| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Dr. GroundAxe" |
| Date: |
03 Jan 2007 01:50:19 PM |
| Object: |
God's good work |
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and
Eagle Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because
Hooper didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur
Shelton, with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the
Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory
D. Bill to face charges of murder in the first degree brought by
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he
moves. I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how
many times he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested
in gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with
talking about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to
anyone who didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police
because he felt they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the
late night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm,
cooperative and enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again
Arthur was obsessed about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He
stated he "was not sorry for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated,
"In the eyes of the law I was wrong and will probably spend the rest of
my life in prison, but in the eyes of God I have killed an evil person
-- the devil himself." And when Arthur took the witness stand in his own
defense he reiterated much of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had
little problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and
Eagle Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity.
The prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent,
knew the difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of
guilty of murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge
Bill rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with
mental illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end'
of punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for
not guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the
'low end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to
make a statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was
sorry that Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He
stated that he actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes
and knew he was the devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to
45 years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence
stating, "I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence."
Judge Bill responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence
by committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court."
(In a private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that
Michigan law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being
eligible for parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were
and I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we
were Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people
from hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall
and continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and
blowing us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their
necks) in our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the
bathroom and did their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through
it all George and I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I
reported this taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that
they were aware of the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and
to the disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck
crosses on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while
constantly flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from
lunch (without court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the
seventh floor and lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians. At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian'
Shelton family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried,
they surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all
of this is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for
it" and "The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
.
|
|
| User: "Greywolf" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 04:49:24 PM |
|
|
"Dr. GroundAxe" <groundaxe@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%NTmh.25087$k74.4106@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and Eagle
Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because Hooper
didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur Shelton,
with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the Frank Murphy
Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory D. Bill to face
charges of murder in the first degree brought by Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he moves.
I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how many times
he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested in
gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with talking
about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to anyone who
didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police because he felt
they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the late
night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm, cooperative and
enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again Arthur was obsessed
about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He stated he "was not sorry
for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated, "In the eyes of the law I
was wrong and will probably spend the rest of my life in prison, but in
the eyes of God I have killed an evil person -- the devil himself." And
when Arthur took the witness stand in his own defense he reiterated much
of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had little
problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and Eagle
Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity. The
prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent, knew the
difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of guilty of
murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge Bill
rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with mental
illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end' of
punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for not
guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the 'low
end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to make a
statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was sorry that
Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He stated that he
actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes and knew he was the
devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to 45
years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence stating,
"I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence." Judge Bill
responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence by
committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court." (In a
private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that Michigan
law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being eligible for
parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were and
I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we were
Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people from
hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall and
continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and blowing
us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their necks) in
our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the bathroom and did
their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through it all George and
I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I reported this
taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that they were aware of
the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and to the
disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck crosses
on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while constantly
flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from lunch (without
court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the seventh floor and
lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians. At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian' Shelton
family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried, they
surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all of this
is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it" and
"The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
As disgusting and revolting as this sad 'story' is, I am not in the least
bit surprised by anything in it.
I've been beating my head in trying to 'treat' all the atheists who frequent
this NG as to what to expect from mob-law 'Christians'. You all are seeing
it through my eyes as it is happening. What is happening to me out here is
slow, methodical 'murder'. I will die -- not as a your 'typical' suicide,
but be driven to take my own life by 'Christians' who have that very intent
(for the most part) in mind. That's 'attempted murder' in my book! Either
that, or drive me out of my 'cell-block' and off my property. I've been
*telling* you all that for a very long time. We just haven't reached the
conclusion of *my* 'story' just yet. No gun or 'trigger guy or gal' here
just yet. But these people are 'praying' that I am either forced off my
property, put in a mental institution (until, I suppose, I accept Jesus as
my 'Personal Lord and Savior' and *then* am placed in county-controlled
apartment for the mentally ill), or take my own life -- perhaps freezing to
death. No joking here. *Nothing* is being done remove Douche-Bag and render
his army of kiss-butts, impotent. I guess charges *after* the fact is all I
can expect to finally rid the county of the cancerous piece of *****.
But where are the clergy in this community railing against the pariah/leper
treatment *this* neighbor of theirs is on the receiving end of? Where?
Whatever happened to 'Do unto others ... '? Whatever happened to 'Love thy
neighbor as thyself? In the toilet, *that's* where! All the 'good' teachings
of Jesus go right out the window when attempting to be applied to
*atheists*! The Christian Eagle Scout in the above account was a diseased
young individual. He was *religiously* 'diseased'. As were those
'Christians' harassing the (brave) atheists. These are 'sick' people. And I
mean *sick*. But you all know that already, don't you?
