Posted on 04/27/2005 6:55:51 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel
The ordeal lasted at least an hour.
Christine Marie Ham's killers stabbed her. They beat her. They choked her. They attempted to set her on fire. Then they threw her, still alive, into the Schuylkill in Southwest Philadelphia.
Somehow, the 15-year-old Ham treaded water and managed to crawl back to shore. She collapsed near the river bank. There, she bled to death early Sunday.
Philadelphia police yesterday arrested four people - two young men, a young woman, and a teenage boy - in Ham's killing. Homicide Capt. Richard Ross said Ham, of Chester Township in Delaware County, was subjected "to brutality that is beyond comprehension."
"Even homicide detectives are astounded and find it very disturbing to think that four young people could allegedly commit such an evil and barbaric act," he said.
Ham's slaying was frighteningly reminiscent of the 2003 murder of 16-year-old Jason Sweeney of Fishtown. Like Sweeney, Ham knew the suspects and considered them friends. Her friends said she had dated one of the suspects, just as Sweeney was apparently romantically involved with one of his killers.
And, like Sweeney, Ham was allegedly lured to her death with the promise of sex.
"This killing was planned and not spur-of-the-moment," District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said at a noon news conference yesterday at Police Headquarters. "Just when we think that young people are incapable of being more brutal than brutal, we are again forced to confront the kind of remarkable, excruciating, horrible violence visited upon a 15-year-old by young people."
Ross identified the suspects - all from Southwest Philadelphia - as John Garrett, 17, of the 7000 block of Reedland Street; Felicia Dawson, 19, of the 6300 block of Wheeler Street; Derrell Savage, 20, of the 6700 block of Dorel Street; and Demarcus Hamms, 19, of the 2400 block of South Millick Street.
All were charged with murder, robbery, possession of an instrument of crime, and criminal conspiracy. All confessed to the crime, investigators said.
The families of three of the suspects could not be reached for comment. A woman who answered the door at Garrett's home identified herself as his mother and said her son was a "good kid" who was wrongly accused.
"My son didn't do it," said the woman, who would not give her name. "He was just there. The other ones already confessed."
Investigators said the slaying stemmed from a March 13 altercation in Chester in which Savage and three friends got into a fight with residents of Ham's Toby Farms neighborhood. Ham's friends said it began after an argument over which was tougher and better: Philadelphia or Toby Farms.
Savage and at least one other man were beaten in the altercation, and the men believed Ham had set up the attack, investigators said.
"It really doesn't matter," Ross said. "Something this horrendous, it was totally uncalled for. There's no reason in the world for someone to die like that."
Ham's mother, Joan Ignudo, said she last saw her daughter Saturday. The teenager's friends said she had gone to Southwest Philadelphia to meet Savage - her former boyfriend - and to retrieve two cellular telephones: one belonging to her, the other belonging to a girlfriend. Savage took the telephones after an argument last week, Ham's friends said.
Ham had family in Philadelphia and was familiar with the city. The four suspects were all people she knew, Ross said.
"They were friends, if you want to call it that," he said. "As far as we know, they were friends, acquaintances who knew and hung out with each other."
Based on that friendship, the four were able to entice Ham to Bartram's Garden with the promise of a sexual encounter, investigators said. The spot is a hangout for neighborhood youths - often after hours - and alcohol is frequently consumed.
Police say they believe Ham died sometime between midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday. Her fully clothed body was found about 4:20 p.m. Sunday, near 53d Street and Lindbergh Boulevard near the park.
Yesterday, a red heart decorated with white lace stood near the secluded area where Ham's body was found. Blood was spattered atop an embankment wall.
Ham's friends said she was outgoing, spontaneous and loyal. She loved to dance and was known for some of her practical jokes, such as taking her home telephone to the mall and pretending it was a cell phone.
"She always took up for us," said longtime pal Courtney Moseley, 14. "Anytime anyone would do anything to us or say anything about us, she would always say, 'Do you want me to handle it?' "
At Ham's home, Ahmad Abdulla, 17, placed a green stuffed frog on the doorstep.
"I knew her for a long time," he said. "We played cards together. Just had fun sitting around and chilling. Nobody deserves to die like that."
The four suspects were held without bail and face a hearing May 4 at the Criminal Justice Center.
Well, looks like a text book hate crime to me. Thank God for the wisdom of our legislators to recognize the fact that if you take a crime outside of your own race, religion, or sexual orientation, you should be punished extra.
I'll be sure to post the article where our brilliant prosecutor announces her intent to use the hate crimes law here...
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Notice that she felt that her son was guiltless because he only stood around and watched grown men methodically beat a helpless girl to death.
Glad that God has been taken out of the schools so that children like this can grow up with absolutely no morals...
HAHAHAHAH...Lynn Abraham...BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!
More of the same pathology in the black "community". But will we hear from Jesse Jackass on this one? Methinks not too soon - after all, "whitey" was not involved in this crime.
Typical punk gangsta crap. I think if the cops look further, they'll find that competing rap "artists" were also a factor. I'm guessing that none of these people has ever lived in the same house as their father... Makes you wonder whether it wouldn't be in everybody's best interests to spray areas like this with aerosol contraceptives.
Supreme Court says so.
And these animals are probably too young for the death penalty, according to Justice Kennedy.
Ham's friends said it began after an argument over which was tougher and better: Philadelphia or Toby Farms.
If there's any upside to this, at least the above question seems to have been settled.
As long as they are under the age of 18, gotta let 'em go.
If you look at the photo of the middle guy, he had an out as soon as they ruled that you can't execute the retarded.
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Not just grown 'men'. Looks like there's a girl named Felicia that participated as well in this brutal killing as well. What a sad statement on the community, gang life, growing up 'urban', etc.
Investigators said the slaying stemmed from a March 13 altercation in Chester (snip)and the men believed Ham had set up the attack,
Police say they believe Ham died sometime between midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday.
"Anytime anyone would do anything to us or say anything about us, she would always say, 'Do you want me to handle it?' "
A 15 year old running around (in another town?)with 'friends' at all hours
mom / daughter with different last names...where's Dad?
Setting up fights, willing to 'take care' of anyone for any reason?
Sounds rather like a female thug who ran with some dogs and wound up with fleas.
We both know "Dad" is out of the picture for everybody in the article, probably including the mothers of all involved.
'Course, you'd never get the NAACP to admit that, much less try to do anything about it.
Course not, you silly!
Stable family units are an anathema to the NAACP!
I thought conservatives believed that the place for the teaching of morals was in the home, by ones parents. Now you take a gratuitous swipe at the public school system for not doing what conservatives have always held the schools shouldn't be doing in the first place.
Except for the following:
1. Public schools are enforced monopoly of the state
2. You are forced to send your children there and to pay taxes to support it
3. Don't pay the taxes - the state will take your home
4. Yes, if you are rich you can send your kids to a private school
5. Wonder why we don't have school choice or vouchers?
Why can't a parent send their children to a school of their choice that teaches about God, morals and doesn't teach about abortion, gay lifestyles, sex with hamsters, etc.?
Also she is 15 and going to meet someone for a promised sexual encounter.
Good point! There are so many parts to this article that make you wonder...
WHERE in the H*LL were her parents???
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