CA - Two women & 3 children found murdered, Bakersfield, 6 July 2003

[ShowerSinger]

Bakersfield, CA
Finally, an arrest in the murders of 5. So sad.

 

[ShowerSinger]

Whoever did this, certainly deserves it!
(New to computing, don't know how to paste links! Sorry.)

 

[LovelyPigeon]

Vice principal arrested in slayings of Bakersfield family of five
By Brian Skoloff
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:15 a.m. May 1, 2004
BAKERSFIELD – Vincent Brothers, an elementary school vice principal long suspected of involvement in the deaths of his wife, her three children and his mother-in-law last July, pleaded innocent Friday to five counts of murder.--->>

Brothers was the only suspect police named last year after the brutal shooting and stabbing deaths of his family – a crime police called the most gruesome they had ever seen in the city 100 miles north of Los Angeles. He was under constant surveillance for weeks after the attacks.

His attorney, Kevin Little, said Friday that Brothers was out of state when the killings occurred. "We contend he was not present and after a full and fair trial, he will be exonerated," Little said outside court after Brothers' arraignment. He would not comment further.

The victims – Brothers' mother-in-law, Earnestine Harper, 70; his estranged 39-year-old wife, Joanie Harper; and their children, Marques, 4, Lyndsey, 2, and Marshall, 6 weeks – were found shot and stabbed in their home. --->>

Brothers had said he was in Columbus, Ohio visiting his brother, then traveled to visit his mother in Elizabeth City, N.C., during the time of the slayings. But police say a witness spotted Brothers at the scene of the crime on the last day the victims were seen alive.

"We have evidence that Mr. Brothers was in Bakersfield around the time of the killings," Jagels said. "He went to Ohio and came back to Bakersfield by car."

According to the criminal complaint, authorities allege Vincent Brothers flew to Ohio, then rented a car and drove back to Bakersfield to commit the murders. The odometer showed that more than 5,400 miles had been put on the car after he rented it.

The police complaint also alleges that his brother, Melvin, used the defendant's credit card and forged his signature in Ohio at the time of the murders, apparently to set up a false alibi. --->>

http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2121079,00.html

 

[mysteriew]

A former elementary school vice principal and respected mentor charged in the vicious killings of his wife, three children and his mother-in-law is due in court Wednesday for the start of his preliminary hearing in the capital case.

Vincent Brothers has pleaded not guilty and claims he was out of the state visiting relatives at the time of the murders.

The victims - Brothers' mother-in-law, Earnestine Harper, 70; his estranged wife Joanie Harper, 39; and their children, Marques, 4, Lyndsey, 2, and Marshall, 6 weeks - were found shot and stabbed in their home on July 8, 2003.

Brothers was arrested nine months later and charged with five counts of murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last about a week. A Kern County Superior Court judge will then decide if there is enough evidence to take the case to trial.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/11774871.htm

 

[1986]

ahhh...another case of a man who thinks he's above the law. Wouldn't a divorce have been so much easier and so less messy?

 

[mysteriew]

A witness testified Thursday that he saw Vincent Brothers near the house where he is alleged to have killed five family members around the time of the homicides.

But the witness only told investigators about what he saw several months following the killings -- when he was in jail on criminal charges. And, he admitted, he was hoping providing information on the case would be a 'get out of jail free' card.
This testimony came on the second day of Brothers' preliminary hearing. He is charged with five counts of murder.

Jasper Robinson said he heard gunshots while sitting on his porch drinking beer with his brothers on July 6, 2003, and later saw Vincent Brothers behind the house where Brothers' slain family members were found.

http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/5571614p-5543408c.html

 

[mysteriew]

The arraignment of a former Bakersfield school official suspected of killing five family members was postponed for a third time. Vincent Brothers' defense attorney, Kevin Little, made the request Monday for another delay through co-counsel Anthony Bryan because is sick. The arraignment was delayed twice last month because of a family emergency for Little. Judge Michael Bush granted the delay Tuesday but said this would be the last one. A new arraignment date was set for Aug. 18.
http://www.bakersfieldonline.us/news/read/2/40768

 

[mysteriew]

There has been a change in attorneys in the multiple murder case against Vincent Brothers.

Judge Michael Bush kicked defense attorney Kevin Little off the case after he petitioned for another year-and-a-half to prepare for the case.

It’s a case that has already been delayed twice in recent weeks due to family emergencies and because Little said he’s been sick.

Co-defense attorney Anthony Bryan will take the lead for the defense in the case.
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=CB6685A9-AE0F-424C-8184-E988ADE59D07

 

[mysteriew]

Saying the case already had been in court for 15 months and could go to trial by early next year, the judge dismissed Little. Bush said he would be replaced by an attorney furnished by the county.

Brothers pleaded not guilty when he was initially charged, saying he was out of state visiting family when the slayings took place.

