Testimony Underway In Skylor Harmon Re-Trial

Written by Scott Muska

Staff Writer
October 18, 2011

SNOW HILL — The re-trial of a 19-year-old charged with committing murder with an assault rifle got underway Tuesday with opening arguments and the first of the prosecution’s witnesses.

Skylor Dupree Harmon, 19, of Pocomoke City, had his first trial end in a mistrial in July when jurors were unable to agree on a verdict. Harmon is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Reginald Handy Jr.


Among the defense’s witnesses Tuesday were Deputy Dale Trotter, a crime scene investigator for the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation. Cropper and members of the State’s Attorney’s office returned on Sunday night to the area of 500 Young St., where the military-grade assault rifle had been found the day after the murder.

Trotter testified that if he had been standing in that area with the gun at the time of night the murder was committed, he would have been able to shoot a person standing where the victim had been shot.

From the area where the gun was found to the area where Handy was shot was about 65 yards, according to Trotter, who said the distance was “definitely” in the rifle’s range.

Testimony is scheduled to continue tomorrow and Thursday.

Harmon's uncle, Alexander Crippen, was originally charged in the May 2010 murder, but charges were dropped before Crippen's trial. Crippen was later convicted of attempting to kill a different man, based on testimony about his actions at the same scene where Handy died.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20111018/NEWS01/111018030/SNOW-HILL-Testimony-underway-Skylor-Harmon-re-trial

GUILTY Verdict For Epps

EASTVILLE -- The man who chased and repeatedly stabbed Sharone White Bailey last year in a horrific daylight slaying has been found guilty.

Derrick Demond Epps, 37, of Exmore pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder and two other charges in last July's killing of White, a business owner and counselor who just weeks before had been named the Eastern Shore Citizen of the Year.

Epps, who declined a trial by jury in a last-minute decision, could face life in prison when sentenced later this year.

Epps was the victim's neighbor and attacked Bailey on the afternoon of July 9, 2010, after seeing her return home from work at lunchtime.

Northampton County Commonwealth's Attorney Bruce Jones said Epps, who had been a counseling client of the victim's, had developed the mistaken idea that Bailey's family owed his family money.

Epps' attorney, Garrett Dunham, said the defendant had been previously diagnosed by multiple doctors as a paranoid schizophrenic and the condition played a significant role in the day's events.


Dunham said on the day of the attack, Epps was suffering from a schizophrenic episode and when the "command voices" became stronger, Epps armed himself with a large kitchen knife and confronted Bailey to ask for the money.

"Mrs. Bailey saw the knife and screamed. The defendant grabbed her and stabbed her," Jones said.

Bailey fell, recovered and ran to a neighbor's house for help. Seriously wounded, she left a blood trail visible in photos presented as evidence, Jones said.

Bailey was stabbed again before entering the home of elderly neighbors, where she collapsed. The neighbors called 911.

Epps went back to his house, but returned to the neighbors' residence because "a voice told him she was not dead," according to Northampton County Sheriff's Office Investigator Terry Thomas in a previous testimony.

Jones said Epps kicked through the neighbor's front door during the call and drove the knife into Bailey's chest, driving it down eight and a half inches. Officials said such a massive injury would have caused death within seconds.

Epps then returned a second time to his home, where police arrived shortly after receiving the 911 call. He fled to the woods, where he disposed of the knife, which was never recovered.

Epps was apprehended and taken to the Northampton County Sheriff's Office to await an interview. While in custody there, he told Deputy William Smith he needed to use the restroom.

"He took advantage of that opportunity not to use the restroom, but to knock Deputy Smith out of the way and flee the scene," Jones said.

Epps was taken back into custody after being shot with a Taser.

In addition to first-degree murder, Epps pleaded guilty to charges of entering a dwelling with a deadly weapon with the intent to commit murder and assault and battery of a police officer.

Norfolk Circuit Court Judge John C. Morrison found Epps guilty of all charges, including first-degree murder.

"The evidence certainly justifies his pleas," Morrison said.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110714/NEWS01/107140376/Guilty-verdict-slaying

R.I.P. Sharone White Bailey

Trial Set For Fatal Stabbing Of Sharone White Bailey

EASTVILLE -- The murder trial of an Exmore man charged with the fatal stabbing of the 2010 Eastern Shore Citizen of the Year Sharone White Bailey will begin with jury selection Tuesday.

Derrick Demond Epps, 36, is charged with first-degree murder.

