Archive for the ‘penalty’ tag
FL v John Evander Couey: Victim: Jessica Marie Lunsford
09.30.09: John Evander Couey Dies of Cancer in Prison
John Evander Couey, a previously convicted sex offender was found guilty of the kidnapping, rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford of Homossasa, Florida. He was sentenced to death.
After his daughter’s murder, Mark Lunsford, was instrumental in changing sex offender laws across the country with the creation of Jessica’s Law.
John Evander Couey died of cancer in prison on September 30, 2009. Authorities said his death was unexpected although he had been ill for sometime.
FL v Leppert & Lowry – Victim: James Stewart
09.29.09: Sentence - Life Without Parole plus 2 concurrent life sentences
Fifteen-year-old Morgan Leppert was originally reported as an endangered runaway. After investigating the case police realized she may be in danger because she was in the company of adult male Toby Lowry. An Amber Alert was issued because there were a few sightings of Morgan riding in a truck.
Police ran a search on the license plate and found the truck was registered to Florida resident James Stewart. Police went to Stewart’s home address, but there was no response to their knocks on the door. The detective left a business card requesting that Stewart contact them.
A few days later family members of Stewart phoned police asking them to do a ‘welfare check’ on Stewart because they had not heard from him in several days. Stewart was hard-of-hearing and had no hands. Police went to Stewart’s home, made entry and found his body. He had been beaten, stabbed, and suffocated with a plastic bag.