But the judge decided after Brothers' preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to hold him for trial, so Brothers must be arraigned again and enter a new plea. He is scheduled to be back in court on Aug. 26.
http://www.bakersfieldonline.us/news/read/2/42970

 

[mysteriew]

A judge removed Vincent Brothers’ lead attorney today because the attorney said he needed at least 18 more months to prepare for the trial.

Brothers’ attorney, Kevin Little, told the judge that if he couldn’t have at least 18 months, he wanted to be taken off the case.

He said he needed the time because he was sick and because the case required a lot of preparation.

Judge Michael Bush said an attorney should be able to prepare the case in about six months and said he would find an attorney to replace Little.

The case will return to court Aug. 26 to set a trial date.
http://www.bakersfield.com/bnw/story/5594407p-5570123c.html

 

[mysteriew]

By all standards the case against Vincent Brothers seems to be going slowly.

Earnestine Harper's son Eddie Harper Sr. said the delay doesn't worry him.

"It doesn't bother us," Harper Sr. said. "We're very patient. We know God is in control."

He and his family get regular updates on the case from the prosecutor's office.

"If he's acquitted he's acquitted, if he's guilty he's guilty," Harper Sr. said. "We know God has already judged. To us this is law and procedure, and that is important to us. But we know God has already judged."

The prosecution has been trying to hustle along the Brothers case for several months to the chagrin of his defense attorneys.

Brothers' former attorney Kevin Little has repeatedly reminded the judge in the case that the prosecution had a 10-month head start in its investigations.

Brothers is entitled to a speedy trial -- that means the trial should happen within 60 days after his second arraignment.

But he repeatedly waived his right to a speedy trial before the preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing normally happens 10 days after the first arraignment.

The prosecution and defense were not able to comment for this story because they are under a gag order.
http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/5597137p-5573796c.html

 

[CatMama3]

Update I found on CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/19/principal.trial.ap/index.html

 

[AlwaysShocked]

What gets me is how absolutely stupid these murderers are! Even the educated ones, like this one was.

Did he not think anyone would notice that he put 5,400 miles onto a rental car?

 

[chicoliving]

Prosecutors, however, say he killed his estranged wife, Joanie Harper, their three young children and his 70-year-old mother-in-law, who were found shot and stabbed to death in their home on July 8, 2003.

Brothers, the sole suspect in the vicious slayings, was arrested nine months later and charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday in a trial in which the 44-year-old former school administrator could face the death penalty if convicted.

Brothers has pleaded not guilty, saying he was out of town at the time of the slayings. But prosecutors say he staged that trip, a last-minute visit to a brother in Ohio, to create an elaborate alibi.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252839,00.html?sPage=fnc.national/crime

Good to see he's finally going to trial. Hmmm staged last minute trip....sounds so familiar in some of these cases.

 

[curious1]

What gets me is that his brother is alleged to have used his credit card and forged his name in ohio to provide him with an alibi. I mean, how does that happen what do you say. Uh, see I'm gonna rent a car and I'm gonna drive back and murder my wife and your nieces and nephew so you have to provide me with an alibi? What kind of frelled up family is that?

 

[Bobbisangel]

What gets me is that his brother is alleged to have used his credit card and forged his name in ohio to provide him with an alibi. I mean, how does that happen what do you say. Uh, see I'm gonna rent a car and I'm gonna drive back and murder my wife and your nieces and nephew so you have to provide me with an alibi? What kind of frelled up family is that?

Sounds like this guy was a whole different story when he was at home with his wives and children. I hope that the two previous wives are going to testify.

I wonder if the wife had her mom staying with her because she was afraid of her husband. That is what it sounds like to me. Maybe she thought he wouldn't come over and cause problems if his mother-in-law was there.

The brother should have to face charges too. He had to know that his brother was up to no good if he needed an alibi for that time period. Makes me wonder what kind of a man the brother is.

This guy deserves the death penalty. It doesn't matter what kind of a man he was at school or in the community. He slaughtered three babies and two women. He just thought he was smarter then LE in thinking that he could get away with the murders. Glad he rented a car where the mileage is written down when you rent the car and checked when you return it. He must have forgotten about that. Thank God.

 

[curious1]

I agree with you bobbiesangel....I don't care how great he was to the community he wasn't so great to his own family.

 

[chicoliving]

A Kern County jury concluded Tuesday that a former elementary school vice principal deserved to die for murdering his estranged wife, three young children and mother-in-law.

After deliberating for less than two days, the jury recommended the death penalty for Vincent Brothers in the July 2003 killings of wife Joanie Harper, 39; mother-in-law Earnestine Harper, 70; and the couple children, Marques, 4, Lyndsey, 2, and Marshall, 6 weeks old, a court clerk said.

http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-viceprincipalmurders,0,5362729.story?coll=ktla-newsspecial3-1

 

[MagicRose99]

It's sad... with the CA death penalty executions on hold right now, even if he gets the death penalty, he may never be executed.

 

[txsvicki]

It's scary to think that this psychopath was disciplining children at school and probably causing harm even though he appeared to be upstanding. What a monster.