What do we atheists do about it? Well trying to get legislation passed that
would make the 'Jesus Camp' type of religious 'conversion' of our youth
would be a nice 'baby' step. That 'Christian Eagle Scout' was clearly
brainwashed. No one has *that* much hatred for atheists unless they were
maliciously indoctrinated to think that way. What kind of 'values' are those
being instilled in our youth when a significant part of a community feels
there's nothing necessarily wrong with seeing an atheist being mistreated --
or even killed? Isn't there something violently wrong with this 'picture'?
It seem in recent times the level of hatred and contempt for the atheist has
risen dramatically. Perhaps it's because more and more members of
*mainstream* America are now willing to hold the views of the atheist
community with more respect than it has in the past -- and *that* is what is
driving the religiously-diseased 'Christians' (which these diseased
individuals certainly are *not* ['Christians'] -- for their very 'conduct'
and attitude exposes *that*! Has anyone heard of the expression: 'The
proof's in the pudding.'?) to become more hateful, more spiteful, and more
violent towards atheists than in the past!
Again, I am beating a dead horse here. But what is being done to me out here
is a 'microcosm' of what atheists can come to expect the day America is
successfully 'Reclaimed for Christ!'. That day will, thankfully, never come.
But will it take a 2nd American Civil War to see to it that it doesn't? Just
*look* at the numbers, organization, intense fervor and *will* these people
have! How do you 'negate' such a strong, powerful force? By pointing out
that not a single book of the Bible has survived and that 'God' must not
have thought too much about them if he didn't see to their preservation?
Hah!!!!
I'm getting goofy again. So I'm stopping right here. Just remember: This is
'murder' (with plenty of psychological 'torture' being inflicted in the
process) in 'slow-motion' taking place out here. It is being 'carried out'
by 'Christians' who, in turn, are being 'directed' by a 'criminal-minded'
Christian with absolutely *no* conscience. And just look how eager and
'willing to please' these Christian 'sheep' are willing to mutilate and
disregard the tenets and teachings of their 'faith'!
Sick. Absolutely sick -- the lot of em'.
Greywolf
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Ronald More-More Moshki" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 04:21:56 PM |
|
|
Dr. GroundAxe wrote:
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and
Eagle Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because
Hooper didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur
Shelton, with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the
Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory
D. Bill to face charges of murder in the first degree brought by
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he
moves. I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how
many times he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested
in gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with
talking about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to
anyone who didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police
because he felt they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the
late night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm,
cooperative and enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again
Arthur was obsessed about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He
stated he "was not sorry for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated,
"In the eyes of the law I was wrong and will probably spend the rest of
my life in prison, but in the eyes of God I have killed an evil person
-- the devil himself." And when Arthur took the witness stand in his own
defense he reiterated much of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had
little problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and
Eagle Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity.
The prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent,
knew the difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of
guilty of murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge
Bill rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with
mental illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end'
of punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for
not guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the
'low end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to
make a statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was
sorry that Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He
stated that he actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes
and knew he was the devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to
45 years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence
stating, "I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence."
Judge Bill responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence
by committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court."
(In a private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that
Michigan law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being
eligible for parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were
and I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we
were Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people
from hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall
and continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and
blowing us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their
necks) in our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the
bathroom and did their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through
it all George and I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I
reported this taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that
they were aware of the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and
to the disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck
crosses on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while
constantly flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from
lunch (without court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the
seventh floor and lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians. At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian'
Shelton family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried,
they surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all
of this is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for
it" and "The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
American Atheists was much more subtle in its
destruction of the O'Hair legacy, but lethal just the same.
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Denis Loubet" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 03:06:55 PM |
|
|
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http//www.io.com/~dloubet
"Dr. GroundAxe" <groundaxe@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%NTmh.25087$k74.4106@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and Eagle
Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because Hooper
didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur Shelton,
with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the Frank Murphy
Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory D. Bill to face
charges of murder in the first degree brought by Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he moves.
