Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 31 OcTOber 2017

Missouri: Charges: On-duty

Defense concedes coach kidnapped, raped, killed girl detectives cuffed
woman, raped her

Carlos Edwards testified NEW YORK (AP) — Two
that he was raking leaves detectives threatened an
on the day of the abduc- 18-year-old woman with
tion and saw a pickup truck arrest over a bottle of pre-
drive past his home several scription pills, handcuffed
times. her, drove her around in
Edwards said Hailey was their police van and then
standing in his driveway raped her, authorities said
when the driver pulled up Monday in announcing
next to the fourth-grader charges against the two.
and asked her how to get The detectives, Eddie Mar-
to a street. tins and Richard Hall, were
The girl said she didn’t know arraigned Monday on a
and started walking away, 50-count indictment that
Edwards recalled, and then included rape and kidnap-
the driver said: “Hey, come ping counts, said acting
here for a minute.” Brooklyn District Attorney
Edwards said that as soon Eric Gonzalez. He said DNA
as she got close enough, recovered from the wom-
the driver opened his door, an matched both defen-
grabbed Hailey and drove dants.
off. Edwards said he took Martins’ attorney, Mark Be-
off running but a drainage derow, vowed to “vigor-
In this March 26, 2014 photo, Craig Michael Wood, left, enters the courtroom for a hearing in ditch at the edge of his ously” challenge the case.
Springfield, Mo. Wood is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, child kidnapping, yard stopped him from get- “We don’t believe that the
rape and sodomy in connection with 10-year-old Hailey Owens’ death in February of 2014. ting to the truck. story that the young wom-
(Nathan Papes/The Springfield News/AP) His wife, Michelle Edwards, an was forcibly raped is
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A has pleaded not guilty to penalty if he’s convicted — testified with tears running supported by any credible
defense attorney for a mid- charges including first-de- acted impulsively when he down her face that her hus- evidence whatsoever,”
dle school football coach gree murder, his attorney, snatched Hailey Owens in band was feet away from Bederow said.
accused of abducting, Patrick Berrigan, agreed broad daylight and in front reaching the truck before it The woman said the detec-
raping and killing a 10-year- with the basic facts out- of witnesses. sped away. tives assaulted her on Sept.
old Missouri girl conceded lined by Greene County “He has no disguise what- She made a frantic 911 15 while they were on duty.
that his client committed Prosecutor Dan Patterson soever,” said Berrigan, who call, and the couple pro- Martins “told the young
the crimes Monday but in opening statements at blamed long-suppressed vided police with Wood’s li- woman he and his partner
contended that the man Wood’s trial, The Springfield urges and methamphet- cense plate number. Police are ‘freaks’ and asked her
did not deliberate first, as News-Leader reported. But amine for the February 2014 ultimately went to Wood’s what she wanted to do to
prosecutors say. Berrigan argued that Wood crime. “He doesn’t even home, where they waited get out of the arrest,” Gon-
Although Craig Wood — who faces the death have dark sunglasses.” for him to return.q zalez said. Martins forced
the handcuffed 18-year-
2 men arrested in Ohio in deaths of elderly couple old to perform a sex act
on him as Hall drove, and
then Martins raped her, the
ELLINGTON, Mo. (AP) — A gree murder. The men are accused in Pulaski County, according prosecutor said.
southern Missouri prosecu- Reynolds County, Missouri, the shootings of 86-year- to Missouri Case Net, the The detectives then
tor will seek the death pen- prosecutor Michael Ran- old James Nance, his state’s online court report- stopped the van and
alty against two men ac- dazzo said in an interview 72-year-old wife, Janet, ing system. He was arrested switched places with Mar-
cused of killing an elderly with The Associated Press and a 73-year-old friend again in September and tins taking the wheel and
couple during a robbery, that he will file additional of the family on Oct. 18 at charged with scamming an Hall getting into the back
he said Monday. charges of armed criminal the Nance home near El- elderly couple out of thou- seat of the van, Gonzalez
Timothy Callahan, 44, of action, robbery and assault lington, Missouri, about 125 sands of dollars by convinc- said. Hall then forced the
Farmington, Missouri, and against both men, who are miles southwest of St. Louis. ing them to write multiple teen to perform a sex act,
David Young, 67, of Ironton, jailed without bond in Ohio The third victim was shot checks for the same job — the prosecutor said.
Missouri, were arrested Sat- awaiting extradition. Ran- twice in the head but sur- painting their barn. The victim told her friends
urday without incident at dazzo said there was evi- vived. “He would drive around what happened and, later
a motel in Deerfield Town- dence the crime was pre- Young was on probation looking for decent-looking that evening, was taken to
ship, Ohio, near Cincinnati. meditated and he planned after pleading guilty in 2016 homes, elderly couples, a hospital, where a sexual
Both were charged with to pursue the death pen- to financial exploitation of and try to do work for assault evidence collec-
two counts each of first-de- alty. the elderly or disabled in them,” Randazzo said.q tion kit was prepared. q