For the week of Monday, June 12th thru Friday, June 16th:
Monday, June 12th:
*Sentencing Hearing (
Federal) (@ am PT) - CA –
Roman Anthony Lopez (11) (last seen Saturday morning Jan. 11, 2020, found later in evening dead in a storage bin in the basement, Placerville) – death is being investigated as suspicious.
*Jordan Thomas Piper (35/now 37) “father” arrested (2/3/21),
charged (2/4/21) & arraigned (2/9/21) with 1 count of child abuse likely to cause injury or death & causing cruel & extreme pain for revenge, extortion or sadistic purpose, 1 count of torture & 1 count with willfully failing to provide food, shelter & medical attention to the child. Plead not guilty. $1.05M bond.
Additional
charge (10/29/21) & arraigned (11/19/21) of murder. Plead not guilty.
Info on crime, where children are & court info from 2/4/21 to 11/89/22 reference post #69 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-11-jan-2020-arrests-2-guilty-2.629673/page-4
1/20/23 Update: Next pre-preliminary hearing on 3/17/23. 3/17/23 Update: Next preliminary examination hearing on 3/28/23 @ 8:30am & will continue on 3/29 & 3/30/23. 3/30/23 Update: Preliminary hearing was vacated. Next pre-preliminary hearing on 6/16/23 & preliminary hearings on 6/27 & 6/28/23.
*Lindsay Marie Piper (38/now 41) “stepmother” - Plead no contest (5/16/22) to 2nd degree murder. Sentenced on 7/8/22 to 15 years to life with the possibility of parole. Her guilty plea (deal) will dismiss these charges: child abuse, poisoning & torture.
*Federal Criminal complaint filed (6/21/22) &
charged (6/23/22) of sexual exploitation of a child/
. U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes/Judge Kendall
Newman
Jordan Piper is accused of secretly recording videos of a girl using the bathroom & bathing at his home in the months before Roman disappeared in Placerville, according to a filed FBI affidavit. His criminal case in El Dorado County stemming from his son’s death is still pending.
Court info from 6/21/22 to 11/17/22 reference post #69 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-11-jan-2020-arrests-2-guilty-2.629673/page-4
1/19/23 Update: The preliminary exam hearing was continued to 3/16/23 at 2pm before Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes.
3/20/23 Update: Piper has plead guilty to sexually exploiting a girl at his home in the months before the boy disappeared in Placerville. Piper on Monday was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child in alleged acts that occurred Oct. 3, 2019, through Jan. 9, 2020, in Tuolumne & El Dorado counties, according to an amended criminal complaint filed March 7 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb explained to Piper that pleading guilty would result in a minimum sentence of 15 years up to a maximum 30-year prison sentence. Piper told the judge he understood the consequences of the plea agreement he made with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Shubb scheduled Piper to return to his courtroom 6/12/23 for sentencing. Piper then would be returned to El Dorado County, where he continues to await prosecution in his son’s death.
*Trial set to begin (@ 1pm CT) - IN –
Javon Blackwell (42), his sons
Javon, Jr. (12) &
Jayzon (11) (Dec. 30, 2018, Marion) –
*Brittany Diann Drake (29/now 33) arrested &
charged (1/28/19) with conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the 1 death. Plead not guilty. $30K Surety bond. Out on bond (1/28/19).
Trial set to begin on 6/12/23.
Court info from 9/16/20 thru 2/13/23 reference post #485 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...hot-marion-30-dec-2018-arrests.414840/page-25
2/16/23 Update: Jury trial originally scheduled on 2/13/23 was rescheduled on 6/12/23 @ 1pm. Reason: Court's own motion. Next pretrial conference hearing on 5/11/23 @ 8:30am & jury trial set to begin on 6/12/23.
5/11/23 Update: Next trial set to begin on 6/12/23.
Accomplices:
*Demetrius Jemere Jackson (25/now 29) – Blackwell - Found guilty on 5 of 6 charges & sentenced on 7/29/21 to 120 years in prison.
