Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Attorney Greg Hembree's closing speech centered on the DNA evidence. As per the authorities, they also had a spat with Diane and Charles over custody of Bambis sons and inheritance. [21], It was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the Bay Area, exceeding the death toll of the 101 California Street shooting that occurred at a law firm in San Francisco in 1993, in which nine people including the gunman were killed. When he was not farming, he enjoyed his time hunting, fishing, camping, and spoiling his grandchildren. [8][9] When they arrived at 6:35 a.m., they found multiple people shot. Hembree also said that Gagnon, while in jail, told a fellow inmate unrelated to the case about another person being involved in the Parkerss murder. He also emphasized that VTA employees have been essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A testimony from. Bruce Antwain Hill, 29, of Tabor City, N.C., had filed an appeal based on three issues from his September 2011 trial for the murders of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., both found shot to death April 12, 2005, in their home off S.C. 90 near S.C. 22. [22] Before their deaths, some of the victims had led coworkers to safety. He was tried and convicted of two counts of murder and first-degree burglary and was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, plus another concurrent 30 years. Another man has already been convicted for the murders. In October 2013, Hill was returned to Horry County, but he invoked his Fifth Amendment right and refused to testify in Gagnons appeal. Charles and Diane Parker, two 54-year-old residents of Nixonville, lived a quaint and peaceful life before a tragedy struck the elderly couple. CONWAY - A probable cause hearing over DNA evidence could lead to new information in a 2005 Horry County murder case. As far as Gagnons conviction, Hembree said it will stay. [11], California's gun laws are among the strictest in the country. Bruce Antwain Hill was far from the group of potential suspects the authorities initially investigated. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Canada makes new contract offer to striking public workers, Delmae Elementary principal paraded around for 70th birthday, Wilson High School engineering students place first in international competition, Head-on collision kills four in Marion County, Vera Nicole Godwin, RN, BS, McLeod Regional Medical Center Day Hospital, Kara Hanley, BSN, McLeod Regional Medical Center Cardiovascular Surgery, Trinity Collegiate announces junior marshals, ushers, Concert highlights similarities between Lake City, Canadian town, One person injured in Sunday afternoon Florence crash, Florence police investigate South Irby Street shooting, State championship coach Southard set for Saturday reunion at West Florence, Trinity Collegiate baseball coach Michael Rogers wants to retire on high note, Mattel introduces first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome, Coward manhunt ends in arrest of man wanted by Delaware, PREP ROUNDUP: West Florence softball wins Region 6-4A title, Biden addresses journalists detained abroad at Correspondents' Dinner, Sudan's rival forces vie for control, risking prolonged conflict, 5 killed in Texas shooting, sheriff expands search for suspect, Pelosi on trip to Kyiv: "We thought we could die". 13/09/2022 by Ellie. Depends on whom you ask", "Santa Clara County DA: VTA shooter could have been stopped if feds told local authorities about prior detention", "Gunman who killed 9 in San Jose VTA railyard shooting fired 39 rounds, targeted victims", "12 guns, bombs and 25,000 bullets recovered from home of VTA shooter", "San Jose gunman had 22,000 rounds of ammunition at his house, which sheriff's office thinks he set on fire", "VTA Yard Shooting: Gunshots Appear to Have Continued for 10 Minutes After Initial Calls for Help", "Police release dramatic bodycam video of San Jose rail yard shooting", "Horror at the VTA: The unbridled terror, true heroism behind Bay Area's deadliest mass shooting", "Dramatic recordings of VTA employees as a killer stalked them", "8 people slain, suspected gunman kills himself in mass shooting at San Jose rail yard", "San Jose mass shooting: VTA shooter's family apologizes, says he felt lost to them for months", "Diagrams show mayhem during Samuel James Cassidy's rampage at S.J. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. Bruce is currently being held in a cell at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is likely to remain for a long period of time. The police nabbed the alleged killer quickly, but what followed was a gross miscarriage of justice only to be corrected years on. [48] On June 22, the San Jose City Council made plans to introduce a resolution commemorating the victims' lives. News 13 attempted to contact the parkers daughter Bambi Bennett who was inititally arrested on charges of involvement with the deaths but was later released. Hill's DNA was entered into the database at that time because he was being admitted to prison in Tennessee for a robbery charge. In his appeal, Hill had challenged the circuit courts ruling to suppress evidence regarding Gagnons conviction; allowing the jury to see a letter about his DNA being in a national crime database; and that his rights were violated after a continuance was granted for prosecutors a day before the expiration of an Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act in the case. For each of the two murder charges, Judge Steven John sentenced Bruce Antwain Hill, of Tabor City, NC, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The couple were charged and arrested after eyewitnesses reported seeing them around the premises and authorities found blood under Richard and Bambi's shoes. Since the 2005 deaths of Charlie and Diane Parker a second person is now charged with killing the Horry County couple. His hearing was continued until May. Copyright 2011 WMBF News. Another former employee of the business, George Carrick, said Moore spent a lot of time with the Parkers, including meals inside their home. DNA was even more important to the prosecution's case. After all this, the authorities had only one doubt about the case--an unidentified DNA present at the crime scene that didn't have