Post by CCADP on Apr 16, 2006 14:40:04 GMT -5
Prosecutors push for death penalty: In hearing, judge denies defendant bail.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2006 The Sun News
Byline: Kenneth A. Gailliard
Apr. 14--Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Louis Michael "Mick" Winkler in the slaying of his estranged wife, and he will remain in jail after a judge denied his bail Thursday. Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Greg Hembree announced during a hearing in Conway the notice to seek the death penalty. Winkler could go to trial in January, Hembree said. Winkler is charged with murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and first-degree burglary in the shooting death of 50-year-old Rebekah Grainger on March 6 at her home. After Hembree issued the notice Thursday, Winkler clashed with Circuit Court Judge Edward Cottingham over who represents him. Horry County Public Defender Orrie West was in the courtroom to represent Winkler, but Winkler would not acknowledge that she was his lawyer and did not give the name of his attorney. "I didn't know about any hearing [Thursday]," Winkler said. "My lawyer saw me three times in 10 days." Cottingham said he was aware of Winkler's contention that he was represented by attorney Scott Bellamy. But Cottingham said he had heard from Bellamy and "He said he is not your lawyer." Winkler countered, "If he came to see me, I don't understand." "I can't make myself any more clear," said Cottingham, who told Winkler that he could retain other representation if the lawyer notifies the court of the substitution.
Winkler will be represented by West, the public defender, until a trial judge appoints two lawyers to represent him in his death-penalty trial. Cottingham, citing thedeath-penalty notice, said, "bond is specifically denied." West said she was aware prosecutors would issue the notice and therefore didn't expect bail. Two of Winkler's relatives who attended the hearing declined to comment. Grainger's family and friends filed out of the courtroom immediately after the hearing. "I love it," Grainger's friend Maggie Bethea said after learning Winkler would face a possible death sentence. "We came just to be sure the judge said the right things." Bethea said she wishes she had attended and spoken at Winkler's October bond hearing about charges of kidnapping and sexual assault against Grainger. After that hearing, Winkler was released on $150,000 bail for the charges of kidnapping and sexual assault and he was ordered to wear an electronic monitor. At the time of Grainger's death, Winkler's bail conditions had been changed to allow him to leave home for two hours daily to look for work. "If bond was denied, then this might not have happened," Bethea said. Grainger was one of three women killed in what police say were domestic-violence disputes within five days in March. Carma Russell, 31, was killed March 4 outside an Atlantic Beach church. Her ex-boyfriend Billy Nathan Lee is charged with murder. Sheila Ann McPherson, 49, was killed at home March 7. Her live-in boyfriend, Vladimir Pantovich, was charged with murder after police in North Carolina stopped his car and found her body in the truck. Police said she was killed in their Murrells Inlet home. Pantovich is charged in Georgetown County. Contact KENNETH A. GAILLIARD at 626-0312 or kgailliard@thesunnews.com [mailto:kgailliard@thesunnews.com].
Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2006 The Sun News
Byline: Kenneth A. Gailliard
Apr. 14--Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Louis Michael "Mick" Winkler in the slaying of his estranged wife, and he will remain in jail after a judge denied his bail Thursday. Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Greg Hembree announced during a hearing in Conway the notice to seek the death penalty. Winkler could go to trial in January, Hembree said. Winkler is charged with murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and first-degree burglary in the shooting death of 50-year-old Rebekah Grainger on March 6 at her home. After Hembree issued the notice Thursday, Winkler clashed with Circuit Court Judge Edward Cottingham over who represents him. Horry County Public Defender Orrie West was in the courtroom to represent Winkler, but Winkler would not acknowledge that she was his lawyer and did not give the name of his attorney. "I didn't know about any hearing [Thursday]," Winkler said. "My lawyer saw me three times in 10 days." Cottingham said he was aware of Winkler's contention that he was represented by attorney Scott Bellamy. But Cottingham said he had heard from Bellamy and "He said he is not your lawyer." Winkler countered, "If he came to see me, I don't understand." "I can't make myself any more clear," said Cottingham, who told Winkler that he could retain other representation if the lawyer notifies the court of the substitution.
Winkler will be represented by West, the public defender, until a trial judge appoints two lawyers to represent him in his death-penalty trial. Cottingham, citing thedeath-penalty notice, said, "bond is specifically denied." West said she was aware prosecutors would issue the notice and therefore didn't expect bail. Two of Winkler's relatives who attended the hearing declined to comment. Grainger's family and friends filed out of the courtroom immediately after the hearing. "I love it," Grainger's friend Maggie Bethea said after learning Winkler would face a possible death sentence. "We came just to be sure the judge said the right things." Bethea said she wishes she had attended and spoken at Winkler's October bond hearing about charges of kidnapping and sexual assault against Grainger. After that hearing, Winkler was released on $150,000 bail for the charges of kidnapping and sexual assault and he was ordered to wear an electronic monitor. At the time of Grainger's death, Winkler's bail conditions had been changed to allow him to leave home for two hours daily to look for work. "If bond was denied, then this might not have happened," Bethea said. Grainger was one of three women killed in what police say were domestic-violence disputes within five days in March. Carma Russell, 31, was killed March 4 outside an Atlantic Beach church. Her ex-boyfriend Billy Nathan Lee is charged with murder. Sheila Ann McPherson, 49, was killed at home March 7. Her live-in boyfriend, Vladimir Pantovich, was charged with murder after police in North Carolina stopped his car and found her body in the truck. Police said she was killed in their Murrells Inlet home. Pantovich is charged in Georgetown County. Contact KENNETH A. GAILLIARD at 626-0312 or kgailliard@thesunnews.com [mailto:kgailliard@thesunnews.com].
Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.