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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Michele Anderson and Joseph McEnroe: Lawyer argues against death penalty in slaying of Carnation family


Left: Joseph McEnroe

Defense lawyers for a man and woman charged with killing six members of the woman's family on Christmas Eve 2007 said the death penalty shouldn't apply in their cases during a hearing Thursday in King County Superior Court.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
originally published December 17, 2009
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Defense lawyers for Joseph McEnroe and Michele Anderson, right, charged with killing six members of the woman's family on Christmas Eve 2007, said the death penalty shouldn't apply in their cases during a hearing Thursday in King County Superior Court.
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The defendents, both 31, are each charged with six counts of aggravated murder...They will likely be tried [in 2010].
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Their attorneys are hoping to persuade a judge to rule the death penalty is unconstitutional in the case...
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Under state law, a county prosecutor can file an aggravated-murder charge only if a defendant commits premeditated first-degree murder and "one or more aggravating circumstances exist." Aggravating factors can include...if multiple victims were killed in a "common scheme,"...
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Anderson and McEnroe are accused of fatally shooting Anderson's parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson, during a holiday gathering at their home. When her brother Scott Anderson and his wife, Erica, and their children, ages 5 and 3, arrived later that evening, they, too, were shot, prosecutors said.
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In June 2008, Anderson told The Seattle Times during a jailhouse interview that she and McEnroe, her former boyfriend, killed her family in a fit of rage, claiming she had suffered years of physical and emotional abuse.
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During a court hearing in October, Anderson said she alone was responsible for the slayings. She has sought to have prosecutors drop charges against McEnroe and also charge her with kidnapping for forcing him to participate in the killings.
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also read:
all from seattletimes.nwsource.com

It's becoming a routine for defense attorneys to first file motions to declare the death penalty as unconstitutional. If ever there was a case that should qualify, it is this one. This woman cold-bloodedly murders her entire family on Christmas Eve. Three generations of her own blood are destroyed and her pathetic self is receiving three meals a day and a bed. and cable tv.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just happened upon the original articles of this most horrific crime today while browsing some online crime sites.

The Seattle papers have printed confessions from McEnroe describing in detail the last minutes of this family. It made me sick and I have been reading true crime stories for 30 years. This one really got to me.

Why the heck is the great northwest such a murderous plot of land in this country ?! Under one of the articles I was reading was a history of mass murders in the Seattle area. My word what is wrong with those people out there !

Anonymous said...

No offense to this article but it's pretty cleaned up compared to what I found. Read the piece that I provide below and tell me you're not a fly on the wall as it's happening. Simply horrific.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/345254_carnation29.html

Mike Fryer said...

Joe is my nephew, and even though I never heard of him before the private detective knocked on my door, I have a strong desire for him to NOT get the death penalty, which I strongly support. I would prefer my dear nephew have to walk the yard of a mainline prison, surrounded by some REALLY nasty convicts that may have children, but certainly know how to make weapons, and hate baby killers..... Both of them should face the music from this. Death just means they get away from having to face the consequences of their actions.