IL - Joel Kirkpatrick, 10, murdered, Lawrenceville, 13 Oct 1997

[detectivewannabe]

I can't find where I read that Tommy said elsewhere that it was a burgulary gone bad:banghead: I know I saw it somewhere. Oh well, all I was trying to imply was that just because a already convicted killer confesses to other crimes doesn't necessarly mean they are being truthful. Like I said previously, I am not saying it is impossible that this man is to blame for Joel's death. He's killed so many people all across the U.S. and there's no way that he knows or even cares what their names were.

I will just stick with relaying the information (providing links, of course) and we'll see what this trial brings.

I am on the fence about this case also. It's highly possible it could have been him.
p.s. Sorry Jeana about the misinformation.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I can't find where I read that Tommy said elsewhere that it was a burgulary gone bad:banghead: I know I saw it somewhere. Oh well, all I was trying to imply was that just because a already convicted killer confesses to other crimes doesn't necessarly mean they are being truthful. Like I said previously, I am not saying it is impossible that this man is to blame for Joel's death. He's killed so many people all across the U.S. and there's no way that he knows or even cares what their names were.

I will just stick with relaying the information (providing links, of course) and we'll see what this trial brings.

I am on the fence about this case also. It's highly possible it could have been him.
p.s. Sorry Jeana about the misinformation.

Tommy Sells is a disgusting piece of trash. I wouldn't put it past him to say many many different things, so please don't worry. He most likely said it. I just hope they consider the possibility. I don't know this case very well. I read up about it after the last trial, but was in too deep with some other cases and of course cases at work, so I couldn't read as much as I wanted to. If the evidence fits with his story, I just think they should keep an open mind, that's all!!

 

[txsvicki]

Does anyone know if Sells was the serial killer who was supposedly staring at and threatening Julie's son in the restaurant? I remember another customer came forward and tried to report what had happened and that he later identified the man as a serial killer.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Jury is out now!!!

Jury is Deleberating the Julie Rea Harper Trial by Web Producer

Harper is on trial for murdering her 10-year old son, Joel, in 1997.
This is her second trial because her first conviction was overturned on a technicality.
Fox 7`s Jennifer Mcgilvray is covering the trial from Clinton County Illinois and will have the verdict when it comes in.

 

[gidget641]

From Julie's website..

Verdict Reading


The Judge was notified that the jury had reached a verdict at 4:10 PM.

The proceedings started at 4:24.

Judge Vaughn requested that the court give the jury the respect it deserves and that no outburst of emotion will be tolerated. You would be removed from the courtroom.

The Jury Foreman passed the Verdict to the Judge. The Judge read:

NOT GUILTY!

more at linkJusticeforjulieandjoel

 

[Jeana (DP)]

From Julie's website..

Verdict Reading


The Judge was notified that the jury had reached a verdict at 4:10 PM.

The proceedings started at 4:24.

Judge Vaughn requested that the court give the jury the respect it deserves and that no outburst of emotion will be tolerated. You would be removed from the courtroom.

The Jury Foreman passed the Verdict to the Judge. The Judge read:

NOT GUILTY!

more at linkJusticeforjulieandjoel

Good for her. I think Sells' confession did more than he was hoping it would.

 

[detectivewannabe]

Hey, thanks for the updates. I've been at VBS this week and haven't been able to watch the news. :crazy:

 

[LovelyPigeon]

Woman Cleared in Retrial of Son's Death
By JIM SUHR
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; 9:46 PM

CARLYLE, Ill. -- A woman who spent about two years in prison for the stabbing death of her 10-year-old son was acquitted at her retrial Wednesday, after the defense insisted the murder was carried out by a masked intruder, possibly a Texas death-row inmate who has confessed.

Julie Rea-Harper stood as the verdict was read then collapsed and began sobbing after she was cleared of two counts of first-degree murder in Joel Kirkpatrick's death in their Lawrence County home early Oct. 13, 1997. - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/26/AR2006072601859.html

 

[bbmcrae]

Holy cow! That is amazing! Thank God!

 

[bykerladi]

Anyone know the results of the DNA test?

 

[Dean]

Mr. Berkshire was the man whose son talked to TLS on Friday night before Joel K. was murdered early Monday morning; he testified in Julie Rea-Harper's 2nd trial and identified TLS as the man he saw, spoke with, and tried to follow ~ then reported to local sheriff.

 

[Dean]

There are several stories about Joel's murder on www.IllinoisTimes.com ~ some are front-page stories; others are shorter: Who Killed Joel? The End . . . are the two that come immediately to mind.

 

[bugaboo]

I'm totally in the minority on this. I have been reading up on this case for one of my grad school classes, and I just can't pin it on Sells. Julie's stories were WAY too inconsistent. She was laughing and making jokes at the neighbor's house while waiting for the police. She made more jokes at the hospital. The chances of some masked intruder getting into and out of her house, finding and killing her son, and struggling with her through the house without leaving more evidence or disarray of items is just preposterous to me.

