[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 14 CANADA/IRAN: Canada refuses to help secure justice for murdered Toronto man The man wanted for hacking a Toronto father to death last year with a machete sits in an Iranian prison — but not for much longer. Hair stylist Sepehr Yeganehfathollah, 26, fled back to his Iranian homeland just hours after he allegedly killed construction worker Nader Fadaei at a Yonge St. Tim Hortons south of Steeles Ave. in what the victim’s friends insist was an unprovoked attack. On the evening of Sept. 19, 2018, as on many evenings, Fadaei, 44, had gone to have coffee with his friends. But this time would be tragically different. An altercation broke out in the parking lot at about 8 p.m. when Fadaei was confronted by a man who accused him of insulting his mother. According to witnesses, Yeganehfathollah’s mother had wrongly identified Fadaei as someone who had done her wrong. “It was a case of mistaken identity,” says Shawn, the family’s spokesman who is too fearful to have his last name used. “The last thing Nader said was ‘I don’t know your mother.’” Fadaei, a father of two and sole breadwinner of the family, was first allegedly punched by Yeganehfathollah. When he threw his coffee to defend himself, his attacker drew a 72-cm machete from his pants and slashed Fadaei from his shoulder through to his rib cage in a gruesome blow. He died shortly after arriving in hospital. Before Toronto Police could put out a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest with a warning that he was armed and dangerous, Yeganehfathollah was already on a plane bound for Turkey and then Iran. Toronto Police told them their hands were tied. They passed the information on to Interpol, which issued a red notice for his arrest on charges of 1st-degree murder. This past February, a homicide officer contacted them with wonderful news: Yeganehfathollah had been picked up in Iran. Fadaei’s family and friends were thrilled. They believed justice was at hand. They were wrong. Yeganehfathollah was denying any part in Fadaei’s death. There’s no extradition treaty with Iran, but authorities there were prepared to prosecute him if they received the evidence gathered by Toronto Police, including the security video that had captured the killing. The homicide detectives were happy to hand it over, but this was above their pay grade. They’d have to get authorization from the attorney general — authorization that was ultimately denied. “I know that this situation is frustrating. We have been working many hours on this case. We have really done everything possible at our level to secure some form of justice for Nader and his family,” Det. Const. Charles Crangle wrote Shawn in a March email. “Please understand that the decision to send or not send documents and our evidentiary files does not rest with us (police.) This decision rests with the Attorney General and the Department of Justice. They decide on these types of political matters.” Shawn believes the Canadian government is refusing to send the evidence because Yeganehfathollah could face the death penalty if convicted. But Shawn insists that sentence would be commuted to life because the family has agreed to accept compensation from him in return. “His widow is in dire straits. She needs the money,” he explained. But Canada appears to be more worried about an accused killer, Shawn argues. “We have to save an alleged murderer who ran away from our justice system? Canada wants to go the extra mile to save the life of an accused killer rather than help a widow left with two kids?” he demands. The family’s lawyer Rocco Achampong has just learned that Iranian police will only hold Yeganehfathollah for one more week unless they receive the Toronto evidence. He can file a freedom of information request but that will take months. “I don’t have that time. I need help to get these documents to Iran,” the lawyer says. “I need to send it as soon as possible to assist them in holding this man accountable – or else an alleged killer is going to walk free and disappear.” (source: Toronto Sun) Ex-Tehran mayor goes on trial over wife’s murder The high-profile trial opened Saturday of a former Tehran mayor charged with murdering his wife, Iranian media reported. Prominent reformist Mohammad Ali Najafi appeared in a Tehran criminal court, accused of shooting his second wife Mitra Ostad at their home in the Iranian capital. The charge sheet read out in court included murder, assault, battery and illegal possession of a weapon. The prosecutor also read out a statement from the former mayor, who claimed his wife once threatened him with a knife during one of their frequent arguments. Ostad’s body was found in the bathtub after Najafi turned himself in and confessed to killing her on May 28, according to Iranian media. Her family has appealed for the Islamic law of retribution to be
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----GA., LA., IND., NEB., IDAHO
