spare his life

I agree. He should ask for mercy rather than vengance. I think he will probably continue to profess innocence and ask that they spare his life.

I don't believe the Death Penalty is a deterrant to crime. Prison isn't a deterrant. People ignore warning labels, drink and drive, swim where a warning sign exists. Do drugs. We never think it will happen to us. Human nature.

Why would this be any different. Life in Prison with no chance of parole would be a terrible way to exist. imo

[joe jones]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07...ngs/index.html

penalty phase begins tomorrow

[joe jones]

penalty phase on going, the defence is arguing he has mental health issues, and he heard voices , he gave his voice the name Marty, state chose to present opening statement then rested, they will probably present there case in rebuttal after hearing what the defence presents

[joe jones]

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/cri...y-Sowell-trial

it is live here

[joe jones]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?url=http...ZmOYcdx5Rx42mA

defence focus on brain damage

[Cracka*Jaxx]

Thanks to all who have kept up with this case. I can't imagine why it wasn't televised.

I always find it meaningless when witnesses are called to describe how nice a defendant used to be. What's the difference? He's a convicted murderer now and that's all that should matter. He should be punished based on what he did, not why he did it.

[JeannieC]

Originally Posted by Cracka*Jaxx

Thanks to all who have kept up with this case. I can't imagine why it wasn't televised.

I always find it meaningless when witnesses are called to describe how nice a defendant used to be. What's the difference? He's a convicted murderer now and that's all that should matter. He should be punished based on what he did, not why he did it.

The difference in this case is LIFE OR DEATH. If the defense can make this person human in the eyes of the judge and the jury, create even a little empathy, they might recommend a life sentence. If not they could and probably would ask for the Death Penalty.

Sowell already has a sentence from a previous conviction on sex crimes that won't allow him to ever get out of prison but this is a death penalty case.

[joe jones]

Originally Posted by Cracka*Jaxx

Thanks to all who have kept up with this case. I can't imagine why it wasn't televised.

I always find it meaningless when witnesses are called to describe how nice a defendant used to be. What's the difference? He's a convicted murderer now and that's all that should matter. He should be punished based on what he did, not why he did it.

in the penalty phase the why is what they are focused on, the defence want to show that he was menatlly ill, has brain injuries and his abusive upbringing made him the man he is and therefore his life should be spared, prosecution want the jury to believe he is a sexual predator, a man who killed to satisfy his sexual urges and even if he has mental health issues they do not reach the level that they have any bearing on why he raped and murdered,

the fact that he was in prison for rape for many years was released from prison and then went on to not only continue to rape but then murder his victims shows he would never be safe to be released,

but we shall see if the jury choose DP or LWOP, to me the whole trial was a waste of money, most of the victims families were happy to see him get LWOP and for him to plead Guilty and receive that senetnce, they wished to save themselves the pain of a trial but the state wanted the DP so went ahead in spite of what the families wishes were,

[JeannieC]

Joe, do you think the state might have gone with the trial, in part, to be sure he didn't come back later and ask for a trial. Possibly say his defence pushed him to plead quilty. Just a thought.

I would hate for the victims to think it was over and years later have to go through a trial. Not to mention having to find these people for a trial.

Just a thought. (maybe not a good one, I don't know that much about the law.)

[joe jones]

Originally Posted by JeannieC

Joe, do you think the state might have gone with the trial, in part, to be sure he didn't come back later and ask for a trial. Possibly say his defence pushed him to plead guilty. Just a thought.

I would hate for the victims to think it was over and years later have to go through a trial. Not to mention having to find these people for a trial.

Just a thought. (maybe not a good one, I don't know that much about the law.)

once a plea deal is agreed upon by both state/ defence and defendant then they all go before a judge, the judge goes over the plea agreement explaining it all to the defendant, the judge asks the defendant if he fully understands the plea deal and what he is pleading too,

when all that is done the deal is finally entered into the law and by then it should stick, many defendants do get cold feet even after all this is done and try to rescind there plea deal, it is very rare though that a defendant gets to get out of his/her plea deal

so the state could have offered him a plea and made it stick, whatever the jury decides he will not go away, if he gets DP he has automatic rights of appeal so he will be looking for issues to appeal about this trial, in many states LWOP is also automatic right of appeal so once again he will be looking for appellate issues, he has already tried to appeal the rape convictions that occurred before this trial and his new convictions

he has the rest of his life to read the trial transcripts, to ponder the evidence so for the families it will always be nagging away in the background as he looks for ways to appeal

most plea deals are signed off with an agreement that the defendant agrees to sign away his rights to ever appeal the conviction or the sentence, that solves the issue of him ever having the chance to keep looking for appellate issues

[joe jones]

I have seen one defendant Darren Mack try to get out of his plea deal, he murdered his wife Charla and shot (but did not kill) the Judge who was dealing with there divorce,

it was one of the best live trial watching experiences I have ever seen, as Macks new attorney Routsis tried to get Mack out of his plea agreement, the Judge in that case was beyond fabulous, he is to this day one of my favourite judges,

the plea agreement stands, and Darren Mack is in a maximum security prison, a convicted murderer

