Surprise testimony in murder trial

After the first time Michelle Hall visited her husband's grave, she reportedly told Mathis that she'd become "very angry" and "dug her heels" into the dirt because she was "very, very mad at him for leaving her here to deal with everything."

Both of Michelle Hall's ex-husbands -- Steve Davis and Rusty Hart -- testified about instances of physical violence at the hands of the defendant.

Davis described an instance in February 2001 in which Michelle physically attacked him for forgetting to bring home ice for his daughter's first birthday party. He described a similar incident in spring 2001. That attack was corroborated by another witness, Andy Binion.

Hart testified that Michelle found out he was acting romantic toward another woman -- Britt's first wife -- and she punched him in the nose. After their divorce, according to Hart, Michelle hit him in the back of his head with a cordless phone while he was at their home retrieving his belongings.

Thursday began with testimony from Lt. John Lewis of the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. He testified that the night of the shooting, Michelle Hall told him that her husband shot at her and then killed himself. Lewis examined the victim's body and concluded that the gunshot to his chest was "inconsistent with a suicide wound." In fact, he later concluded from the soot ring on the victim's shirt that it was a close contact gunshot, probably fired from 18-24 inches away.

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Male Suicide and the Family Court System

“I know my father was a good man and a good father. … He obviously reached a point where he could see that justice was beyond his reach and for reasons that only God will know, decided that taking his life was the only way to end his suffering,” Ashlee White wrote. Ashlee signed the letter “In Memory of My Loving Father.”

Those are the words of a 14-year-old Canadian girl writing to that country’s prime minister. Her father had been denied access to her because he was unable to pay child support that was set at twice his take-home pay. Darrin White’s anguish at losing contact with his daughter, and the frank indifference of the Canadian family court system to either his or her welfare led him to hang himself. As Ashlee said, justice was indeed “beyond his reach.”

That justice is beyond the reach of many fathers is one of the main reason this blog exists; it’s one of the reasons for the astonishing growth industry called ‘fathers’ rights.’ Here and in many other places are chronicled the countless injustices done to children and their fathers in the name of a mythology created over the past forty years. That mythology holds that fathers are indifferent to their children at best and dangerous to them at worst. It holds that even the most caring father is incompetent to do the simplest task relating to children.

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Man Who's "Too Fat To Kill" Gets Life In Prison

HACKENSACK, N.J. (WPIX) - A Florida man who did not have much luck convincing a jury last month that he was just "too fat to kill" his former son-in-law, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for the 2006 murder.

62-year-old Edward Ates was given the maximum sentence allowable for the brutal murder of Paul Duncsak. Judge Harry Carroll, who handed down the sentence, called the killing "a cold and calculated execution."

Before the decision was announced, Ates addressed the courtroom that was crowded with relatives of the victim as well as several of the jurors who convicted him.

"All I can say is, I'm innocent," Ates said. "The jury got it wrong. This is a terrible miscarriage of justice."

During the six-week trial, Ates' lawyer told jurors his client, who weighed a whopping 285 pounds at the time of the killing, wouldn't have the energy to actually shoot Duncsak and escape to Louisiana.

Ates' weight has caused a myriad of health problems including asthma, sleep apnea and other ailments, his lawyer had said.

However, prosecutors claim Ates drove from Florida to Duncsak's home in Ramsey, New Jersey, climbed a staircase and shot the 40-year-old.

When the shooting occurred, Duncsak and Ates' daughter were reportedly involved in a bitter custody dispute following their divorce.

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Woman blocked cop just before Clemente shooting

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (KABC) -- New details are emerging about the moments leading up to the massacre inside a San Clemente home that left four family members dead, including two young girls.

An Orange County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the San Clemente home shortly before the shots rang out.

When the deputy entered the home, she found the bodies of two young girls, their mother and grandmother.

The deputy was called to the home to perform a welfare check. When she heard the shots fired, she took cover, thinking the shots were aimed at her.

Seconds before the shots were fired that killed 4-year-old Catherine Fontaine, her 2-year-old sister, Julia, their mother, Elizabeth Fontaine, and their grandmother, Bonnie Hoult, an Orange County Sheriff's deputy was trying to get in the door of the San Clemente home.

"She did see the grandmother, Bonnie, with the 4-year-old child holding her hand," said Orange County Sheriff's Spokesman Jim Amormino. "Once the grandmother saw the deputy, she began walking briskly toward the open garage door. The deputy tried to catch up with her. She put her foot in the door but the grandmother was able to slam the door, then lock it."

The deputy then heard four gunshots.

Authorities were first called to the house by Kevin Herbert, who lives at the home, and had allowed the four to stay there while they were visiting.

Herbert didn't want to talk about what happened on camera. Authorities say he didn't see a gun, but he was worried enough to grab his own family and leave.

