Category Archives: homicide
Police Using Fitbit Data to Charge Defendants with Murder
Police are reportedly using a new tool to gather evidence in their criminal investigations: Fitbit fitness trackers. Recently, they used data provided by this device to arrest a man for allegedly killing his stepdaughter. According to reports, the arrest was made based on data from the victim’s Fitbit, which showed that her heart rate… Read More »
CTE Posed As a Viable Defense for Murder
It’s an idea that has captivated those who fight for justice for criminal defendants: the evidence put forth by studies which definitively demonstrate that the degenerative brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), could effectively cause its victims to suffer from insanity. Coverage of the issue has made headlines of late based on the case… Read More »
Defendant in Notorious Hudson River Drowning Case Pleads Guilty To Negligent Homicide
On July 24, the accused defendant in the kayak death on the Hudson which captured headlines pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide. The defendant—Angelika Graswald—was accused of tampering with her fiancé’s kayak and purposely leaving him to drown in the Hudson River. Graswald pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide and will now spend between… Read More »
Prosecution of Teen Could Broaden Concept of Murder
The recent trial of Michelle Carter has garnered a lot of national attention: the teen is on trial for manslaughter after allegedly sending her boyfriend text messages encouraging him to commit suicide. Carter’s boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, took his own life on July 12, 2014. According to media sources, Roy had long battled both… Read More »
Murder Charges for Bronx Police Sergeant May Highlight New Prosecution Trend
By now, most New York citizens have heard about the New York City police sergeant (Hugh Barry) who fatally shot an older, mentally ill woman (Deborah Danner) in her Bronx apartment last October. Following his arrest and months of investigation into the incident, on May 31st, Barry was charged with murder in connection with… Read More »
Creato Murder Trial Draws Attention in New Jersey This Week
By now, many people in New Jersey have heard of David Creato Jr., the father accused of killing his three-year-old son, and whose murder trial is now taking place in Camden, New Jersey. Creato’s son’s body was found in October 2015 in a nearby creek. Creato has been accused of murdering the child allegedly… Read More »
Day Care Providers Charged With Manslaughter
Recently, an unlicensed daycare provider was charged with manslaughter in the death of a six-month-old child, who suffocated after entangling herself with her seatbelt strap while under the care of a provider who did not have a license, and who had previously been cited for failing to comply with restrictions on the number and… Read More »
How Violence-Free Drug Deals Can Lead to Murder Charges
Earlier this year, two drug dealers were charged with murder. You may imagine that the two drug dealers were involved in a violent crime such as robbery or assault. When we think of drug dealers, we sometimes imagine those scenarios we’ve seen in movies, but in New Jersey, a first-degree murder charge for drug… Read More »
Conspiracies and How you May be Liable
Conspiracies are something that can come up for just about anything. From government cover ups, to alien abductions, just about anything can be made into a conspiracy. However, these are not the conspiracies that the courts and police are talking about when someone is charged with a crime. Conspiracy to commit a crime can… Read More »
Manslaughter in the State of New York and its Penalties
Manslaughter is a serious offense in the state of New York. Manslaughter is a unique charge in that a broad range of acts may lead to a manslaughter charge. Just recently, a woman from upstate New York pled guilty to manslaughter after severely beating her children. Manslaughter offenses are either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary… Read More »
