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University Park man slain after dog urinates on lawn
Chicago Tribune ^ | May 11, 2010 | Steve Schmadeke and Lolly Bowean

Posted on 05/12/2010 8:02:23 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement

A former Marine who neighbors say obsessed over his University Park lawn is being held on $3 million bail, accused of gunning down a neighbor whose puppy urinated on the man's well-manicured grass.

Charles J. Clements, 69, had won the south suburb's beautification and lawn upkeep award but also was known for threatening people who dared to set foot in his yard, neighbors said.

Joshua Funches, a 23-year-old father of two, was walking his fox terrier Gucci in the 500 block of Landau Road on Sunday night when the dog lifted its leg and went on Clements' lawn, said Funches' mother Patricia, 53.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: chicago; dog; grantorino; lawn; murder; woundtootight
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What happened to Gucci?
1 posted on 05/12/2010 8:02:23 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
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To: ConservativeStatement

2 posted on 05/12/2010 8:04:26 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

Wonder if he owned a Green Torino?


3 posted on 05/12/2010 8:04:30 AM PDT by Crim (The Obama Doctrine : A doctrine based on complete ignorance.)
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To: TheThirdRuffian

Great movie.


4 posted on 05/12/2010 8:05:15 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: ConservativeStatement

“Next time you pull out a pistol, why don’t you use it?” ....

Not exactly the thing you want to say.....


5 posted on 05/12/2010 8:05:25 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: ConservativeStatement

When someone is pointing a gun at you, don’t invite them to shoot you. Especially just after your dog has pissed on their lawn.


6 posted on 05/12/2010 8:07:01 AM PDT by thethirddegree
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To: ConservativeStatement

Way to noodle that one through, Charles! Now you have blood, brains, cops, and reporters all over your lawn.


7 posted on 05/12/2010 8:10:41 AM PDT by Thrownatbirth (.....Iraq Invasion fan since '91.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

“A former Marine...” Loathsome Leftist writing. If he were a Republican, that would have been part of the lede.


8 posted on 05/12/2010 8:14:29 AM PDT by pabianice
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To: ConservativeStatement

Very sad, really. One dead and a lot of wrecked lives.


9 posted on 05/12/2010 8:15:08 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: ConservativeStatement
The victim


10 posted on 05/12/2010 8:15:46 AM PDT by beagleone
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To: ConservativeStatement

It seems that something like this from Mr. Clements was inevitable. I’m guessing that at some point, Mr. Clements will wonder if it would have been better to tolerate a dog pissing on his lawn, than to go to prison for the rest of his life.


11 posted on 05/12/2010 8:15:54 AM PDT by ZX12R
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To: Thrownatbirth

Question is....Will he repeat the award next year?....


12 posted on 05/12/2010 8:15:55 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: thethirddegree
Yep, this youngster should have said as many "I'm sorries as he could come up with." Antagonizing a lawn-worshipper on his own turf is not a good idea, but he still didn't deserve to be shot. Hope they put this guy away for life.

As a youngster myself, a man protecting his lawn came out after me and my friends -- yelling and pointing a rifle at us -- when we crossed close to his property line on the way to some fireworks. We were murmuring under our breath a little as we scurried past his house, but we should have stopped somewhere and reported him. Intense dude! What the h*ll is wrong with some folks? This, btw, happened in upper class-ish white suburbia some 50 years ago.
13 posted on 05/12/2010 8:17:18 AM PDT by mlizzy ("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)
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To: ConservativeStatement

My thought, exactly. Maybe he was aiming at the pooch. Geeze, he’s 69 years old. Bad eye sight and depth perception coupled with a shaky hand and lookout.

I’m guessing 3rd degree manslaughter. But, if it can be shown that the victim was purposely antagonizing the old man, there will be mitigating and extenuating circumstances regarding sentencing. Senility/insanity is also a possible defense.


14 posted on 05/12/2010 8:17:32 AM PDT by downtownconservative (3rd)
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To: pabianice

If he had been a former acorn type or was wearing a che t shirt, the story would have never been published.


15 posted on 05/12/2010 8:17:40 AM PDT by Texas resident (Outlaw fisherman)
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To: AngelesCrestHighway
Question is....Will he repeat the award next year?....

Would you vote against him?

16 posted on 05/12/2010 8:17:58 AM PDT by Fellow Traveler
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To: thethirddegree
Don't blame the crime on the victim.

The younger man thought he was dealing with someone rational;the old man deserves to lose ,and will lose that prize lawn along with everything else,for murdering a human being.There are less lethal steps to take when someone commits nuisance infractions.

There was a similar case in Cincinnati a year or two ago,in which an old man gunned down a teenager on foot for cutting across the grass.

Put up a fence and stop obsessing over inconsequential things.

17 posted on 05/12/2010 8:19:28 AM PDT by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a credit card?)
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To: beagleone

I wonder how he felt about Mr. President’s response to the question about having a favorite White Sox player.


18 posted on 05/12/2010 8:19:39 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement (Obama "acted stupidly.")
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To: pabianice

Obama supporter would have been a better descriptor I suspect.


19 posted on 05/12/2010 8:20:52 AM PDT by centurion316
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To: mlizzy

I remember a crabby old guy who gave me some verbal warnings too about walking on his lawn. I think I was 5 or 6. I am 63 today as a matter of fact. I guess I’m now the crabby old guy!


20 posted on 05/12/2010 8:22:11 AM PDT by thethirddegree
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