Epps allegedly saw Bailey, his neighbor, return home from work at lunchtime on July 9, 2010. He then allegedly went to his kitchen to retrieve a knife and repeatedly stabbed her, according to testimony at a September hearing.

After Bailey ran to a neighbor's house for help, Epps allegedly broke through the door and continued stabbing her while the neighbor called 911. Epps allegedly said he broke into the house because "a voice told him she was not dead," according to Northampton County Sheriff's Office Investigator Terry Thomas.

Bailey was found fatally wounded by police responding to the call. Epps was apprehended shortly after officers arrived at the scene.

While in custody, Epps attempted to escape while using the restroom -- allegedly shoving Northampton Sheriff's Office Deputy William Smith into a wall and running out the door before he was shot with a Taser and taken back into custody.

In addition to facing a first-degree murder charge, Epps is charged with entering a dwelling with a deadly weapon with the intent to commit murder and assault and battery of a police officer. He is being held at the Eastern Shore Regional Jail until the trial.

General District Court Judge Gordon Vincent certified the murder charge against Epps to a grand jury during a September hearing.

Epps "made no bones about what he did," Thomas said. "He said it was not a robbery, that her people owed his people."

The slaying of Bailey, 57, who had been named the 2010 Eastern Shore Citizen of the Year at a gala event just before her death, shocked the community.

Bailey was co-owner and clinical director of Therapeutic Interventions, a Belle Haven-based community mental health provider. She was also secretary of the Eastern Shore Rural Health Board of Directors, helping to spearhead efforts to raise funds for the new Onley Community Health Center and served on the Northampton Joint Industrial Development Authority, as president of Habitat for Humanity and as a board member of the Eastern Shore Coalition against Domestic Violence.

Bailey was a U.S. Army veteran, a choir member and secretary of the Trustee Board at the Macedonia AME Church in Accomac and had worked for Accomack County Social Services and the Eastern Shore Community Services Board.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110711/NEWS01/107110302/Eastern-Shore-Citizen-Year-murder-trial-set

Murder Trial Ends In Mistrial

Written by

Jennifer Shutt

SNOW HILL -- The trial of a 19-year-old on charges he committed murder with an assault rifle ended in a mistrial, with jurors unable to agree on a verdict.

Prosecutors said they planned to re-file felony charges against Skylor Dupree Harmon, 19, of Pocomoke City after jurors in his trial told a judge they could not deliver a unanimous verdict. Harmon had been charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Reginald Handy Jr. After hearing from the jury, which had been discussing the evidence for four hours, Circuit Court Judge Thomas C. Groton III declared a mistrial.

Harmon will continue to be detained at the Somerset County Detention Center until another trial date can be set, according to Deputy State's Attorney Paul Haskell.

The jurors had heard hours of testimony and a lengthy closing statement from the defense on Thursday before beginning to deliberate on a verdict.

Jurors were tasked with weighing the testimony of Rasheema Schoolfield, who testified she saw Harmon within yards of where the presumed murder weapon was found, and a few feet away from where a casing from the .223-caliber Bushmaster assault rifle was later discovered. She never told police, or testified, she saw Harmon touch any gun.

Police officers testified they reviewed text messages sent to Torrance Davis, Handy's cousin, in which Schoolfield admitted to seeing Harmon with a gun. That was something Schoolfield adamantly denied on the stand during the trial.

Jurors also had to decide whether or not they believed the military-style weapon found about 65 yards away from where Handy was shot in the back was, in fact, the gun that killed him.

A ballistics expert, Jaimie Smith, told jurors he could not conclusively say the bullet that killed Handy had been fired from the weapon found by police. Smith is the expert who told police bullets from a .380-caliber or a .45-caliber handgun were not linked to the fatal shot.

Harmon's uncle, Alexander Crippen, was originally charged with the May 2010 murder, but his charges in the Handy case were dropped before Crippen's trial. When Crippen was originally charged within weeks of the murder, police and witness testimony placed him within feet of Handy, shooting a handgun.

Police originally believed bullets from a .380- or a .45-caliber weapon caused Handy's death. Then Smith told authorities his analysis of the crime scene suggested those weapons were ruled out.

Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110701/NEWS01/107010311/Mistrial-declared-murder-trial?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage

Harmon Trial Continues.....

Written by:  Jennifer Shutt
SNOW HILL -- Jurors saw autopsy photos and passed among each other a clear plastic bag filled with bullet fragments during the first day of the murder trial of Skylor Dupree Harmon.

