GUILTY FL - Steven & Michelle Andrews, both 28, murdered, Fort Myers, 27 Dec 2005

[RiverRat]

Valid question but not one that the defense should have to give the answer to, the LCSO should have looked longer than ten hours. This was a rush to judgment and if you read their sworn statements to the Judge, you will see that they lied as much if not more than Fred did. I can list them if you don't already know them.

As to if not Fred then who, try finding a match for the blood on the rag. Find out if the man Michelle had sex with a few years back,(in a car and while married to Steven) matches that blood. Maybe he is angry about the abortion. See if Kellie's friend who is also a white male, six feet tall, facial hair, and owns a camo jacket, and was in town that day, matches that blood on the rag. He did say he would do anything for her, and he had friends who loved to beat people up. He also posted on his MySpace page, as a signature under his avatar, this sentence.
Sometimes you just gotta choke a *itch. Also, one year to the day Fred Cooper was arrested, another friend posted a public message on his page that said: Have I told you lately I'm gonna pistol whip you?

Kellie and Steven were both spending money like crazy, money they didn't have, yet. They were talking about raising their children together as if Michelle and Cooper were not going to be in the picture. The detectives should have at least checked that line of thinking. Was Michelle suppose to be the only one killed? Was Cooper to be the one to pay for Michelle's murder? Kellie and Steven would be free, no child support to pay, insurance money in hand, but maybe something went wrong.

These murders were terrible. Both families have gone through so much and they deserve to know the real person or persons who did this will pay. If Cooper did do it, then he should pay, but if he didn't, I hope they find the right killer.

I am quite sure that all of the scenerios that you choose to use were investigated and deemed not to be related to these murders.

 

[stillwaiting]

I am quite sure that all of the scenerios that you choose to use were investigated and deemed not to be related to these murders.

You would be wrong on that because once they tested the blood on the pink rag, and it didn't match Cooper, they never checked the Y STR. Remember, they didn't recover anything but Y from the top/under the fingernail. They are fond of saying under the nail because it makes it sound bad, but it could have been anywhere on the nail. They were bunched and mailed together. Y STR is not a positive ID, it is a last ditch effort.

Remember also that they had unknown DNA and unknown fingerprints at the scene. That would have been hard work to track, so they just shelved them. This was not investigated. IMO

 

[RiverRat]

You would be wrong on that because once they tested the blood on the pink rag, and it didn't match Cooper, they never checked the Y STR. Remember, they didn't recover anything but Y from the top/under the fingernail. They are fond of saying under the nail because it makes it sound bad, but it could have been anywhere on the nail. They were bunched and mailed together. Y STR is not a positive ID, it is a last ditch effort.

Remember also that they had unknown DNA and unknown fingerprints at the scene. That would have been hard work to track, so they just shelved them. This was not investigated. IMO

Sounds just like you are accusing the Twentieth Curcuit Judicial system of framing an innocent man!

 

[BeavisMom62]

Wow, its taken me two days to read this whole thread. Compelling to say the least. My gut tells me that Fred did it, but there is so much DNA at the crime scene that isn't ID'd. Not good.

 

[fran]

Wow! It's taken me two days to read this entire thread and available links too! Compelling case.

IMO, IF I were on the jury, I wouldn't believe ONE WORD from Fred. He's already proven he's a liar. Once someone is proven to be a liar, the jury can then thow out anything else the person says that is exculpatory.

Fred said he didn't know the vicitms and had never been to their house. Then after LE tells him there's DNA at the scene, he ehhh......admits he'd had sex with Michelle in her car............YET,.........there's no {proof} he'd ever been in her car......

Sorry, he's a LIAR!!

Fred tells LE his jacket is at his home and while they've gone to retrieve it, he's dousing the jacket in solvent and cutting out the liner.

Yeah! He's REAL cooperative. NOT.

Let's hope the DA get's their act together and doesn't mess up this next trial. These vicitms deserve justice. The RIGHT person needs to be convicted. I'm not sure Fred is not the right person. Sure seems like he's the perp to me.

