Posted on 12/25/2012 1:00:11 PM PST by JustaCowgirl
WEBSTER, N.Y. (AP) — Police have found human remains in the burned-out home of the Webster, N.Y., ex-con who killed two firefighters and believe the victim is the gunman's sister. Police Chief Gerald Pickering said Tuesday the remains were found in the charred house that 62-year-old William Spengler shared with his 67-year-old sister, Cheryl. A medical examiner will need to determine the identity. Police say Willliam Spengler armed himself with a revolver, shotgun and military-style rifle before he set his house afire to lure first responders into a pre-dawn death trap on Christmas Eve. Pickering says Spengler "was equipped to go to war."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Spengler should never have been let out of prison. After all, he murdered his own grandmother.
A very bad dude, in the traditional meaning of the word. He will not be missed.
I know he was daft but even with that, what was the point to covering up a crime? He committed suicide.
I thought the fire was to lure firefighters, or so I had read.
I’m thinking it was a twofer, that he either first killed his sister by other means or simply trapped her in a fire to kill her, which also lured the firefighters whom he shot.
Good question. I don't know, but I think your speculation might be correct. He probably wasn't real bright to begin with, and mean as a snake on top of that. I think most likely he started the fire to cover up the murder, then when the firefighters showed up, it escalated from there. Might not have originally intended to commit suicide. Who knows.
He left a note saying he wanted to kill as many people as possible, and that killing was what he did best.
And because of the actions of these WACKOS we are supposed to give up our guns. BRING BACK THE STATE INSTITUTIONS AND LOCK THESE DANGEROUS PEOPLE AWAY FOREVER. It is the most loving and kind thing we can do for them and for us.
I worked in the NYS prison system for 25 years, but the guys picture didn't look familiar to me. I've been retired over 9 years, so it's possible my memory isn't like it was. The news articles were a little unclear as to the timeline of his incarceration and parole. One article said he'd served 17 years and had been paroled in 2009, another said he'd been parole in 2006. That's more than 17 years for a 1980 murder. So after reading several other articles, one in particular said that he'd been on parole for approximately 8 years since being released. That means that he'd probably been released around 1998, but was under parole supervision for 8-9 years after that.
The next door neighbor said Spengler didn't get along with his sister, and that after his 91 year old mother died this past October, Spengler had "gone crazy." I got news for that neighbor...the guy was crazy when he took a hammer to his grandmother back in 1980, and he never should have been released in the first place.
The “progressives” killed the two fireman and the sister.
The shooter was their tool.
Now he’ll have his name in all the papers.
I know, except it “says” the fire was meant to lure firefighters...although how can they know that?
The impression they wanted to leave was that he planned to shoot them after luring them there with the fire.
Your scenario has a gradually unfolding event with a not-too-bright, and mean, murderer (having killed his own grandmother) sort of winging it after starting out killing his sister.
The pattern of murdering family members seems clear. What isn’t yet clear is if he meant to commit suicide after he murdered his sister, meant to shoot the firemen etc or was this something that escalated.
The murderer had an arsenal of weapons ready for the arrival of any first responders, apparently, so if only from that, I’m leaning that he meant to do the entire thing from the beginning.
If true, then I don’t think the fire was to cover up a crime, since he was planning to kill himself at the end.
Seems like he was a destroyer...destroyed his grandmother, his sister, the house and the first responders he shot. And everyone connected to them...
Got his name up in lights, too, which was probably something he desired since he was a total loser otherwise...
Then the fire wasn’t to cover up anything, but a part of his plan to kill people, not just his sister (referencing the fact that a note was found laying out his intentions)...
Either jail them forever, lock them away in a mental institution, or apply the death penalty.
Because of THESE people, an excuse is used to say our rights must be voided. Which wouldn’t work anyway, as we know.
The whole thing makes me very angry.
Murdered his 92 yr old grandmother with a hammer, and some idiot judge lets him out after only 17 years.
What part of cold blooded, sociopath, didn’t the judge recognize?
ya, it’s the gun’s fault.....
I am a strong advocate that every time one of these liberal jackasses opens his yap to spout gun control, conservatives should respond that what we need is *not* putting such killers in mental hospitals, but to swiftly and surely execute them.
That is, clear the decks so intrusive federal judges cannot delay an execution for decades, nor overturn it except in the most egregious of circumstances.
Second, to declare the states “legally competent” to carry out the death penalty *as they see fit*, without federal judges nit-picking this function to death. If they want to hang, they can hang, or electrocute, gas chamber, firing squad, or lethal injection if they want. But it is up to them, the states.
It sounds like the hammer started it all.
Fires were set to lure in firemen to be shot back in the 1960s and 1970s. It is not new.
I actually want federal death penalty reform, so I don’t get glib on the subject. Orrin Hatch as chairman of the senate judiciary committee, is satisfied with the status quo, more or less, so until he is replaced by a conservative in a Republican controlled senate, such reform is unlikely.
