Post by SoulTrainOz on Jul 26, 2006 22:43:27 GMT -5
Man Was Convicted For Ordering Ex-Girlfriend's Slaying
Rockingham County Circuit Judge John McGrath sentenced Ivan Teleguz to death on Tuesday for ordering the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Sipe, in July 2001.
Before imposing the court's first death sentence in six years, McGrath told Teleguz that he could spare his life even though jurors recommended death for Teleguz after a February trial.
"If I had one iota of doubt of your guilt, I would do so," McGrath said of imposing the lesser punishment of life in prison. "If I had one iota of doubt of your viciousness, I would."
Jurors convicted Teleguz, 27, as an accessory before the fact to capital murder after prosecutors said he contracted for the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Sipe, because he was angry about child support payments.
During a sentencing hearing Tuesday, McGrath called Teleguz's conduct "heinous" and "reprehensible." Then the judge said: "I feel no other punishment is appropriate other than death."
Teleguz stood expressionless, as he had throughout the February trial and the sentencing hearing.
His attorneys have said Teleguz's lack of visible emotion results from his conservative Christian upbringing and the religious persecution he and his family endured while living in the Soviet Union. The family fled to the United States when Teleguz was a boy. His lack of visible emotion, his attorneys say, doesn't show who he really is.
But Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst has said it's a sign that Teleguz is cold, calculating and without remorse.
The Crime And Trial
On July 23, 2001, Pam Woods found her 20-year-old daughter, Sipe, dead in her Deer Run apartment, A-7, at 899 Port Republic Road in Harrisonburg. Sipe's throat had been cut. Her 2-year-old son was in the bathroom unharmed.
During trial, Michael Hetrick, 31, of Warren, Pa., said he killed Sipe and testified that Teleguz paid him $2,500 for the job. His alleged
accomplice, Edward L. Gilkes Jr., 27, of Altoona, Pa., also testified
against Teleguz.
Gilkes is serving 15 years in prison for his part in the murder-for-hire plot. Hetrick's attorneys are negotiating a plea agreement with prosecutors.
During trial, Teleguz's defense attorneys, Paul Maslakowski of the
Northern Virginia Capital Defenders Office and John Hart of Hart Law Offices in Harrisonburg, asked jurors not to convict Teleguz on the testimony of criminals who cut deals to save themselves.
But jurors convicted Teleguz and recommended the most severe punishment.
The Hearing
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Maslakowski revisited the theme in a final effort to spare Teleguz's life.
"There is no truth serum we can give these guys [Hetrick and Gilkes], where we can be dead sure of what they say," Maslakowski said.
His comments ended a four-hour hearing during which the defense asked McGrath first for a new trial, and then to let their client spend his life in prison.
They said Garst had withheld evidence that could have helped defense attorneys cross-examine one witness who was not a co-conspirator.
During trial, the witness said he saw Teleguz at Sipe's apartment the night before her murder. Joseph Flood, also of the capital defender's office, said defense attorneys didn't know anyone had reported seeing Teleguz at the scene.
Garst said the defense team had a computer disk with reports that referred to pre-trial interviews with the witness.
McGrath ruled that the argument wasn't relevant since the witness did not give information that supported the prosecution's claim that Teleguz paid others to kill his ex-girlfriend.
No Longer In Local Court
Teleguz is headed to the custody of the Department of Corrections and to Sussex 1 - the state prison that houses death-row inmates, Maslakowski said.
While Teleguz now faces lethal injection, Maslakowski said the case isn't over. All death sentences are automatically appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
"Ivan's extremely disappointed he didn't get a new trial," Maslakowski said after McGrath's ruling.
"He's definitely going to continue to fight."
Garst said the punishment helps assure that Teleguz won't hurt anyone else. "It's a tragic case," she said. "I hope this brings peace to the victim's family."
Sipe's family declined comment.
Andrey Teleguz said his brother is innocent and that he hopes the Virginia Supreme Court sees the case differently than McGrath and the jury.
