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Killer of the “Nameless, Homeless
and Faceless” Convicted
Raymond Canales beat an unidentified homeless man
in the head and face until he was beyond recognition,
all to steal the few dollars in his pocket. “Here was a
horrific crime committed for a pitifully small amount of
money,” said prosecutor Mark Thielman.
The victim’s identity and life remain a mystery.
Prosecutors referred to the victim in court as
“nameless, homeless, and faceless,” and he was
identified in court only by his DNA profile. Forensic
tests identified the victim’s blood on Canales’ clothes
and shoes.
The jury convicted Canales of capital murder. The State
waived the death penalty, and Canales received an
automatic life sentence. He must serve forty years in
prison before becoming eligible for parole. “The victim
was a disenfranchised man who was viciously murdered by
a bully, and we are proud to have done something about
it,” Thielman said. [TOP]
Life in Prison for Sexual Assault and
Murder
The Alphonso Nickerson was charged in a single
indictment with both murder and aggravated sexual
assault committed in 1997. The defendant was found by
the police in the act of sexually assaulting 63-year old
Maxine Nash. Nash was suffocated by the sheer weight of
the defendant's body upon her during the assault. In
2004, after several days of trial, the jury refused to
find Nickerson insane but found him guilty on both
counts. Judge James Wilson assessed a life sentence on
each count.
Although much legal wrangling has occurred in the seven
year history of this case, and will likely continue on
appeal of this conviction, the second jury had no
problem finding Nickerson guilty and not insane even
though on retrial there was additional evidence
presented that the defense asserted showed the defendant
to be insane at the time he smothered Maxine Nash while
sexually assaulting her. Prosecutors were able to again
counter the assertions of insanity by calling
psychiatric experts who testified that while Nickerson
may have behaved oddly during and after the offense, he
knew that his acts of rape and murder were wrong –
therefore he was sane when he took Maxine Nash’s life
while sexually assaulting her. [TOP]
Parent Gets Prison Sentence for
Drug Death of Her Child
In the past when someone died of a drug overdose
criminal charges were not filed. Recently, that changed
when Debra Clair was prosecuted for injecting her 15
year old daughter with heroin and then leaving her to
die of a drug overdose. Not only did a jury convict
Debra Clair of Manslaughter, but the jury agreed with
the prosecution that Debra Clair was not worthy of
probation but deserved a 15 year term in prison.
On April 27, 2001, Tiffany Clair was released to the
care of her mother after spending 30 days in a state
mental hospital for treatment after a suicide attempt.
Seven days later she was shooting heroin with the
assistance of her mother, Debra Clair, and her mother’s
ex- boyfriend’s son, Bradley Waltermire. There was
evidence that Clair paid for the heroin. When the mother
left, Tiffany was unconscious on the couch in the living
room. Several hours later when she returned from her
shopping trip for drugs Tiffany was dead. Although the
defense sought to convince the jury that Tiffany was
responsible for her own death the jury disagreed. The
jury found Clair guilty of manslaughter.
The jury heard evidence that Tiffany and her mother had
been abusing drugs together since the child was 12 years
old. The jury rejected the mother's plea for probation
and assessed a sentence of 15 years in prison. [TOP]
Curtis Wayne Pope Jr. gets life for
Murder
Curtis Wayne Pope Jr. received a life sentence
for the February 2000 murder of Darrell North at a
construction trailer near the intersection of North
Beech and Loop 820. North had been stabbed almost 50
times. Pope’s DNA was found at the scene and on North’s
pants. Pope had admitted being at the trailer on the
evening of the murder but denied any involvement. He
sent the first flowers to North’s widow and attended the
funeral. Pope was arrested in August, 2001. Shortly
before his trial, Pope fled toward Canada but was
arrested in Watertown N.Y. near the Canadian border. A
Tarrant County jury found Pope guilty and he was
sentenced to the maximum life imprisonment by District
Judge George Gallagher. [TOP]
Video Created by Joint Law
Enforcement Efforts Wins Awards
The Tarrant County District .Attorney’s Office,
along with the Fort Worth Police Department, the Crime
Prevention Resource Center, and Texas Health Resources,
collaborated to create a training video for police
officers. The video instructs police officers how to
take photographs of injuries and emphasizes the
techniques in family violence cases.