I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how many times
he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested in
gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with talking
about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to anyone who
didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police because he felt
they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the late
night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm, cooperative and
enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again Arthur was obsessed
about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He stated he "was not sorry
for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated, "In the eyes of the law I
was wrong and will probably spend the rest of my life in prison, but in
the eyes of God I have killed an evil person -- the devil himself." And
when Arthur took the witness stand in his own defense he reiterated much
of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had little
problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and Eagle
Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity. The
prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent, knew the
difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of guilty of
murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge Bill
rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with mental
illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end' of
punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for not
guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the 'low
end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to make a
statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was sorry that
Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He stated that he
actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes and knew he was the
devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to 45
years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence stating,
"I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence." Judge Bill
responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence by
committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court." (In a
private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that Michigan
law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being eligible for
parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were and
I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we were
Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people from
hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall and
continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and blowing
us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their necks) in
our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the bathroom and did
their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through it all George and
I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I reported this
taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that they were aware of
the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and to the
disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck crosses
on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while constantly
flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from lunch (without
court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the seventh floor and
lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians. At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian' Shelton
family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried, they
surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all of this
is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it" and
"The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
.
|
|
|
| User: "Phÿltêr" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 03:14:27 PM |
|
|
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
--
Phÿltêr
Alt.Atheism #1938
Plonked by Fred Stone 17/03/2006
Denizen of Darkness #44
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com
.
|
|
|
| User: "Denis Loubet" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 05:51:19 PM |
|
|
"Phÿltêr" <phylter@phylterworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98ADA55E039F7Smeagolsring@207.115.17.102...
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
I'd like to hear more than one characterization of the event because I'd
like to believe, as futile as my wish may be, that there are some things
even modern day Christians wouldn't do.
It's not so much the murder, but the lack of remorse from the Christian
group. Ugh! What a bunch of monsters.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http//www.io.com/~dloubet
.
|
|
|
| User: "Dr. GroundAxe" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 10:31:27 PM |
|
|
Denis Loubet wrote:
"Phÿltêr" <phylter@phylterworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98ADA55E039F7Smeagolsring@207.115.17.102...
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
I'd like to hear more than one characterization of the event because I'd
like to believe, as futile as my wish may be, that there are some things
even modern day Christians wouldn't do.
It's not so much the murder, but the lack of remorse from the Christian
group. Ugh! What a bunch of monsters.
Believe it. There are worrying large Christian groups all over the world
that would gleefully murder you for not accepting their beliefs.
.
|
|
|
| User: "I KILLED YOUR GOD...IT WAS EASY!" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
03 Jan 2007 11:46:18 PM |
|
|
"Dr. GroundAxe" <groundaxe@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:zq%mh.25371$k74.3201@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
Denis Loubet wrote:
"Phÿltêr" <phylter@phylterworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98ADA55E039F7Smeagolsring@207.115.17.102...
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
I'd like to hear more than one characterization of the event because I'd
like to believe, as futile as my wish may be, that there are some things
even modern day Christians wouldn't do.
It's not so much the murder, but the lack of remorse from the Christian
group. Ugh! What a bunch of monsters.
Believe it. There are worrying large Christian groups all over the world
that would gleefully murder you for not accepting their beliefs.
dont worry my fellow atheists-there are warriors here-they are doomed to
failure.
i hate religion with a passion.
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "MarkA" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
05 Jan 2007 09:28:06 PM |
|
|
On Thu, 04 Jan 2007 04:31:27 +0000, Dr. GroundAxe wrote:
Denis Loubet wrote:
"Phÿltêr" <phylter@phylterworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98ADA55E039F7Smeagolsring@207.115.17.102...
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
I'd like to hear more than one characterization of the event because I'd
like to believe, as futile as my wish may be, that there are some things
even modern day Christians wouldn't do.
It's not so much the murder, but the lack of remorse from the Christian
group. Ugh! What a bunch of monsters.
Believe it. There are worrying large Christian groups all over the world
that would gleefully murder you for not accepting their beliefs.
The Inquisition hasn't gone away, it is merely laying low...
--
MarkA
(this space accidentally filled in)
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "MarkA" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
04 Jan 2007 07:55:14 AM |
|
|
On Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:51:19 -0600, Denis Loubet wrote:
"Phÿltêr" <phylter@phylterworld.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98ADA55E039F7Smeagolsring@207.115.17.102...
"Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> blew me away with
news:vN2dnb1sAaxshwHYnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@io.com:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
What can I say, Denis, it's probably the only "lawful insanity"...
I'd like to hear more than one characterization of the event because I'd
like to believe, as futile as my wish may be, that there are some things
even modern day Christians wouldn't do.
It's not so much the murder, but the lack of remorse from the Christian
group. Ugh! What a bunch of monsters.
Clearly, many people with serious mental issues are deeply religious.
That does not mean that all theists are mentally ill, or that all mentally
ill people are religious. But it comes as no surprise that some of the
"true believers" are quite crazy.
