414 Washington St.   Marion, Al. 36756     phone: 334-683-6318  fax: 334-683-4616
Publisher: Lorrie Rinehart       Editor: Daniel L. Bamberg       Advertising: Lisa Averett      Bookkeeper: Sheila Duncan
"We are the front lines of truth advocacy. Major media outlets have traded truth for sensationalism, and online news sites have no real legal concerns to keep them in check. Digital text is not ink. The community newspapers are left as the only legally challenged body of information. We cannot afford to lie. We cannot afford to be inaccurate. We are the last stand for freedom of the press. We are the last of the true journalists."

Monday, July 30

Killingsworth, guilty again but escapes death penalty



Killingworth cops plea, escapes jury and death in second trial

By Daniel L. Bamberg
Daniel@Centrevillepress.com
Jimmy Lamar Killingsworth has now been convicted of capital murder for the second time. 
After the 2004 killing of Steven Spears in a drive-by en route shooting and attempted murder of Stephen’s wife Monica, he was initially sentenced to death.  That conviction came in 2006.  Upon review of the trial, the Alabama Supreme Court granted Killingsworth a re-trial.  According to the State Supreme Court a specific juror who suggested she could not be unbiased, should have been stricken from selection in the 2006 trial.
Upon a new jury selection Killngsworth’s attorneys entered a plea of guilty to Circuit Judge, Tommy Jones on Monday, July 16.  With the plea Killingsworth receives life in prison without the possibility of parole, but escapes the death penalty.  Killingsworth also escaped the opportunity to be retried in front of the new jury of his peers, which the State Supreme Court granted him.
Attorney General Luther Strange was satisfied with the new conviction.
“I am pleased that justice has been preserved with this defendant again convicted for his terrible crime,” said Strange.  “This was a horrifying crime of senseless random violence that demands severe punishment.”
On December 10, 2004 Steven Spears and his wife Monica were attacked on Highway 139 near Ashby.  Allegedly Killingsworth had spotted an undetermined sum of money inside the wallet of Spears at a BP gas station in Montevallo.  Killingsworth and his convicted accomplice, 16-year-old (at the time of the incident) Troy Connell followed the Spears vehicle, and eventually drove beside it.  Killingsworth then shot Spears through the window killing the young man.  The Spears vehicle then crashed.  Killingsworth and his accomplice then approached Monica, who was already injured from the wreck and beat her multiple times with a chain.  Prosecutors believe the chain assault was an attempt on her life.  Monica did however survive the attack.
Strange commended Assistant Attorneys General Andrew Arrington and John Hensley.  He also thanked and commended the work of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Department for “outstanding work in preparing the case for both trials.”



(Photo) Jimmy Lamar Killingsworth is escorted to jail by Bibb County Sheriff Keith Hannah in 2004 after being arrested for the murder of Steven Spears and attempted murder of Monica Spears.  



  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Search This Blog