Sells' interview with Sgt.Pea and SA Phegley was fishy. The questions were rather leading, allowing Sells to gain information he may not have otherwise had. Do we know what he knew about the case before this interview? Newspaper articles are very telling. Plus, much of what he was saying is either common sense or based on the law of probability.

-It was a brick house, almost two stories. Those are fairly common in the midwest.
-It was off the main highway in a subdivision. That describes millions of houses everywhere.
-There was a light source. How many homes leave nightlights on? Too easy.
-Knife came from a block on the counter. Again, how many homes have their knives in blocks on the counter?
-Room was down a corridor, not a hall, a little corridor. Again, that's just semantics. Many bedrooms are off of "little corridors".
-His bed was close to the wall, no not in the middle of the room. Well where else are you going to put a bed?

There are just too many things that people are using to say he did it that could be guessed by a side-show psychic.

Plus, after reading all of Julie's statements to various people, as well as previous history, she just has so many serious issues that I think she very well could have done it. Maybe not alone (look at her friend Trina Woodward), but she was involved.

 

[JaneInOz]

I am another person in the minority who thinks Darlie Routier may have been falsely convicted.

This case sounds similar.

Me too I am another who thinks something stinks about DR being convicted

Where are the MAIN forum sub sections for Darlie Router ?

 

[wonders]

Has this woman ever been released? Thank you.

 

[JulieR]

Yes she was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rea

 

[wonders]

Yes she was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Rea

Thank you for your answer and the link. I'm glad she is out.:clap:

 

[wonders]

Are you that lady?

 

[trafficsUP66]

I'm totally in the minority on this. I have been reading up on this case for one of my grad school classes, and I just can't pin it on Sells. Julie's stories were WAY too inconsistent. She was laughing and making jokes at the neighbor's house while waiting for the police. She made more jokes at the hospital. The chances of some masked intruder getting into and out of her house, finding and killing her son, and struggling with her through the house without leaving more evidence or disarray of items is just preposterous to me.

Sells' interview with Sgt.Pea and SA Phegley was fishy. The questions were rather leading, allowing Sells to gain information he may not have otherwise had. Do we know what he knew about the case before this interview? Newspaper articles are very telling. Plus, much of what he was saying is either common sense or based on the law of probability.

-It was a brick house, almost two stories. Those are fairly common in the midwest.
-It was off the main highway in a subdivision. That describes millions of houses everywhere.
-There was a light source. How many homes leave nightlights on? Too easy.
-Knife came from a block on the counter. Again, how many homes have their knives in blocks on the counter?
-Room was down a corridor, not a hall, a little corridor. Again, that's just semantics. Many bedrooms are off of "little corridors".
-His bed was close to the wall, no not in the middle of the room. Well where else are you going to put a bed?

There are just too many things that people are using to say he did it that could be guessed by a side-show psychic.

Plus, after reading all of Julie's statements to various people, as well as previous history, she just has so many serious issues that I think she very well could have done it. Maybe not alone (look at her friend Trina Woodward), but she was involved.

When I saw her listening to Sells DESCRIBING VIVIDLY (on a big monitor right in her face) his supposed murder of her child, she was GRINNING with her cagey eyes fluttering open/closed, looking away & totally avoiding meeting the interviewer's on a recent 20/20 repeat. I got the CHILLS!

I have since read and agree with your post completely. That impression has stuck with me and I knew she'd done it right then.

And of course, there was no conviction of this other "killer" or anyone else. I believed the ex-husband when he said she would do it just because she couldn't have him (Joel). He had no doubts whatsoever.
I would also like the state to make sure and test that hair and show the results even now, even though she cannot be re-tried. It is hers. I'd put money on it.

I believe this all began because of the author writing the book on the serial killer.

And now there is NO justice for Joel and likely will never be.

 

[HesterMofet]

When I saw her listening to Sells DESCRIBING VIVIDLY (on a big monitor right in her face) his supposed murder of her child, she was GRINNING with her cagey eyes fluttering open/closed, looking away & totally avoiding meeting the interviewer's on a recent 20/20 repeat. I got the CHILLS!

I have since read and agree with your post completely. That impression has stuck with me and I knew she'd done it right then.

And of course, there was no conviction of this other "killer" or anyone else. I believed the ex-husband when he said she would do it just because she couldn't have him (Joel). He had no doubts whatsoever.
I would also like the state to make sure and test that hair and show the results even now, even though she cannot be re-tried. It is hers. I'd put money on it.

I believe this all began because of the author writing the book on the serial killer.

And now there is NO justice for Joel and likely will never be.

I believe it was because Tommy Lyn Sells told Diane Fanning and she felt the obligation to tell authorities and they investigated. I don't think she was self-serving in this at all.