Posts by Voyager

1

Fox Faces Murder Arraignment for Son's Deaths

by Voyager in

http://www.swdtimes.com/swdtimes/2004/111704/story1.html .

november 21, 2004 .

Voyager

http://www.swdtimes.com/swdtimes/2004/111704/story1.html

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November 21, 2004

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Fox faces murder arraignment for sons' deaths

By GEORGE DIEPENBROCK
Southwest Daily Times

The state charged Fox with the murder counts in July for his alleged involvement in a March 27 trailer fire on Virginia Street that took the lives of his two sons, Chance Fox, 6, and Rowdy Fox, 4.

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State prosecutors presented their case Monday in a three-part sequence. The first part outlined Fox's alleged fear his sons would become Jehovah's Witnesses with their grandparents.

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The second part depicted the technical events of the fire, including a statement from a state fire inspector that he classified the fire as human caused.

The third part of the case emphasized Fox's behavior since the boys' deaths, including a jail inmate's statement of Fox's alleged confession to the murders.

Fox's attorneys from the Death Penalty Defense Unit asked Smith to dismiss the case.

"This is not even a good arson case," Fox's attorney Ron Evans said.

During the most emotionally-charged testimony, the boys' mother, Angie Gardner, took the stand in the morning.

Gardner stated she and Fox had a relationship that fluctuated on-and-off for nine years, but in the year before the fire, they had separated because Fox's medication for his colon cancer was affecting him. His drinking also made her nervous about leaving the boys with him.

"His medicine was messing him up, and I was kind of afraid of him," Gardner said.

Gardner also testified that while his condition improved and Fox promised he would not drink around the boys, she allowed her sons to spend time with him again.

Gardner also mentioned tension between Fox and her parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses.

"He said he didn't like my mother's religion and that he was afraid she would take (Chance and Rowdy) to church with her," Gardner said.

When prosecutor Melissa Johnson asked Gardner to identify each boy in their most recent school picture, Gardner looked at Fox several times and back at the pictures before verifying. Johnson then brought the pictures to the defense's table to show to Fox's attorney Jeffrey Wicks, who did not object to the state entering the pictures as evidence during the hearing.

Fox immediately reached for tissue to wipe his eyes and turned away so he could not see the pictures. He became emotional at any mention of the boys during the morning portion of the hearing, but during the afternoon session, he remained calm.

During cross-examination, Gardner noted Fox always burned scented candles because he was embarrassed about smells that could resonate as an effect of his colon cancer treatment.

Lori Benton, administrative assistant at the Liberal Housing Authority's Park Lane Towers, testified about several instances between October and December of 2003, before Fox was evicted from the facility, when he was drunk and disruptive. She noted one instance when Fox made a remark about his drinking and his sons.

"He said 'I know I shouldn't be drinking, but I really miss my boys, and if I can't have them, nobody will,'" Benton said.

During cross-examination, Benton noted she did not contact law enforcement.

Fox's friend, Timothy Harvey, of Tyrone, Okla., testified how Fox liked fire and remarked to him on occasions about knowing how to burn down a home and collect insurance while authorities would be unable to detect the cause.

Harvey also said how he became angry with Fox for stating that he would rather see his boys dead than go to church with Gardner's parents. During cross-examination, Harvey said he didn't think Fox meant it when he said it.

When Harvey exited the courtroom, he waved at Fox, who did not acknowledge him.

State fire inspector Melvin L. Dale testified he ruled out electrical and natural causes of the March 27 trailer fire when he originally inspected the scene that day. And based on the immediate evidence, he was unable to determine the fire's cause at the time.

During his testimony, Dale also mapped the scene, as the boys' bodies were found in a make shift bed on the trailer's south end, while the fire originated near the normal bedroom in the north end, where Fox stated through interviews that he slept.

Dale also said after gaining information from the county attorney's investigator Brian Miller of witnesses and Fox, coupled with his own investigation, he considered arson as the cause.

Paramedic Karla Holder who responded to the fire testified Fox had minimal injuries beyond singed hair, and she said he had a strong odor of alcohol and passed out several times and had to be revived.