Harmon is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Reginald Handy Jr. Harmon's uncle, Alexander Crippen, was originally charged in the May 2010 murder, but charges were dropped before Crippen's trial. Crippen was later convicted of attempting to kill a different man, based on testimony about his actions at the same scene where Handy died.

Harmon, of Pocomoke City, turned 19 this month; he was 17 when Handy was killed. Harmon is also charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment for alleged crimes against Torrance Davis. He has pleaded not guilty.

During the first day of testimony, police told jurors how they located a .223-caliber Bushmaster assault rifle prosecutors believe Harmon used to kill Handy.

"The day after (Handy) was struck, the Pocomoke City Police Department received an anonymous tip," said Deputy State's Attorney Paul Haskell during his opening statement. Police were directed to 500 Young St. where they found the gun, described as a "Ferrari of a weapon" -- not a cheap firearm.

Shell casings from a .45-caliber weapon and a .380-caliber weapon were also found near Handy's body.
"The actual bullet that murdered Mr. Handy was so damaged that no determination can be made" about which gun fired it, Harmon's defense lawyer, Sandra Fried, said during her opening statement.

Fried went on to say that because the bullet hit Handy's spine, then fractured into several pieces, ballistics experts cannot determine if it was fired from the weapon police found on Young Street. Fried also told jurors no DNA evidence or fingerprints linked Harmon to the assault rifle.

Several witnesses who had also testified during the Crippen trial told jurors what they saw and heard the night Handy was killed.

Testimony from Torrance Davis, Handy's cousin, came out of an agreement with the State's Attorney's Office. In exchange for testimony, the state agreed to dismiss a pending assault case against Davis in addition to getting rid of a bench warrant in a separate case.

During his testimony, jurors saw the all-black assault rifle, topped with a scope, that police say killed Handy. Davis testified he received the weapon about two weeks before Handy's death, in exchange for crack cocaine, but later gave the weapon to someone else. Davis was unable to testify how the weapon would have ended up in Harmon's hands, because of an objection sustained by the judge.

Davis said that during the time he had the gun, he was able to fire it and knew what it sounded like. He said he could tell the difference between its sound and other gunshots.

"That gun makes a unique noise," Davis said. "It's like a cannon."

Testimony from Deputy Dale Trotter of the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation clarified for jurors how Harmon could have used the .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle to make a shot from about 65 yards away at 10 p.m.

"It was not an infrared scope but it was a hunting scope," Trotter said. "The ambient light from the street lighting would be enough that you could look through the scope and pick up your target."

Trotter testified that when police found the "military-grade weapon" it had a 10-round magazine. Eight bullets remained in the magazine, with one in the chamber. That indicated, Trotter said, one bullet had been fired from the weapon.

Assistant State Medical Examiner Russell Alexander testified that after the fatal bullet hit Handy's spine, a fragment continued through his body and hit his aorta, the largest artery in the body, causing massive bleeding.

"He died of a gunshot wound to the back," Alexander said.

Source: http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110630/NEWS01/106300385/Assault-rifle-shown-during-murder-trial?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage

Jury Reaches Verdict -

In the Christine Sheddy murder trial,  a jury of 6 men and 6 women have found Justin Hadel GUILTY of  first-degree murder and assault.

Leggs Sentenced To Life In Prison

From WBOC NEWS

Tuesday  March 29, 2011

ELKTON, Md.- A plea deal has been reached in the case against a man accused of kidnapping and murdering an 11-year-old Salisbury girl.

Thomas J. Leggs Jr., 31, of Salisbury, appearing in Cecil County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning, admitted his guilt in Sarah Haley Foxwell's death.

"I am guilty," Leggs told the court multiple times, as he took responsibility for his crimes.

Under the terms of the plea deal, Leggs received two life sentences without parole: one for first-degree murder and the other for first-degree sexual offense. He was also given 30 years in prison for kidnapping and 20 years for burglary. All sentences are to be served consecutively.

In a statement to Sarah's family, Leggs said there was no excuse for his "monstrous act." He also said he was thankful Sarah's family spared his life, and that he will spend the rest of his life doing "whatever is necessary" to make sure a crime such as the one he committed is never again perpetrated against another child. Leggs also apologized that because of his actions, Sarah would never see adulthood.

At a press conference held outside the courthouse after the judicial proceedings, Wicomico County State's Attorney Matthew Maciarello - whose office prosecuted the case - said the decision to no longer seek the death penalty against Leggs was largely made out of respect for Sarah's family.