*Lemere Joseph Jones (29/now 33) – Blackwell - had bench trial on 3/10/20-found guilty & sentenced on 4/3/20 to 200 years in prison.
*Trial set to begin (@ 10:30am CT) – TX –
Antonio & Dawn Armstrong (both 42) (July 29, 2016, Houston) – *Antonio “A.J.” Armstrong, Jr. (16 @ time of crime/17/now 23) arrested (7/29/16),
charged (8/1/16) & arraigned (7/26/17) with capital murder. Plead not guilty. $200K bond. Out on bond 4/12/17.
First trial: after ~20 hours of deliberations verdict was 8 Guilty & 4 Not guilty. Judge declares mistrial.
2nd Re-trial After ~18 hours of deliberations verdict was 4 for Guilty & 8 not guilty. Judge Kelli Johnson declared (another) mistrial.
3rd Re-trial began on 5/2/23 with jury selection & ended 5/19/23 with total of 48 potential jurors back on 5/31/23 for final jury selection.
12 jurors & 4 alternates were selected. (6 women (4 white & 2 Hispanic women) & 10 men (4 Hispanic, 2 Black, 2 white & 2 Asian men). Four of these jurors are alternates, but those 4 are not being told that until it’s time to deliberate.
There are two Marines, engineers in the oil & gas industry, a retired teacher, a Space Center Houston worker & therapists who work or have worked with mental health patients. The jurors range in age from a 26-year-old man to a 65-year-old grandmother.
Trial was set begin on 6/5/23 continued on 6/12/23. Judge Kelli Johnson presiding. Prosecutors John Jordan, Ryan Trask & Sarah Seely. Defense attorneys Rick Detoto, Jennifer Carpenter & Chris Collings.
Court info from 12/11/19 thru 10/26/22 (2nd trial) thru 5/1/23, Jury Selection Day 1-15 (5/1-5/31/23) & 6/1/23 reference post #435 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-22
6/5/23 Monday: Armstrong Jr.’s retrial has been reset for another week, until Monday, June 12, for an “issue outside of the court’s control,” according to Judge Kelli Johnson. The nature of the issue was not immediately released.
During opening arguments, prosecutors and the defense will each get 45 minutes to set up their cases.
The evidence that will be allowed in trial three includes:
Text messages between Armstrong & his parents, Armstrong & his mom, & Armstrong & his then-girlfriend, who is now his wife. Armstrong's statement to police. Armstrong's cell phone data extraction, such as screen & cell. Autopsy photos. The medical records of Josh Armstrong, AJ's older half brother.
For more info see posts #438 & 439 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-22
Trial begins on Monday, 6/12/23.
Thursday, June 15th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 9am CT) – AL –
J.B. Hilton Green Beasley (17) &
Tracie Jean Hawlett (17) (reported missing July 31, 1999, Ozark & found August 2, 1999 in trunk of car) - *Coley Lewis McCraney (25 @ time of crime/45/now 49) arrested (3/15/19),
charged (3/16/19) & indicted (6/6/19) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of 1st degree murder while in the act of murdering two or more persons & 1 count of 1st degree rape (Beasley). Plead not guilty. Held without bond. Denied bond request 11/15/22. DA will seek DP.
Parabon Nanolabs GEDMatch DNA.
Trial began on 4/17/23 with jury selection & ended on 4/18/23. 12 jurors & 2 alternates. (7 men & 7 women/2 men alternates). Juror dismissed (4/20/23). Now 12 jurors & 1 alternate (6 men & 6 women/1 man alternate). Jury started deliberations on 4/25/23 & ended on 4/26/23 with a total deliberations: 7 hours. Guilty of all charges. Sentencing phase (4/26-4/27/23): took 15 minutes for verdict of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Trial began with opening statements began on 4/19/23. State rested their case on 4/21/23. Defense rested their case on 4/25/23.