Seven minutes later, the deputy showed up at the house to do the welfare check.

"I don't think anything could have been done differently," said Amormino. "It wasn't a case where a gun was seen and it was imminent. There's no reasonable cause to use force."

Authorities are waiting for further test results to determine who fired the gun. It was registered to the 67-year-old Hoult.

Hoult's daughter, 38-year-old Elizabeth, filed for divorce from her husband, Jason Fontaine, last year. Elizabeth accused him of molesting their oldest daughter. Charges were never filed. Jason's attorney says experts found the allegations were not true.

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Crossroads attempted murder suspect arrested

Mahwah — Police arrested a Spring Valley, N.Y., man on a host of charges including attempted murder following a three-month investigation by local and county officials.

Allan O. Pelcak, 41, was arrested in connection with an alleged Sept. 18 attack of his ex-wife, which occurred in the parking lot of the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel, 1 International Blvd.

According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Pelcak’s ex-wife was found in the parking lot of the hotel with multiple stab wounds in her torso, and "severe crushing injuries" to her pelvis, abdomen and left hand.

Subsequent investigation of the incident determined the woman had been stabbed repeatedly, and was struck and run over by an unknown vehicle as she tried to escape her assailant.

Witnesses say the vehicle that hit the victim fled the parking lot after the attack.

The victim was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she underwent life saving surgery. She remained in a coma for several weeks. Since the attack, she has made "great strides" toward recovery, and has had numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

When the matter was investigated, it came to light that the victim and Pelcak were engaged in a contentious divorce and a bitter custody dispute over their two children.

Searches were conducted in Pelcak’s vehicle and known residences, resulting in his arrest on Dec. 18.

Pelcak faces charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, various weapons offenses, tampering with evidence, possession of a stun gun and possession of child pornography.

He was arrested in front of his home by members of the Mahwah Police and Bergen County Detectives with assistance from the Ramapo Police Department.

He is being held without bail in the Rockland County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey.

The vehicle which allegedly struck Pelcak’s ex-wife has not yet been recovered. It is requested by the prosecutor’s office that any individuals with information regarding any vehicle used by Pelcak to contact the Mahwah Police Department, Det. Kevin Hebert at 201-529-1000, or the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, 201-226-5500.

Allan O. Pelcak, 41, was arrested in connection with an alleged Sept. 18 attack of his ex-wife, which occurred in the parking lot of the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel, 1 International Blvd.

According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Pelcak’s ex-wife was found in the parking lot of the hotel with multiple stab wounds in her torso, and "severe crushing injuries" to her pelvis, abdomen and left hand.

Subsequent investigation of the incident determined the woman had been stabbed repeatedly, and was struck and run over by an unknown vehicle as she tried to escape her assailant.

Witnesses say the vehicle that hit the victim fled the parking lot after the attack.

The victim was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she underwent life saving surgery. She remained in a coma for several weeks. Since the attack, she has made "great strides" toward recovery, and has had numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

When the matter was investigated, it came to light that the victim and Pelcak were engaged in a contentious divorce and a bitter custody dispute over their two children.

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Winters Man Convicted In Wife's Murder

WINTERS, Calif. --
A unanimous jury has convicted a Winters man of murdering his wife, even though investigators never found the woman's body.

Leticia Ramos, 28, disappeared in April after filing for divorce from her husband, Felipe Hernandez.

Prosecutors said they'd found DNA evidence under a cleaned rug and a receipt from a carpet cleaning business.

Based on that evidence, a Yolo County jury found Hernandez guilty of second-degree murder.

He's scheduled for sentencing next month.

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Hulk Hogan Considered Suicide After Divorce

Hulk Hogan was so distraught when his 24 year marriage to Linda Bollea fell apart, he actually considered taking his own life!

In his new autobiography, My Life Outside the Ring, Hogan admits he picked up a loaded gun to shoot himself after she filed for divorce, but luckily he soon came to his senses.

He wrote: “There were times when I thought that a whole bottle of pills would go down easy. Then I noticed the gun in my hand. I was careless with it… I kept my finger pressed right to that trigger… and if I moved that finger an inch in the right direction I would have blown my brains out.”

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Alleged killer to go on trial in September

The trial of a man accused of killing his ex-wife in Ridgefield is scheduled to begin in September.
David Harris, 57, of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., will go on trial for killing Simone Harris at her home on Danbury Road in Ridgefield April 11, 2003.

The 57-year-old woman was strangled and suffered blows to the head. She was found dead in her kitchen. Prosecutors say Harris, a former computer programmer who remarried, killed his ex-wife because he didn't want to pay child support and alimony. Shortly before she was killed, a Westchester County Court judge ruled in her favor in the alimony case.

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