a match. Bruce Antwain Hill, 33, of Tabor City, N.C., had filed an appeal after his conviction of the murders of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., both found shot to death April 12, 2005, in their home off. Read more about the life story of Bruce and share your memory. Where is Bambi Bennetts Ex-Boyfriend Richard Gagnon Now. In court Tuesday, Hill requested a new attorney. Gagnon successfully appealed his case and is awaiting a new trial. Two minutes later, the fire department responded to the home in South San Jose, about eight miles (13 kilometers) away from the VTA facility, and discovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a gas can there. Hill was sentenced to life in prison without the . He tried to appeal unsuccessfully again in 2017. Witnesses had placed them in the Parker residence on the night before the discovery of the bodies. [51][52] Due to a staffing shortage and the inaccessibility of the facility where the shooting occurred, the VTA discontinued the bus bridge on June 1 in favor of regular bus routes and confirmed that light rail service would be suspended indefinitely. "I think the whole community is interested in what happens in this trial, and I'm sure the family members are," Skipper said. Also, read Diane and Charles Parker Murder | Where is Bruce Antwain Hill Now? CONWAY, S.C. (AP) A North Carolina man convicted in a 2005 double murder in South Carolina has requested a new attorney, saying he had ineffective counsel during his 2011 trial. [72] As of September2021[update], a date for the gun buyback program had not been announced. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. However, the police finally found a match for the samples from both the crime scenes in 2009 with the DNA obtained from Bruce Antwain Hill. [17], At 6:33 a.m. the San Jose Fire Department received a call to respond to the VTA facility, though the first caller did not mention anything about an active shooter incident, according to dispatch audio. The VTA is a public transportation agency that operates bus and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County and employs about 2,000 workers. He has settled on the Carolina Coast. According to her previous attorney Jim Irvin Bennet is currently in Florida. [75], Following reports that local law enforcement agencies were not informed by the Homeland Security Department of Cassidy's 2016 detainment, a department spokeswoman said the agency was working to improve information-sharing with other law enforcement agencies. [9][14][19], About 40 people were rescued from the area by law enforcement. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief. The police also collected samples from an unknown suspect in an unrelated home invasion near Longs in Horry County in 2006. In his closing argument Solicitor Greg Hembree focused on the DNA evidence. His DNA was included in the FBI's national database since he had been detained in Tennessee on another accusation of the home invasion. Gagnon was convicted in 2007, but police did not know about Hill until his mouth was swabbed for DNA when he began a seven-year prison sentence for a robbery in Tennessee. + Add or change photo on IMDbPro . Hill was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is ready to dive into the brutal double murder of Charles and Diane Parker at the hands of Bruce Antwain Hill, a convicted murderer and robber. The fact that the blood was there instead of being a weakness in the case which it could be became a strength in the case because it corroborated Gagnons statement to the jailhouse informant, said Hembree. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder and 30 years of jail time for the first-degree burglary charge. It wasn't until 2009 that Bruce was finally arrested after his DNA matched the unidentified DNA at the Parkers' home while he was detained for another home invasion charge. Prosecutors said Hills blood was found inside the Parkers home, but it was unclear what caused Hill to bleed. to the family or plant a tree However, this crucial information was discovered a. All rights reserved. [66], San Jose officials invited other California cities to join an amicus brief supporting the state's appeal of Miller v. Bonta, which by coincidence struck down the state's 1989 assault weapons ban several days after the shooting on June 4. This led them to charge Bruce Antwain Hill with the double homicide and convict him. A gunman killed nine people and then committed suicide, for a total of ten deaths. Hill also was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 30 years on a first-degree burglary charge, with those sentences running concurrently following his 2011 trial. Sheriff's deputies block access to the VTA Guadalupe Division yard a day after the shooting took place. [6] The city announced and later passed a package of policy proposals intended to curb gun violence, including unprecedented liability insurance and compensation fee requirements for gun owners. Thus, he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance of parole in 2008. 59 year old Richard Gagnon had been ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty to first degree murder. [41] Cassidy's sister said that she suspected something happened at work on May 25 that motivated her brother to commit the shooting the day after. [28][23][29] Two of the victims were rushed to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in critical condition, but one was declared dead upon arrival and the other died later that day. Gagnon was ultimately convicted on charges of murder and sentenced to life without parole. [5] Over 100 people were at the facility at the time of the shooting, according to the sheriff. