Jury finds Texas man guilty of beheading children
Court Alerts
A South Texas man accused of beheading his common-law wife's three children was found guilty of capital murder Monday at his second trial.
A state appeals court had overturned John Allen Rubio's previous conviction and death sentence in 2007, saying the children's mother had wrongly been allowed to testify. A second jury deliberated for about three hours before convicting him again.
Rubio, 29, of Brownsville, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his defense attorneys had argued that the sheer brutality of the crime showed he was not in his right mind. Defense attorney Nat Perez described it during his closing argument as "overkill."
Evidence showed Rubio made increasingly ferocious attempts to kill the children, strangling and stabbing them, then finally cutting off their heads. Rubio initially said he killed the children, all under age 4, because they were possessed.
Police discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Julissa Quesada, 14-month-old John E. Rubio and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio on March 11, 2003, in a squalid Brownsville apartment.
Rubio was convicted on four counts of capital murder. Each death was covered by one count, and the fourth count included all of them.
The trial will now move to a punishment phase, in which prosecutors plan to again seek the death penalty.
Related listings
-
Carrier asks federal judge to settle pilot dispute
Court Alerts 07/27/2010US Airways has asked a federal judge to resolve a seniority dispute involving its pilots.Executives with the Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier said Monday's legal action in U.S. District Court in Phoenix is called a complaint for declaratory relief. They sa...
-
Former NH teacher faces hearing on nude photos
Court Alerts 07/26/2010A former New Hampshire high school teacher charged with e-mailing nude photographs of herself to a 15-year-old student faces a court hearing.Forty-one-year-old Melinda Dennehy of Hampstead is scheduled to appear Monday in Derry District Court on a fe...
-
GOP Sen. Lugar to support Kagan for Supreme Court
Court Alerts 07/22/2010Republican Sen. Richard Lugar says he'll vote to confirm Elena Kagan as a Supreme Court justice.The Indiana Republican is the second in the GOP to announce he's breaking with his party to back President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed retired Justi...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.