by CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 4/28/09
Ronnie Perez will appeal his conviction in the 2007 stabbing death of William Lowell, his attorney said in a Lee County courtroom Monday.
Perez, a Cape Coral resident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a jury convicted him of manslaughter in Lowell's death in February.
According to testimony during his trial, Perez stabbed and cut Lowell 33 times, something defense attorney Lee Hollander had argued was self defense during a physical altercation between the two.
Hollander requested Monday that Perez be declared indigent, or unable to pay for lawyer costs for the purpose of appeal. Hollander also asked that he be allowed to withdraw from representing Perez and that Perez be appointed a public defender.
Perez was unable to earn an income to pay for a lawyer due to his incarceration, Hollander said.
A notice for appeal had already been filed, he said.
Lee Circuit Judge Edward Volz granted Hollander's requests.
Showing posts with label manslaughter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manslaughter. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Cape resident to serve 15 years for manslaughter in ‘08 beating death
by CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 4/28/09
A Cape Coral man pleaded no contest Monday to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the beating death of his 53-year-old roommate last April.
Michael Keith, 47, was initially scheduled to begin trial this week on a second-degree murder charge. He was accused of beating Carl Masters and striking him in the face with a metal object April 7, which police said ultimately caused Masters' death.
Keith was sentenced by Lee Circuit Judge Mark Steinbeck to serve 15 years in the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served of 386 days.
"I'm very upset with myself," Keith told Steinbeck during his Monday afternoon sentencing hearing. "(Carl and Jessica Masters, his wife) were very good friends of mine. I feel bad for Jessica right now. Also I feel bad for my parents right now, that they have to deal with this for the next 15 years."
Police reports indicate Keith was staying with the Masters because he had become homeless. The three lived at 1801 N.E. 2nd Terrace, where police discovered Masters' body.
Keith and Masters reportedly had several physical altercations the night of April 7 and into the early morning hours of April 8, regarding prescription pills, cigarettes and money which Keith accused Masters of stealing.
Jessica was not home when Keith and Masters were fighting due to an impending separation with Masters, and returned to the home the next day to discover him dead, reports state.
Assistant State Attorney Bobby Lee said part of Keith's plea agreement was that he was not to make contact with the Masters family.
Lee said state plea negotiations with Keith were initiated at the request of family members to avoid a jury trial.
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 4/28/09
A Cape Coral man pleaded no contest Monday to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the beating death of his 53-year-old roommate last April.
Michael Keith, 47, was initially scheduled to begin trial this week on a second-degree murder charge. He was accused of beating Carl Masters and striking him in the face with a metal object April 7, which police said ultimately caused Masters' death.
Keith was sentenced by Lee Circuit Judge Mark Steinbeck to serve 15 years in the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served of 386 days.
"I'm very upset with myself," Keith told Steinbeck during his Monday afternoon sentencing hearing. "(Carl and Jessica Masters, his wife) were very good friends of mine. I feel bad for Jessica right now. Also I feel bad for my parents right now, that they have to deal with this for the next 15 years."
Police reports indicate Keith was staying with the Masters because he had become homeless. The three lived at 1801 N.E. 2nd Terrace, where police discovered Masters' body.
Keith and Masters reportedly had several physical altercations the night of April 7 and into the early morning hours of April 8, regarding prescription pills, cigarettes and money which Keith accused Masters of stealing.
Jessica was not home when Keith and Masters were fighting due to an impending separation with Masters, and returned to the home the next day to discover him dead, reports state.
Assistant State Attorney Bobby Lee said part of Keith's plea agreement was that he was not to make contact with the Masters family.
Lee said state plea negotiations with Keith were initiated at the request of family members to avoid a jury trial.
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