GUILTY CO - Jennifer Carpenter, 15, & Steve Staskiewicz, 37, slain, El Paso Co., 11 Mar 1991

"Kennedy posted the $250,000 bond set Tuesday by Judge Thomas Kane, who granted Kennedy a retrial April 21 after being presented with new evidence, including DNA tests that showed that another man's DNA was on the sponge used as a gun silencer and also on the two bodies. Kennedy's DNA was not present in either sample."
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"Prosecutors maintain that despite the new DNA evidence, Kennedy was linked to the scene of the crime by DNA found on a cigarette butt inside a beer can that had been crumpled several hours before the murders. Prosecutors also say that evidence proved that Kennedy's gun and ammunition were used to kill the couple.

Kennedy has said that he loaned his gun to Carpenter and Staskiewicz for their protection.

Carpenter had been kidnapped and raped four months before the killings.

Dicke has said that Charles Stoud and Rebecca Corkins tried to intimidate Carpenter into not testifying at the rape trial, which was set to begin a month after her death.

Stoud is serving a 50-year prison sentence for Carpenter's kidnapping and rape. Corkins was released after 10 years."

http://www.gazette.com/articles/kennedy-55360-carpenter-dna.html



"In 1991, the pair were shot to death in a west-side mobile home they shared. Kennedy lived with them briefly in 1991."
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"April, 4th District Judge Thomas Kane ruled that Kennedy was entitled to a new trial, citing new DNA tests and other evidence.

He also found that Kennedy's lawyer in the original trial had failed to aggressively pursue a defense that two others were responsible for the murders.

Staskiewicz and Carpenter had lived together for about a year after the teenager's mother granted Staskiewicz custody. Carpenter had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a couple just four months before the killings, and speculation at the time was that the two were killed because they planned to testify at the rape trial a month later."

http://www.gazette.com/news/kennedy-54467-dna-case.html


The new trial is scheluled to start September 21.

(what's wrong with this picture?)

Thanks for the link Wudge.

I'm not sure what to think because I haven't seen the evidence. I'd have to see more before I could make an educated guess. I DO know that there are people convicted every day, that are truly innocent. I'm pleased to see that if there is strong evidence that this guy did in fact, NOT do this crime, that a new trial MAY be held.

At the end of the day, it's even worse when an innocent person is convicted of a crime. As if the victims and their families haven't already lost enough, another person or family COULD be victimized by a wrong conviction while the REAL killer(s) walk free.

Let their be truth,
fran

I understand that every perp has the right to be silent. But I do believe that there should be a law that if a perp is silent, and if they are convicted yet by their silence they allow someone else to be convicted, that there should be a law that allows for additional penalties to be enacted. By their silence they created another victim, and there should be some punishment for that.

What I don't understand is why the mother gave custody of the 15 year old to a 37 year old MAN who was the child's BOYFRIEND! This is a crime in itself. Kennedy lived with the victims and his gun was used to kill them, I can see how LE would suspect him. It makes me wonder if he was present when they were killed. :waitasec:


kaelee

kaelee2 said:

What I don't understand is why the mother gave custody of the 15 year old to a 37 year old MAN who was the child's BOYFRIEND! This is a crime in itself. Kennedy lived with the victims and his gun was used to kill them, I can see how LE would suspect him. It makes me wonder if he was present when they were killed. :waitasec:


kaelee

Click to expand...

The DNA found on the sponge that was used as a silencer does not match Kennedy's DNA. At the very least, that is significant.

I did read that his DNA did not match the DNA on the sponge, but his DNA was on a cigarette that was found in a beer can at the residence only a few hours before they were killed. Since the gun and ammo was Kennedy's, and his DNA was found at the scene, I do understand him being a POI. But this does not mean he killed anyone.

One question I have is when LE investigated the rape, why did they not uncover the fact that a 37 year old man was a 15 year old child's boyfriend and guardian? Why wasn't CPS called to protect her?

kaelee

http://gazette.com/charges-filed-in-1991-slaying-of-colorado-springs-teen-boyfriend/article/1540954

A 57-year-old man has been charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder in a 23-year-old double-murder case... According to Department of Corrections prison records, Stroud was on parole when he was arrested on Oct. 24 for the new charges.

It's the latest development in a complex case starting in 1990 with the kidnapping of a then-14-year-old Carpenter, who was taken from outside of a mobile home, driven to Manitou Springs, and sexually assaulted...

A new trial for Kennedy, 58, began earlier this year. During the trial, The Gazette reported that a letter written by Stroud suggested a cover up in the homicides. Kennedy's defense also pointed to Stroud as a viable suspect in the slayings. Kennedy was re-convicted of the murders in May and is serving life is prison without parole.

Click to expand...

They always retry a case because they hate to say our office messed up plus they really do not want to pay the wrongfully conviction money. Now even though dna testing was available in 2000; it still took another 14 years to reverse this. At 20K a year for 20 plus years; This guy will get millions. They may make him plea to the charges for time served. This way they won't have to pay nor admit any wrong doing. Welcome to the Court of Law 101.