"The Foxwell family has told me that they do not want a lifetime of anguish and appeals, due to the extreme stress, havoc and grief the death of Sarah has caused them and their need to begin healing from this horrible, despicable crime," Maciarello said.

"And because they wished to protect Sarah's sister, a 7-year-old material witness in the case, they have unanimously requested that we withdraw our notice to seek the death penalty in consideration for the plea agreement placed on the record today."

Maciarello also noted that the history of the death penalty in Maryland indicates that it would be highly unlikely that Leggs would be ever executed.

Davis Ruark, who served as a special prosecutor in the case, said that due to the magnitude of the crimes committed against Sarah, it was his personal opinion that Leggs deserved to be put to death. Despite having to withdraw the death penalty against Leggs in order to work out a plea agreement, Ruark said he still believed justice was served in this case.

"Yes, to the extent that the family's wishes were honored, justice was served in this case," Ruark said. When asked if he believed a compromise had been made with a convicted child killer, Ruark replied, "It's not a compromise. He will never come out of prison alive."

Also at the press conference, Sarah's mother Jennifer Foxwell said that now that her daughter's killer is going to prison for the rest of his life, her family can have closure.

"Thank you all so much for giving up your Christmas of '09 to bring our baby home," she said. "We now have closure and we can all move on- including the community."

According to court records, on Dec. 23, 2009 Leggs kidnapped and killed Sarah. After a massive three-day search that involved hundreds of police officers and civilians, Sarah's burned body was found in a wooded area of Wicomico County on Christmas Day of 2009.

Authorities have said that Leggs- a convicted sex offender in Maryland and Delaware- had dated Sarah's aunt for a short time several months before the girl's kidnapping and death. 

As part of the plea deal, which spared him a possible death sentence, Leggs agreed to give investigators additional details about the kidnapping and murder of Sarah.

Source; WBOC News http://www.wboc.com/story/14341664/plea-deal-reached-in-leggs-murder-casehttp://www.wboc.com/story/14341664/plea-deal-reached-in-leggs-murder-case

Judge Granted Postponement of Trial

SNOW HILL -- The trial of a man charged with killing Christine Sheddy was postponed until June, instead of starting as scheduled Tuesday.

A motion filed by the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office said analysis of DNA evidence was not available to prosecutors or the defense 30 days prior to the trial date, as is required.

"Based on the time requirements, they have 30 days with which to request their own expert to look at it," said State's Attorney Beau Oglesby. "This is the most serious and important of cases. We want to make sure it is complete, fair and thorough."

Judge Thomas C. Groton III granted the motion. He cited several reasons to push the trial date to June, noting that Oglesby has only been in office for five weeks.

Oglesby also told the judge that records detailing what documents and information were shared with the Public Defender's Office were "not up to standards."

Oglesby narrowly defeated longtime Worcester prosecutor Joel Todd in last fall's elections. Since taking office, he said he and his staff have done everything they can to share information with the Public Defender's Office in the case, as is required by law.

The defendant awaiting trial, Justin Michael Hadel, is charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Sheddy, a 27-year-old mother of two, went missing from her Pocomoke City-area residence in November 2007. She was considered a missing person for more than two years until police found Sheddy's remains buried in the backyard of a Snow Hill property a year ago.

Shortly after that, Hadel, whose court records show he lives in Texas, was charged with killing her and held in jail.

Hadel's trial was scheduled to take place in December, when former State's Attorney Joel Todd would have tried the case, but was moved to February when the Public Defender's Office said it needed more time to prepare.

Due to the serious nature of the case and the potential of a five-day trial, Groton said the most suitable dates for the trial would be June 13-17.

www.delmarvanow.com

Murder Trial Postponed

SNOW HILL — The trial for the man charged with the death of Christine Sheddy was postponed this morning.

A motion filed by the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office stated that outstanding DNA evidence was not available to prosecutors nor the defense 30 days prior to the trail dates, as is required.

Judge Thomas C. Groton III granted the motion, citing other factors, such as State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby having only been in office for five weeks as reasons to push the trial date to June.

Justin Michael Hadel was charged with first-degree murder in the case, after Sheddy, a 27-year-old mother of two, went missing in November of 2007.

www.delmarvanow.com

Ballard Trial Is Delayed

SNOW HILL -- The trial of a man charged in the stabbing death of Russell Matthew Bailey III has been postponed until April because prosecutors believe the defendant recently placed phone calls to witnesses.

In Circuit Court, State's Attorney Beau Oglesby requested additional time after he said he'd learned James Edward Ballard, the man charged in Bailey's murder, allegedly made Jan. 9 calls from the Worcester County Jail to two potential witnesses.