,http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/15382516.html

this is what Judge Herndon said after he told Mack the plea deal stood, it was electric to watch, the way he implored the family (both sides) to try to raise Charla and Darrens daughter in a way that meant she did not hear both sides disparaging her parents, it was enough that she had already had to live with the fact that her mother was murdered by her father and her father was going to be in prison for probably the rest of his life

[ohiogirl]

I saw that trial, also. It was very interesting. It really makes a difference to see these trials live, but the Sowell trial is one that I was happy not to watch. From the clips I saw, it would have been too hard for me. I feel for the jury and applaud them for a job well done. I, too, believe he will get the DP, but, we shall see. That opens it up for umpteen appeals and delays. I don't believe he will be executed by the State of Ohio. I've been wrong once or twice. lol

[Cracka*Jaxx]

For someone like Anthony Sowell I think the DP is the only way to go. Too many times we have seen a convicted murderer, who has been given LWOP, get their sentence changed and suddenly they are up for parole. That happened with the Manson murderers, giving the families of the victims a life sentence of attending parole hearings. I cannot understand how something like that can happen- a death sentence turning into life with the chance of parole.

Generally, I'm against the death penalty, just in case evidence later reveals that the prisoner was actually innocent. But with a sick murderer like this, society would be safer without the chance of him ever again running around loose. The only problem I see will be the cost of an appeal to taxpayers.

[Missizzy]

A monster from a young age and a very sick family:

http://news.yahoo.com/niece-says-ohi...144626500.html

Niece says Ohio serial killer sexually abused her
August 2, 2011

"The niece of a Cleveland man convicted of killing 11 women and stashing their remains in and around his home testified Tuesday that he began sexually assaulting her when she was 10 and he was 11. The woman, now 50, remained composed as she spoke in a hushed courtroom about what she said was years of almost daily sexual abuse at the hands of Anthony Sowell, 51, in a home in which they lived together as children..."

and

"....She testified that Sowell and her abusive brother would watch as her grandmother and great-grandmother would beat her and her sisters, sometimes on a daily basis and sometimes at 3 a.m., for small infractions like leaving a dish unwashed. The girls were routinely ordered to strip naked, had their hands tied to a railing and were beaten with an extension cord, cane and tree branch, she testified. Sowell received no such treatment..."


more at link

[joe jones]

the testimony from the trial today was horrendous, the nieces of Sowell lived in a house of horror, from there testimony it seems the whole family were involved in there abuse,

it must have had a profound effect on them all, part of the reason I am fascinated by trial watching and crime is that of all the people who grew up in that family only he became a murderer and rapist as far as we know

so what was it about him that is so different to the nieces brother who grew up with the exact same experiences,

[JeannieC]

Originally Posted by Missizzy

A monster from a young age and a very sick family:

http://news.yahoo.com/niece-says-ohi...144626500.html

Niece says Ohio serial killer sexually abused her
August 2, 2011

"The niece of a Cleveland man convicted of killing 11 women and stashing their remains in and around his home testified Tuesday that he began sexually assaulting her when she was 10 and he was 11. The woman, now 50, remained composed as she spoke in a hushed courtroom about what she said was years of almost daily sexual abuse at the hands of Anthony Sowell, 51, in a home in which they lived together as children..."

and

"....She testified that Sowell and her abusive brother would watch as her grandmother and great-grandmother would beat her and her sisters, sometimes on a daily basis and sometimes at 3 a.m., for small infractions like leaving a dish unwashed. The girls were routinely ordered to strip naked, had their hands tied to a railing and were beaten with an extension cord, cane and tree branch, she testified. Sowell received no such treatment..."


more at link

That is very sad. It sounds like the whole family needed treatment for mental and emotional problems.

[joe jones]

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/cri...y-Sowell-trial

more from trial, now asking about his behaviour in jail, he was apparently a model prisoner,

[joe jones]

http://www.fox8.com/news/bodies/wjw-...,3120595.story

more from penalty phase

[joe jones]

http://www.newsnet5.com//dpp/news/cr...-life-sentence

Sowell appears to believe jury will sentence him to death

[joe jones]

defence expert is listing a plethora of mental health diagnoses and issues Sowell had,

[JeannieC]

I was looking to see if the Baseline trial started back up and found this article:

http://www.therepublic.com/view/stor...d-Bodies-Found

Looks like Sowell's half-sister is hurting him more than helping him! jmo

[joe jones]

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sou...r0MApSmqVSsHgQ

more from today

[JeannieC]

Originally Posted by joe jones

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sou...r0MApSmqVSsHgQ

more from today

His sister hurt him in some ways but she humanized him too. He showed a lot of emotion when she spoke. There is obviously a bond between them. I feel so sorry for her.

[joe jones]

Originally Posted by JeannieC

His sister hurt him in some ways but she humanized him too. He showed a lot of emotion when she spoke. There is obviously a bond between them. I feel so sorry for her.

It must be dreadful for any family member to learn that one of there own has committed such dreadful crimes,

he also appears to have friends who are willing to stand by him such as the witness who served time in jail with him,

he will need all the support he can get as he serves out the rest of his life in prison,