Norman Shoemate, a former inmate in the Seward County Jail and now in custody in Meade County for writing worthless checks, testified how Fox's demeanor changed in jail after he was charged with capital murder in September.

"I asked him 'Did you do it?' and (Fox) said, 'This is bad. Yeah I did.'" Shoemate said.

Shoemate testified Fox told him he had candles burn a couch in the trailer because he wanted the boys to die of smoke inhalation rather than burns. Shoemate also noted Fox told him he was drinking wine that night and how Fox referred to animosity between Gardner's parents and himself.

The defense questioned Shoemate's credibility because of his past convictions and charges for worthless checks.

Kathleen O'Keefe, of Colorado Springs, Colo., testified as a person Fox met in an online message board about camping. Fox stayed near O'Keefe's residence for about 10 days before he was arrested. O'Keefe noted how Fox's attitude about the fire changed as he began to tell her about how he had killed the boys. She noted how Fox was addicted to morphine and drinking alcohol considerably, and in one instance, he threatened her and scared her because he told her he would also kill her.

In summation for the defense, Evans argued the case relied on speculation from statements Fox made, lacked definitive evidence that arson occurred and presented a witness in Shoemate with credibility problems.

But Judge Smith declared enough evidence was presented to warrant a crime occurred and that Fox could have committed the crime.

Smith scheduled Fox's arraignment on the charges for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 17.

The preliminary hearing was scheduled for Monday and today, but the hearing concluded at 1:52 p.m. Monday.

35

JW Shot Outside Blockbuster Refuses Transfusion and Dies!

by Voyager in

http://news4colorado.com/topstories/local_story_324190649.html .

homepagenewsweathervideosportsbroncosentertainmenthealthtrafficcity cam networkslideshowsinvestigatesbusinessconsumer alertprogram guidecommunitycontestsseen on news 4about cbs 4ask the gmcontact ussearch top stories.

Voyager

http://news4colorado.com/topstories/local_story_324190649.html

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Aaron Davis

the parking lot where the incident took place

News 4 Video: Man Shot Outside Video Store Rejected Transfusion Because Of Beliefs

Man Shot Outside Blockbuster Refused Transfusion

Nov 19, 2004 4:55 pm US/Mountain AURORA, Colo. (News 4) The man shot outside of an Aurora Blockbuster store last weekend died after saying no to a basic lifesaving procedure, News 4 reports.

Postal worker Aaron Davis, 39, was bleeding badly on Saturday night when he arrived at the hospital but he was coherent. He rejected a blood transfusion at Aurora South Hospital because of his religious beliefs, News 4 reports.

According to a coroner's investigator, Davis said no to offers of a transfusion because he's a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his religious stance prevented him from accepting blood from others.

According to the coroner's office, there was no other way to save his life than trying to stop the bleeding.

Davis was fatally shot in the video store parking lot at Mississippi and Chambers following an argument, but clouding the police investigation is the fact that Davis hit the gunman, Glen Eichstedt, over the head with a metal object before the man opened fire.

Aurora police officers wouldn't comment Friday on whether Davis' transfusion refusal complicates their investigation and might be making them reluctant to file charges against Eichstedt.

Aaron's wife Benita Coleman-Davis was also shot in the parking lot and critically injured. Like her husband, she is described as a devout Jehovah's Witness. Friends and family prayed for her recovery at this candlelight vigil on Thursday.

"She's lost 3 quarts of blood and she hasn't regained consciousness from the shooting," friend Shareef Aleem said.

Police said the inability to interview Coleman-Davis is one reason no decision has been made yet in filing any charges.

If Eichstedt is eventually charged, his legal defense team might have a tough time relying on the transfusion refusal as a defense. It's impossible to tell if getting someone else's blood would have saved Davis because of the extent of his gunshot injuries, according to the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office.

Preliminary results of the autopsy on Davis show several vital organs were lacerated by gunfire. He also suffered severe hemorrhaging.

5

New Army Chief Regarding JWs and Others!

by Voyager in

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html .

home .

