Jury: Death for Ex-Principal in Killings

[pumpkinpie]

5/29/2007
Jury: Death for Ex-Principal in Killings

A jury Tuesday recommended the death penalty for a former elementary school vice principal convicted of murdering his estranged wife, three children and mother-in-law.

Vincent Brothers, once a well respected mentor in this central California city, was convicted May 15 of five counts of first-degree murder and the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.

Brothers, 44, had claimed he was in Columbus, Ohio visiting his brother when his family was shot to death in their home after returning from church.

Prosecutors argued that he flew to the Midwest to establish an alibi, then drove more than 2,000 miles back to Bakersfield in a rental car to kill the five in July 2003.

The victims were Brothers' wife, Joanie Harper, 39; mother-in-law Earnestine Harper, 70; and children Marques, 4, Lyndsey, 2, Marshall, 6 weeks. The bodies of Joanie Harper and the two children were found on her bed, the infant was under pile of bedclothes, and the mother-in-law had been shot at near point-blank range in a hall, authorities said.

Brothers' formal sentencing by Superior Court Judge Michael Bush was set for Sept. 27.

Brothers' supporters said they would help him appeal and questioned the judge's decision to dismiss the only black juror during the trial.

"He was not tried in a jury of his peers. That just doesn't happen in Kern County," said Rev. Wesley Crawford, first vice president of the local NAACP chapter.

Court transcripts showed the juror was dismissed as attorneys made closing arguments because he spoke to a witness and said he would find Brothers not guilty "based on past social injustices."

"He's not guilty and he was not given a fair trial here from day one," said his mother, Margaret Brothers. "God has allowed my son to go through this for a purpose. He's going through this to help other people."

(Source- Associated Press)

[pumpkinpie]

Hmm, the article didn't say what his motive would have been. A well-respected principal doesn't exactly look like the likely canidate for committing a crime like this. I see know evidence, motive, or anything linking him to this crime. I think I'm in agreement with his mother!

[legallybrunette]

Were there any witnesses? Seems kind of a monstrous effort to acquire an alibi, driving all that way back. or maybe it just seems that way to me 'cos in this little bitty island, driving 50miles is deemed a real effort and distance!!

[pumpkinpie]

legallybrunette said:

Were there any witnesses? Seems kind of a monstrous effort to acquire an alibi, driving all that way back. or maybe it just seems that way to me 'cos in this little bitty island, driving 50miles is deemed a real effort and distance!!

A death sentence for someone without even proving his guilt here, is what it sounds like to me.

[sdl]

IIRC, the KKK has always had a presence in Kern County.

Not surprised one damn bit...

[legallybrunette]

Do they not have a mixed class and ethnicity of jury members over there?? Over here the authorities are at pains to ensure the jury represent a proper cross section but there is always bound to be a majority and minority group even in a jury. There is also the issue of how dumb the individual jurors are; a young clerk at our office was once called up for jury service and I was concerned as she appeared to have all the intelligence of an amoeba and that is being unjust to the average amoeba. She returned some weeks later to confirm she and a few other jurors who clearly shared her impressive intelligence, had not understood what was going on through the trial and decided that they may as well vote 'not guilty' on the basis that the accused was 'right fit'....