"We will continue to pray and hope God can help us out," he said. "We don't control it."
(source: Daily News-Record)
Rockingham County Circuit Judge John McGrath sentenced Ivan Teleguz to death on Tuesday for ordering the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Sipe, in July 2001.
Before imposing the court's first death sentence in six years, McGrath told Teleguz that he could spare his life even though jurors recommended death for Teleguz after a February trial.
"If I had one iota of doubt of your guilt, I would do so," McGrath said of imposing the lesser punishment of life in prison. "If I had one iota of doubt of your viciousness, I would."
Jurors convicted Teleguz, 27, as an accessory before the fact to capital murder after prosecutors said he contracted for the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Sipe, because he was angry about child support payments.
During a sentencing hearing Tuesday, McGrath called Teleguz's conduct "heinous" and "reprehensible." Then the judge said: "I feel no other punishment is appropriate other than death."
Teleguz stood expressionless, as he had throughout the February trial and the sentencing hearing.
His attorneys have said Teleguz's lack of visible emotion results from his conservative Christian upbringing and the religious persecution he and his family endured while living in the Soviet Union. The family fled to the United States when Teleguz was a boy. His lack of visible emotion, his attorneys say, doesn't show who he really is.
But Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst has said it's a sign that Teleguz is cold, calculating and without remorse.
The Crime And Trial
On July 23, 2001, Pam Woods found her 20-year-old daughter, Sipe, dead in her Deer Run apartment, A-7, at 899 Port Republic Road in Harrisonburg. Sipe's throat had been cut. Her 2-year-old son was in the bathroom unharmed.
During trial, Michael Hetrick, 31, of Warren, Pa., said he killed Sipe and testified that Teleguz paid him $2,500 for the job. His alleged
accomplice, Edward L. Gilkes Jr., 27, of Altoona, Pa., also testified
against Teleguz.
Gilkes is serving 15 years in prison for his part in the murder-for-hire plot. Hetrick's attorneys are negotiating a plea agreement with prosecutors.
During trial, Teleguz's defense attorneys, Paul Maslakowski of the
Northern Virginia Capital Defenders Office and John Hart of Hart Law Offices in Harrisonburg, asked jurors not to convict Teleguz on the testimony of criminals who cut deals to save themselves.
But jurors convicted Teleguz and recommended the most severe punishment.
The Hearing
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Maslakowski revisited the theme in a final effort to spare Teleguz's life.
"There is no truth serum we can give these guys [Hetrick and Gilkes], where we can be dead sure of what they say," Maslakowski said.
His comments ended a four-hour hearing during which the defense asked McGrath first for a new trial, and then to let their client spend his life in prison.
They said Garst had withheld evidence that could have helped defense attorneys cross-examine one witness who was not a co-conspirator.
During trial, the witness said he saw Teleguz at Sipe's apartment the night before her murder. Joseph Flood, also of the capital defender's office, said defense attorneys didn't know anyone had reported seeing Teleguz at the scene.
Garst said the defense team had a computer disk with reports that referred to pre-trial interviews with the witness.
McGrath ruled that the argument wasn't relevant since the witness did not give information that supported the prosecution's claim that Teleguz paid others to kill his ex-girlfriend.
No Longer In Local Court
Teleguz is headed to the custody of the Department of Corrections and to Sussex 1 - the state prison that houses death-row inmates, Maslakowski said.
While Teleguz now faces lethal injection, Maslakowski said the case isn't over. All death sentences are automatically appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
"Ivan's extremely disappointed he didn't get a new trial," Maslakowski said after McGrath's ruling.
"He's definitely going to continue to fight."
Garst said the punishment helps assure that Teleguz won't hurt anyone else. "It's a tragic case," she said. "I hope this brings peace to the victim's family."
Sipe's family declined comment.
Andrey Teleguz said his brother is innocent and that he hopes the Virginia Supreme Court sees the case differently than McGrath and the jury.
"We will continue to pray and hope God can help us out," he said. "We don't control it."
(source: Daily News-Record)