Post by sclcookie on Jun 3, 2006 2:38:32 GMT -5
DA's office plans to seek death penalty for Wise----But office says it has
not yet filed notice
Documents indicating prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against
Jesse D. Wise Jr. likely will be filed later this month, the assistant
district attorney in charge of prosecuting the case said Thursday.
Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Craig Stedman said he had not
filed any document that states the Lancaster County District Attorney's
Office will seek the death penalty against Wise, 21, who is accused of
killing 6 of his family members and plotting to kill his grandfather in
April.
Stedman, however, said he plans to file a notice with the court system
before Wise is formally arraigned June 28 stating prosecutors plan to seek
the death penalty.
"It didn't happen yet, but we will be doing that," Stedman said. "I
anticipate filing a notice of aggravated circumstances sometime before he
is arraigned."
District Attorney Donald Totaro said Thursday that last weekend he
confirmed for 2 media outlets his office would be seeking the death
penalty against Wise. But he said reports that the notice already was
filed are wrong.
Wise is charged with 6 counts of homicide and one count of attempted
homicide.
He is accused of killing his cousins, Skyler Wise, 19, and Chance Wise, 5;
his uncle, Jesse James Wise, 17; his aunts, Wanda Wise, 45, and Agnes
Arlene Wise, 43; and his grandmother, 64-year-old Emily Wise.
The victims died sometime during the weekend of April 8 and 9 inside their
Leola home, police said.
Their bodies were discovered in the basement of the home April 12. All of
them sustained multiple traumatic injuries, according to preliminary
postmortem reports.
Investigators believe that in the days after the killings, Wise left
Lancaster County for New York City with the intent to kill his
grandfather, Jessie L. Wise, 65, to cover up the slayings.
(source: Intelligencer Journal)
not yet filed notice
Documents indicating prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against
Jesse D. Wise Jr. likely will be filed later this month, the assistant
district attorney in charge of prosecuting the case said Thursday.
Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Craig Stedman said he had not
filed any document that states the Lancaster County District Attorney's
Office will seek the death penalty against Wise, 21, who is accused of
killing 6 of his family members and plotting to kill his grandfather in
April.
Stedman, however, said he plans to file a notice with the court system
before Wise is formally arraigned June 28 stating prosecutors plan to seek
the death penalty.
"It didn't happen yet, but we will be doing that," Stedman said. "I
anticipate filing a notice of aggravated circumstances sometime before he
is arraigned."
District Attorney Donald Totaro said Thursday that last weekend he
confirmed for 2 media outlets his office would be seeking the death
penalty against Wise. But he said reports that the notice already was
filed are wrong.
Wise is charged with 6 counts of homicide and one count of attempted
homicide.
He is accused of killing his cousins, Skyler Wise, 19, and Chance Wise, 5;
his uncle, Jesse James Wise, 17; his aunts, Wanda Wise, 45, and Agnes
Arlene Wise, 43; and his grandmother, 64-year-old Emily Wise.
The victims died sometime during the weekend of April 8 and 9 inside their
Leola home, police said.
Their bodies were discovered in the basement of the home April 12. All of
them sustained multiple traumatic injuries, according to preliminary
postmortem reports.
Investigators believe that in the days after the killings, Wise left
Lancaster County for New York City with the intent to kill his
grandfather, Jessie L. Wise, 65, to cover up the slayings.
(source: Intelligencer Journal)