Court information from 4/3/19 thru 4/13/23 & Jury Selection Day 1-2 (4/17-4/18/23) & Trial Day 1-6 (4/19-4/26/23) & Jury Deliberations Day 1-2 (4/25-4/26/23) reference post #895 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...17-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/27/23 Thursday, Trial Day 7/Sentencing Phase Day 2: Attorney General Steve Marshall & Defense attorney Andrew Scarborough addressed the jury. Impact Statements: Carol Roberts, Tracie’s mother. Cheryl Burgoon, JB’s mother. James Fuller, cousin of McCraney. Sharla Godwin, friend of the McCraney family. Chancy Smith, friend of the McCraney family. Randy Saffold, friend of McCraney. Sidney Miller, neighbor of McCraney. Pamela Williams, McCraney’s aunt. Boyd Fuller, McCraney’s cousin. Harvey McCloud, supervisor at Dale County Jail. Mitchell Barnhill, jailer at Dale County Jail. Cody Kelly, former inmate with McCraney. Jeanette McCraney, McCraney’s wife. Alicia McCraney, McCraney’s daughter.
Closing arguments by both sides.
After 15 minutes of deliberations, jurors came back with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing hearing 6/15/23.
for more info see posts #859 & 860 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ed-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/28/23 Update: Defense attorneys allege possible juror misconduct during McCraney’s murder trial that ended on Thursday. “We believe there were some jurors that may or may not have been posting on social media during deliberations & maybe during the trial,” David Harrison told reporters. He & Counsel Andrew Scarborough said they are investigating further & will include the allegations in their motion for a new trial. They provided no additional information including the content of posts. Harrison & Scarborough plan to file for a new trial in a few weeks & if the judge denies that motion, they will take the case to state appeals courts.
5/24/23 Update: Motion for a new trial filed by defense attorneys Andrew J. Scarborough & David J. Harrison. There is a list of exhibits filed. It mostly consisted of screenshots from social media allegedly made by a juror or jurors during the trial. The Court has set a hearing date of 7/17/23 for a hearing on these motions. His sentencing date is 6/15/23.
Friday, June 16th:
*Change of Plea Hearing (@ 8:30am CT) –IL -
Sheila von Wiese-Mack (62) (killed in Bali on 8/12/14 by daughter & her bf Tommy Schaefer at the St. Regis Bali Resort Hotel in Bali, Indonesia) - *Heather Mack (19 @ time of crime/26/now 27)
Federal indictment (2017),
charged & arrested (11/3/21) & arraigned (11/3/21) with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to commit foreign murder of a U.S. national & obstruction of justice. Plead not guilty (11/3/21). Held without bond. Denied bond on 12/8/22.
Bench trial began on 9/6/22 for custody of Stella & ended on 11/18/22 with Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller ordering temporary care of Stella to Lisa Hellman, whose mother is/was sister of Sheila.
Federal Trial set to begin on 8/1/23 is now tentatively scheduled due to a change of plea hearing pending. Defense attorney Michael Leonard.
Info on Mack’s previous crime & case info from 11/12/21 thru 6/29/22 & Bench Trial Day 1-25 (9/6/22 to 10/7/22) & thru 5/10/23 reference post #647 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-aug-2014-fnd-guilty-in-bali-6.593581/page-33
5/27/23 Update: Next telephone conference hearing on 6/1/23 @ 8:45am.
6/1/23 Update: In a brief telephone status hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Thursday, prosecutors said that they had made “significant progress” in plea negotiations, though the language of the deal was still being finalized. Mack plans to plead guilty, her attorney said. The details of any plea agreement or potential penalties under discussion by Mack & U.S. prosecutors remain unclear. Her attorney, Michael Leonard, said Mack's defense has been in negotiations with federal prosecutors “over the last several weeks” ahead of her trial set to begin 8/1/23. “We anticipate that the parties will be in a position to enter a written plea agreement & proceed with a change of plea hearing on 6/15/23,” Leonard said. Prosecutors also told a judge Thursday they expect Mack will plead guilty but the parties were still negotiating. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly set a change of plea hearing for 6/15/23 & scrapped all deadlines for pretrial motions. The judge did keep the 8/1/23 trial date intact, however, in case the deal falls through.
6/9/23 Update: Change of plea hearing has been rescheduled on 6/16/23 @ 8:30am.