Once Oglesby learned of the calls Jan. 10, he asked the jail, which records all phone calls, to preserve the recordings. In court, Oglesby said he needs time to listen to the tapes, determine if they have any impact on the case and share the information with Ballard's lawyer.

"I didn't contact nobody," Ballard said in the courtroom.

In a conversation with his public defender that visitors in the courtroom could hear, he indicated he had made calls related to a different case, not the murder charge.

Judge Thomas C. Groton III granted the motion, saying other factors would have made trying the case difficult Wednesday.

"The court would be reluctant to proceed," Groton said, adding several people who had been summoned for jury duty had called the court, concerned about forecasted snowfall and sleet.

Ballard was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing of 18-year-old Bailey after he confessed to police, according to charging documents, saying he'd acted in self-defense. Police allege Ballard killed Bailey with premeditation, based upon their investigation.

Bailey's body was found across the street from Pocomoke Middle School in late September. He had graduated from Pocomoke High in June.

Criminal records for Ballard from Worcester and Wicomico counties date back to 1999 and include charges for burglary, drug possession, armed robbery, assault and escaping from police custody.

The trial is currently scheduled to take place the week of April 11-15, as opposed to the one day it was scheduled to take this week. Oglesby requested a longer trial, saying witness testimony and evidence would most likely require more than one day to get through.

www.delmarvanow.com

Crippen Found Guilty For Attempted Murder

Alexander Crippen could be facing life in jail for attempted murder with the possibility of an extra 20 added to those years for carrying an illegal weapon. Gee, that means for the rest of his life he gets to breath, eat, exist behind bars. No matter where he is and no matter where the man that he attempted to murder may be BOTH are alive. And good for them, I guess. But what about the family of Reginald Handy?

Forensics couldn't prove Crippen killed that young man. And no one saw? Not a soul saw anyone that night but a bullet into the back of Handy? I'm just wondering, because there doesn't seem to be any closure for the family that loved and had to bury Reginald Jerome Handy.

If it can't be proven that Crippen fired that bullet into Handy's back then who did? Or is that the family just has to accept that Crippen probably did do it...........it just can't be proven beyond that "shadow of a doubt"? Where is the closure for this family?

What do you say to them? Does anything happen for them?

SNOW HILL -- Friends and family members of Alexander Crippen cried and consoled each other in Circuit Court after Judge Richard R. Bloxom said Crippen was guilty of trying to kill a man.

Testimony in the trial for first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and gun charges concluded Dec. 7. Bloxom said he needed time to review the testimony and facts of the case before giving a verdict, which he issued Friday.

During his deliberations, he recalled the instructions given to jurors when they have trouble deciphering witness testimony: that they may believe all, part or none of what witnesses say.

Crippen, who has listed residences in Fort Washington, Md., and Pocomoke City, has been held without bond at the Worcester County Jail since late May, when he was charged in the murder of Reginald Jerome Handy Jr., 22. Handy was gunned down outside a Laurel Avenue home on May 27.

In June, a grand jury indicted Crippen on murder and other related charges connected to Handy's death in addition to attempted murder. But Bloxom dismissed the murder charge against Crippen during a criminal motions hearing. Prosecutors said forensic evidence would have made it impossible to prove Crippen killed Handy. Crippen was instead convicted of attempting to kill another man, Torrance Davis, 28, who was at the scene of the shooting in May.

After the verdict was read, Deputy State's Attorney Michael Farlow asked the judge to order a presentence investigation before Crippen is sentenced.

"Now that he has been found guilty on all counts, we will be seeking the maximum penalty," Farlow said. The maximum penalty life in prison. He said a second charge, wearing and carrying an illegal weapon, can carry an additional sentence of up to 20 years.

Crippen's defense attorney, Arthur McGreevy, said he expects his client to appeal the decision.

"We are obviously disappointed but respect the judge's decision," McGreevy said.

www.delmarvanow.com

No Verdict For Attempted Murder

SNOW HILL -- The attempted murder trial of a 36-year-old Maryland man concluded with no verdict Tuesday after the judge said he needed time to review and consider the evidence.

After a day and a half of testimony, Alexander Crippen, who is alleged to have fired shots at 28-year-old Torrance Davis, will have to wait three days before the court will rule on the case.

Circuit Court Judge Richard R. Bloxom said the bench trial will resume at 1 p.m. Friday.

