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Reginald Carr had $996, victims' credit card, watch [Wichita Massacre Day 4]
The Wichita Eagle ^ | 10/11/02 | Hurst Laviana

Posted on 10/11/2002 4:12:30 AM PDT by KS Flyover

Reginald Carr had $996, victims' credit card, watch

Officers recount arrest

BY HURST LAVIANA - The Wichita Eagle - Fri, Oct. 11, 2002

Reginald Carr made a dash for the balcony door when he heard a knock from police officers who were tracking down a suspect in the execution-style murders of four Wichitans, a Sedgwick County jury was told Thursday.

But when Carr was greeted outside by half a dozen other officers with guns drawn, he ducked back inside, only to be overwhelmed by officers who were storming the apartment.

A description of the arrest came during the fourth day of testimony in the capital murder trail of Carr and his brother, Jonathan Carr.

Both are charged with abducting five people from a home at 12727 E. Birchwood Drive, taking them to a field near 29th Street North and Greenwich Road, and shooting each in the back of the head. Only one of the victims survived.

The brothers also are charged in the death of Wichita Symphony cellist Ann Walenta, who was killed during an attempted robbery days before.

Witnesses on Thursday said that within hours of the Dec 15, 2000, shootings, all three Wichita TV

stations were broadcasting a description of a silver Dodge Dakota pickup taken from the victims' home.

Among the witnesses was Christian Taylor, who lived in an apartment complex at 5400 E. 21st Street. After spotting a truck in his parking lot matching the description , Taylor said he drove to a police substation and told an officer. Police were immediately sent to the complex.

Riwa Obel Nsangalufu, who also lived in the complex, said he told arriving officers that he helped a man he identified as Reginald Carr carry a large television set into Apartment 819.

Once the officers had identified the apartment, they secured the area and began the tactical operation that ended in Carr's arrest.

"It was very intense," Officer Jamie Crouch testified. "You'd be amazed what you sense -- what you pick up -- when something like this is going on."

Crouch was among a group of half a dozen officers assigned to guard the second-floor balcony. A team of five officers, led by Officer James Espinoza, approached the door. Espinoza testified that he knocked and announced that he was a police officer and needed someone to come to the door.

When there was no response, Espinoza said, he knocked and repeated the announcement. Detective James Hosty was standing beside him.

"At that time, a female voice from inside was asking who we were and what we wanted," Hosty testified.

Officer Renay Bryand was carrying a shotgun.

"There was a little turn of the doorknob -- like it was going to open," he said.

But it didn't.

From the outside, Crouch said he could hear the knocking and Espinoza's voice. Then he heard sounds coming from the balcony's sliding glass door.

"You could hear glass sliding," he said. "He (Carr) placed both hands on the railing and lifted his left leg up 8 to 12 inches."

Crouch said Carr retreated when he saw six officers with guns drawn.

"I remember yelling: 'Police officer! Don't move! Show me your hands!' " Crouch said.

By that point, the woman had opened the door and Espinoza was in the entrance. Espinoza said he saw Carr running toward a back room.

"I pointed my gun at him and told him to get on the ground," Espinoza said.

"And did he get on the ground?" Deputy District Attorney Kim Parker asked.

"Yes, he did," Espinoza replied.

Espinoza said that when he patted Carr down for weapons, he found a credit card with the name of Jason Befort, one of the victims in the shootings.

When he later collected more of Carr's property at City Hall, Espinoza said, he found a ladies wristwatch and $996 in cash -- including 49 $20 bills -- in one of Carrs' jeans pockets.

Espinoza said the watch belonged to Heather Muller, another victim.

Among the other witnesses testifying Thursday was Wichita crime scene investigator Barb Siwek, who told the jury that a dog found dead in the victims' home on East Birchwood Drive was apparently killed by a blow from a golf club. The dog belonged to the woman who survived the attack.

Siwek said there was no evidence that a gun had been fired in the home. She said she spent five days processing the crime scene and found no bullets or bullet holes.

"There were none," she said. "I was looking."


Reach Hurst Laviana at 268-6499 or hlaviana@wichitaeagle.com.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: kansas; trial; wichita; wichitamassacre
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For detais about the murders see: The Wichita Massacre

TRIAL THREADS:
Wichita to revisit brutal slayings as testimony begins - 10/07/2002
Deputy recalls moment of discovering bodies [Wichita Murders] Day 1 - 10/07/2002
WICHITA MASSACRE TRIAL UNDERWAY Day 1 - 10/08/2002
Legal wrangling opens Carr trial [Wichita Murders] Day 1 - 10/08/2002
Carr trial: Survivor describes sexual attacks by armed intruders [Wichita Massacre] Day 2 - 10/09/2002
Witchita Case of Black Racist Crime Survivor's testimony horrifies courtroom Day 2 - 10/10/2002
Woman testifies that Carrs killed her friends in a soccer field [Wichita Massacre Day 3] Day 2 - 10/10/2002


1 posted on 10/11/2002 4:12:30 AM PDT by KS Flyover
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To: TroutStalker; alfa6; mjaneangels@aolcom; carlo3b; dennisw; Judith Anne; AK2KX; sheik yerbouty; ...
"Wichita Massacre" murder trial "Ping List".

Please let me know if you want on (or off) this list.

