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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for July 2009

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009

Frederick Russell turns to address the families of victims in the Whitman County Superior Court of Judge David Frazier  in Colfax Wednesday January 2, 2008 .  Russell was sentenced to 171 months for his convictions on vehicular homicide and assault.  CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON The Spokesman-Review (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)

Russell appeals his 3 convictions 

Despite apologizing for the drunken crash that killed three Washington State University students and seriously injured three others (shown above), Fred Russell has appealed his conviction and 14-year prison sentence. Read Tom Clouse's story here. Read past coverage of the case here

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Courthouse watch: 7.31.09 

A man who eluded federal authorities for nearly a month was captured today after U.S Marshals tracked his muddy footprints in northeast Spokane County. Anthony E. Burke, 21, served time in federal prison for possessing ammunition when history of commitment at a mental hospital prohibited…

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009

Courthouse watch: 7.30.09

No material from convicted killer Shellye Stark's former lawyer's files will go to prosecutors seeking a murder conviction against her married boyfriend because the material could be critical to Stark's appeal, a judge ruled today. Spokane County Superior Judge Ellen Kalama Clark dodged a legal…

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Sting targets Craigslist prostiution

Kootenai County authorities were monitoring local Craigslist postings even before Philip Markoff was charged with murder and with assaulting and robbing women he’d met through the Web site, which offers free classified ads. Their effort highlights a sex market that thrives online and exists all…

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Still wanted: Stoney Boy and Mikey Mike

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that helps arrest two men wanted in connection with a July 24 shooting. Police say Timothy “Stoney Boy” Lucious, 38, (left) and Michael “Mikey Mike” R. Gardner, 23, (right) were involved in an early-morning altercation near South…

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Pierre West enters court in May 2009 to face charges of first-degree kidnapping, rape and assault for attacks on prostitutes that date to 2005.  (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

Juror's omission gets West new trial

A judge has overturned a conviction that would have put a registered sex offender in prison for life. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Michael Price on Thursday ordered a new trial after a juror acknowledged she knew the defendant, Pierre D. West, prior to his…

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TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2009

Courthouse watch: 7.28.09

Two men accused of robbing a payday loan center Monday night met two very different fates today in Spokane County Superior Court. One was jailed on $100,000 bail. The other was ordered released after a judge ruled there was no probable cause to hold him…

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Garden Springs 1st grader Cody Gronau works on his pronouncation of the "N" sound during a class exercise on Dec. 5, 1996. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

Then and now: Sleepy car thief

A Spokane teenager who fell asleep in a stolen car after asking convenience store customers for help hot-wiring was sentenced to 90 days in jail with credit for 86 days served.Cody A. Gronau, 19, (pictured above in 1996 as a Garden Springs first grader) was…

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15 years for meth; 6 months for homicide

A Post Falls man will spend at least five years in prison for selling and possessing methamphetamine. Donald J. Hall, 42, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison with eligibility for parole after five years. Judge Lansing Haynes sentenced Hall, who was charged after…

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MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009

Second mistrial declared in rape case

A mistrial was declared in the trial of a young man accused of raping a woman at a party on Halloween 2007. Kevin A. Thompson is charged with second-degree rape for the alleged attack at a home in the Whitworth University area. Spokane County Superior…

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Courthouse watch: 7.27.09

Suspects listed on today's court docket included a man accused of a jewelry scam.Christopher M. Lancaster, 26, was charged in February after police raided Clocktower Jewelry in January, where they say Lancaster was selling jewelry he'd stolen from Dodson Jewelry, where he'd work since July…

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Opera proves an effective crime-repellent

SEATTLE (AP) — The idea of using annoying music to repel loiterers is catching on a some businesses and other locations in the Puget Sound area.Classical music has cleared the parking lot at Saar's Market in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle where crowds of…

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FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009

Former Bonner County sheriff’s Deputy James Sebero leaves the  federal courthouse in Spokane  on Friday. He is charged with a number of frauds including collecting $1.5 million in VA benefits after feigning a disability.  (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)

Courthouse watch: 7.24.09 

A former Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy’s sentencing was postponed Friday in federal court in Spokane when the judge requested more information on the man’s health.Here's Thomas Clouse's report:"James M. Sebero, 59, (shown above in 2008) previously pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans…

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Through the years: 'Stoney Boy' Lucious

The suspected gunman in this morning's wild fight in the South Perry Street area has a lengthy criminal history.Timothy "Stoney Boy" Lucious (shown above in pictures distributed in, left to right, 2009, 2007 and 2004) has dozens of arrests on his record, including convictions for…

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Career criminal dies in Bonner County Jail

A Bonner County Jail inmate who died last month suffered from an enlarged heart, an autopsy ruled.Ward David Coble, 50, was found dead in his cell June 18.The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death to be from dilated cardiomyopathy, the Bonner County…

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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Woman arrested in fatal stabbing

A woman accused of stabbing a Spokane man to death this month was arrested Thursday.Maggie May Tyler, 24, faces one count of second-degree murder after Spokane police arrested at Walgreens at Crestline and Wellesley at 1:30 p.m.Read my story here.

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Do you know where your kids are?

A woman found her apartment ransacked after a weekend trip earlier this month, and police are looking for two people they say are responsible. Nathan E. Sumner, 21, and Andrea B. Geier, 22, each face one count of first-degree possession of stolen property after police…

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Domestic violence suspect Paul Reinhardt is attended to by Spokane Police on the eastside of Latah Creek Monday morning. Police were chasing Reinhardt when he abandoned his car at 27th and Inland Empire Way. He ended up crossing the cold waters of Latah Creek. After police arrested him, the Spokane Fire Department did a technical rescue to bring him up a cliff.   COLIN MULVANY The Spokesman-Review (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

Courthouse watch: 7.23.09

A man who tried to escape from police by jumping into Latah Creek will spend about five years in prison, a judge ruled today.As pictured above, Paul J. Reinhardt, 40, was arrested in February on the banks of Latah Creek after fleeing from Spokane police…

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About those studded tires

If you've still got them on your ride, take them off. If Washington's mandatory April 1 deadline wasn't reason enough, here's a reminder of the lack of traction those tires provide on dry roads in the summer heat. WSP: Studded tires, negligent driving caused crash

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009

Oops! Police chief cited for speeding 

Even the city's top cop can have a lead foot.Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick was ticked for speeding on Saturday as she hunted for a picnic spot along the Spokane River.The chief was cited for driving 43 mph in a 30 mph zone in the…

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Courthouse watch: 7.22.09

Arraignment for an accused pharmacy robber was postponed as he applies for a public defender.Tom E. Snell, 24, appeared before Judge Ellen Kalama Clark via video. Rachel Sterrett represented the state, but Snell didn't have a lawyer and Clark agreed to postpone the arraignment until…

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