This 10 minute video, entitled "More Than a Thousand
Words," won two awards: the Silver AXIEM Award - 2003
International Finalist (AXIEM stands for Absolute
eXcellence In Electronic Media) and a Katy Award from
the Dallas Press Club. [TOP]
Repeat
Abuser Convicted Without Victim’s Help
Russell Stanley picked the wrong place to beat up his
live-in girlfriend. Because she took too long at the
Burger King, Stanley proceeded to beat on her as he
drove down a Tarrant County road. Two witnesses
traveling in separate cars phoned 911 to report the
crime in progress. Stanley was arrested and charged with
Assault on a family member with a prior family violence
conviction. His previous conviction was for beating this
same girlfriend. The witnesses described how Stanley
beat the victim with his fists and slammed her head
against the door. The victim herself testified – only
after being required to do so- and attempted to excuse
Stanley and take the blame for the altercation. The
photos of her injuries were so severe that the jury
believed the independent witnesses over the victim.
Because Stanley had two prior felony convictions in
addition to the misdemeanor family violence assault
conviction he was punished by the court as a habitual
offender and received 40 years in the penitentiary. [TOP]
Capital Murder of Elderly Mother &
Daughter Warrants Death Penalty
Defendant, Billy Jack Crutsinger, 48, was convicted
and sentenced to death for double homicide of Patricia
Syren, 71, and her mother, Pearl "RD" Magouirk, 89. The
women were stabbed to death and both had their throats
cut in their home on the east side of Fort Worth in
April 2003. The defendant had done some repair work at
the house the year before. The defendant then stole
Patricia Syren's Cadillac and her purse and her cell
phone. He was apprehended in Galveston, TX three days
later after police determined Syren's credit card was
being used in Galveston.
In addition to a robbery conviction and several DWI’s
Crutsinger was shown to have a long history of family
violence, including twice assaulting an ex-wife while
she was pregnant. [TOP]
Chronic Drunk Driver Gets Maximum
Sentence for Intoxication Manslaughter
Although Alfonzo Villegas had been convicted of
DWI three times since 1997, he still got behind the
wheel and drove drunk. Only this time the consequences
were fatal. In the early morning hours of August 30,
2002, Dennis Williams left his home in Watauga and
headed down to Ennis for work. He was driving southbound
on East Loop 820. After Mr. Williams warned a driver
ahead of him that Villegas was on the wrong side of the
road that driver took evasive action leaving Mr.
Williams in the path of Villegas. Mr. Williams died at
the scene. Villegas testified that from the time he left
work to the time of the wreck, 4:30 a.m., he had
consumed twelve beers. The District Attorney had brought
charges of Intoxication Manslaughter and Felony DWI. The
jury assessed the maximum punishment allowable on both
charges: 10 years for Felony DWI and 20 Years for
Intoxication Manslaughter. [TOP]
Violent repeat Felon gets 80 years
for Assaulting Jailers
In late September, 2003, Clifford Jay Aurich was
convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
against a public servant, namely: two Tarrant County
Sheriff's Office jailers.
Aurich had fashioned a 10-inch dagger from a piece of
metal he found in the jail. Aurich attacked a jailer
from behind, put the dagger to his throat and threatened
to kill him. The jailer, Jim Lambert, fought him off for
a couple of minutes until another jailer, Michael Kline,
came to his defense. Aurich continued to threaten both
Lambert and Kline with the dagger. Eventually an
emergency response team from the jail was able to subdue
Aurich.