--
MarkA
(still caught in the maze of twisty little passages, all different)
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Uncle Clover" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
04 Jan 2007 01:18:34 AM |
|
|
I'm adding alt.true-crime to this thread, this is definitely something that
would interest them folks over there - it seems on-topic for both groups, so I
hope the cross-posting is acceptable. :-)
As for the story, check it out below. It really -is- horrific. :-(
On Wed, 3 Jan 2007 15:06:55 -0600, "Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> wrote:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http//www.io.com/~dloubet
"Dr. GroundAxe" <groundaxe@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%NTmh.25087$k74.4106@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and Eagle
Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because Hooper
didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur Shelton,
with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the Frank Murphy
Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory D. Bill to face
charges of murder in the first degree brought by Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he moves.
I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how many times
he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested in
gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with talking
about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to anyone who
didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police because he felt
they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the late
night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm, cooperative and
enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again Arthur was obsessed
about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He stated he "was not sorry
for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated, "In the eyes of the law I
was wrong and will probably spend the rest of my life in prison, but in
the eyes of God I have killed an evil person -- the devil himself." And
when Arthur took the witness stand in his own defense he reiterated much
of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had little
problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and Eagle
Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity. The
prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent, knew the
difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of guilty of
murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge Bill
rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with mental
illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end' of
punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for not
guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the 'low
end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to make a
statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was sorry that
Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He stated that he
actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes and knew he was the
devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to 45
years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence stating,
"I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence." Judge Bill
responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence by
committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court." (In a
private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that Michigan
law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being eligible for
parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were and
I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we were
Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people from
hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall and
continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and blowing
us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their necks) in
our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the bathroom and did
their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through it all George and
I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I reported this
taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that they were aware of
the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and to the
disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck crosses
on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while constantly
flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from lunch (without
court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the seventh floor and
lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians. At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian' Shelton
family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried, they
surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all of this
is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it" and
"The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hardest person to say, "No!" to is to one's own self.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who we were is meaningless in the face of who we are, and
who we are is but a stepping stone to who we shall become
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
.
|
|
|
| User: "tiny dancer" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
04 Jan 2007 01:26:23 AM |
|
|
"Uncle Clover" <UncleClover@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in message
news:3fapp2pccm2nfh70v5at94q6slnoighb71@4ax.com...
I'm adding alt.true-crime to this thread, this is definitely something
that
would interest them folks over there - it seems on-topic for both groups,
so I
hope the cross-posting is acceptable. :-)
As for the story, check it out below. It really -is- horrific. :-(
On Wed, 3 Jan 2007 15:06:55 -0600, "Denis Loubet" <dloubet@io.com> wrote:
Sorry for the top-posting, but if this story is true, it's horrific.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http//www.io.com/~dloubet
"Dr. GroundAxe" <groundaxe@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%NTmh.25087$k74.4106@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
THE MURDER OF LARRY HOOPER
By Arlene-Marie
December 20, 2005
(Edited for punctuation and clarity.)
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self described Christian and
Eagle
Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because Hooper
didn't believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Arthur
Shelton,
with his defense attorney, Seymour Swartz, appeared at the Frank
Murphy
Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan, before Judge Gregory D. Bill to
face
charges of murder in the first degree brought by Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney, Christina Guiruis.
The trial began with the taped phone call Arthur Shelton placed to the
Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, October 18, 2004, at
precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and pridefull when he told
the
dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a
shotgun because "he (Hooper) didn't believe in God." Shelton told the
dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he
moves.
I want to make sure he's gone." When the dispatcher asked how many
times
he shot the victim Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15 minute phone call Shelton often repeated, "I'm a
Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie," and "don't worry
about
me, I'm fine, but he's the devil." The dispatcher struggled to
persuade
Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised.
Shelton resisted, as he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough", but
eventually complied.
Dead enough was an understatement. When the police arrived they were
confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper sitting upright on the
couch
with his head blown away and his brain laying on his hand. The autopsy
report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome to be sure, but, for
the
record, Larry Hooper tested negative for all narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting officer and the officers transporting
Shelton
to the police station revealed that while the officers were interested
in
gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with
talking
about God, the Eagle Scouts and stating he "would not talk to anyone
who
didn't believe in God but that he would talk to the police because he
felt
they believed in God."
On the second day of the trial the court played the videotape of the
late
night interrogation with Arthur Shelton. He appeared calm, cooperative
and
enjoyed the cookies and milk he was served. Once again Arthur was
obsessed
about talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He stated he "was not
sorry
for a second that he killed Hooper." He stated, "In the eyes of the
law I
was wrong and will probably spend the rest of my life in prison, but
in
the eyes of God I have killed an evil person -- the devil himself."
