National Roundup

Louisiana
Man accused of dismembering parents returning to Tennessee
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A man arrested in Louisiana on suspicion of stabbing and dismembering his parents at their Tennessee home will be returned to the state where the killings occurred.

The Advocate in Baton Rouge reports sheriff’s officials from Knox County, Tennessee, were in a Louisiana courtroom Friday when a judge ordered 28-year-old Joel Michael Guy Jr. sent back to Tennessee, where he is expected to face first-degree murder charges.

Guy had refused to waive his right to an extradition hearing following his Nov. 29 arrest at his Baton Rouge apartment.

Guy is accused of killing his parents — 61-year-old Joel Guy Sr. and 55-year-old Lisa Guy — in their Knoxville home and trying to dissolve their remains in a homemade acid-based solution. Deputies discovered their bodies Nov. 28.

Authorities said the suspect had visited his parents for Thanksgiving.

During Friday’s hearing, a prosecutor asked for Guy to be released from jail Friday so two sheriff’s officials could take him back to Knoxville before winter weather reached the region. Lindsay Blouin, one of Guy’s court-appointed attorneys in Baton Rouge, said Guy didn’t want to be questioned on his way back to Tennessee.

An arrest warrant says video shows Guy at a Walmart in Knoxville buying items that were found in his parents’ home. The warrant says the items “were apparently used in the attempted destruction of the crime scene.”

Investigators believe Guy spent at least one night in his parents’ home after they were dismembered.

Delaware
Bench trial held for ex-death row inmate in murder case
DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Kent County judge is holding a bench trial for a former death row inmate facing retrial in a drug-related killing.

Monday’s bench trial was set after attorneys for Isaiah McCoy told the judge last month that he wanted to waive his right to a jury trial.

McCoy is being retried on charges of killing 30-year-old James Mumford in Dover in 2010.

Delaware’s Supreme Court ordered a new trial for McCoy because of errors by the judge and prosecutor at his first trial. The Supreme Court said the judge erred in improperly denying the challenge of McCoy, who is black, to the seating of a white juror. The justices also cited the prosecutor’s “pervasive unprofessional conduct.”

Connecticut
Supreme Court won’t hear ­Giordano appeal in child-sex case
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has again refused to hear an appeal by former Waterbury Mayor Philip Giordano, who is fighting a 37-year prison sentence for sexually abusing two young girls while in office.

The court’s decision was released Monday. Justices previously refused to hear two earlier appeals by Giordano.

Giordano was challenging a federal appeals court decision in June to dismiss his request to set aside or correct his sentence. Giordano says the prison sentence is unconstitutional and his lawyer during his 2003 trial, Andrew Bowman, made several mistakes.

Bowman has denied that he provided ineffective counsel.

A federal jury convicted Giordano in 2003 of violating the civil rights of two girls, ages 8 and 10, by sexually abusing them in the mayor’s office and other locations.

Illinois
Child pornography producer gets 80-year sentence
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — An 80-year prison sentence has been handed a southern Illinois man who pleaded guilty to child pornography and predatory criminal sexual assault.

David J. Von Bergen of Godfrey was arrested in September 2014 when police served a search warrant on his home. Police say Von Bergen was downloading child pornography on his computer at the time of his arrest.

Authorities say a search of the computer turned up two videos made by the 36-year-old Von Bergen depicting sexual acts between him and two sisters, ages 7 and 8.

Madison County Circuit Judge Neil Schroeder on Friday sentenced Von Bergen to 25 years on each of the two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault. Von Bergen received 15 years for each of the child pornography charges.

Von Bergen must serve 57 years before he is eligible for parole.

Alabama
Jury recommends death penalty in triple slaying
DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) — Jurors are recommending the death penalty for a man convicted of killing three people in southeast Alabama.

A Houston County jury says Ryan Clark Petersen should die after being convicted of capital murder in the gunshot deaths of two men and a woman at a nightclub in Wicksburg in 2012.

Jurors voted 10-2 Thursday in favor of lethal injection, but a judge could still sentence Petersen to life imprisonment without parole.

Prosecutors say the 27-year-old Enterprise man opened fire after being told to leave the bar following a dispute with an employee.

Jurors rejected defense claims that Petersen wasn’t responsible for his actions because he drank a lot of alcohol and was mentally impaired.

The shooting at Teasers Nightclub killed Tiffani Grissett, Cameron Paul Eubanks and Thomas Robins Jr.

Pennsylvania
Woman drives into river to avoid cops, boozes as car floats
YORK, Pa. (AP) — Police say a Pennsylvania woman drove into a river to avoid arrest, then ignored officers and continued drinking beer as she floated in the vehicle.

The York Daily Record reports police approached the woman near a boat launch Monday to arrest her for fleeing from them earlier. She was wanted for running a stop sign.

They say she hit the gas and barreled into the Susquehanna River.

They say officers tried to communicate with her, but she just ignored them and drank her beer.

A fire department boat brought the woman back to shore.

The woman was taken to York Hospital and police continue to investigate. Her name hasn’t been released.