Crippen, who is listed as a resident of Fort Washington, Md., and Pocomoke City, has been held without bond at the Worcester County Jail since late May when he was charged in the murder of Reginald Jerome Handy Jr., a 22-year-old Greenbush resident.

Handy was gunned down outside a Laurel Avenue home May 27.

In June, a grand jury indicted Crippen on murder and other related charges connected to Handy's death in addition to attempted murder charges.

Bloxom dismissed the murder and assault charges filed against Crippen during a criminal motions hearing Dec. 1. The prosecutor and Deputy State's Attorney Michael Farlow said forensic evidence would have made it impossible to prove Crippen killed Handy.

During the trial Tuesday, two Pocomoke City women testified they saw Crippen in the area where the victim was killed before the shots were fired.

"When I first heard gunshots, I took off," 20-year-old Rashima Schoolfield said.

When she looked behind her, Crippen was 5-10 feet behind her, she said.

Shanna Harmon, 31, testified that she saw Crippen running toward Fifth Street after the shots were fired.

However, neither witness identified Crippen as the gunman.

The victim's cousin and witness for the state identified Crippen as the shooter during a recorded interview with investigators May 27; however, private defense attorney Arthur E. McGreevy of Baltimore pointed to inconsistencies in Davis' statements compared to evidence in the case and trial testimony from other witnesses.

"There really isn't a whole lot of physical evidence that links my client to this case," McGreevy said.

www.delmarvanow.com

Murder Trial Delay

SNOW HILL -- The trial date for the man accused of murdering a Pocomoke City woman has been bumped from December to February, meaning outgoing Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd will not try the case.

"That's the way the democratic system works," said Todd, who lost a bid for his fifth consecutive term to challenger Beau Oglesby. "I certainly would have liked to have been able to prosecute, but the voters decided otherwise, and I accept that. ... I have no reason to believe the case won't be handled ethically and professionally and that justice will prevail."

Christine Sheddy, a 27-year-old mother of two, went missing in November 2007 from a Pocomoke City-area residence. An investigation by law enforcement led to the discovery in February of Sheddy's remains buried in the backyard of a Snow Hill bed and breakfast and the subsequent arrest of Justin Michael Hadel, 20, of Texas.

Hadel was scheduled to face charges of first-degree murder Dec. 7-9 in Worcester County Circuit Court. Because his public defender has requested more time to prepare for the case, the trial date has been moved to Feb. 8-10.

Todd may appear at a motions hearing scheduled for Dec. 9 in the case, though such hearings are sometimes canceled or rescheduled.

Lynn Dodenhoff, the victim's mother who bonded early on in the case with Todd and his staff, has publicly stated Joel Todd was the only man she wanted to prosecute Hadel.

"I have to put my faith in that (Oglesby) knows what he's doing and that he would accept any and all help in this case," said Dodenhoff in an interview. "I would feel more comfortable if it was Joel handling the case, but you're given the cards you're dealt."

Oglesby, currently employed as deputy state's attorney for Caroline County, said with four Worcester homicide cases pending, he's already begun getting familiar with the cases and is in "constant contact" with Todd, his staff of attorneys and members of law enforcement.

"There's a transfer of information that is ongoing," he said. "I'm completely confident in my abilities and, more importantly, the abilities of the members of the State's Attorney's Office and law enforcement that we will be prepared when it comes to trial."

When asked about Dodenhoff's comments, Oglesby declined to get into the details of ongoing cases, saying communication between him and victims of crimes should remain privileged.

Todd said once Dodenhoff gets to know the new state's attorney, "she'll find out that he's a professional, too."

"We have provided Mr. Oglesby with copies of reports; we have done everything we can so he is completely up to speed when he gets sworn in," Todd said. "There is no animosity between he and I. We both have the common pursuit of justice for the citizens of Worcester County.

www.delmarvanow.com

Trial Date Set For Justin Hadel

SNOW HILL — A three-day jury trial of the man accused of murdering Christine Sheddy, a missing woman whose remains were found last spring, is slated to begin Dec. 7.

Justin M. Hadel of College Station, Texas, who turns 20 next week, is charged with first-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault. Prosecutors say they believe he killed Sheddy on Nov. 13, 2007. Her family didn’t know her fate until last February, when her body was found buried in a Snow Hill yard.

In charging documents, police detectives said Hadel had been a guest at a home at 2911 Byrd Road, near Pocomoke, at the same time Sheddy was staying there, and that witnesses told police Hadel was responsible for her death. Court records show Hadel’s trial is expected to last three days, with closing arguments delivered Dec. 9.

www.delmarvanow.com

47 Year Old Onley, Virginia Man On Trial For Murder Of Camp Counselor In 1991

A trial is underway for a 47-year-old Virginia man long-suspected by police of raping and killing a Poconos camp counselor nearly 20 years ago.

