Murder Trial Jury Deliberations to Continue

STAMFORD -- Jurors in the trial of a Greenwich man accused of shooting two gas station attendants in 2009, killing one of them, asked in state Superior Court in Stamford on Tuesday to review evidence and testimony.

During the trial of Alain LeConte, 24, jurors listened to testimony about three armed holdups he is accused of committing over a two-month period. He allegedly shot two convenience store clerks in the head, killing one in Norwalk and severely injuring another in Greenwich. LeConte is also charged with using a gun to rob a Stamford bodega.

He is facing more than 60 years in jail on the charges.

As they did earlier in the trial, jurors Tuesday heard a secretly taped jailhouse conversation involving LeConte, in which he admitted to many details of the crimes.

"I'm full throttle with this (expletive)," LeConte can be heard saying on the tape, referring to the time period immediately before the 2009 robbery of the Mobil on the Run gas station on East Putnam Avenue in Old Greenwich.

LeConte recalled how he rushed away from the Greenwich crime scene with an accomplice, later identified as Teran Nelson, and they sped toward Bridgeport "like it was a movie."

Nelson, the getaway driver in the robbery, took the stand previously in the trial.

Jurors listened Tuesday to a recording of his testimony.

Nelson testified he acted as a lookout outside the gas station while LeConte entered and, soon after, he heard a popping noise.

"When I heard the pop noise, I panicked and started to run," Nelson said.

Nelson has signed a cooperative agreement in the case, exchanging his testimony to reduced exposure to jail time.

Jurors once again saw video surveillance footage from the Greenwich crime and the Oct. 10, 2009, robbery at the West Avenue Shell station in Norwalk, in which a hooded suspect shot and killed gas station attendant Jose Joaquin Morales.

In surveillance footage from both crimes an armed man dressed in black aims a gun at the attendant.

The attendant in the Greenwich video can be seen exiting the store clutching his head after the man leaves.

David Wash, of Bridgeport, faces robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery charges in connection with the Greenwich crime.

Mustafa Jacobs is facing felony murder, robbery and conspiracy charges for his alleged role in Morales' murder.

Mark Phillips, LeConte's attorney, and Senior Assistant State's Attorney James Bernardi, the case prosecutor, both rested their cases last week.

1 dead, 1 Injured in Greenwich Fire

 

Greenwich Time- An intentionally set fire killed a 42-year-old man and critically injured a 69-year-old handicapped woman Tuesday morning in their Old Greenwich home, police said.

Neighbors identified the victims as Dean Verboven and his mother, Barbara Verboven. Barbara Verboven remains in critical condition in the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital, after being initially transported to Greenwich Hospital.

The fire broke out at about 7 a.m. at 46 Havemeyer Lane, police and fire officials said.

Speaking at a news conference at the police station in the afternoon, Police Lt. Kraig Gray said a preliminary investigation determined that the fire was set, but stopped short of using the term arson. He said the fire is being investigated by a joint team of police and firefighters.

Gladys Pardo, who lives next door to Verbovens with her husband, John, said she was sitting at her computer at about 7 a.m. when she saw smoke and flames coming from the window next door.

She screamed to her husband that there was a fire and got out of their house, which is only a few feet away from their neighbors.

When firefighters arrived, Gladys Pardo said she directed them to the ground-floor bedroom of Barbara Verboven, who she said has been wheelchair-bound for about five years. The Pardos and another neighbor, Robert Meehan, directed firefighters to look for a second occupant, at which point they found Dean Verboven and brought him out of the house about five minutes later, Meehan said.

After hearing the firefighters arriving on scene, Meehan said, "I came out and saw the house fully engulfed in smoke."

Meehan said that Dean Verboven was placed in an ambulance, which sat for about five minutes before driving away.

Gray said he did not know if the man had been declared dead on the scene.

Greenwich Fire Chief Peter Siecienski said heavy fire gutted part of the first floor of the house where the two had their bedrooms, and smoke caused heavy damage to the second floor.

Assistant Fire Chief Bob Kick said the state fire marshal's office brought a dog to the scene. The dogs are typically used to search for accelerants, Kick said.

The last fire-related fatality in Greenwich occurred in 2006, according to Kick, who commended firefighters on their work at the Havemeyer Lane scene.

"They did a good job," he said Tuesday night. "They got in there quickly."

A Greenwich police crime scene investigation truck arrived on scene shortly after 9 a.m., and a large section of Havemeyer Lane around MacArthur Drive was closed for several hours while numerous police and firefighters conducted their investigation.

Gray said that the house was "cluttered" and its condition had an effect on the ability of firefighters to get in and pull the residents outside. Both victims were brought out of the rear of the house, neighbors said.

Sixty firefighters from Sound Beach, Cos Cob, North Street and Glenville responded to the 7:10 a.m. call, Siecienski said.

The Pardos said they had been neighbors of the Verbovens for more than 30 years.

"They were a very nice family... This is heartbreaking," said Gladys Pardo.

"It is so hard for me to believe he is dead. He was 8 years old when we moved in," said John Pardo.

Gladys Pardo said that she saw Dean Verboven two days ago, but it has been two years since she saw Barbara Verboven.

Up until recent times, "They were a very outgoing family," Gladys said about the Verbovens.

Tomac Cemetery

(full album here)

This little-known burial ground (at least was little-known to me until now) is the site of my town's first settlement. It's the oldest burial ground in town (obviously), and backs up to the Innis Arden Golf Course. Many of the tombstones are illegible and many more are in need of repair.. Some of the stones' remnants are so tiny that you need to be careful not to trip over them.



There are a good number of revolutionary war veterans buried here, along with Civil War.

(view more here)

Binney Park Series, Lol.

First painting in the "Binney Park" series:

And, the second:

Even though I had already signed the last one, I want to work on it..

Such as making the outline of the trunk white, instead of the green. - I should go with that since the first one has it..

The second painting is a also significantly smaller canvas, as well.

Also, maybe I should put reflection into the water and make the sky solid, like the first painting.

I didn't even realize when painting I was doing the opposite, haha.

Colo. Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Crash That Killed Old Greenwich Librarians

Greenwich Time- The Colorado woman charged in a hit-and-run collision that killed two Old Greenwich librarians pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges including vehicular homicide.

Sandra Lee Jacobson, 40, of Centennial, Colo., is charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving under the influence of alcohol in the Jan. 28 crash that killed Greenwich librarians Kathy Krasniewicz, 54, and Kate McClelland, 71.

Jacobson entered the not-guilty plea alongside her lawyer in Denver criminal court Thursday -- six days after the victims' families accused her of negligence as part of a wrongful death suit filed last week in Denver civil court.

Authorities say Jacobson sideswiped a taxi carrying the women to Denver International Airport, causing them to be ejected from the vehicle as it rolled down an embankment. Both women were killed.

Jacobson is due in criminal court again Aug. 20, according to Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney.

While her not-guilty plea sets the stage for a full-blown criminal trial, Jacobson still could accept a plea deal from prosecutors between now and her next scheduled court date in August, Kimbrough said.

"It's not uncommon to enter a plea at the time of arraignment . . . with the understanding there may be closed negotiations," said Kimbrough, who said she could not speak to the specifics of Jacobson's situation. "At this time, her case is on track to enter trial."

My Finished(?) Painting

I only add the (question mark) because I'm wondering if I need anything else done to it.. Everyone's telling me to leave it but there are things I wanted to fine tune.

Any suggestions?




previous drafts

Scenic Bruce Park

Todd's Point

Today At Binney Park