Voyager

sf---Looks like it did the same thing again. Anyway here is the thread again:

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html

Thanks

5

New Army Chief Regarding JWs and Others!

by Voyager in

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html .

home .

Voyager

I'll try it again for you sf

Home

New Army Chief Regarding JWs and Others!

by Voyager in

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html .

home .

Voyager

sf

Click on the two threads just above the newspaper article. When I cut and pasted the article, for some reason only a few words appeared and then the rest of the article was gone.. So just click on the threads above the article. Thanks!

5

New Army Chief Regarding JWs and Others!

by Voyager in

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html .

home .

Voyager

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/nov/21/yehey/prov/20041121pro1.html

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Home

Dancing,Singing, and Praying is The Main Motivation!

by Voyager in

unhcr news.

you are in: news today's date: saturday, 20 november 2004. unhcr news storiesfeature: refugees flock to churches in mozambique campcamp preachers show one of the many churches built by refugees at marratane camp.

nampula, mozambique (unhcr) ?

Voyager

UNHCR News

You are in: News

Today's date: Saturday, 20 November 2004

UNHCR News Stories

Feature: Refugees flock to churches in Mozambique camp

NAMPULA, Mozambique (UNHCR) ? A trend currently sweeping over Africa has not stopped at the refugee camp: the mushrooming of new churches and an unprecedented popularity of churchgoing.

Marratane camp in Nampula province, northern Mozambique, has less than 5,000 inhabitants but between 30 and 40 churches. Even the ministers of the largest ones have lost track of the number. The reasons for this new piousness are manifold, though not all of them are purely spiritual.

Congolese refugee Jean-Claude Assente Mempelese always feels "very enthusiastic in the prayer room" where he worships with his fellow believers in the camp?s Christian Christadelphian church. He says it is love that unites him with other Christians, overcoming tribal conflicts and promoting reconciliation.

Mempelese, a Chistadelphian preacher, says religion has changed his life. "Once I was irresponsible. I drank and smoked and had no orientation in life." Now, he finds that hate and rivalry have been replaced by love and understanding. His whole family is baptised and follows the new way of life.

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Felix Omar Bunjbuni, a Jehovah's Witness pastor, has a more pragmatic view. Refugees have nothing to do in the camp, their lives are monotonous and boring, he says. Churches offer meaningful alternatives such as getting together, dancing, singing and praying. This, he thinks, is the main motivation for many refugees to join a congregation.

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Among the most popular denominations in Africa today are Pentecostal churches. They offer a wild mixture of biblical content, mysticism, prophecies, African rites, sometimes speckled with a bit of witchcraft. Such churches cater to the needs of African societies torn apart by tribal conflicts, wars, AIDS and poverty, and trapped between western values and local traditions.

Aid workers from UNHCR and non-governmental organisations in Marratane camp confirm the refugees? strong commitment to churches. If work needs to be done for the camp community, the refugees would always demand to be paid. They recently asked for "incentives" to work on the irrigation system for their fields or even to level their own football ground. But when it comes to building churches, they do all the hard work for free.

Anuruni Tabumara is a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the camp. This church demands a lot of devotion. Members have to attend three hour-long services per week and donate money or food, whatever they can afford, to help more destitute devotees. The pastor says his church is multinational, with refugees from many different African countries. Sadly, Christian love of the neighbour was not strong enough to bridge the gap between Hutus and Tutsis, who refused to pray together and split into two groups.

All three clergymen say that the emergence of all these churches has changed the social structure of the camps and appeased conflicts. They argue that the camp has improved tremendously thanks to the new values, matrimonial fidelity and the prohibition of alcohol and drugs. They say that tribal groups are reconciled, AIDS infection is low, alcoholism and domestic violence have decreased, and crime is dwindling.

Representatives of women's groups in the camp, who do not want to be named, have rather different views. In the camp's jargon, a clearing with a big shady tree in the middle is called "Sun City", after a famous entertainment park in South Africa. The women say this is where many men spend their days chatting, drinking and smoking. Domestic violence is no less present than in most impoverished societies, and aid workers are concerned about the number of teenage pregnancies and AIDS cases.