And
when Arthur took the witness stand in his own defense he reiterated
much
of the same ideas.
Day three of the trial we heard summary arguments. The defense had
little
problem proving that Arthur is obsessed with religion, God and Eagle
Scouts and pleaded for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity. The
prosecution had little problem proving that Arthur was competent, knew
the
difference between right and wrong and called for a verdict of guilty
of
murder in the first degree. As this was a wavered trial Judge Bill
rendered his verdict quickly -- guilty of second-degree murder with
mental
illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness
sentencing of Arthur Shelton. The prosecution asked for the 'high end'
of
punishment - 25 to 45 years, while the defense was still pleading for
not
guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the
'low
end' of punishment 15 to 22 years. Judge Bill invited Shelton to make
a
statement and after fumbling for words Shelton stated he was sorry
that
Larry was dead but he did a job that had to be done. He stated that he
actually, "saw fire and smoke coming from Larry's eyes and knew he was
the
devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters written to him from
Shelton's family members pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the
audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family.
In
the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced sentencing -- 25 to
45
years. Shelton was stunned and tried to negotiate the sentence
stating,
"I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence." Judge Bill
responded, "Mr. Shelton you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence by
committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court."
(In a
private conversation, the prosecutor, Ms Guirguis, explained that
Michigan
law requires that Shelton must serve 25 years before being eligible
for
parole.)
I add now a disgusting chain of events that took place in the
courtroom,
the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside
of
the courthouse and even the ladies bathroom. George Shiffer and myself
attended day one of the trial. Upon arrival we were asked who we were
and
I gave the court my American Atheist business card. Word that we were
Atheists traveled fast in this court room that offered very limited
seating and the only others in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's
family who immediately began taunting George and me with "the people
from
hell, evil, and devils." At breaks they waited for us in the hall and
continued with more of the same while adding "God loves you" and
blowing
us kisses and shoving their crosses (worn on chains around their
necks) in
our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the bathroom and
did
their best to intimidate me with their crosses. Through it all George
and
I never flinched, but at the conclusion of the day I reported this
taunting to the Officer of the Court who admitted that they were aware
of
the problem and escorted us to the elevator, past and to the
disappointment of the waiting group of 'good Christians'.
On Day two when George and I, together with Joe Milon, entered the
court
room the taunting began immediately. Within an hour the Judge
announced
that those making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be
removed. For the balance of the day the Christians wore their neck
crosses
on their backs, as we were seated in the back row, while constantly
flopping them about with their hand. When we returned from lunch
(without
court escort) the Christians were waiting for us on the seventh floor
and
lunged at us with small signs they had painted --
'Jesus lives', 'God loves you' -- and, again, thrusted their crosses
within 2 or 3 inches from our noses. Tempers flared and a brief
shouting
match began. Brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
Day three found Atheist Lee Helms in the same taunted position of the
previous days though he was not known to the court or the Christians.
At
the conclusion of the day an officer of the court detained him stating
they have been having trouble with 'those people' (Christians) and
escorted him to the elevators.
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing,
was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian'
Shelton
family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried, they
surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all of
this
is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it"
and
"The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
Submitted by:
Arlene-Marie
Michigan State Director
American Atheists
amarie@atheists.org
www.michiganatheists.org
PO Box 0025
Allen Park, MI 48101
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover
Isn't it *comforting* to know one lives in a christian country.
<sarcasm off>
Other than that, I am utterly speechless. The whole family of nutballs
should be locked up. I'm sure this won't be the last we hear from them
td
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Frank Mayhar" |
|
| Title: Re: God's good work |
04 Jan 2007 12:51:31 PM |
|
|
On Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:18:34 -0500, Uncle Clover wrote:
Even with all that behind us, December 19th, the day of sentencing, was
still a horrific experience for myself, George Shiffer, Joe Milon, Lee
Helms and Marty Maier. When leaving the courtroom the 'Christian' Shelton
family lay in wait for us in the hallway. Their tears dried, they
surrounded us shouting these comments: "The one good thing of all of this
is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it" and
"The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist."
And these religious idiots just can't _understand_ why we atheists tend to
be a tad testy about this stuff.
At least one of those insane freaks is locked up for good. Unfortunately
one person is dead while the rest of the obscene family is still walking
the streets.
--
Frank Mayhar frank@exit.com http://www.exit.com/
Exit Consulting http://www.gpsclock.com/
http://www.exit.com/blog/frank/
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