JMHO
fran

 

[stillwaiting]

Wow! It's taken me two days to read this entire thread and available links too! Compelling case.

IMO, IF I were on the jury, I wouldn't believe ONE WORD from Fred. He's already proven he's a liar. Once someone is proven to be a liar, the jury can then thow out anything else the person says that is exculpatory. So you are saying throw out everthing the detectives said too? They lied more than Fred did, and their lies were on sworn statements to a Judge.
Fred said he didn't know the victims and had never been to their house.
That is not true, listen to the tapes......Fred said of course he knew the victims, he said Steven told him to look in Gateway for a house when Fred and Kellie were shopping for a new place. It is all on that first tape of Fred's interview........the detectives lied to the Judge....listen to it for yourself.

Then after LE tells him there's DNA at the scene, he ehhh......admits he'd had sex with Michelle in her car............YET,.........there's no {proof} he'd ever been in her car......Look at what the detectives say.........there is no proof ANYONE had been in that car, and you know that's not the case. The detectives were not trying to find anything that backed Cooper's story. That's why they didn't test the bedsheets, the blood on the rag, the fingerprints..........read the evidence, and you will see this is a rush to judgment.....to help the new sheriff who promised a quick end to this.

Sorry, he's a LIAR!! He lied to give Kellie an alibi.........big mistake.

Fred tells LE his jacket is at his home and while they've gone to retrieve it, he's dousing the jacket in solvent and cutting out the liner. I agree with you on this point. It looks bad and I am not sure what the facts are. I do know that when Kellie went to the LCSO two hours after she found out, (if that's when she found out), she tells the detectives that Cooper has a jacket with a liner in it. I think she knew something about the liner. I think she even knew where the jacket was.........Cooper didn't. I think there is a LOT more to the Kellie Ballew connection than has been shown. Just my opinion. I know that Cooper cleaning his jacket looks terrible.........but I know the HE knew an ex-con is looked at as THE ONE, and he saw the stains on the jacket. He tried to get them out, and they DID NOT COME OUT. The detective tells him, you can't deny the blood. Well it wasn't blood and even where the jacket had been stored, in his trunk, did not test positive for blood.
Cooper thought the jacket was at home, Kellie put it in the trunk of his cycle. IMO
Yeah! He's REAL cooperative. NOT.

Let's hope the DA get's their act together and doesn't mess up this next trial. These victims deserve justice. The RIGHT person needs to be convicted. I'm not sure Fred is not the right person. Sure seems like he's the perp to me. Yep, you are correct on the above. The defense needs to get their act together too. But when you can't afford a real lawyer, a Public Defender has to do. Sad but true.JMHO
fran

I hope you read the NBC evidence file to see the facts.

 

[Straitfan]

Ok fran, get real . Are most attorney's worth their weight !?!? Whether public defender or not? (No offense intended at all as se atty's out there that do stand for the TRUTH!
Just curious.. are you the same "fran" that was convicting people in the "Holloway" case?
Asking due to not sure, that case started awhile back.

 

[stillwaiting]

Just in case anyone is still interested in this case, the retrial starts Feb. 17th. The State recently decided to test a lot of the things from the bedroom they did not test before. They had DNA tests run on the sheets, pillow cases, pillows, and such. They were very disappointed that Fred Cooper's DNA was not found on anything. WinkTV interviewed one of the former jurors, and she believes this weakens the case. She voted guilty before, but it sure doesn't sound like she would again. She also said that the Judge asked them at the end, after the mistrial was called, what would it have taken for them to have come to a guilty verdict. This Judge has been against the defense since day one. He does not seem fair to me. If anyone wants a link to the article, I will find it. Just giving you an update.

 

[RiverRat]

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs...090217&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=90217016&Ref=AR

"Watch live video from St. Petersburg of the trial of Fred Cooper, charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed burglary in the December 2005 killings of Steven and Michelle Andrews in the Gateway community in east Lee County."

http://www.winknews.com/news/local/39709807.html

9:50 a.m.:

Seventy potential jurors have been sworn in and are now listening to Judge Reese's explanations and instructions for serving on a jury.

