Crime « News for Mormons

Man guilty of killing Mormon missionary

Saturday, December 13th, 2008

From UPI:

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Dec. 13 (UPI) — A Virginia man was convicted Friday of shooting two young Mormon missionaries, killing one of them.The jury deliberated for two days before finding James Boughton Jr. guilty of the murder of Morgan Young, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Jurors were told to return Monday for the penalty phase of the trial.

Young, 21, from Bountiful, Utah, and Joshua Heidbrink, 19, of Greeley, Colo., were going door to door in Chesapeake, Va., in January 2006 when they were shot. Investigators said that the two encountered Boughton as he ran away after attempting to kill a local resident, Gregory Banks Jr.

Heidbrink, although wounded in the neck and shoulder, was able to go for help. Young was shot in the head and died at the scene.

During the trial, Boughton’s lawyer, Andrew Sacks, argued that he had an alibi for the killing. He said that Mario Felton, 17, had a dispute with Banks over drug money.

Felton did admit the shootings but later said that he did so to help Boughton.

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Trial begins in Virginia shooting of LDS missionaries

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

From Standard.net:

Chesapeake, Va. — A white cap with blue stripes, next to two 9 mm bullet casings, was left at the scene where two Mormon missionaries were shot nearly three years ago in Deep Creek.

Prosecutors seek to use DNA evidence to link James Boughton Jr. to the baseball cap and other items recovered the night of the shooting.

They hope to put Boughton, a 21-year-old Camelot man, at the crime scene on Elkhart Street that Jan. 2, 2006, night.

Boughton is accused of shooting Morgan Young, of Bountiful, Utah, and Joshua Heidbrink, of Greeley, Colo. Young, 21, died from a 9 mm gunshot to the head. Heidbrink, 19 at the time, was shot in the shoulder.

Boughton is on trial in Chesapeake Circuit Court for first-degree murder, malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding and three counts of the use of a firearm. His defense attorney, Andrew Sacks, argues Boughton has an alibi that puts him at a home in Camelot.

On Tuesday, Officer Richard Watts, of the Chesapeake Police Department’s forensic unit, testified about the baseball cap, bullet casings, religious material and other clothing items recovered from the scene. Watts said a hooded sweatshirt and do-rag were also recovered at other locations that night.

Prosecutors contend Boughton was attempting to shoot Gregory Banks Jr. on Elkhart Street when he noticed the two missionaries nearby.

Banks testified Tuesday that he “played dead” after being shot at, heard the gunman run away, then heard two more shots. The two missionaries were proselytizing door to door in the neighborhood when they unwittingly walked into a conflict between Banks and the gunman. Commonwealth’s Attorney Nancy Parr and Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney D.J. Hansen are expected to resume the state’s case today.

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LDS First Presidency and Utah's gay community call for civility over Prop. 8

Friday, November 14th, 2008

From KSL.com:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

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Attorney fighting foreclosure on Ragsdale home

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

From The Deseret News:

A bank and a title company have begun the foreclosure process on the Lehi home of David Ragsdale — where his two young children live with extended family.

But the children’s legal representative, guardian ad litem William M. Jeffs, is trying to get an extension for loan payments so he can sell the home and give the money to the children, not the bank.

“(They’re) foreclosing against a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old whose mother was killed and father is in jail and all I’m asking for is a little bit of extra time to sell the house,” Jeffs said. “I’m willing to make partial payments in the interim. I’m not asking for any concessions on the loan, we’ll pay the loan in full. All I’m asking for is a concession on time.”

The house in the Hunter’s Grove subdivision has been up for sale for months but no takers.

Ragsdale can no longer make payments on the home — he’s been in the Utah County Jail since Jan. 6, when police say he fatally shot his wife, Kristy, in the parking lot of an LDS meetinghouse in Lehi.

Under the terms of the guardianship case of the children, both sides of the family have been pooling together to make some house payments, but they’ve fallen behind, Jeffs said. With the recent notice of default, Jeffs said they’re now in a 90-day “cure” period.

“If we can sell (the home) during that 90 days and we pay them in full, they can’t do anything to us,” he said. “The problem is, in today’s market, I’m not sure if I can sell it in the 90 days.”

After the three-month window, the bank and title company can file what’s called a “notice of sale” which means the bank will attempt to sell the home to recover their lost assets.

Jeffs said he has had a difficult time communicating with Wells Fargo.

“My goal, when I tried to contact Wells Fargo, was to basically say, ‘I have the ability to make payments to you, or partial payments. All I’m asking for is additional time so we can sell the home.’”

Yet Jeffs said the bank has declined to speak with him without David Ragsdale’s consent.

Such was impossible until recently, when Jeffs and Ragsdale and Ragsdale’s attorneys settled a wrongful death suit pending between the two.

Without admitting any fault, Ragsdale agreed to deed over the house and let the default judgement of $1 million be entered, so his two young children can have his assets. Not that Ragsdale has $1 million, Jeffs said, but if any additional assets are found, they can unquestionably go to the children.

