nighthawk_75253
05-10-2002, 06:24 PM
From: "Mozes V Curiel" <mozescur@c...>
Date: Fri May 10, 2002 12:47 am
Subject: AN OTHER TORTURE!!! PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE .
ADVERTISEMENT
http://www.deathrow.at/paul/menu.html
An article about Paulīs case
AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the death sentence of
an Cameron County man convicted of kiling two man he thought raped his wife in
1991.
But at least two judges said Wednesday they believed the wrong man has been
sentenced to die.
Paul Richard Colella, 27, was convicted in September 1992 for shooting David Taylor
and Michael Lavexphere on Sept. 12., 1991.
Six judges affirmed the conviction. But Judge Charles Baird wrote in a dissenting
opinion, with Judge Morris Overstreet concurring, that an accomplice was the more
likely killer.
A roller coaster series of events found Colella and Anthony "Red" Wilson helping the
victims free a truck from the sand on South Padre Island and partying with them on
the beach. According to court records, Colella later found the victims asleep in their
white pickup and shot them.
"The evidence in this record suggest that Red, not appellant committed the murders."
Baird wrote in his opinion. "I would reverse the judgment of the trial court and order a
acquittal."
According to the majority opinion, Colellas wife, Brenda Bowling, partied with the
group on the beach, argued with her husband about his drinking and then left the
beach. The victims later found her hitchhiking and picked her up.
Ms. Bowling told her husband that the victims had raped her, but Rick Taylor, brother
of one of the victims who was also with the slain men, denied the charge, the opinion
said.
Ms. Bowling did not want to go to the police, because there was a warrant out for her
arrest in Indiana. The couple had recently moved to South Texas from Terre Haute,
Ind., the opinion said.
After shooting the men, Colella drove the pickup into the bay and threw the gun in
the ocean, court records said. He and Ms. Bowling then fled to Indiana, where Colella
was later arrested.
Baird`s dissent, however, suggested that Wilson`s testimony against Colella did not
jibe with the physical evidence and that none of the evidence served to connect the
condemned man to the killings.
"For example, Wilson said Colella shot one of the victims in the bed of the pickup and
then walked to the driver`s side to shoot the second. During the trial, however, a
medical examiner said the victims were shot from the passenger side of the vehicle,"
Baird said.
Baird also questioned whether Colella could have committed the crimes at 2. am,
Sept. 12, 1991, with enough time to travel from South Padre Island to Victoria where
he bought a bus ticket at 6am.
Also, he suggested the local authorities had botched the initial investigation by
neglecting to secure the crime scene, among other things.
Date: Fri May 10, 2002 12:47 am
Subject: AN OTHER TORTURE!!! PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE .
ADVERTISEMENT
http://www.deathrow.at/paul/menu.html
An article about Paulīs case
AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the death sentence of
an Cameron County man convicted of kiling two man he thought raped his wife in
1991.
But at least two judges said Wednesday they believed the wrong man has been
sentenced to die.
Paul Richard Colella, 27, was convicted in September 1992 for shooting David Taylor
and Michael Lavexphere on Sept. 12., 1991.
Six judges affirmed the conviction. But Judge Charles Baird wrote in a dissenting
opinion, with Judge Morris Overstreet concurring, that an accomplice was the more
likely killer.
A roller coaster series of events found Colella and Anthony "Red" Wilson helping the
victims free a truck from the sand on South Padre Island and partying with them on
the beach. According to court records, Colella later found the victims asleep in their
white pickup and shot them.
"The evidence in this record suggest that Red, not appellant committed the murders."
Baird wrote in his opinion. "I would reverse the judgment of the trial court and order a
acquittal."
According to the majority opinion, Colellas wife, Brenda Bowling, partied with the
group on the beach, argued with her husband about his drinking and then left the
beach. The victims later found her hitchhiking and picked her up.
Ms. Bowling told her husband that the victims had raped her, but Rick Taylor, brother
of one of the victims who was also with the slain men, denied the charge, the opinion
said.
Ms. Bowling did not want to go to the police, because there was a warrant out for her
arrest in Indiana. The couple had recently moved to South Texas from Terre Haute,
Ind., the opinion said.
After shooting the men, Colella drove the pickup into the bay and threw the gun in
the ocean, court records said. He and Ms. Bowling then fled to Indiana, where Colella
was later arrested.
Baird`s dissent, however, suggested that Wilson`s testimony against Colella did not
jibe with the physical evidence and that none of the evidence served to connect the
condemned man to the killings.
"For example, Wilson said Colella shot one of the victims in the bed of the pickup and
then walked to the driver`s side to shoot the second. During the trial, however, a
medical examiner said the victims were shot from the passenger side of the vehicle,"
Baird said.
Baird also questioned whether Colella could have committed the crimes at 2. am,
Sept. 12, 1991, with enough time to travel from South Padre Island to Victoria where
he bought a bus ticket at 6am.
Also, he suggested the local authorities had botched the initial investigation by
neglecting to secure the crime scene, among other things.