TUESDAY, JANUARY 6TH, 2009

DOUBLE MURDER INVESTIGATION

HUNTINGDON COUNTY CORONER RON MORDER THINKS 22 YEAR OLD CHRISTINE MCWORTER AND HER 31-YEAR OLD AUNT, BEATRICE DANIELS, WERE SHOT AND KILLED WHILE THEY SLEPT EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE WOMEN’S BODIES WERE FOUND AT NOON SATURDAY INSIDE THEIR SHIRLEY TOWNSHIP APARTMENT. MCWHORTER’S 2 CHILDREN…AGES 4 YEARS AND 4 MONTHS, WERE IN THE APARTMENT AT THE TIME. NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS SAY THE WOMEN WERE FROM PHILADELPHIA AND MOVED TO HUNTINGDON COUNTY TO GET AWAY FROM CITY VIOLENCE. POLICE HAVE NO SUSPECTS.

KILLER ENTERS PLEA

THE DAY BEFORE JURY SELECTION WAS TO BEGIN FOR HIS
CAMBRIA COUNTY MURDER TRIAL, ANTONIO WINKLEMAN OF JOHNSTOWN PLEADED GUILTY TO 3RD DEGREE MURDER FOR THE SHOOTING DEATH OF SCOTT ICKES OF ELTON IN DECEMBER OF 2007. WINKLEMAN AGREED TO SERVE BETWEEN 15 AND 30 YEARS IN JAIL. HE IS ALREADY DOING 6 TO 13 YEARS FOR AN UNRELATED GUN POSSESSION CHARGE. WINKLEMAN AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, HEATHER HEAD, LED POLICE ON A MANHUNT FOR DAYS BEFORE SHE WAS ARRESTED IN STATE COLLEGE AND HE WAS PICKED UP IN ALTOONA. WINKLEMAN IS SCHEDULED TO BE FORMALLY SENTENCED WITHIN THE NEXT 90 DAYS.

APPEALING ANOTHER MURDER TRIAL

THE STATE SUPERIOR COURT HAS GRANTED ANDREW CALLAHAN A 3RD TRIAL FOR THE 1997 MURDER OF MICAH POLLOCK, BUT NOW CLEARFIELD COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY WILLIAM SHAW IS APPEALING TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT. CALLAHAN WAS FIRST CONVICTED IN 1998, BUT IT WAS OVERTURNED IN 2006. A SECOND JURY FOUND HIM GUILTY IN 2007, BUT LAST MONTH THE SUPERIOR COURT SAID THERE WAS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO GIVE CALLAHAN ANOTHER TRIAL. SHAW SAYS IT COULD BE MONTHS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT MAKES ITS DECISION.

BAIL SET IN PENN STATE MURDER

CENTRE COUNTY JUDGE BRAD LUNSFORD SET BAIL FOR ANDREW ROGERS AT 500-THOUSAND DOLLARS YESTERDAY, BUT ROGERS’ ATTORNEY SAYS IT’S UNLIKELY HE CAN GET OUT OF PRISON BEFORE HIS SECOND TRIAL FOR THE 2006 BEATING DEATH OF PENN STATE STUDENT YOUNG CHEOL PARK IN STATE COLLEGE. ROGERS CLAIMS HE ACTED IN SELF DEFENSE AFTER PARK AND A MAN KNOWN ONLY AS “SWEET” ATTACKED HIM. THE JUDGE OVERTURNED THE GUILTY VERDICT, RULING THAT PROSECUTORS WITHHELD EVIDENCE FROM THE DEFENSE THAT MAY HAVE PROVED “SWEET’S” EXISTENCE. THE JUDGE IS ALSO ALLOWING THE DEFENSE TO SPEND 4-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HIRE A NEW FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST. ROGERS WILL LIKELY STAND TRIAL AGAIN THIS SUMMER.

PLEA BARGAIN REJECTED

RATHER THAN ACCEPT A PLEA BARGAIN, NORRIS COLLINS JUNIOR OF JOHNSTOWN HAS DECIDED TO GO TO TRIAL FOR THE APRIL 2008 SHOOTING DEATH OF CORTEZ JORDAN OUTSIDE THE SOLOMON HOMES. PROSECUTORS HAD OFFERED COLLINS A 3RD DEGREE MURDER DEAL IN EXCHANGE FOR A MANDATORY SENTENCE OF 20 TO 40 YEARS IN JAIL. COLLINS CLAIMS HE ONLY SHOT JORDAN TO PROTECT HIMSELF. JURY SELECTION IS SET TO BEGIN FEBRUARY 9TH. IF CONVICTED, COLLINS COULD GET LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE.

DEADLY HOLIDAY

7 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN CRASHES INVESTIGATED BY STATE POLICE OVER THE 5-DAY NEW YEAR’S TRAVEL PERIOD. COMMISSIONER FRANK PALOWSKI SAYS 4 OF THE FATALITIES WERE ALCOHOL-RELATED. 278 PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN 984 WRECKS. 5 OF THOSE KILLED WERE NOT WEARING SEATBELTS AND 97 OF THE CRASHES INVOLVED DRUNK DRIVING. TROOPERS ISSUED OVER 45-HUNDRED SPEEDING TICKETS AND ARRESTED 312 PEOPLE FOR D-U-I.

DRUG DEALER SENTENCED

BLAIR COUNTY JUDGE TIM SULLIVAN SENTENCED ISAEL RAMOS OF NORTH CAROLINA YESTERDAY TO 14 TO 28 YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR SUPPLYING COCAINE AND METHAMPHETAMINE TO MIGUEL PADILLA…THE MAN NOW ON DEATH ROW FOR GUNNING DOWN 3 MEN OUTSIDE ALTOONA’S U-V-A CLUB IN 2005. RAMOS PLEADED GUILTY TO VARIOUS DRUG CHARGES. SEVERAL OTHER SUSPECTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN SENTENCED.

MAN TRIES TO RUN OVER WIFE

29 YEAR OLD DENNIS SHAWVER IS IN THE CENTRE COUNTY PRISON ON 130-THOUSAND DOLLARS BAIL, ACCUSED OF TRYING TO RUN OVER HIS WIFE IN THE BENNER PIKE WAL-MART PARKING LOT SATURDAY MORNING. POLICE SAY SHAWVER ALSO SENT TEXT MESSAGES TO A WOMAN HE HAD AN AFFAIR WITH, SAYING HE WANTED TO KILL HIS WIFE.
CHARGES INCLUDE SIMPLE ASSAULT AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT.

CENSUS BUREAU HIRING

HERE’S A JOB OPPORTUNITY IN CENTRE COUNTY. THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU WANTS TO HIRE 94 PEOPLE…AND EVENTUALLY OPEN AN OFFICE IN THE AREA…BEFORE THE 2010 COUNT. ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WILL GO DOOR TO DOOR WITH HAND-HELD COMPUTERS TO CHECK ADDRESSES THIS SPRING… JOBS INCLUDE CREW LEADERS, OFFICE STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS AND RECRUITERS. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 866-861-20-10.