Post by SoulTrainOz on Jun 21, 2006 22:32:36 GMT -5
Sentence Possible
A Contra Costa County jury Wednesday found Robert Ward Frazier guilty of felony murder with special circumstances in the death of a 49-year-old Antioch mother on a Concord walking trail in 2003.
The jury of 8 women and 4 men deliberated less than four hours before finding Frazier guilty of the 1st-degree murder, rape and forcible sodomy of Kathleen Aiello-Loreck. They also found him guilty of 2 special circumstances -- murder in order to commit rape and murder in order to commit sodomy -- which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
The same jury will be decide whether or not to sentence Frazier to death during the penalty phase of the trial.
Frazier, a 41-year-old Indiana man, appeared in court in bright yellow jail clothing and looked straight ahead as the verdict was read.
Prosecutor John Cope was happy with the verdict.
"I think it's appropriate based on the evidence," Cope said outside the courtroom after hearing the verdict. He could not comment further because a gag order remains in place.
One of Aiello-Loreck's sons Eric Lyon, 25, said he wanted to thank Cope for defending his mother.
"We're happy with the outcome of the verdict," he said. "And although it doesn't bring back our mom, it makes us relax a little bit and it's just an a emotional day."
During closing arguments, defense attorney Eric Quandt said that Frazier, who had recently gone through a series of setbacks that left him homeless, overheard the victim talking on her cell phone about homeless people and snapped.
Quandt said that Frazier committed "a rash, impulsive, unplanned act" when he killed Aiello-Loreck as she was taking a walk during her lunch break on the afternoon of May 13, 2003.
The fact that Frazier struck Aiello-Loreck on the head with an iron fence post, dragged her from the trail and continued to bludgeon her, causing multiple skull fractures and severe brain damage, was not in dispute throughout the case.
Cope painted a much different picture for jurors in his closing. In his rebuttal, Cope said that Frazier had to have planned the attack and that he did so in order to sexually assault the victim.
"Where is the evidence that Mr. Frazier snapped?" he asked. "Where is the evidence that that he flew into an angry rage?"
Aiello-Loreck was still alive when police found her, but died from her injuries several hours later at a nearby hospital. Police have DNA evidence linking Frazier to the murder weapon and to body fluids found on the victim.
(source: Fox News)
A Contra Costa County jury Wednesday found Robert Ward Frazier guilty of felony murder with special circumstances in the death of a 49-year-old Antioch mother on a Concord walking trail in 2003.
The jury of 8 women and 4 men deliberated less than four hours before finding Frazier guilty of the 1st-degree murder, rape and forcible sodomy of Kathleen Aiello-Loreck. They also found him guilty of 2 special circumstances -- murder in order to commit rape and murder in order to commit sodomy -- which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
The same jury will be decide whether or not to sentence Frazier to death during the penalty phase of the trial.
Frazier, a 41-year-old Indiana man, appeared in court in bright yellow jail clothing and looked straight ahead as the verdict was read.
Prosecutor John Cope was happy with the verdict.
"I think it's appropriate based on the evidence," Cope said outside the courtroom after hearing the verdict. He could not comment further because a gag order remains in place.
One of Aiello-Loreck's sons Eric Lyon, 25, said he wanted to thank Cope for defending his mother.
"We're happy with the outcome of the verdict," he said. "And although it doesn't bring back our mom, it makes us relax a little bit and it's just an a emotional day."
During closing arguments, defense attorney Eric Quandt said that Frazier, who had recently gone through a series of setbacks that left him homeless, overheard the victim talking on her cell phone about homeless people and snapped.
Quandt said that Frazier committed "a rash, impulsive, unplanned act" when he killed Aiello-Loreck as she was taking a walk during her lunch break on the afternoon of May 13, 2003.
The fact that Frazier struck Aiello-Loreck on the head with an iron fence post, dragged her from the trail and continued to bludgeon her, causing multiple skull fractures and severe brain damage, was not in dispute throughout the case.
Cope painted a much different picture for jurors in his closing. In his rebuttal, Cope said that Frazier had to have planned the attack and that he did so in order to sexually assault the victim.
"Where is the evidence that Mr. Frazier snapped?" he asked. "Where is the evidence that that he flew into an angry rage?"
Aiello-Loreck was still alive when police found her, but died from her injuries several hours later at a nearby hospital. Police have DNA evidence linking Frazier to the murder weapon and to body fluids found on the victim.
(source: Fox News)