According to the women, much of what the preachers say is just wishful thinking.

Local intellectuals and UN officials know of other motives that are driving refugees to sects and churches. Moneymaking is one of them. Some preachers and self-appointed prophets are abusing the genuine need for spirituality, squeezing out the little that people have to enrich themselves.

Some refugees have their own hidden agenda for joining the sects, some of which are based in countries like the United States. They hope that with the help of their new congregations, they will find a way to be resettled to a western country.

Hence, many African refugees are hoping to get to the "promised land", be it by resettlement, by leading a more meaningful life or by going to heaven one day. Whatever their motives, there is no doubt that churches add to the colour and diversity of life in Marratane camp.

By Melita Sunjic
UNHCR Regional Office in South Africa

Story date: 16 Apr 2004
UNHCR News Stories

9

Armenia Church Wants Fresh Ban on Jehovah's Witnesses!

by Voyager in

jw
friends

armenia liberty.org.

thursday 18, november 2004 .

armenian church wants fresh ban on jehovah?s witnesses.

Voyager

Armenia Liberty.org

Thursday 18, November 2004

Armenian Church Wants Fresh Ban On Jehovah?s Witnesses

By Emil Danielyan

The Armenian Apostolic Church has urged the government to reconsider its decision to legalize the Jehovah?s Witnesses religious group, again denouncing it and calling for more restrictions on the activities of non-traditional Christian sects.

The issue, extremely sensitive in Armenia, prompted an extraordinary meeting of the church?s Supreme Spiritual Council earlier this week. It was chaired by Catholicos Garegin II.

?The Armenian Church expresses concern to the effect that religious organizations are registered by relevant state bodies as a result of insufficient examinations and unscrupulous adherence to the law,? the council said in a statement released late on Wednesday. ?The activities of totalitarian religious organizations, including the Jehovah?s Witnesses, run counter to our national and state interests and aspirations.?

?The Supreme Spiritual Council expects relevant state bodies to reconsider and regulate the mentioned issues,? the statement added.

The Jehovah?s Witnesses were registered by the Justice Ministry last month after years of pressure from international human rights groups. The move fulfilled one of Armenia?s membership commitments to the Council of Europe.

The U.S.-based sect was outlawed mainly due to its opposition to military service which is mandatory in Armenia. Scores of its young male adherents have been imprisoned for refusing to serve in the armed forces. The registration was made possible by an Armenian law on alternative service -- another condition for Yerevan?s accession to the Council of Europe in 2001.

The Apostolic Church, to which more than 90 percent of Armenians nominally belong, views the presence of the Jehovah?s Witnesses and other non-traditional faiths in the country as a threat to its privileged status upheld by an Armenian law on religious organizations. The ancient church enjoys the exclusive right to publicly and freely disseminate its beliefs.

Still, its governing body said the law must be amended to place additional curbs on the sects which it regards as anti-Christian. Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, also very hostile to the sects, promised to do just that shortly after the legalization of the Jehovah?s Witnesses.

But the church?s reliance on government support was strongly criticized by an Armenian opposition leader. Victor Dallakian of the Artarutyun alliance said the church should only blame itself for the spread of the religious rivals. Dallakian specifically attacked Garegin, reminding reporters of his controversial decision to preside over religious festivity that was held as part of a campaign rally staged by President Robert Kocharian ahead of last year?s disputed presidential elections.

12

HEY! anyone got a scanned copy of School and Jehovah's Witnesses?

by MelbaToast in

it would be great if i could get some copies of this booklet.

any information that you have, could you please post???

i need it for my psych paper....blondie, got anything?

Voyager

Got your message. Sent scans to both addresses.

Voyager

12

HEY! anyone got a scanned copy of School and Jehovah's Witnesses?

by MelbaToast in

it would be great if i could get some copies of this booklet.

any information that you have, could you please post???

i need it for my psych paper....blondie, got anything?

Voyager

MelbaToast:

I have searched in several places and can not find your e-mail address to send the scans. I have the whole book scanned for you. Can you give me an address to attatch the files to?