Posted on 03/25/2011 7:58:10 AM PDT by raccoonradio
A New Hampshire jury today rejected an insanity defense and convicted a former Eagle Scout of killing a mother and maiming her young daughter during a machete and knife attack.
The jury of five women and seven men deliberated for 90 minutes yesterday and a short time this morning before returning the guilty verdicts against Christopher Gribble, 21. Gribble had claimed he was insane when he and three friends killed Kimberly Cates, 42, and severely wounded her daughter, Jaimie, then 11, during a October 2009 Mont Vernon, N.H. home invasion.
Gribble now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During the 10-day trial, Gribble’s attorney Donna Brown said her client suffers from mental illness, including depression, a developmental disorder and personality disorders that include a lack of empathy for others.
Prosecutor Peter Hinckley, however, portrayed his insanity defense as an excuse by a callous and remorseless killer.
Gribble was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder during the commission of a burglary, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit burglary and tampering with a witness.
Accomplice Steven Spader, who wielded the machete during the attacks, was convicted in November and is serving two life sentences without possibility of parole. He did not wage an insanity defense.
Two other people involved in the attack have already pleaded guilty.
Quinn Glover is expected to serve 20 to 40 years in state prison on charges of robbery, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
William Marks also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and burglary and accomplice to first-degree assault in exchange for a 30-60 year prison sentence.
You mean to say that the Twinkie didn’t make him do it?
I don’t recall the exact statistics, but the success rate of the insanity defense is very low, like less than 10%.
This guy deserves to either get the needle or die in prison.
So sad. How do you go from being an Eagle Scout to this level of depravity?
Where they on some kind of drugs or something?
I’m not familiar with the case.
Thank God - and thanks to the jury.
Crazy or not, he should fry.
Unfortunately, at the time of the crime, the only way someone can get the death penalty in NH was if they murdered a cop. Because of this case, that has since been changed.
Guess not...
1/5/10:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Accused+killers+in+Mont+Vernon+murder+showed+no+remorse+during+questioning&articleId=3da13ef6-54d0-40fc-aae5-00f87a335ac4
>>Murder was always part of the plan when four young men broke in to a local home and “just kill the people...for fun,” according to one of the alleged killers who told police it felt “cool” to kill the mother but regretted her 11-year-old daughter lived.
...If the daughter hadn’t ‘played dead’ she would have been
‘finished off’. Part of her foot hacked off
I’ve never understood the “extenuating circumstances” concept. Some people cannot live in society. They cannot contribute. They are a danger to others. I don’t really care why. Trouble childhood? Bad socio-economic background? Drug dependancy? Mental illness? It makes no difference to me. If they cannot live within society, they should fry.
NH has death penalty but it didn’t apply in this case
http://www.wmur.com/news/21230942/detail.html
MONT VERNON, N.H. — The killing of a woman in Mont Vernon does not meet capital murder criteria, according to New Hampshire law.Under the law a person guilty of capital murder can only be put to death under certain circumstances. Senior Assistant Attorney General Will Delker said the evidence built in the investigation does not meet those circumstances.
Among them, the murder of a law enforcement officer — which lead to a death penalty verdict in the Michael Addison trial in 2008...Rep. William O’Brian, (R) Mont Vernon, said that while it’s too late to change the death penalty statute in New Hampshire this session, the killing of Kimberly Cates warrants a review of the law.
I've got my own theory on why, which is better kept to myself.
Killing for (what they thought was) the fun of it. Broke into house and killed mother and maimed daughter. home invasion
10/4/09
Mont Vernon NH– A Mont Vernon mother was found dead early this morning and her 10-year-old daughter is undergoing surgery at Children’s Hospital in Boston for serious injuries.
..Police went to the contemporary-style home after receiving a 911 emergency call at 4:20 a.m., Delker said.There they found a woman dead inside the blue single-story residence located on a dirt road in a quiet, wooded neighborhood.
(husband was away on business)
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Woman+murdered%2c+daughter+hurt+in+Mont+Vernon&articleId=cca0b439-9a0a-4255-8861-0b4fedebbdfb
What’s that rash on his arms?
So sad. How do you go from being an Eagle Scout to this level of depravity?
>> including depression, a developmental disorder and personality disorders that include a lack of empathy for others.
“lack of empathy for others”. YATHINK?
I bet prison exacerbates that nasty ol’ depression poor widdle Chrissie is suffering from. heh heh
How does THAT work?
Looks like yer off the hook, Twinkie.
This time... ;-)
Methamphetamine, I think. No faster or more thorough way to suck the soul out of a human being has yet been invented.
I'm for legalization of marijuana, and a mandatory death penalty on the first offense for any maker or dealer of meth.
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