Hi there readers. As you can see, this is a different kind of update than you’re used to here at PYSIH. Usually, an update is just an article an portion of an article from an online newspaper, followed by commentary by yours truly (for what it’s worth).

But this time I thought I’d handle things differently. Many updates are inspired by comments from supporters of on of our featured members, protesting one of our stories on their friend or family member and claiming their innocence. That forces me to dig into their friend or family members case.

That’s exactly what happened here, only I had to do quite a bit of research in Randy P. Aaser’s case. Not because it was difficult to find, but because there was so much of it, all pointing directly at his guilt.  Read more... (731 words, 1 image, estimated 2:55 minutes reading time)

JURY FINDS ZEIGLER GUILTY OF CAPITAL MURDER
from an article by Harvey Rice – The Houston Chronicle

A Galveston County jury deliberated for more than fours hours today before finding Royce Clyde Zeigler II guilty of capital murder in the death 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers, who became known as Baby Grace.

Prosecutors portrayed Zeigler as helping his wife kill his stepdaughter during a cruel disciplinary session and then concocting elaborate lies to help cover up the slaying and disposal of the body.

The defense countered in final arguments that Zeigler, 26, was a good man who had nothing to do with the death of Riley Ann Sawyers, but loved his wife so much that he helped her pack Riley’s body in a box and eventually toss it into the Gulf of Mexico.  Read more... (1514 words, 4 images, estimated 6:03 minutes reading time)

PROSECUTORS MUST PROVE THEY CAN KEEP LEON DAVIS IN JAIL
by Suzie Schottelkotte – The Ledger.com, Lakeland FL

June 12th, 2009–State prosecutors will unveil the crux of their case against accused murderer Leon Davis in a hearing next month, although the hearing essentially has nothing to do with proving him guilty or innocent.

Circuit Judge Michael Hunter ruled Friday that prosecutors must prove that they have enough evidence to keep Davis in jail. When he was arrested on Dec. 13, 2007, the day two women were fatally burned during an attempted robbery at a Lake Wales insurance office, prosecutors had 21 days to officially charge him with those crimes.

Hunter ruled Friday that the state missed that deadline, which means Davis is eligible for a preliminary hearing on the allegations against him.  Read more... (624 words, 3 images, estimated 2:30 minutes reading time)

CAT-KILL DEAL SCRATCHED
by Denise Buffa – The New York Post

A judge yesterday tossed a one-year prison deal offered to a teenage girl accused of burning her ex-lover’s cat to death.

Judge Margaret Clancy, who had earlier approved the plea deal, said “nobody realized” at the time that reducing a violent felony charge to a nonviolent charge was illegal.

Prosecutors in July let Cheyenne Cherry, 17, plead guilty to attempted burglary and animal cruelty after investigators said her 14-year-old accomplice was the one who put the helpless Tiger Lily in the oven.

The judge yesterday said Cherry could plead guilty to a reduced charge and still be sentenced to a year in prison.  Read more... (173 words, 1 image, estimated 42 seconds reading time)

TORTURE SLAYING SENTENCE: DEATH FOR LEMARICUS DAVIDSON
by Matt Lakin and Jamie Satterfield – The Knoxville News-Sentinel

The gates of Tennessee’s only death row prison opened wide for Lemaricus Davidson tonight, hours after a Knox County jury sentenced him to die for his role as the ringleader in the January 2007 carjacking, torture and killings of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.

Davidson arrived at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution’s Unit 2 in Nashville around 6 p.m. local time, said Dorinda Carter, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Correction. He’ll spend 23 hours per day alone in his cell every day, with just one hour of daylight in a caged yard.  Read more... (952 words, 1 image, estimated 3:48 minutes reading time)

LAMARICUS DAVIDSON GUILTY, ELIGIBLE FOR DEATH PENALTY IN CHRISTIAN-NEWSOM MURDERS
by Yvette Martinez – WBIR-TV, Knoxville TN

The very first part of the verdict by a Knox County jury made Lemaricus Davidson eligible for the death penalty.

Davidson has been found guilty on each of the most serious of the subsequent charges, with the exception of the charges accusing him of directly raping Chris Newsom.

Instead, he has been convicted of facilitating the rape of Chris Newsom.

Hugh and Mary Newsom, parents to Chris Newsom; and Gary and Deena Christian, parents to Channon Christian; said today that their children finally had the justice they deserved.

The four said unanimously that the death penalty was the only acceptable punishment for Davidson.  Read more... (1840 words, 5 images, estimated 7:22 minutes reading time)

RICHLAND TEEN GETS AT LEAST 13 YEARS FOR RAPING INFANT
by Mary Hopkins – Tri-City Herald (Washington State)

James Allen Wamsley apologized and told a Benton County Superior Court judge on Friday that he accepted responsibility for raping a 9-month-old boy he was baby-sitting.

Then Judge Robert Swisher sentenced the Richland teen to spend at least 13 and a half years in prison.

Wamsley, 17, pleaded guilty in September to first-degree child rape. According to court documents, he was looking after the baby and a 3-year-old for about nine hours on May 28 when he sexually assaulted the infant.

When the infant’s mother, Tabitha McBean, returned home, she saw blood in the baby’s diaper and took him to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland. Later, the infant was transferred to a Spokane hospital for surgery.  Read more... (643 words, 1 image, estimated 2:34 minutes reading time)

MEGAN WILLIAMS TO RECANT LOGAN COUNTY SEX TORTURE TESTIMONY
Gary A. Harki, The Charleston (WV) Gazette

Seven people pleaded guilty for their part in abusing Megan Williams — but now Williams says that abuse never happened.

She will hold a press conference Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, to recant her claims of abuse, attorney Byron L. Potts, who represents Williams, told The Charleston Gazette on Tuesday night.

“She has decided she has been living this lie for approximately two years and she has decided to tell the truth,” Potts said. “She fabricated the story and she did this in retaliation because she was having a relationship with one of them.”

But former Logan County prosecutor Brian Abraham, who was in charge of the case, said no one ever went to jail because of Williams’ statements.  Read more... (834 words, 1 image, estimated 3:20 minutes reading time)