During punishment the State proved that the Aurich had
been convicted three times before this offense and had
committed two additional violet offenses: a home
invasion robbery and a restaurant robbery. The Jury
assessed his punishment at 80 years in the Institutional
Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Because this is an ‘aggravated’ crime Aurich will have
to serve thirty years before he can be considered for
parole. [TOP]
Gonzales get life for child
slaying
Little Dylan McGaughy was only three years old
when his mother left him in the care of her boyfriend,
Johnny Ray Gonzales. Sometime after 8:30 a.m. on July
13, 2001, the defendant, Johnny Ray Gonzales, became
enraged with Dylan and beat him severely, causing
injuries to his brain and internal organs. The defendant
watched for four hours as Dylan’s condition worsened and
never told anyone what he had done. Dylan’s grandmother
eventually took Dylan to Cook Children’s Medical Center
where the surgeons found Dylan had nearly bled to death
due to the brutality of the beating and the delay in
seeking treatment. Dylan died early the next morning. On
August 19, 2002, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Johnny
Ray Gonzales to life in the penitentiary for the murder
of Dylan McGaughy. [TOP]
Murder and Sexual assault nets life
sentence
A Tarrant County jury found William Robert Davis
guilty of capital murder on July 25, 2003. Davis
brutally murdered and sexually assaulted 26-year old
Nicole Krienke on December 8, 2001, at his apartment in
Arlington, Texas. Ms. Krienke had a history of
prostitution, and it is believed that that is the reason
why she was at Davis’s apartment. Davis killed Ms.
Krienke by using an unknown object to inflict blunt
force trauma to her abdominal area. The force of the
beating caused Ms. Krienke’s liver to split in two. Ms.
Krienke also suffered cigarette burns over much of her
upper body, and she was sexually assaulted with a
fishing rod. The jury rejected attempts by the defense
to persuade them that an unidentified black man was the
real killer, as the evidence at trial showed that Davis
admitted to murdering someone at his apartment to his
mother, his wife, and a cellmate. Davis received life in
prison. [TOP]
Kerr Gets Death For Sexual Assault
and Murder
A Tarrant County jury gave serial rapist Cary D.
Kerr the death penalty for the capital murder of Haltom
City resident, Pamela Horton. After offering to give the
victim a ride home from a Haltom City pub, Kerr sexually
assaulted and strangled her to death. Kerr then dumped
her body on Northeast 28th street. Kerr was linked to
the crime by DNA evidence found at the crime scene and
at Kerr’s apartment. [TOP]
Automobile Murderer Gets Life
Sentence
A Tarrant County Jury gave Danny Lee Bell, Sr.
life in the penitentiary and a $10,000 fine for the
murder of an Arizona trucker, James Thompson. On January
30, 2000, Mr. Thompson had been walking from a Ft. Worth
lounge to a nearby café. The defendant was apparently
angry at a companion of the victim. Bell drove his
automobile into Mr. Thompson, killing him. [TOP]
Serial Rapist Gets 99 Years
Between July 4, 2001 and October 1, 2001, Elysee
Marc sexually assaulted seven women, and assaulted an
eighth woman with a box cutter. Elysee Marc chose
victims that were living on the streets and suffering
from drug addictions. On May 19, 2003, Elysee Marc was
tried on one of the sexual assaults. After one day of
testimony, the jury rejected defense attempts to
discredit the victim, and found the defendant guilty of
aggravated sexual assault. During the punishment phase,
the jury learned of the seven other victims. Based on
the overwhelming evidence that the Defendant is a serial
rapist, the jury returned a verdict of 99 years. [TOP]
Horse Slaughter Lawsuit—Updated June
2, 2003
“In August 2002, the Texas Attorney General's
Office issued an opinion saying that horse meat sale for
human consumption is illegal in Texas even if the horse
meat is exported overseas. The Tarrant County District
Attorney’s Office received requests to look into this
matter.
In September, 2002, three corporations that are engaged
in the slaughter and export of horse meat sued in
federal court to stop the enforcement of the Texas law.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office
has vigorously opposed the federal lawsuit.
