Mr. Greeno told jurors yesterday that he would present a case showing Reginald Carr, 24, was brain damaged, and the things that happened to him in childhood affected his development. We respect what you have done in this case, Jay Greeno, an attorney for Reginald Carr, said as the penalty phase of the brothers capital murder trial began. Hes a father of twins, director of lay servant ministries in the United Methodist Church and plays second base for the Old Cowtown vintage baseball team. The police were far from even figuring out who the perpetrators were, though they were sure there would be more crimes to follow. ZTBkMzVmOTVjOWJmNTMzY2IwNjQwMWFmNGZlMDA0NWRiOTM4Nzk2MWZlODIx Copyright 2022 KWCH. TheCarrbrothers, armed with handguns and golf clubs, forced their way into the home and wrangled all five friends into one room, before scouring the place for valuables. Befort had intended to propose to Holly, and she found this out when the Carrs discovered an engagement ring hidden in a popcorn box. This was a very dysfunctional family they fought, they drank, they drugged in front of the kids, Mr. Evans said. The victims in these crimes were the salt of the Earth, Wichita Police Sgt. Oliver was convicted of the four murders and is serving a life sentence in prison, with no possibility of parole before 2140.[10]. Jonathan and Reginald Carr have spent the last two decades on death row in Kansas, convicted of the rape, torture and murders of five Wichitans in December of 2000. One day during 2000, the Carr brothers made a decision to go on a crime spree in Wichita. But Kansas hasn't executed anyone in 50 years. He said state law requires that each death-penalty defendant be sentenced for their own actions. H.G., miraculously, survived. It concluded that a defendant who has been convicted of capital murder beyond reasonable doubt forfeits thatright. This story was originally published May 24, 2021 5:05 PM. She and her friendshad beenshot,she told the couple who opened their door. Based on the robberies, Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston decided against treating these incidents as hate crimes. Afterward, the Carr brothers took them to a bank, where they forced them to empty out their accounts and give the money to them; then, they drove all five to a snowy soccer field, where they executed them, one by one, shooting them in the head. All rights reserved. Jonathan Carr, now 34, and Reginald Carr, 36, were in their early 20s when the crimes occ The Carr brothers appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, which issued its opinion affirming one capital murder conviction for each brother, among other lesser convictions. Recently, Wichita's judicial system found the death penalty to the Carr brothers as being unfair, as the jurors considered the circumstances of the testimonies both for and against the two to be equal. We accept your verdict. Under one of the beds, they found a popcorn tin; inside it was an engagement ring. The judge then sentenced them to be executed. Between the dates of December 8 to December 16, Reginald and Jonathan Carr had an iron hold over the city as they went on a horrifying murderous rampage that shocked police and left citizens petrified. There was no prolonged torture or sexual component in the Wheaton case. I love them just as much as you would love your children. There is no explanation for something like this. When put on trial, the evidence against the Carr Brothers was overwhelming. ZWVlNmQwNGZhNjFjMzJiMzQzMzE3YmU3YTU2NWI0N2NhMDA1NDVjZjUxZGQ2 Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Reginald Carr was convicted of 50 counts and Jonathan Carr of 43. In 2002, the Carr brothers were convicted on four counts of capital murder and sentenced to death. Things quietened down over the next three days, and law enforcement officials hoped against hope that this was a one-time incident. [4], The Kansas Attorney General appealed the high court's ruling to the US Supreme Court, which in March 2015 agreed to hear the Carr brothers' sentencing case, together with another death-penalty case from the state. Reginald and Jonathan Carr would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Carr brothers seek to dodge death penalty again for 2000 murder, rape, robbery spree, U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with legal aftermath of Carr brothers murders, U.S. Supreme Court wont hear 2nd appeal from KS brothers on death row for Wichita murders, Wichita teen breaks Jim Ryuns 58-year-old Kansas high school record with fastest U.S. mile, This shop has served Wichita bicyclists for 60 years. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "[3], The high court upheld most of the convictions against each of the brothers despite other purported lower-court errors. MjE4MWViYzVjYzNiNzkzOWMwYzI1ZmYzODE0NDA1NzJkNmFiNTE3N2FiMTZj The Carr brothers were later linked to two crimes earlier in the month: the carjacking and robbery of a 23-year-old man and the shooting death of Wichita symphony cellist Linda "Ann" Walenta. Theywerevictimized sexuallybefore beingdriven to a soccer field, forced to kneel in the snow and shot in the back of the head. The Carrs were convicted Monday on charges stemming from a Wichita crime spree in December 2000 that left five persons dead, four of them shot execution-style in the back of the head as they knelt side-by-side in a snow-covered soccer field. It was part. Nothing but savage filth and, hopefully, they will be treated as such from now until forever. I believe there is good in them. [1] Their vicious crimes created panic in the Wichita area resulting in an increase in the sales of guns, locks, and home security systems.[2]. ", "It would mean nothing, we think, to tell the jury that the defendants must deserve mercy beyond a reasonable doubt; or must more-likely-than-not deserve it," Scalia wrote, and added that a more involved sentencing approach would "produce anything but jury confusion. Inside the property, which they had chosen at random, were Brad Heyka, Heather Muller, Aaron Sander, Jason Befort, and his girlfriend, a young woman identified as "Holly G.". Police had nothing to go on, except a description of two black males, and all was quiet for three days. The most horrifying and unspeakable crime took place on December 14. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for those four murders. ZjkwYzI2OGRlY2E4OWY5ODc0YTMyMWRhYjEzMGVkNGJlMWJkODM5YjgzZGI0 NzJmMGU0YTljMWMzMzU3ODQyNzRhZGVlYmFmYzgyN2Y3ZTAyZjAyYjcwOGM5 Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. In the process, they killed Nikki. He did that himself on the night of Dec. 14th and the morning of Dec. 15th (2000) by his actions against the five victims in this case, Lowden said. On December 14, 2000, Reginald and Jonathan Carr invaded a home where Brad Heyka, Heather Muller, Aaron Sander, Jason Befort and his girlfriend, a young woman identified as "Holly G were murdered. The Blacks, Jonathan and Reginald Carr, then drove the Whites to an ATM machine and forced them to hand over all their money. Many evidence that was left behind at the crime scenes, as well as the testimony of Andrew Schreiber against Reginald and Jonathan, proved to easily overwhelm the testimonies defending them. That ruling, based on the state courts interpretation of federal law, was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court two years later. All rights reserved. The six justice-majority said they did so because the trial judge failed to adequately separate the penalty proceedings for each defendant. The Wichita Massacre, also known as the Wichita Horror, was a week-long series of random brutal crimes perpetrated by brothers Reginald and Jonathan Carr in the city of Wichita, Kansas between December 8 and 15, 2000. [2], Years later, The Wichita Eagle commented that the deaths of four young black people who were murdered by a young black man eight days before the "Wichita Massacre" in 2000 received less general media coverage than the murders committed by the Carr brothers. Reginald Dexter Carr Jr. They were both sentenced to death in October 2002. NTY3MGNmZTc2MWE5MGNhM2QwNDY0MmY5Y2YyN2E2ZmRhYzcyZTU0YWJiYmIy Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Jonathan Carr: What happened to those boys who shot those kids?Kelly Otis: They've been charged with capital murder.Carr: What's capital murder?Otis: Well, anyone convicted of capital murder can get the death penaltyCarr: How's that done?Otis: Lethal injection.Carr: Do you feel anything [from that]?Interrogation with homicide detective Kelly Otis. The police were immediately called, and Ann was shifted to a hospital. Meanwhile, H.G. He said jurors need to know there is some good in Jonathan Carr. He didnt take the witness stand either in the guilt or penalty phases of his trial because of the trial court error which precluded him from testifying to anything useful to his defense, she said. He said he would put witnesses on the stand to testify that Jonathan Carr tried to kill himself when he was 7 years old and again when he was 16 and that his brother, Reginald, went to prison. They started small when on December 8, 2000, Andrew Schreiber was accosted at gunpoint in front of a convenience store. Jim Merricksaid. ZjkzMTA5OTE5MDc3ZTNkOGE1NDY1MDUwNGYyZmMxNDlhYmZiZmEzZWRmYTdh She then trudged through the cold winter night and finally managed to find a couple who gave her their phone to call 911. It. in 2014 overturned the brothers' sentences. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. One day later, a massive police task force brought in Reginald, then Jonathan,withboth of themattempting to flee. Opinion Editor Dion Lefler has been providing award-winning coverage of local government, politics and business as a reporter in Wichita for 23 years. This picture was taken by serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades. [3] After an appeal by the state's attorney general to the US Supreme Court, it overturned the decision of the Kansas Supreme Court in January 2016 and reinstated the death sentences. They were convicted on almost every count, and were sentenced to the death penalty. "[3] Even if the death penalties were not upheld, each of the Carrs was already sentenced to serve at least "70 to 80 years" in prison before being eligible for parole. MDJlOGUwYTUxZDZlNTFiYjJmN2NjMjMzZGQ2MTI1ZTEyMGU2ODM5YzYyMTYy Carr, in which the court sided with the state in ruling that the Constitution doesn't grant the brothers -- and a third capital defendant in unrelated murders -- a right to a sentencing procedure that treats evidence that mitigates their culpability more charitably than it does other evidence. Now that the Carr brothers are back at the mercy of the state, will it finally follow through? The District Attorney said that they believed their motive was robbery based on evidence. Wikipedia's article on the Wichita Massacre, Real Criminals Referenced in Season Three, Numerous unspecified crimes committed by both pre-2000, December 14: The 12727 Birchwood Drive attack. However, several media commentators alleged that the crime didn't receive much airtime or space in the national mainstream media due to political correctness, with one even claiming that the media has a double standard regarding interracial offenses. Part of HuffPost Politics. The case has received significant attention because the killers' death sentences have been subject to various rulings related to the use of executions in Kansas. Born in Dodge City, their parents quarreled a lot and would turn extremely violent against one another. The Carrs were also convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting of Ann Walenta four days before the quadruple murder. The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences for brothers convicted of a series of robberies, assaults and murders in Wichita. First, they tied up the males in the room and proceeded to rape the females agonizingly. Befort was a local high school teacher; Heyka was a director of finance with a local financial services company; Muller was a local preschool teacher; Sander a former financial analyst who had been studying to become a priest; Holly G. was a teacher.[5]. Generated by Wordfence at Wed, 18 Jan 2023 13:03:46 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. A dog, named Nikki, was also present. reported the incident and gave descriptions of the Carrs to the couple who had taken her in. NWE3OTMwZDFiOTY2MDA1OWUzZjEwNTkwMzE1NDJhNTk4ODkyMDM0YjZkZTVj We know from the evidence they committed these crimes because they wanted to, because they chose to, Miss Foulston said. "They ordered the five to remove their clothes, forced them into a closet. The children reportedly faced the same kind of abuse at their maternal grandmothers place. The Carr brothers were from Dodge City. Walenta, still hospitalized, was able to positively identify Reginald as one of her attackers. Jonathan gave the police a short pursuit but was soon apprehended. The Wichita Massacre, also known as the Wichita Horror, was a week-long series of random brutal crimes perpetrated by brothers Reginald and Jonathan Carr in the city of Wichita, Kansas between December 8 and 15, 2000. After that, they held the males at gunpoint and forced them to assault and rape the females once again. From the description, the police were able to find a connection between the December 8 carjacking and the December 11 murder. Her plastic hair barrette had deflected the bullet meant for her brain, and the weight of the truck had somehow not crushed her. But before he got to the crux of the Supreme Court's legal holding and reasoning, Scalia once again described the horrors of Wichita in