Jeffrey Plishka of Onley, Va., and the son of internationally-known Metropolitan Opera bass Paul Plishka is charged in the sexual assault and murder of 24-year-old Laura Ronning, a St. Petersburg, Fla., woman who was working Camp Cayuga in Wayne County when she was killed in 1991. Testimony in the trial started Monday in Wayne County Court in Honesdale.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case that stymied them for nearly two decades, but they say new DNA testing procedures enabled them to link blood on a gun taken from Plishka's home in 1991 to Ronning. At the time, Plishka lived on a farm in Wayne County near the camp where Ronning worked. His opera-singing father was born in neighboring Lackawanna County in Old Forge.

Ronning disappeared in July 1991 after setting out on her day off to hike at Tanners Falls not far from Camp Cayuga, a 350-acre facility that caters to kids between 5 and 15 from New York City and Philadelphia. When Ronning failed to return to camp that night, state police initiated a search. Her body was found the next morning. Police say Plishka participated in the search and made bizarre statements about her disappearance during the search.

Although prosecutors said DNA evidence found on a gun taken from Plishka's home links him to the crime, Plishka's attorney says the sample could have come from someone else.

Court officials expect the trial, which started with jury selection Aug. 9, to last about two more weeks.

http://www.mcall.com/

To refresh your memory here's an article written last year concerning the trial and charges..............

Last update Jul 31, 2009 @ 05:51 PM

HONESDALE, Pa. — A Virginia man has been arrested for the murder and sexual assault of a camp counselor 18 years ago. The arrest moves one of Wayne County’s biggest murder mysteries a step closer to closure.

The Pennsylvania State Police and the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office on Friday said Jeffrey J. Plishka, 46, of Onley, Va., was arrested for the July 27, 1991, murder of Laura Ronning at Tanner’s Falls in Wayne County.

On July 27, 1991, 24-year-old Laura Ronning, of St. Petersburg, Fla., decided to walk from Camp Cayuga, where she worked as a summer camp counselor, to enjoy some time at Tanner’s Falls, Dyberry Township. She never returned. Her partially clad body was discovered shortly before noon the next day on an embankment on the road leading into Tanner’s Falls. An autopsy determined that Ronning died as the result of a single gunshot wound to the head. She was also sexually assaulted. At the time, Plishka -- the son of renowned opera singer Paul Plishka -- lived near the scene of the murder and was well-acquainted with the Tanner’s Falls area.

Plishka has been a suspect since the early years of the investigation. The home where he lived in Lebanon Township was searched as early as 1995.

“The investigation of this brutal and senseless murder has been a priority of the State Police and the District Attorney’s Office since Laura’s body was discovered on July 28, 1991,” said Wayne County District Attorney Michael Lehutsky. “Everyone involved in this investigation has tried their best to do the right thing at every step over the last 18 years. That has sometimes meant waiting and sometimes meant moving forward. Those same considerations dictate that now is the right time to bring this case before the people of Wayne County so that they can finally pass judgment on it.”

An 11-page affidavit of probable cause led to Plishka’s arrest in Accomack County (Va.) on Thursday. Plishka is being held in the Accomack County (Va.) Jail awaiting extradition proceedings to face charges of first-, second- and third-degree murder, and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.

According to the affidavit, Plishka was the only person to have seen Ronnning during the estimated time of her murder. He failed to mention seeing her until long after he joined the search for Ronning after she was reported missing. He also had a scratch under his left eye when he was scene in the area before joining the search, and Ronning appeared to have defensive wounds indicating she fought with her attacker.

Plishka has made contradictory and misleading statements regarding his whereabouts and activities and about his “sightings” of Ronning.

DNA tests indicate blood found on the barrel of a gun that uses the similar ammunition to that found near Ronnings body and found during a search of Plishka’s home could be from Ronning, but was not a conclusive match. The tests ruled out that it came from Plishka or his family.

During interviews earlier this year, Plishka told police he hoped they wouldn’t find any DNA evidence from him on Ronning. He also told police, “I hope I didn’t kill that girl.”

Lehutsky said that he would consult with the State Police, his staff and Laura Ronning’s family before he makes a final decision on whether or not to seek the death penalty for Plishka.