On April 22, 2003, the federal Judge temporarily
enjoined the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney
from prosecuting the slaughterhouses. The final rulings
will not be known until the conclusion of the lawsuit. [TOP]
Nelson Gongora given death sentence
Nelson Gongora was sentenced to death after being found
guilty of capital murder by a Tarrant
County jury. Gongora, a leader of a Fort Worth street
gang, shot and killed Delfino Sierra during an attempted
robbery on April 7, 2001. Mr. Sierra, a father of four,
had brought his family to Fort Worth from their home in
Dallas to attend a quincienera. He left the party at
about 9:30 p.m. to get some air. Ten minutes later
witnesses saw Gongora shoot Sierra in the head. He was
left face down in the street. Witnesses, including
fellow gang members, testified about Gongora’s lengthy
criminal history which included aggravated robbery,
aggravated assault, injury to a child and felony
criminal mischief.
Kerr Gets Death For Sexual
Assault and Murder
A Tarrant County jury gave serial rapist Cary D. Kerr
the death penalty for the capital murder of Haltom City
resident, Pamela Horton. After offering to give the
victim a ride home from a Haltom City pub, Kerr sexually
assaulted and strangled her to death. Kerr then dumped
her body on Northeast 28th street. Kerr was linked to
the crime by DNA evidence found at the crime scene and
at Kerr’s apartment.
Drunk Driver Off the Road,
Gets 20 Years
Martin Pendley was driving down a neighborhood
street in Haltom City and struck the back of a parked
flatbed tow truck which was legally parked. A civilian
stopped to check on Mr. Pendley and called the police to
report the accident. Upon arrival, officers observed
that Mr. Pendley was intoxicated. Mr. Pendley did not
successfully pass field sobriety tests and stated that
he had 6-8 beers prior to driving. Mr. Pendley refused
to give a breath test or to perform field sobriety tests
at the jail. At trial, the jury found Mr. Pendly guilty
of Felony DWI and the judge sentenced Mr. Pendley to 20
years TDC. Mr. Pendley had 4 prior DWIs and 5 prior
felony convictions in which he served time in the Pen.
Woman Convicted of Slaying
Parents
On January 20, 2003, a Tarrant County jury
deliberated for little over an hour before convicting
Deborah Lynn Pieringer of the capital murder of her
elderly parents Loyd and Agnes Courtney. Loyd Courtney
was a fingerprint examiner for the Fort Worth Police
Department, Evidence showed that Pieringer stood to
inherit nearly $250,000. On November 2, 2001, the
defendant murdered the Courtneys in their south Fort
Worth home by stabbing them with a paring knife and
striking them with four cast iron skillets. Police
became suspicious of the daughter’s behavior on the
night they informed her of her parents’ deaths and
noticed two fresh cuts on her left hand. Subsequent DNA
testing revealed that Pieringer’s blood was found in six
different locations at the crime scene including the
knife drawer and on a bedroom door of the room where
Agnes’s body was found. Deborah Pieringer received an
automatic life sentence upon conviction.
Horse Slaughter Lawsuit
"For the past several weeks the Tarrant County
District Attorney’s office has been conducting an
inquiry into the slaughter of horses and sale of horse
meat for human consumption. Tarrant County and Kaufman
County are the only 2 counties in Texas where
USDA-inspected plants slaughter horses for export.
Three corporations which are engaged in the slaughter
and export of horse meat in Texas sued in federal court
in Fort Worth to stop the enforcement of the Texas law
banning the sale of horsemeat for human consumption.
The Texas Attorney General in August 2002, issued an
opinion saying that horse meat sale for human
consumption is illegal in Texas and may be prosecuted
even if the horse meat is exported overseas. The Tarrant
County District Attorney’s Office received requests from
State Representative Toby Goodman and State
Representative Tony Goolsby to look into this matter,
which we began to do immediately.
Our office intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit.
For over 50 years, the Texas Legislature has had a law
on the books that bans the sale of horse meat for human
consumption. We will defend the right of Texas to
continue to have such a ban, not only on the books but
in practice. We will fight to protect the ability of
Texas D.A.’s to enforce the ban as written by the
Legislature and as declared by the Texas Attorney
General. We will conduct this fight vigorously and in
accordance with the rules that govern federal lawsuits.
