Richard lived with Bambi and her two boys from her previous marriage. [10] The VTA also announced plans to help survivors and victims' families and partner with them on erecting a public memorial to the victims. The two were found shot dead in their Nixonville home just outside of Conway. However, this crucial information was discovered a long time later. Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel. Charles Edward Parker Sr. was born in Conway in Horry County, South Carolina, on December 22, 1950. A second man is on trial this week for a double murder in Horry County in April, 2005. He was tried and convicted of two counts of murder and first-degree burglary and was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, plus another concurrent 30 years. [1] At the age of six he saw a pottery demonstration and knew that was what he wanted to do. They reportedly lived under a tent in the forest and visited the house to shower and eat while the elderly couple were away. Willow Glen Funeral Home. to the family or plant a tree Solicitor Greg Hembree said Bruce Antwain Hill, of Tabor City, was linked to the case by DNA evidence four years after those . Bruce spent much of his life milking cows and when he sold his dairy cattle, he bought his first herd of beef cattle. [22][27], At 7:12 a.m., the sheriff's office instructed the public to stay away from the vicinity of the facility. Working as a school secretary with the Horry County School District, Diane loved scourging yard sales for crafts and antiques. DNA samples have linked a Tennessee inmate to a 2005 double homicide and 2006 home invasion in Horry County, according to local officials Wednesday. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. Gagnon is now serving a life sentence for the murders of Charlie and Diane Parker, who died of gunshot wounds inside their home on Highway 90, just south of Highway 22. [15], According to an initial review by the VTA, Cassidy had a pattern of insubordination and had gotten into verbal altercations with coworkers on at least four separate occasions. At that point and time it was sealed at the scene," Caulder said. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder and 30 years of jail time for the first-degree burglary charge. Issues with information-sharing between agencies had been a problem in recent years and has sometimes involved high-profile incidents such as the storming of the U.S. Capitol and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. [35][36] He had been employed at the VTA since 2001; for his first two years, he was an electro-mechanic, and he was eventually promoted to a substation maintainer position in 2014. Gagnon said he got the blood on his shoes after he went inside the Parkers home after police and crime scene had left and removed crime scene tape. After being unable to trace the sample, authorities sent it to the forensics lab at the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in Columbia. [62][63], As of December2021[update], the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and an outside law firm retained by the VTA are both conducting investigations into the shooting. [11], California's gun laws are among the strictest in the country. The gunman then walked over to Building A on the eastern side, where he continued firing. There is no doubt Bruce Hill was in that house. Testimony is scheduled to begin Tuesday. The shooting took place at the VTA's Guadalupe Division facility, which is located in the Civic Center neighborhood of San Jose, near the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and San Jose Police Department headquarters. Hembree said a patio door window had been broken out where there was some reason to believe that when someone broke through the window they cut themselves and they were bleeding in the house. [5][14][23] At 8:08 a.m., the gunman was confirmed to be down. The victims names were Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63, Lars Kepler Lane, 63, and Alex Ward Fritch, 49. His DNA was found at the crime scene, but that did not lead the investigators to any place concrete. According to his records with SLED Hill has been arrested at least four times in South Carolina starting in 2003 when he was just 18 years old. Though the incidents were elevated to management and he faced disciplinary action, he had never been formally disciplined for any of them, and managers even defended his work. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. She was the daughter of the late Shirley Elizabeth Gray Mills and James Frederick. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The defense pointed out a few concerns about the DNA evidence, such as how many times it changed hands, how it was collected and the fact that it was from just a few drops of blood in the whole house. [45], Mayor Sam Liccardo said it was a "horrific day" for the city and the VTA, and he expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. However, new evidence found at the scene cast. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief. Does that make you more secure that the right sample went where it was supposed to go?" Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Man on trial after DNA links him to 2005 double murder, Click here for photos related to the double murder arrest, Coroner: NC college student struck, killed by vehicle in Myrtle Beach, Police: 1 dead, another hurt after shooting reported at Horry County bar, PHOTOS: Damage reported after Sunday storms move through Grand Strand, Coastal Carolinas Jerrod Clark, Lance Boykin sign with NFL teams, wmbf-publicfile@gray.tv - (843) 839-9623. Witnesses had placed them in the Parker residence on the night before the discovery of the bodies. Bruce was convicted on both charges in September 2011. Since the 2005 deaths of Charlie and Diane Parker a second person is now charged with killing the Horry County couple. Thus, he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance of parole in 2008. [25], An August 2016 memo by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described how, after taking a trip to the Philippines, Cassidy was detained by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a secondary inspection. [73][74] Representative Zoe Lofgren of San Jose emphasized the need to pass the Enhanced Background Checks Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which are unlikely to overcome a Senate filibuster. Read More:Where is Bambi Bennetts Ex-Boyfriend Richard Gagnon Now? Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park. [14][15][16] According to police, he coordinated the fire with the shooting and ignited it by placing ammunition inside a pot on his stove, surrounding the pot with accelerants, and then turning on the stove. The VTA is a public transportation agency that operates bus and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County and employs about 2,000 workers. What has happened to Bruce Antwain Hill? Darling & Fischer Garden Chapel. The police nabbed the alleged killer quickly, but what followed was a gross miscarriage of justice only to be corrected years on. He is seeking an. However, the police finally found a match for the samples from both the crime scenes in 2009 with the DNA obtained from Bruce Antwain Hill. The petition cited the library's lack of security infrastructure and procedures as reasons for the employees' concerns.[78]. Jury selection was finished by 2:30 p.m., and attorneys finished their opening statements by the end of the day also. Bruce was born to George and Connie Wagner on October 23, 1961. [42], San Jose officials later said the authorities were not informed of the detainment by federal officials. The couple also had the motive to kill the Parkers as they recently got into an argument regarding Bambi's inheritance and her children's custody. Sacred Space Memorial. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in the book. [8] A locker belonging to the gunman was found to contain suspected materials for bombs and detonator cords,[14] which were later deemed not to be dangerous. To send flowers Hill was convicted of two counts of murder and burglary and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2011. Another former employee of the business, George Carrick, said Moore spent a lot of time with the Parkers, including meals inside their home. In a gross misjudgment by the authorities and the jury, Richard Gagnon, a 32-year-old white man residing in Horry County, South Carolina, was convicted of killing his girlfriend's parents. DNA was even more important to the prosecution's case. Both of his sentences were to run consecutively. The authorities initially thought that Bruce and Richard were co-conspirators of the double homicide, but Bruce declined to know Richard in a prison interview. CONWAY A North Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2005 shooting deaths of an Horry County couple. Charles company was situated in a barn about 100 to 150 yards behind the Parker residence. A testimony from. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. A gunman killed nine people and then committed suicide, for a total of ten deaths. "We need the truth, and we need justice.". This led them to charge Bruce Antwain Hill with the double homicide and convict him. To find the Sports Extra: Open either The Island Packet or The Beaufort Gazette e-Edition (free to print and digital subscribers) and look for the Sports Extra icon () in the top menu. Hill is in South Carolina now. Hill was sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, his sentence still stands and Bruce, in his late 30s, is presently incarcerated in a cell at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. They originally charged Diane Parker's daughter with involvement in the murders. Based on witness testimonies and Charles blood found on their footwear, Bambi and her boyfriend, Richard Gagnon, were arrested 2 weeks later by the police. Meanwhile, the police had been trying to find a match for the unidentified DNA profile they discovered at the crime scene. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. She said the crime and trial from 2005 to 2008 got a lot of attention. She also went to Tilly Swamp Baptist Church, where she met and married Charles. A case is open in probate court regarding Cassidy's estate, including the home he set on fire. [7] Although Cassidy did not use an assault weapon, Attorney General Rob Bonta cited the San Jose shooting in a statement opposing the ruling. [6][53] As a form of mutual aid, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, AC Transit, and the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District sent from 20 to 30 buses daily to Santa Clara County to supplement bus service while VTA workers attended funeral services for the victims. They initially lived with the Parkers for quite some time before arguments about inheritance and the children's custody resulted in Bambi and Richard moving out. [24] Their ages ranged from 29 to 63 years old, and many of them were longtime employees. The families of at least seven of the victims plan to file a lawsuit in 2022. He was asked whether he had problems with anyone at his workplace, and he said he did not. [50], VTA light rail service was suspended on the day of the shooting and replaced by a bus bridge. Though Bambi was later released due to lack of evidence, with false testimony and other underlying clues, Gagnon was convicted and sentenced to prison for life without parole. She also denied knowing Hill. Bruce Hill, 26, of Tabor City, N.C., in court on Tuesday. [13], A hotline was set up for VTA employees and family members for additional information about the shooting and the victims. Another man expected to testify Monday is Tabor City, N.C., native Bruce Antwain Hill, who was also convicted of the murders in a 2011 trial. A trial date has not been set. [2] About ten minutes after the first 9-1-1 calls were received, dispatchers reported the final sounds of gunshots. [19] A minute later, Santa Clara County authorities received 9-1-1 calls about shots being fired at the VTA facility. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer . One of Richards shoes contained traces of Charles blood. We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Sheriff's deputies and city police officers responded from their nearby offices. [8][9] When they arrived at 6:35 a.m., they found multiple people shot. Gagnon said he got the blood on his shoes after he went inside the Parkers home after police and crime scene had left and removed crime scene tape. [19] At 6:38 a.m., responding officers heard more shots being fired. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Connie Wagner, his sister Carla Hoefer, nephew Mark Hoefer, and niece Kelly Bentz. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. [9] It was unclear if he also legally owned the high-capacity magazines used in the shooting; they are prohibited in California unless they were obtained before January 1, 2000, and the buyer was not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. All rights reserved. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of . Both of his sentences were to run consecutively. Opening statement began late Monday, and closing arguments wrapped by 1 p.m. Wednesday. With this new evidence, officials with the 15th District Solicitor's Office said they hope that Hill can be brought back to South Carolina quickly, so he can be tried on the murder charges. Some photos were hard for family and friends to see, but Solicitor Greg Hembree used them to show the jury what evidence was found, especially blood drops. She was dating Gagnon at the time. "There was blood that belonged to Diane Parker, blood that belong to Charlie Parker and blood that belong to an unknown third party, it did not belong to Richard Gagnon.". [34], Police identified the gunman as 57-year-old VTA employee Samuel James Cassidy. On both counts, Bruce was found guilty in September 2011. Biden ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff and called the shooting a "horrific tragedy". "They say, 'here we need to have this go up the road and have it tested.' The wide empty spaces in pews between parishioners at a Sunday service at Zion Baptist Church in South Carolinas capital highlight a post-pandemic reality common among many Black Protestant churches across the nation. Among the charges listed are armed robbery with a deadly weapon, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of crack cocaine, and most recently, criminal domestic violence. [6] The city announced and later passed a package of policy proposals intended to curb gun violence, including unprecedented liability insurance and compensation fee requirements for gun owners. Prosecutors linked Gagnon to the crimes after blood linked to Charles Parker Sr., was found on Gagnons shoes. In January, 2013, Circuit Court Judge Steven John ruled Gagnon deserved a new trial based on testimony about a witness lying during Gagnons initial trial. Forty-four-year-old Richard Gagnon was convicted in the Parkers' death in 2007, but charges against him were dismissed in 2015. [17], At 6:33 a.m. the San Jose Fire Department received a call to respond to the VTA facility, though the first caller did not mention anything about an active shooter incident, according to dispatch audio. He was granted a new trial in 2013 and charges against him were dismissed in 2015. Another man has already been convicted for the murders. [54], The VTA resumed limited passenger service in stages throughout August and September. However, the defense used false testimony from another convict, Robert Lee Mullins, who had been with Richard during pre-trial detention. No one was inside the residence at the time. [5], The day after the shooting, a vigil was held outside San Jose City Hall and attended by hundreds, including the victims' families and many VTA employees, who were dressed in their work attire. You have permission to edit this article.
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