Now that the parties are working together amicably, Jeffs can approach the bank with Ragsdale’s approval.

Calls to Wells Fargo’s executive office Wednesday afternoon were not immediately returned.

However, it’s very possible this unique situation will merit additional attention, said Tom Cook, foreclosure attorney with Lundberg & Associates, who represents the title company involved with the home loan.

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Mass. man faces trial in deaths of wife, stepson

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

From The Associated Press:

WOBURN, Mass.— A Framingham man is set to go on trial for allegedly beating his wife and 11-year-old stepson to death after becoming frustrated with her involvement in the Mormon church.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Woburn Superior Court in the double-murder trial of Jeremias Bins. He pleaded not guilty to killing his wife, Carla Souza, and her son, Caique (KYE’-ee-kay), in the family’s home on May 20, 2006.

Bins, a 32-year-old native of Brazil, allegedly used a hammer to kill his wife and son. They died of multiple skull fractures.

Bins allegedly told police that two hours before the beatings he contacted representatives of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and voiced his “anger and displeasure” at Souza’s involvement with them.

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IRS Investigates Televangelist Who Preached Against Mitt Romney

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

From OMBWatch.org:

The IRS has also launched other high profile investigations as a result of information that came to light on the web. They are currently investigating Bill Keller, a Florida televangelist who preached that a presidential vote for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Mormon, was “a vote for Satan.” This sermon came to light because the sermon was posted on Keller’s website. Also, Americans United filed a complaint against Cornerstone Church in Madison, Tennessee asserting that the Pastor violated federal tax law during a sermon in which the Pastor endorsed three School Board candidates from the pulpit. Americans United was made aware of the incident because the sermon was posted on the Church’s website and, as a result, a local newspaper published the comments.

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Ragsdale’s sister getting death threats

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

From KSL.com:

The sister of a man accused of gunning down his wife says she is getting death threats.

Tamara Ragsdale says she is trying to make sure her brother David gets a fair trial, and that is making people angry. She is now asking the FBI to investigate threats she claims have been made against her life.

The Deseret News reports the threats have been sent through the mail and via e-mail and have also threatened her boyfriend.

David Ragsdale is being held in Utah County, awaiting trial on charges he shot and killed his estranged wife Kristy in January.

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Suspected West Jordan church arsonist arrested

Friday, June 6th, 2008

From ABC4.com:

WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Police arrested a 17-year-old suspected of attempting to set two churches on fire in three separate incidents.

Police are still searching for three accomplices.

The teen was charged with three first-degree felony counts of aggravated arson Wednesday.

Police said the suspect allegedly targeted St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in West Jordan twice in the last week, on May 29 and June 5.

Fire crews responded to a fire at the church Wednesday around 4 a.m.

Investigators soon learned a gas-filled can was thrown through the same church window as the week before.

“How can this be, it’s just the oddest thing,” said Father Patrick Clarey. “It makes no sense at all. I don’t know why anybody would do this.”

Last week’s arson attempt didn’t catch fire, but Wednesday’s did.

But perhaps it was divine intervention that kept damage to a minimum.

“The flames weren’t very heavy, so I got a bucket of holy water and doused them,” Clarey said. “The holy water did it.”

Wednesday’s arson also led to the break in the case. Police said a witness was able to give a description of one of the suspects, leading to his arrest.

Police said the suspect is also allegedly responsible for attempting to set fire to an LDS church on 1300 West and 7800 South on May 31.

Police said the suspect threw an incendiary device through the window of the LDS church, just as he did at St. Joseph.

Clarey is relieved about the arrest, but far from happy. “It’s sad, really, to hear of a 17-year-old who could be ruining his life,” Clarey said. “I don’t know what the kid was thinking…but I’m just sad that a young life can be wasted.”

The suspects’ motive is still unclear. (cont.)

Entire article here

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Ragsdale is bound over for trial in wife’s slaying

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

From The Deseret News:

David Ragsdale (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)

On April 20, 2005, David Ragsdale took a concealed-weapons permit class where he learned five safety rules, including the crucial one — always know what’s behind your target.

Utah County prosecutors allege Ragsdale ignored those rules when he pulled into an LDS Church parking lot early this year and fired 12 times into his wife, Kristy Ragsdale, not only killing her at the scene but putting others at risk due to the kind of bullets he was using.

“The full metal jacket (bullet) will over-penetrate, go through the target, harm other people potentially,” said Michael Stillwell, who has taught a concealed-weapons permit class for 11 years and signed off on Ragsdale’s certificate for a concealed gun. “Whatever situation, once that bullet leaves the muzzle, you can’t bring it back. You need to make sure you know what’s around you and behind the target.”

Police found numerous full metal jacket bullet fragments in the parking lot Jan. 6, and numerous brass casings surrounding Kristy Ragsdale’s head and body.

“There were 12 entry wounds, indicating 12 rounds that hit her body,” Lehi police detective Mark Birch testified Monday during a preliminary hearing in 4th District Court for David Ragsdale, who is charged with aggravated murder. (cont.)