While the Attorney General’s recent opinion is helpful
in this effort, the final resolution will now be in the
hands of the court system." [TOP]
Gonzalez Gets Life for Child
Slaying
"Little Dylan McGaughy was only three years old
when his mother left him in the care of her boyfriend,
Johnny Ray Gonzales. Sometime after 8:30 a.m. on July
13, 2001, the defendant, Johnny Ray Gonzales, became
enraged with Dylan and beat him severely, causing
injuries to his brain and internal organs. The defendant
watched for four hours as Dylan’s condition worsened and
never told anyone what he had done. Dylan’s grandmother
eventually took Dylan to Cook Children’s Medical Center
where the surgeons found Dylan had nearly bled to death
due to the brutality of the beating and the delay in
seeking treatment. Dylan died early the next morning. On
August 19, 2002, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Johnny
Ray Gonzales to life in the penitentiary for the murder
of Dylan McGaughy." [TOP]
Child Molestor Receives Life
Sentence
"On May 9, 2002, a Tarrant County jury found Gary
Lynn Stewart guilty of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a
Child. Stewart was convicted of sexually molesting a six
year old boy multiple times over a nine month period.
During the punishment phase of the trial, the state
produced evidence that Stewart had molested two other
boys several years ago. The jury refused his request for
probation and sentenced him to the maximum punishment, a
life sentence and a $10,000 fine. The case was
prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Crimes Against
Children Unit." [TOP]
Nathaniel Doss Gets Life
"Nathaniel Doss was convicted of capital murder
and received a life sentence in connection with the
death of 21 year old Summer Little. He was convicted on
May 31, 2002 after a two week trial in which the State
called twenty-five witnesses. Doss entered Summer’s
apartment in October 2001, sexually assaulted her and
drowned the mother of two in her bathtub as she was
pleading for her life." [TOP]
Tarrant County Wins Civil Rights
Case
On October 1, 2002, the United States District Court for
the Northern District of Texas handed down a judgment in
favor of Tarrant County in the case of an ex jailer who
sued the County for discriminatory firing. The
ex-jailer, Jimmy Ray Sparkman, sued the County after the
Sheriffs Department fired Sparkman for deliberately
injuring a prisoner. Sparkman filed the suit in Federal
Court in July of 2001. The case was vigorously defended
by Assistant District Attorney Russ Friemel. Sparkman
was prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office in
state criminal court for Official Oppression, and was
convicted on February 8, 2002. [TOP]
Pollock sentenced to 99
years for Robbery
On May 12, 2002 (Mothers Day) Audeliz R. Pollock entered
the Mobil Mart at 901 E. Pioneer Pwy. Sunil Manandhar
was working alone when the defendant entered and
purchased some lottery tickets. After all the customers
left the store, Pollock pulled a gun and demanded money
from the clerk. The clerk gave the defendant between
$400- $500. Pollock also took several hundred scratch
off lottery tickets and fled in a red truck.
He then attempted to cash the lottery tickets at a
Diamond Shamrock. Using their tracking software, Lt.
Powers with the Texas Lottery Commission tracked Pollock
to a grocery store in Arlington where he was redeeming a
$500 ticket. Officers with the Arlington Police
Department arrested the defendant as he walked from the
store. Once in custody officers found a large
amount of cocaine in defendant’s pockets.
