Update: Bellville Family Murders
Attorney Katherine Scardino and Attorney James Rivera represented an individual charged with killing five of his family members in Bellville, Texas. The case received a great deal of publicity, due to the horrific crime scene.
(See our previous coverage of the Bellville Family Murders.)
Prior to the State of Texas seeking the Death Penalty, Investigator Cindy Klein had spoken to 22 family members, 20 of which did not want the Defendant to receive the Death Penalty. All of this information was presented to the District Attorney, who did decide to seek the Death Penalty.
It was the Defense position that the Defendant was mentally insane at the time of the incident. During trial preparation our expert, Donald Self, requested that we subpoena a psychiatrist who had evaluated the Defendant two months before trial, and the doctor who was present in the hospital, 24 hours after the Defendant’s arrest, when he demolished the laboratory and had to be restrained. Both doctors were located and subpoenaed for trial at the last minute.
The Jury Decides
The jury found the Defendant guilty of Capital Murder, but did not give him the Death Penalty, sentencing him to Life in Prison. We believe the testimony of the two doctors helped the jury decide for leniency for the Defendant.
RESULT BASED ON INVESTIGATION: Life Sentence, Rather Than Death Penalization
Return to the February 2014 Investigator’s Newsletter