Entire article here

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Phoenix TV News Story on Attack of LDS Youths

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

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Texas LDS deal with confusion

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

Moises Andrade watches as Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionaries talk with church members on Sunday at the San Angelo Spanish-speaking branch in the Abilene, Texas, stake. (Mike Terry, Deseret News)

Shortly after the raid began on the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s YFZ Ranch, a group of Mormon missionaries sat down to eat at a restaurant here.

A man shouted out “compound!”

“There was this guy. He held up a knife and yelled at us,” said Elder Tyler Duffy from Orem.

Some of the fallout from the raid on the YFZ Ranch is being felt by members and missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the FLDS Church is not connected in any way to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some Mormon faithful have said they feel they are being found guilty by association.

“There are some people here that believe anything bad about Mormons and that’s what they’re going to do,” said Charles L. Webb, who serves as president of the Abilene, Texas, stake.

The LDS Church’s presence in this part of Texas is small. The Abilene stake covers an area 25,000 square miles in size with about 3,000 members. There are only two LDS chapels in San Angelo, but a number of Baptist and other evangelical Christian churches. It’s the polar opposite of Utah, where the LDS Church is the dominant faith.

In repeated statements, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have differentiated between the two faiths and expressed disappointment that some news media outlets have lumped the two together.

Entire article here

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LDS Church critical of media reports on FLDS

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is criticizing international news media outlets for failing to distinguish between the mainstream LDS Church and the Fundamentalist LDS Church.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy officially in 1890. More than a century later, some news reports, especially those outside the U.S., still fail to draw clear distinctions whenever stories arise about polygamy in the Intermountain West,” the LDS Church said in a statement posted on its Web site.

The LDS Church praised many news media outlets across the country for noting the difference between the two churches. However, church officials were critical of foreign media reports that ran photographs of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City next to stories of the polygamous compound raid in Texas and headlines that use the term “Mormon” without a distinction.

“You would think that after over 100 years, media organizations would understand the difference,” Elder M. Russell Ballard said in the LDS Church’s statement on Friday. “You can’t blame the public for being confused when some of those reporting on these stories keep getting them wrong.” (cont.)

Entire article here

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Man Accused Of Killing Woman In LDS Church Parking Lot Faced Court Wednesday

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

From KUTV.com:

A man who allegedly shot his wife in an LDS parking lot appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.

David Ragsdale faces aggravated murder for the death of his wife, Christie Ragsdale. However, sister Tamra, says that if David did pull the trigger, he was not himself at the time, and that prescription drugs would be to blame for the killing.

Craig Johnson from the Utah County Attorney’s Office is part of the team that is prosecuting David Ragsdale. He believes there is enough evidence to convict Ragsdale.

“We’ll put on all the evidence we have that shows probable cause that Christie Ragsdale was murdered and it was David Ragsdale that murdered her,” says Johnson.

His team is also asking for a “no-contact” order between the victim’s mother, Ann Palizzi and the family of David Ragsdale.

“We’re very concerned for anything they do subtly or directly to influence her testifying or not testifying on trial,” says Johnson.

Ragsdale’s defense attorney, Greg Skordas says that it’s important for the two families to keep in touch.

“The families need to maintain communication because of the children,” says Skordas. (cont.)

Entire article here

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Mormon Church Reacts To Report Of Beaten Missionary

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

From KUTV.com (UT):

SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Monday addressed a report that one of its missionaries was attacked by two masked men over the weekend in Phoenix, Ariz.

The missionary, who was not identified, claimed he was awakened at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Saturday by some tapping on his apartment window. After seeing no one at the front door, he said he walked around the building to see what made the noise.

When he returned to the front patio, the missionary said he was punched in the face by a man wearing dark clothing and a ski-type mask. The missionary told authorities that there were two attackers, and that one shouted obscenities and Mormon slurs.

Monday, the LDS Church refused to identify the missionary but said that he was not seriously hurt.

“The confrontation was minor and the elder in this situation was unharmed and is back at work serving the people of Arizona,” the church said in a statement.

“The safety and well-being of our missionaries is of the highest priority and we take any necessary precautions to ensure their protection,” the statement added.

The missionary lives in a Phoenix area apartment with a companion, who was not involved in Saturday’s assault. No suspects in the attack have been caught so far.

Entire article here

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News for Mormons

Archive for the ‘Crime’ Category

Man guilty of killing Mormon missionary

Trial begins in Virginia shooting of LDS missionaries

LDS First Presidency and Utah's gay community call for civility over Prop. 8

Attorney fighting foreclosure on Ragsdale home

Mass. man faces trial in deaths of wife, stepson

IRS Investigates Televangelist Who Preached Against Mitt Romney

Ragsdale’s sister getting death threats

Suspected West Jordan church arsonist arrested

Ragsdale is bound over for trial in wife’s slaying

Phoenix TV News Story on Attack of LDS Youths

Texas LDS deal with confusion

LDS Church critical of media reports on FLDS

Man Accused Of Killing Woman In LDS Church Parking Lot Faced Court Wednesday

Mormon Church Reacts To Report Of Beaten Missionary

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