At trial Pollock claimed mistaken identity. Using the
time lapse VCR, prosecutors were able to slow down the
tape and enhance some of the video footage from the
robbery. Still photos were blown up for trial showing
the defendant’s face and the automatic weapon in his
hand. The Defendant was found guilty and received 99
years TDC. [TOP]
Father in law sentenced to 50
years in assault
Hector Ibarra shot his son-in-law at close range with
.45 caliber pistol on February 22, 2001 after an
argument over a telephone bill. Fortunately, the victim
survived the two chest wounds. On August 19, 2002 and
after two days of testimony, the jury convicted Ibarra
of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. In the
punishment phase, the jury was asked to consider his
considerable criminal history including two prior
violent felonies. The jury assessed a sentence of 50
years confinement in the penitentiary. [TOP]
Rapist Receives Life Sentence
On August 1, 2002, a Tarrant County jury found Dennis
Lenard Mathis guilty of the offenses of sexual assault
and burglary of a habitation with intent to commit
sexual assault. Mathis, a former maintenance man at an
apartment complex in Grapevine, had entered the second
floor apartment of a tenant while she slept. He then
blindfolded and raped her. His identity as the rapist
was established at trial through the use of DNA
evidence. After finding him guilty, the jury assessed a
life sentence. [TOP]
Serial robber assessed 70
year sentence
On September 26, 2002 Andrew Kyle Holt, Age 20, was
sentenced to 70 years in the penitentiary for the
Aggravated Robbery of a FWISD Middle School Teacher on
January 27, 2002 as she returned home to her apartment
from Sunday evening church services. The teacher was the
first of five young single female robbery victims that
Sunday evening in the Hulen / Cityview area of west Fort
Worth. The jury was also able to hear testimony from the
employee from the Subway sandwich shop in Benbrook that
was robbed by Holt on November 24, 2001 as well as the
clerk of the west Fort Worth donut shop that he robbed
on January 13, 2002. [TOP]
Serial Killer Sentenced to Death
"In May 2002, a jury sentenced convicted serial
killer, Terry Lee Hankins to death for the murders of
his two step-children in their beds while they were
sleeping. Each had been shot in the head at close range.
The night before, Hankins had killed the children’s
mother in the same home. Hankins was arrested several
days later after a standoff with police at his
girlfriend’s apartment in Arlington. The murder weapon
was found inside the apartment along with Hankin’s
personal journal detailing the crimes. Hankins confessed
to police which led to the discovery of two more murder
victims which Hankins killed a year earlier. He had
bludgeoned his half-sister with a car jack and sealed
her body in a plastic container. The decayed body of
Hankins father was found at his home with a single
gunshot wound to the head." [TOP]
Tarrant County Wins Boundary
Suit
Tarrant County has won a five year battle over
its northern boundary in the Court of Appeals. Filed in
1997, the suit was brought to settle an uncertainty
dating back to the 1850's, when surveyors of that day
were unable to agree upon the correct boundary. On
May 30, 2002, a unanimous Court of Appeals ruled that
Tarrant and Denton counties agreed to employ a surveyor
in 1986 to determine, among other things, the northeast
corner of Tarrant County, and once the corner was agreed
to by both counties, they could not disavow that
agreement over a decade later. "This is a complete
victory for Tarrant County," said Marvin Collins, Chief
of the Civil Division of the District Attorney's Office.
"At this point, Tarrant County has won hands down." [TOP]
Timothy Borders Convicted of
Capital Murder
"Timothy Borders was convicted of capital murder in
the death of his former girlfriend’s new boyfriend,
James Henry and assessed a Life sentence on May 3, 2002.
In April 2001, Borders was angered when he saw his
former companion and Henry at her house. He walked a
mile to his car and retrieved a handgun and wire
cutters. He returned to her house, cut the telephone
line and kicked open the door. Borders shot Henry
causing him to fall and killed him with a close range
shot to the back of his neck. He kidnapped his former
girlfriend but eventually released her at her sister’s
house." [TOP]
Embezzler Sentenced to 17
Years
"In June, 2002 Thomas Pucher was convicted of
Theft of property of the value of more than $200,000.00
and sentenced by a Tarrant County Jury to 17 years
confinement. Pucher was a mail room employee who
submitted phony invoices to his employer, Burlington
Resources for almost six years. Pucher forged signatures
of other employees authorizing payment. Evidence
submitted indicated that Pucher had received over
$2,800,000.00 during this period. The Economic Crimes
Unit investigated and prosecuted the case. Records
revealed that Pucher and his wife, Sandra Plummer Pucher
purchased real estate, yachts, boats, motor vehicles and
took trips with the stolen funds. Sandra was convicted
of Conspiracy and received a 10 year probated sentence
from a different jury in April. Judge Wayne Salvant
ordered her to serve the maximum 180 days in jail as a
condition of her probation and pay a $10,000 fine." [TOP]
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