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of. [62][63], As of December2021[update], the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and an outside law firm retained by the VTA are both conducting investigations into the shooting. After a witness was found to have lied during Gagnons trial, he successfully appealed his case. Bruce Allan Wagner, age 59, of Clarissa, MN, passed away peacefully at his home on September 4, 2021, surrounded by his family after his long battle with pancreatic cancer. However, this crucial information was discovered a long time later. Using witness statements and a piece of forensic evidence, authorities charged Bambi Bennett and her boyfriend Richard Gagnon for the murder. Charles Edward Parker Sr. was born in Conway in Horry County, South Carolina, on December 22, 1950. He is charged with murder and first-degree burglary in the April 12, 2005 deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr. Hill was charged in. [73][74] Representative Zoe Lofgren of San Jose emphasized the need to pass the Enhanced Background Checks Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which are unlikely to overcome a Senate filibuster. Prosecutors claim the men worked together and are both responsible. All were VTA employees. Be the first one to comment on this story. [12] Among other gun laws, the state has a red flag law that enables law enforcement authorities to seize a person's firearms based on a gun violence restraining order. However, Bruce Antwain Hill denied this in a prison interview. Bambi was later released due to a lack of evidence against her, but Richard was charged with the crime. They reportedly lived under a tent in the forest and visited the house to shower and eat while the elderly couple were away. [7] Although Cassidy did not use an assault weapon, Attorney General Rob Bonta cited the San Jose shooting in a statement opposing the ruling. There is no question. A jury deliberated just over two hours Wednesday before convicting 26-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill of Tabor City, N.C., of two counts of murder and first-degree burglary. [19][21][22] Police and witnesses later said the gunman targeted some of his victims and spared others from being shot. Sacred Space Memorial. The gunman then walked over to Building A on the eastern side, where he continued firing. Horry County police charged Hill in 2009 after his DNA sample was uploaded into a national database and linked to the Parkers deaths, according to authorities. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer . Bruce Allan Wagner, age 59, of Clarissa, MN, passed away peacefully at his home on September 4, 2021, surrounded by his family after his long battle with pancreatic cancer. [5], As a result of the shooting, service throughout the VTA light rail system was suspended for months. Hembree said Hill's DNA matched DNA investigators put into the database in 2005 after collecting it at the crime scene. For each of the two murder charges, Judge Steven John sentenced Bruce Antwain Hill, of Tabor City, NC, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [56] On September 2, service along the Green and Blue lines was extended southward through downtown San Jose. 24-year-old Antwain Hill is charged with the 2005 murders of Diane and Charlie Parker. However, his sentence still stands and Bruce, in his late 30s, is presently incarcerated in a cell at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. Vivian Skipper lives near the home where the Parkers were murdered, and she said Monday she has been interested in the case since it began. [6][53] As a form of mutual aid, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, AC Transit, and the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District sent from 20 to 30 buses daily to Santa Clara County to supplement bus service while VTA workers attended funeral services for the victims. After the authorities took his DNA from the database, it matched the one from the Parkers' home. DNA samples have linked a Tennessee inmate to a 2005 double homicide and 2006 home invasion in Horry County, according to local officials Wednesday. [31][32][33], In August 2021, a railyard employee who had witnessed the shooting died by suicide on his first day back to work following the shooting. Then I handed it to another investigator. CONWAY A North Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2005 shooting deaths of an Horry County couple. Funeral Home website by. The police were able to identify the suspected murderer quickly; however . [7], The VTA is a public transportation agency that operates bus and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County and employs about 2,000 workers. Gagnon charged with first-degree murder: Richard Gagnon, who stands accused of shooting and http://bit.ly/pwdvpw etailersXclusive.com. [13], A hotline was set up for VTA employees and family members for additional information about the shooting and the victims. [1] At the age of six he saw a pottery demonstration and knew that was what he wanted to do. Hembree added that during the initial trial they knew about another person being present during the killings. They subsequently found books about terrorism in his possession, along with a memo book filled with notes about his hatred of the VTA. All rights reserved. [24] The house sustained heavy damage from the fire, with the second floor collapsing from the heat of the blaze. Based on witness testimonies and Charles blood found on their footwear, Bambi and her boyfriend, Richard Gagnon, were arrested 2 weeks later by the police. Gagnon can be considered an innocent bystander, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wide empty spaces in pews between parishioners at a Sunday service at Zion Baptist Church in South Carolinas capital highlight a post-pandemic reality common among many Black Protestant churches across the nation. The only thing that made the case more concrete against him was the presence of a motive. Prosecutors linked Gagnon to the crimes after Charles Parker Sr.s blood was found on Gagnons shoes. "I hope the truth will come out," Skipper said. Please logout and login again. After the investigation began, authorities were quick to pin Bambi Bennett, Diane Parker's daughter and Charles Parker's step-daughter, and her boyfriend Richard Gagnon, who went on to be convicted for the murder. Beddingfield Funeral Service - San Jose. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief. Willow Glen Funeral Home. Issues with information-sharing between agencies had been a problem in recent years and has sometimes involved high-profile incidents such as the storming of the U.S. Capitol and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. He had previously filed an appeal, but the state Supreme Court upheld his sentence in July 2014.
Chicago Art Galleries Accepting Submissions, Edina, Mn Obituaries, Articles B