Wondering if “Maxwells silver hammer” came own upon sister’s head too like granny? Anyway since the murderous tasbard loves fire so much he gets to spend christmas day in fiery hell nice and toasty. He should have been executed or at least still be in prison for killing granny. Now all these victims would still be alive. Eff the non-justice Lieberal system.
There, that's fixed.
Regards,
GtG
Never try to get inside a mad man’s head and attempt to understand what you find there, for if you do understand what you find there, you’re just as crazy as he is.
Read in other articles that he'd left a 3-page typewritten note saying that he wanted to burn down the neighborhood, and "do what he likes doing best...killing people."
Uh-oh, the evil “military-style rifle” was involved. Was it identified? Probably a single-shot .22.
Call Cuomo - NYS should immediately outlaw felons and the mentally ill from possessing firearms.
This must never be allowed to happen again.
According to Fox News, the killer was armed with a .38-caliber revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle. The Bushmaster is the same make and caliber semiautomatic rifle as the one used in the Newtown school massacre.
If you listen to the radio transmissions from the scene, it is clear that the guy used the rifle to shoot at the first responders as soon as they arrived, from behind a berm across the street from the fire, so he set them up in a trap.
I don’t watch Fox News, or any alphabet news station. I based my comment on the article posted, and that article did not identify the rifle. If it was a Bushmaster .223, then it is a very common rifle, and is not in reality an assault rifle (in newspeak, though, it is.).
I don’t watch Fox News, or any alphabet news station. I based my comment on the article posted, and that article did not identify the rifle. If it was a Bushmaster .223, then it is a very common rifle, and is not in reality an assault rifle (in newspeak, though, it is.).
“Murdered his 92 yr old grandmother with a hammer, and some idiot judge lets him out after only 17 years.”
That is nothing my cousin murder was released after his bail was reduced from 1 Million to $250,000.00. EVEN!!! when he bludgeoned an elderly couple who happens to be Berkeley Professors almost to death. Leaving the woman unable to speak and her husband. There place had blood everywhere yet this stupid woman judge I guess didnt think that was enough so she stupidly reduce his bail only to get out by using his house & boat as collatral and murder my cousin by cutting him up.
Ping
Not a coverup. This was THE crime. Police have a 3 page letter the POS left stating his intent to burn down the neighborhood and kill as many people as he could.
This perp was a total scumbag who should have been hanged back when he killed his grandmother with a hammer.
It was a Bushmaster. I'll give the police and press credit here. In this article they avoided reporting this as a "deadly, highpowered, extra-triple high capacity automatic assault rifle," which is the verbiage typically used. I'm ok with referring to a Bushmaster as a "military style rifle"; That's essentially what it is. A Springield, a 98 Mauser, a Garand, or M-1 Carbine could also be characterized as "military style rifles."
From what I've heard, the chief of police's first impulse was to blame the killer, stating he should never have been released, and (to my knowledge) didn't blame the rifle. either the chief and press involved here have their heads screwed on right, or we're making some progress.
A Bushmaster is indeed a “military-style” rifle in appearance, as it is a clone of the M16. In functionality, it is not.
I, also, commend the police chief if he blamed the shooter and not the weapon, and applaud him for not calling the Bushmaster an assault rifle. We’ll see if he changes his narrative after the mayor and city council have a talk with him.
“. We’ll see if he changes his narrative after the mayor and city council have a talk with him.”
Won’t happen. Webster is a suburban town and doesn’t have a mayor or city council. Plus it is quite conservative or at least conservative leaning.
Add to that the fact that the head of the next agency involved is the Monroe County Sheriff Pat O’Flynn who would be welcome at any freeper’s table. He answers to the County manager Maggie Brooks who is also pro 2nd amendment.
We are dealing with good people on this one and you are NOT going to hear them blaming guns.
This man was found guilty of killing his Grandmother with a hammer. If he had been executed that wouls have been the end of it.
There is no record of any executed killer ever killing again.
Stop farting around with these people.
There is no such thing as being too stupid or too insane to be executed, That’s horse hockey.
If they are too sick to be executed-—carry them to the table and git er done.
600 people in California sitting on death row waiting to get turned loose so they can kill again. Why? Because some governor hasn’t the balls to set up the schedule./
yea, but too bad for him, he won't be able to read them. The papers don't make deliveries to Hell.
The news said a three page type written note. I doubt seriously this guy could type and he doesn’t look like the type of guy that would write a three page suicide note. I personally don’t believe he did.
How come the letter did not burn up but almost the whole block was burned?
Executed murders generally, without known exceptions that I know of, are not repeat offenders. Had they done the right thing in the first place the whole conversation would be moot.
Why was he let out of prison after serving only 17 years?!! Why?!
That judges name needs to be in the papers. Does the governor have to sign off on releases? Everyone involved in the process needs to be hung or tarred and feathered. Enough of this! We need our land back.
That’s good to hear.
What responsibilities do parole boards have for their insistance in releasing the worst of the worst?
Who’s next?
Charlie Manson?
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