Post by CCADP on Aug 18, 2005 18:41:00 GMT -5
Higgins killer awaits punishment
The punishment phase of the trial of a Houston man found guilty last week
of the 2002 capital murder of a Pearland woman has been under way this
week in a Harris County Courtroom.
A jury took just 4 hours 2 weeks ago to convict Lamar Baskin, 45, of the
robbery and murder of Laura Powell Higgins, 28.
Baskin faces either life in prison or the death penalty for the Dec. 19,
2002 robbery and murder Higgins, an interior decorator for Perry Homes.
Prosecutors argue that Baskin, who has a 27-year criminal history, is a
future threat to society and should be given the death penalty. Defense
attorneys argue that Baskin is not eligible for the death penalty because
he suffers from mental retardation, citing his low IQ scores.
Prosecutors counter that argument with the fact that Baskin received his
GED while in prison and has run his own business in the past. Higgins
stopped by the Perry Home's warehouse near Hobby Airport on her way to
pick up her 20-month-old daughter from a daycare center.
Later that evening, Higgins family received a call from the daycare that
she never arrived to pick up the child.
Distraught family members searched for the mother who they said would
never have left her daughter at the daycare.
Higgins car was found outside the warehouse in the Hobby Business Park,
7999 Hansen. Police said she was discovered lying face down inside a
storeroom of the warehouse. She had been shot once in the shoulder. Police
said it appeared that Baskin followed Higgins into the business, shot her
in the back and robbed her.
Higgins' purse was recovered several days after the murder behind a store
on Telephone Road, police said.
When charged in June of 2004 with Higgins' murder, Baskin was already in
the Harris County Jail. Police said he had been there since being arrested
shortly after Higgins' murder on an unrelated robbery.
At that time, Houston Police said Higgins was 1 of 5 people shot by Baskin
in a crime spree that ended shortly after Higgins' murder.
Homicide investigators said ballistics evidence collected in the Higgins
case, one other capital murder case and three robbery/shooting cases, all
of which occurred during a two-week stretch in December 2002, tie Baskin
to those crimes.
Police said Baskin was also connected by DNA evidence to 3 sexual
assaults.
It appears that Higgins was the final victim of the crime spree, which
appeared to end because of his arrest on the unrelated robbery. Baskin was
out on parole at the time of the crime spree.
Higgins is survived by her husband, Darrell, and daughter, Sydney, now 4.
Higgins, the daughter of Roy and Margie Powell, grew up in Alvin. She
graduated from Alvin High School and attended both Alvin and Houston
community colleges and the University of Houston.
(source: The Citizen)
The punishment phase of the trial of a Houston man found guilty last week
of the 2002 capital murder of a Pearland woman has been under way this
week in a Harris County Courtroom.
A jury took just 4 hours 2 weeks ago to convict Lamar Baskin, 45, of the
robbery and murder of Laura Powell Higgins, 28.
Baskin faces either life in prison or the death penalty for the Dec. 19,
2002 robbery and murder Higgins, an interior decorator for Perry Homes.
Prosecutors argue that Baskin, who has a 27-year criminal history, is a
future threat to society and should be given the death penalty. Defense
attorneys argue that Baskin is not eligible for the death penalty because
he suffers from mental retardation, citing his low IQ scores.
Prosecutors counter that argument with the fact that Baskin received his
GED while in prison and has run his own business in the past. Higgins
stopped by the Perry Home's warehouse near Hobby Airport on her way to
pick up her 20-month-old daughter from a daycare center.
Later that evening, Higgins family received a call from the daycare that
she never arrived to pick up the child.
Distraught family members searched for the mother who they said would
never have left her daughter at the daycare.
Higgins car was found outside the warehouse in the Hobby Business Park,
7999 Hansen. Police said she was discovered lying face down inside a
storeroom of the warehouse. She had been shot once in the shoulder. Police
said it appeared that Baskin followed Higgins into the business, shot her
in the back and robbed her.
Higgins' purse was recovered several days after the murder behind a store
on Telephone Road, police said.
When charged in June of 2004 with Higgins' murder, Baskin was already in
the Harris County Jail. Police said he had been there since being arrested
shortly after Higgins' murder on an unrelated robbery.
At that time, Houston Police said Higgins was 1 of 5 people shot by Baskin
in a crime spree that ended shortly after Higgins' murder.
Homicide investigators said ballistics evidence collected in the Higgins
case, one other capital murder case and three robbery/shooting cases, all
of which occurred during a two-week stretch in December 2002, tie Baskin
to those crimes.
Police said Baskin was also connected by DNA evidence to 3 sexual
assaults.
It appears that Higgins was the final victim of the crime spree, which
appeared to end because of his arrest on the unrelated robbery. Baskin was
out on parole at the time of the crime spree.
Higgins is survived by her husband, Darrell, and daughter, Sydney, now 4.
Higgins, the daughter of Roy and Margie Powell, grew up in Alvin. She
graduated from Alvin High School and attended both Alvin and Houston
community colleges and the University of Houston.
(source: The Citizen)