“Laura Ronning and her family have been on a long walk in search of justice since 1991,” said Lehutsky. “However, we appreciate that in many ways, today’s announcement is still just a beginning. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure a full, fair trial in the hopes of bringing justice home for Laura and her family.”

Plishka's father had a home in Lebanon Township at the time of the murder and currently has a home in Virginia. Paul Plishka has become known through his performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he still performs.

(I think the father has died)

www.newstribune.info

Murder Coviction Reversed By High Court

This guy has filed an appeal "on a variety of issues". Well, gee, let me see........the woman he murdered didn't get to file any appeal! The family of the woman you so brutally beat has to listen once again to your whining and all because you didn't get a fair deal. Well, Mr. Kendall Northam I don't suppose Judy Wojcik got a fair deal either. Did she?

BERLIN – A Worcester County man found guilty on a second-degree murder charge and sentenced to 30 years for his role in the beating death of a woman in a rural area near Pocomoke in January 2008 could get a shot at a new trial after the state’s Court of Special Appeals last week overturned his conviction because his request for a new attorney prior to trial was not considered.

Kendall Irin Northam, now 21, of Pocomoke, was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault in September 2008 for his role in the beating death of Judy Wojcik in an apparent sex for drugs deal gone wrong in a rural area near Pocomoke in January 2008. Northam was later sentenced to 30 years in prison at a sentencing hearing in December 2008, but quickly appealed the conviction on a variety of issues.

Northam’s appeal was based on variety of issues, not the least of which was the trial court’s alleged error in not allowing the suspect to change lawyers prior to his trial in September 2008. According to the appeal, Northam first expressed a desire to discharge his public defender in February 2008 in the form of two letters to the court stating he wished to drop his counsel and have another assigned to his case.

Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Theodore Eschenberg acknowledged Northam’s request for a new attorney in March 2008, but “never explicitly ruled on it,” according to the appeal. Instead, the judge told Northam to be patient because it was a long process and his appointed public defender would have plenty of time to discuss his defense, according to the appeal.

Months passed as Northam’s trial neared, but his continued requests for new counsel fell on deaf ears, according to the appeal.

“Northam expressed concern his public defender hadn’t asked him what had happened or heard his side of the story,” the appeal read. “Six months later, and no contact with lawyer with his murder trial three weeks away, Northam again requested his counsel be discharged and a new lawyer be appointed to his case.”

In the days leading up to the trial, Northam submitted a motion for a change of venue, which also included a request for new counsel. On September 11, 2008, Judge Thomas Groton, who was now presiding over the case, denied the motion for a change of venue with a written order, but failed to address Northam’s request for new counsel. Later that month, Northam was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault and a pre-sentence investigation was ordered. In December 2008, he was sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Northam appealed the conviction with the request for new counsel issue as the centerpiece, but there were also issues with inconsistencies in the statement he gave to police following his arrest, and the statement used during trial. The appeal was heard on April 14 at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Less than two weeks later, the Court of Appeals last Tuesday ruled favorably on Northam’s appeal, reversing the conviction from the September 2008 trial. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is now reviewing the high court’s opinion before making a decision about remanding the case back to the Circuit Court level for a new trial.

“When the trial court failed to even address Mr. Northam’s third request for a discharge, it blatantly violated the rule,” the appeal read. “The court should have inquired into Mr. Northam’s reasons for the request, including what had transpired, or not transpired, with his attorney during the six months between requests.”

A Worcester County grand jury indicted Northam and his co-defendants, Shawn Treherne, 23, of Bowie, Md., and David K. Justice, 20, of Pocomoke, charging them with first-degree murder and other charges related to the beating death of Wojcik, whose body was found by a trapper in a rural area near Pocomoke.

Early on in the investigation, detectives identified Treherne and Northam as suspects, but it was not until later that they started to believe Justice was involved. Justice was later arrested and charged for his role in the beating death of Wojcik. In his statement included in the appeal, Northam said Treherne and Justice were the aggressors in the attack and that he was essentially just along for the ride in the sex for drugs and money case.

However, according to court records, a concerned witness told detectives he allegedly spoke to Northam shortly after the murder was reported to the police and that Northam said himself, Treherne and another man picked up Wojcik and drove her to a wooded area where she was to perform sex acts for money and drugs. Northam allegedly told the witness a disagreement arose for some reason at which time they beat and kicked Wojcik and left her in the wooded area.

Treherne later entered an Alford plea to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Justice also entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in jail, but five years was suspended from his sentence.

www.md.coastdispatch.com