extreme detail -- a four-page screed that essentially paints the Carr brothers as the dregs of humanity that they probably are. Terrified, Ann tried to drive away, but her attacker opened fire, injuring her heavily. The Kansas Supreme Court, which is based in the Kansas Judicial Center, shown here, on Friday affirmed the death sentences handed out in 2002 to Wichita brothers. The fourhadn't previously known the Carrs. That statemaintains alethalinjectionchamber, where it plans to carry out executions, in an administration building at Lansing Correctional Facility, but no execution date has ever been set for any of the inmates facing death sentences. The Carrs then drove Befort's truck over their bodies and left them for dead. What could be the explanation for something like this? Mr. Evans said. NjM1Nzc3OGJlNGNkMmY1NTVjYTBlZjJiZmJhZDQzMDBjMTc3ZTBmZGQzMWRi Then, the real horror began. On July 25, 2014, the Kansas Supreme Court announced it had overturned the Carr death sentences on appeal. While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the brothers didnt have a federal 8th Amendment right to separate penalty phases, Jonathan Carrs lawyer that they should have been handled separately handled under state law. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the joint sentencing proceeding neither implicated the Carrs Eighth Amendment rights nor violated their rights under the due process clause. One person who was shot. Thanks to Andy Schreiber and H.G.'s testimony at trial supported by other eyewitnesses, Reginald and Jonathan Carr were convicted of nearly all the 113 counts against them, including kidnapping, beating . The brothers turned on each other at trial, with each seeking to maximize the others blame and minimize their own. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for those four murders. The Kansas Supreme Court overturned the death sentence in 2014. Attorneys for Jonathan and Reginald Carr sought to spare the brothers' lives at the Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday, raising several legal questions under state law after federal challenges to. Jonathan and Reginald Carr have spent the last two decades on death row in Kansas, convicted of the rape, torture and murders of five Wichitans in December of 2000. Jurors returned capital murder verdicts in the deaths of Aaron Sander, 29, Brad Heyka, 27, Jason Befort, 26; and Heather Muller, 25. help me understand what logical inferences a juror would make.. Sorry.. The US Supreme Court in Washington DC, April 24, 2015. For more than an hour, the rape and abuse wore on, until the victims were rounded up and packed into two vehicles one driven by Reginald, another by a victim. They are now. "Spotting a house with white Christmas lights in the distance, Holly started running toward it for help -- naked, skull shattered, and without shoes, through the snow and over barbed-wire fences," Scalia wrote, retelling the story of the lone survivor of the Carrs' carnage and the star witness at their trial. Defense attorneys for Reginald and Jonathan Carr asked jurors yesterday to show their clients mercy in sentencing them, blaming the brothers troubled childhood and dysfunctional family for their problems. Their father, and later their mother's boyfriends, would sexually abuse their older sister. "I worry that cases like these prevent States from serving as necessary laboratories for experimenting with how best to guarantee defendants a fair trial," she wrote. Their mother was reportedly abused by her new husband, and in turn, she allegedly abused her kids when she tried to punish them. Sadly none of the penalties will ever lessen the pain for the family and friends of the victims--I speak from experience as I've had two dear friends pointlessly MURDERED by FILTH . A fifth person, a woman, also was shot in the back of the head, but a hair clip diverted the bullet, saving her life. The brothers were arrested and convicted of multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, robbery, and rape. With such a disastrous childhood, the Carr brothers soon found themselves indulging in drugs and racking up arrest records. NDM5MWUwZjFjMDZkYjk3ZjJlOGM2MTQ4MGE5ZmZiMzFlOGVhZmIzMjFjZjBh ZjRmMmRiOWRlY2E4YzdkZjY0OWFhMzRhMDBmMTBlMjM1MGY2Yjg4NDFlNzY5 Also, the case garnered controversy after no prima facie evidence of racial motivation was revealed, other than the victims of the crime spree were Caucasian and the Carr brothers were African-American. As she tried to escape they shot her. 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