2 posted on 10/11/2002 4:13:48 AM PDT by KS Flyover
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To: KS Flyover
Ping me please
3 posted on 10/11/2002 5:04:00 AM PDT by Corporate Law
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To: KS Flyover
This crime was horrific. These men are so evil.
4 posted on 10/11/2002 5:10:41 AM PDT by kassie
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To: Corporate Law
You've been added to the ping list.


Carr brothers crime spree timeline:

Map and timeline (.gif 144k)

Map and timeline (.pdf file 80k)


5 posted on 10/11/2002 5:14:15 AM PDT by KS Flyover
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To: KS Flyover
Hadn't heard of the clubbing of the dog yet. Isn't that special?

They just don't come any more evil or twisted than these two. There's probably some twisted lefties out there who feel sorry for them. They'll be dutifully showing up with candles when we put them down like the sick dogs they are.


6 posted on 10/11/2002 5:25:31 AM PDT by AAABEST
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To: AAABEST
You can bet all the Mumiaheads will be there.
7 posted on 10/11/2002 5:38:33 AM PDT by Corporate Law
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To: KS Flyover
The residents of the apartment house who alerted the police are to be commended. Especially Christian Taylor, who could have called 911 anonymously but instead went down in person to the police station.
8 posted on 10/11/2002 5:48:43 AM PDT by CaptainK
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To: kassie
kassie...

Evil fails in description, but I have not found a word sufficient for such people.

9 posted on 10/11/2002 6:20:24 AM PDT by cynicom
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Posted overnight:

Prosecutors Downplay Racial Element in Kansas Murder Trial

10 posted on 10/11/2002 6:44:32 AM PDT by KS Flyover
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To: KS Flyover
Reasonable doubt is rapidly disappearing, but we have yet to see if racial doubt will play a role.
11 posted on 10/11/2002 7:48:56 AM PDT by republicman
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To: KS Flyover
Ping me.
12 posted on 10/11/2002 7:57:25 AM PDT by CharlesI
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To: KS Flyover
. . . a dog found dead in the victims' home on East Birchwood Drive was apparently killed by a blow from a golf club.

That does it! They killed a dog! This'll get the media's attention for sure! Where's PETA?

BTW: Ban golf clubs!

13 posted on 10/11/2002 9:26:02 AM PDT by Charles Henrickson
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To: KS Flyover
My letter to Ms. Foulston

da@sedgwick.gov

Ms. Foulston you have said that in the case of the two Carr brothers that there is no hate crime statute.

However your party, the democrat party and its organizations used the deaths of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd as rallying cries for the NEED for hate crime laws. So why in an equally, perhaps more heinous murder of several whites, is there no rallying cry for hate crime enhancements? Has your party, the democratic party, dropped its advocacy for the existence of such laws?

And as I understand it there IS an enhancement in the state of Kansas for bias crimes during the penalty phase. When this was posed to you, your response was that it is a death penalty case so there is no need. Perhaps, but wasn't the dragging death of James Byrd a death penalty case as well? Yet again, from the democratic party and its activists, your party, we heard all about the need for hate crime enhancements in Texas even so. Has your party, dropped its advocacy for the enforcement of hate crime enhancements?

Also several have requested that you forward the investigation to the FBI so that federal hate crimes charges could be considered. But you have refused to do so. Again I ask, Has your party, dropped its advocacy for the existence of federal hate crime enhancements?

Hmm probably not. Your party has made hate crime laws a big part of their agenda, yet, you as a democrat, in the Carr case have refused to investigate racial animus, and sealed records (which many have speculated reveals the racial animus of the defendants) and refused to forward the investigation to federal authorities.

Do you have an explanation for this remarkably contradictory behavior? If so I would like to hear it

Sincerely,

PS In the next election I will be sending money to your opponent. Because I don't feel that a person who refuses to apply the law equally, regardless of race, is qualified to be district attorney.
14 posted on 10/11/2002 10:18:57 AM PDT by republicman
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To: Charles Henrickson
BTW: Ban golf clubs!

I can already hear the calls from Sarah Brady for a 5-day cooling off period before we can buy golf clubs.

15 posted on 10/11/2002 10:34:51 AM PDT by TheEngineer
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To: TheEngineer
I can already hear the calls from Sarah Brady for a 5-day cooling off period before we can buy golf clubs.

For those of us who play golf poorly, ANY cooling off period will surely save lives.

At least it's not a crime (yet), to carry a concealed 3-wood.

16 posted on 10/11/2002 10:42:16 AM PDT by Night Hides Not
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To: KS Flyover
I would love to be on this ping list. Thank you.
17 posted on 10/11/2002 10:45:15 AM PDT by Under the Radar
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To: Night Hides Not
Agreed! I'm glad the game wardens aren't around to prosecute me for killing fish. That's why I try to use range balls (perhaps I should say "ammo") as often as possible.
18 posted on 10/11/2002 10:48:02 AM PDT by TheEngineer
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To: Corporate Law
"You can bet all the Mumiaheads will be there."

I sure hope so, it might give those of us who have to live next door to them a breather.
19 posted on 10/11/2002 1:14:13 PM PDT by Lizard_King
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To: republicman
Excellent "In Your Face" letter, republicman.
20 posted on 10/11/2002 2:17:45 PM PDT by KS Flyover
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