July 14 GEORGIA: Judge denies request for continuance in murder trial Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Alison T. Burleson has denied a request from a defense attorney seeking a continuance in the upcoming death penalty murder trial of Ricky Dubose. Attorney Nathaniel L. Studelska, with the Georgia Capital Defender’s Office, told the judge during a Wednesday pre-trial hearing that the defense will not be ready for trial Sept. 30. “Judge, we’d just like to reiterate we do not expect to be ready for trial Sept. 30,” Studelska said. Burleson quickly ruled from the bench and denied a continuance. As it stands, Dubose will stand trial in Putnam County Superior Court on Monday, Sept. 30. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Burleson heard from Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen A. Bradley, as well as from Chief Assistant District Attorney Allison “Alley” Mauldin, along with lead Defense Attorney Gabrielle Amber Pittman related to other matters. One such matter regarded various security measures that will be taken in the upcoming trial. Those security issues were discussed with the judge by Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. Jury selection in that case will be conducted in Glynn County in the coastal area of Brunswick. The jurors chosen to hear the Dubose case will be transported to Putnam County for the trial. Dubose, along with co-defendant Donnie Rowe, are accused in the murders of Georgia Department of Corrections Officers Sgt. Curtis Billue and Sgt. Christopher Monica during an escape from a state prison bus on the morning of June 13, 2017. The 2 officers were shot to death with their own state-issued 9 mm handguns. Both of the victims lived in Milledgeville and were assigned to the transportation hub at Baldwin State Prison near Milledgeville. On the morning they were shot to death, they were involved in transporting state prison inmates from Baldwin State Prison and Hancock State Prison near Sparta. Dubose and Rowe escaped from the bus and then, one of them killed the officers before they both escaped from the prison bus and hijacked a motorist minutes later. The escaped inmates then traveled to Morgan County where they broke into a residence in Madison and stole a pickup truck. They drove to Tennessee where they committed a home invasion and stole a vehicle. After those crimes in Rutherford County, Tennessee, one of the inmates fired gunshots at deputies before the driver of the stolen vehicle wrecked and the inmates abandoned the vehicle for a nearby wooded area. The escapees later tossed away the guns and surrendered and were taken into custody. They subsequently were returned to Georgia where they were charged with the murders and other crimes in connection with their escape. Dubose and Rowe are being tried separately. Rowe’s case, which is being presided over by Superior Court Judge Brenda H. Trammell, is slated for Oct. 28. (source: Union-Recorder) LOUISIANAnew death sentence Jury sentences man to death for 2015 slaying of Louisiana State Policeman A man who fatally shot a Louisiana State Tropper in 2015 was sentenced to death by a Lafayette Parish jury. The 12-person jury on Saturday unanimously decided Kevin Daigle should be sentenced to the death penalty. In 2018, Louisiana voters amended the state constitution to prohibit non-unanimous verdicts in criminal cases. Daigle, now 57, shot and killed Trooper Steven Vincent during a traffic stop near Bell City. The trial was moved to Lafayette Parish from Calcasieu Parish. “The judgment is justice," said Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier in a post-trial conference. "This gentleman is evil. He’s evil and he did an evil thing. And he deserves to pay the penalty that justice requires. And in that respect, he is the worst of the worst." A judge will formally sentence Daigle in October. He was found guilty of 1st-degree murder Tuesday after jurors debated for about 15 minutes. During the trial, which lasted less than a week, jurors saw a dash-cam video from Vincent's patrol car. It showed Vincent try to help an intoxicated Daigle, who was in a truck on the side of the road, according to KPLC. The video showed Daigle shoot Vincent in the head, then stand above him and say, "oh, you're still alive? You're still going to die." Several passers-by stopped and subdued Daigle while trying to help Vincent. The video ended nearly an hour later when Vincent was airlifted to the hospital. State prosecutors argued Daigle understood the consequence of actions, despite his intoxication level. The defense argued the opposite. Because of Daigle's intoxication level, he could not have made the decision to intentionally shoot Vincent. It showed jurors an hour-long video of Daigle in the backseat of a trooper's patrol car after he was arrested. For a majority of the video, Daigle cannot be seen. But he can be heard
