Roger Gillett – white, age 29
Sentenced to death in Forrest County, Mississippi
By: A jury.
Date of crime: March 2004
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Gillett was convicted of the murders of his cousin Vernon Hulett and Hulett’s girlfriend, Linda Heintzelman. Gillett and his girlfriend Lisa Jo Chamberlin, who was also charged with murder, were living with Hulett and Heintzelman at the time of the slayings and the victim’s bodies were found inside a freezer at an abandoned farmhouse by law officers searching for drugs. Hulett’s throat had been slashed, while Heintzelman had been smothered with a pillow. In a taped confession Chamberlain said that the victims were killed because they wouldn’t open a safe in Hulett’s home. At Gillett’s trial, the prosecution described the two days of torture that Heintzelman suffered before she was finally smothered. The defense called eight witnesses during the sentencing phase of Gillett’s trial who spoke on behalf of Gillett’s moral character. These witnesses included a priest, who testified that Gillett wanted to be baptized in prison and that he had a genuine faith. Gillett’s mother also provided tearful testimony and brought forth pictures of her son as a baby.
Prosecutor(s): Jon Mark Weathers, Ben Saucier
Defense lawyer(s): James Lappan
Sources: AP Alert-MS 08/3/06 05:01:25, 11/4/07 01:07:13; http://djournal9to5.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/in-the-news-50/
By: A jury.
Date of crime: March 2004
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Gillett was convicted of the murders of his cousin Vernon Hulett and Hulett’s girlfriend, Linda Heintzelman. Gillett and his girlfriend Lisa Jo Chamberlin, who was also charged with murder, were living with Hulett and Heintzelman at the time of the slayings and the victim’s bodies were found inside a freezer at an abandoned farmhouse by law officers searching for drugs. Hulett’s throat had been slashed, while Heintzelman had been smothered with a pillow. In a taped confession Chamberlain said that the victims were killed because they wouldn’t open a safe in Hulett’s home. At Gillett’s trial, the prosecution described the two days of torture that Heintzelman suffered before she was finally smothered. The defense called eight witnesses during the sentencing phase of Gillett’s trial who spoke on behalf of Gillett’s moral character. These witnesses included a priest, who testified that Gillett wanted to be baptized in prison and that he had a genuine faith. Gillett’s mother also provided tearful testimony and brought forth pictures of her son as a baby.
Prosecutor(s): Jon Mark Weathers, Ben Saucier
Defense lawyer(s): James Lappan
Sources: AP Alert-MS 08/3/06 05:01:25, 11/4/07 01:07:13; http://djournal9to5.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/in-the-news-50/
William Wilson – white, age 24
Sentenced to death in Lee County, Mississippi
By: A judge
Date of crime: April 2005
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Wilson was convicted of the murder of 2 year old Mallory Conlee. At the time of the girl’s death, authorities said they had received a report that a motorcycle had fallen on her head. The defense brought forth the mitigating factors of Wilson’s age and lack of prior felonies.
Prosecutor(s):
Defense lawyer(s):
Sources: AP Alert-MS 05/31/07 00:01:07; http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/may/31/tots-slaying-nets-death-penalty/
By: A judge
Date of crime: April 2005
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Wilson was convicted of the murder of 2 year old Mallory Conlee. At the time of the girl’s death, authorities said they had received a report that a motorcycle had fallen on her head. The defense brought forth the mitigating factors of Wilson’s age and lack of prior felonies.
Prosecutor(s):
Defense lawyer(s):
Sources: AP Alert-MS 05/31/07 00:01:07; http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/may/31/tots-slaying-nets-death-penalty/