Jury gives Christopher DiMeo life sentence
The jury of six men and six women, which for more than two months had heard testimony about DiMeo fatally shooting Fairfield jewelers Tim and during a robbery of their Post Road store on Feb. 2, 2005, decided to spare his life.
DiMeo s hand trembled as he shook hands with his lawyers, and Jeffrey Hutcoe. He ignored calls for comment as he was led away by judicial marshals.
I don t know if forgiveness is mine to give, lamented the Donnpatagonia backpacks for cheapellys son, , outside the courthouse after the jurpatagonia wetsuit lifetime warrantyy rendered its verdict. I just hope we can all move on.
Added his sister, Tara: It s a very emotional experience for the family but this is a sense of closure and finally allows my mom and dad to rest in peace.
In their verdict, read out loud by court clerk , jurors found for the first so called aggravatpatagonia backpacks for cheap1ing factor that DiMeo had killed the Donnellys while robbing them and had previously been convicted of attempting to rob a Long Island Best Buy in 2001. But they deadlocked on the second aggravating facpatagonia better sweater coupontor that DiMeo had caused Kim Donnelly extreme physical or psychological pain, suffering or tortupatagonia lightweight travel duffel reviewre, reporpatagonia duckbill cap reviewting through Molnar they had no verdict on that.
The jurors next said that they found the defense had not proven the so called statutory bar that DiMeo s mental capacity was significantly impaired when he killed the Dpatagonia backpacks for cheap0onnellys.
But then, when they weighed the aggravating factor they found against a number of mitigating factors, including the value of DiMeo s life, mitigation won out.
patagonia backpacks for cheap3
The 29 year old DiMeo now faces life in prison without the possibility of release when he is sentenced May 6 by Judge .
DiMeo s lawyers declined comment as they left the courtroom. But Senior Assistant State s Attorney , who prosecuted the case with Senior Assistant State s Attorney , said later it was significant the jury did not believe the defense s claim of a psycpatagonia rain jackets for women best priceshological bar to DiMeo getting the death penalty.
Following the verdict Corradino asked the judge to declare a mistrial in the case because the jury was deadlocked on one of the aggravating factors. The judge denied the motion.
No criminal prosecution can restore completely the loss to a victim, Corradino said later. In murders it never happens, but we can at least strive toward justice.
We had perhaps the best criminal judge in the state. We had a jury of dedicated, intelligent, conscientious citizens charged with a difficult task, he said. A civilized society, of which we and the police are its representatives and defenders, should provide nothing less, even fopatagonia outlet store 8001r such a senseless brutal crime. We owe as much and more to Tim and Kim Donnelly and their beapatagonia backpacks for cheap2utiful family. In the end, however, our human system guarantees a defendant due process. It guarantees no one justice.
DiMeo had already robbed two New York jewelry stores when, on Dec.
With New York police on his heels, DiMeo decided to instead start robbing jewelry stores in Connecticut.
His girlfriend, , held a phone book on her lap as they drove around the area casing targets. Pearce checked out two other stores in Fairfield before they decided on the Donnellys, a small store on the Post Road with no surveillance cameras.
Shortly before closing time on Feb. 2, 2005, DiMeo entered the Donnelly store. He engaged the couple in conversation, telling them he was interested in getting an engagement ring for his girlfriend. The couple were only too willing to help. Kim Donnelly even modeled a bracelet aftepatagonia everlong review uberr DiMeo told he might want one.
Then DiMeo pulled out the handgun, one he had stolen from a Greenwich home, the one he had used to fapatagonia everlong review 60pn6500tally shoot Renison.
Kim Donnelly screamed as DiMeo fired four shots into her husband. DiMeo then shot her five times at close range in the chest and back.
The Donnellys landlord, , who was working in his office over the store, heard the shots and came downstairs to see DiMeo stuffing a shopping bag with jewelry. He told Burke he was da uncle, in a heavy New York accent ,as he left the store with his loot.
After selling the Donnelly jewelry for a fractipatagonia guide jacket 57on of what it was worth, DiMeo and Pearce went to Atlantic City, where they spent some of the money on heroin and at a casino.
Meanwhile, police were able to trace DiMeo s cell phone to a small Atlantic City motel. Two days after the Donnelly murders, police surrounded the motel and arrested DiMeo and Pearce.
Because of his fear of the state s death penalty, DiMeo initially declined to talk to Fairfield police about the Donnelly murders. But eventually he confessed to the killings, saying he blacked out when he committed them.