Thirty-seven women and 33 men make up the jury pool. All are Pinellas County residents. Twelve will be selected as jurors. Two more will be selected as alternates in case someone is dismissed.

Judge Reese explained to jurors that the State vs. Fred DeWitt Cooper is a Lee County case that has been moved here to Pinellas County because of "intense" pre-trial and trial publicity.

 

[stillwaiting]

[

Seventy potential jurors have been sworn in and are now listening to Judge Reese's explanations and instructions for serving on a jury.

I guess you saw the rest of the mess today. Those 70 plus about 30 more were dismissed. There was a screw up and some jurors stopped the elevator on the wrong floor, door opens and there is Fred Cooper in cuffs. So the Judge sent everyone away, and they are going away too. They are going to Clearwater tomorrow, a few miles north, to try and find a jury. Is there a message in this muck up?

 

[RiverRat]

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs...090303&Kategori=CRIME&Lopenr=303040001&Ref=AR

"7:34 p.m. update
The jury has found Fred Dewitt Cooper Jr. of Bonita Springs guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed burglary in the December 2005 killings of Steven and Michelle Andrews.

7:49 p.m. update
Fred Cooper looked down at the defense table and took a large gulp as the verdict was read.

The victims' family members held hands and cried, even hugging state attorney's office workers after the verdict was read."

 

[RiverRat]

http://www.winknews.com/news/top/39709807.html

THE JURY FINDS FRED COOPER GUILTY

7:30 p.m.:

The jury finds Fred Cooper guilty of first-degree murder for the 2005 deaths of Steven and Michelle Andrews.

Cooper will be sentenced on Thursday.

Fred Cooper hung his head at the verdict. He kept his hands in his pockets while standing to face the formal charges. Baliffs are now surrounding him. He will be taken, in handcuffs, back to jail tonight. First, he is fingerprinted in the courtroom.

 

[Sporky]

Finally. It's about time! :dance:

 

[RiverRat]

Finally. It's about time! :dance:

You made it in just in time for the penalty phase!

http://news-press.com/article/20090305/CRIME/303060002

Live Video link here:

http://news-press.com/article/20090305/CRIME/303060001/1075&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

 

[RiverRat]

http://news-press.com/article/20090306/CRIME/903060400/1075&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

"ST. PETERSBURG - The same Pinellas County jury that branded Fred Cooper a killer Tuesday showed him mercy Thursday.

The eight men and four women recommended the man they convicted of two murders live his life in prison rather than die by lethal injection. According to juror Jayne Flood, the vote for life in prison was 8-4.

On March 16, Lee Circuit Judge Thomas Reese will take the jury's recommendation into account and make the final decision about Cooper's fate at a hearing at the Lee County Justice Center. Reese likely will follow the jury's lead."

RR Over and Out on this Case - and can finally say - I Told Ya So!

 

[songline]

I wonder if the killer actually dialed 911 and handed the phone to the child before leaving?

I just found this thread and my thinking is just like yours.
I did not read all the pages, but maybe the murder was done by a friend or family that wanted the baby to be saved.

 

[RiverRat]

I just found this thread and my thinking is just like yours.
I did not read all the pages, but maybe the murder was done by a friend or family that wanted the baby to be saved.

The Killer was recently convicted and was not a member of the family and most certainly not a friend.

 

[songline]

The Killer was recently convicted and was not a member of the family and most certainly not a friend.

Thank you River Rat. One less animal lose in our population.

Did they ever find out who dialed 911?
Or am i asking too much?

 

[Otise]

It's about time he was convicted. MONSTER!

 

[RiverRat]

Thank you River Rat. One less animal lose in our population.

Did they ever find out who dialed 911?
Or am i asking too much?

I wish that I had an answer for you, but I don't think that I have heard if that part of the mystery was solved - or if it ever will be. Personally, I think that Fred returned and let his fingers do the dialing, but that's just my gut feel and nothing more.