Robert Dudek, Gagnon's attorney, filed a post-conviction motion for a new trial in 2012. Vivian Skipper lives near the home where the Parkers were murdered, and she said Monday she has been interested in the case since it began. Bambi was released later due to a lack of evidence tying her to the crime. Prosecutors called 12 witnesses Tuesday to testify about the key to the prosecution's case - DNA. Double murder suspect sentenced to life in prison, Coroner: NC college student struck, killed by vehicle in Myrtle Beach, Police: 1 dead, another hurt after shooting reported at Horry County bar, PHOTOS: Damage reported after Sunday storms move through Grand Strand, Coastal Carolinas Jerrod Clark, Lance Boykin sign with NFL teams, wmbf-publicfile@gray.tv - (843) 839-9623. This story was originally published November 28, 2017, 2:58 PM. Bruce Kenneth Wagner is an actor, known for Bicentennial Man (1999). Prosecutors linked Gagnon to the crimes after blood linked to Charles Parker Sr., was found on Gagnons shoes. [7], The VTA is a public transportation agency that operates bus and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County and employs about 2,000 workers. The funds are intended to help the VTA "provide mental health resources to employees and their families, resume light rail service and improve safety upgrades at the Guadalupe Rail Yard", where the shooting took place. The authorities initially thought that Bruce and Richard were co-conspirators of the double homicide, but Bruce declined to know Richard in a prison interview. [24] Their ages ranged from 29 to 63 years old, and many of them were longtime employees. "Even though it is a recently developed evidence it's not evidence of Gagnons innocence.. The couple also had the motive to kill the Parkers as they recently got into an argument regarding Bambi's inheritance and her children's custody. As a child Bruce enjoyed spending his time farming with the family and hanging out with the neighborhood kids . During his closing argument Hazzard raised questions about how the DNA evidence was handled. Depends on whom you ask", "Santa Clara County DA: VTA shooter could have been stopped if feds told local authorities about prior detention", "Gunman who killed 9 in San Jose VTA railyard shooting fired 39 rounds, targeted victims", "12 guns, bombs and 25,000 bullets recovered from home of VTA shooter", "San Jose gunman had 22,000 rounds of ammunition at his house, which sheriff's office thinks he set on fire", "VTA Yard Shooting: Gunshots Appear to Have Continued for 10 Minutes After Initial Calls for Help", "Police release dramatic bodycam video of San Jose rail yard shooting", "Horror at the VTA: The unbridled terror, true heroism behind Bay Area's deadliest mass shooting", "Dramatic recordings of VTA employees as a killer stalked them", "8 people slain, suspected gunman kills himself in mass shooting at San Jose rail yard", "San Jose mass shooting: VTA shooter's family apologizes, says he felt lost to them for months", "Diagrams show mayhem during Samuel James Cassidy's rampage at S.J. A testimony from. [47] Governor Gavin Newsom made similar remarks during a visit to San Jose. He used three semiautomatic handguns in the shooting, which were legally obtained. Hembree also said that Gagnon, while in jail, told a fellow inmate unrelated to the case about another person being involved in the Parkerss murder. Bruce Hill now faces two counts of murder. They initially lived with the Parkers for quite some time before arguments about inheritance and the children's custody resulted in Bambi and Richard moving out. Hill pleaded guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery in connection with a Nov. 15, 2006, incident in Tennessee. Both Diane and Charles were valuable members of society; hence, it came as a shock when they were found shot to death inside their Nixonville home on South Carolina Highway 90 on April 12, 2005. After a witness was found to have lied during Gagnons trial, he successfully appealed his case. DNA samples have linked a Tennessee inmate to a 2005 double homicide and 2006 home invasion in Horry County, according to local officials Wednesday. They subsequently found books about terrorism in his possession, along with a memo book filled with notes about his hatred of the VTA. Please logout and login again. [5], As a result of the shooting, service throughout the VTA light rail system was suspended for months. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. His sentence is expected to be completed in September 2014 and he will be returned to South Carolina to begin his sentence here. [2][8][14][26] According to the sheriff on June 1, the gunman shot himself twice: first under the chin, then in the side of the head. Bruce was airlifted to hospital but later died from his injuries. The two were found shot dead in their Nixonville home just outside of Conway. [51][52] Due to a staffing shortage and the inaccessibility of the facility where the shooting occurred, the VTA discontinued the bus bridge on June 1 in favor of regular bus routes and confirmed that light rail service would be suspended indefinitely. Hill was sentenced to life in prison without the . He is charged with murder and first-degree burglary in the April 12, 2005 deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr. Hill was charged in. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Richard Gagnon the now ex-boyfriend of the couples daughter Bambi Bennett is serving a life sentence for their deaths. Another man has also been convicted in the murders and burglary of the Parkers. Two minutes later, the fire department responded to the home in South San Jose, about eight miles (13 kilometers) away from the VTA facility, and discovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a gas can there. The fact that the blood was there instead of being a weakness in the case which it could be became a strength in the case because it corroborated Gagnons statement to the jailhouse informant, said Hembree. The residents of Nixonville, South Carolina were shocked when the religiously devout couple of Diane and Charles Parker were found murdered in their home in April 2005. "There was blood that belonged to Diane Parker, blood that belong to Charlie Parker and blood that belong to an unknown third party, it did not belong to Richard Gagnon.". The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief. As of this date, Bruce is married. He was eventually convicted of first-degree murder, and Gagnon was released soon after. His two sentences have to flow one after the other. Those witnesses helped Solicitor Greg Hembree connect Hill to the Parkers. Associated Press. [64], On June 8, Liccardo and four city councilmembers announced ten harm reduction policy proposals intended to curb gun violence in the city, including two policies that would be the first of any city or state in the country: gun owners would be required to carry liability insurance and pay an annual fee to compensate the city for the emergency response and other public costs associated with unintentional gun-related death, injuries, or property damage. After all this, the authorities had only one doubt about the case--an unidentified DNA present at the crime scene that didn't have a match. Bruce Antwain Hill, 29, of Tabor City, N.C., had filed an appeal based on three issues from his September 2011 trial for the murders of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., both found shot to death April 12, 2005, in their home off S.C. 90 near S.C. 22. CONWAY, SC (WMBF) - A second man is on trial this week for a double murder in Horry County in April, 2005. As far as Gagnons conviction, Hembree said it will stay. She also denied knowing Hill. [54], The VTA resumed limited passenger service in stages throughout August and September. Bruce was born to George and Connie Wagner on October 23, 1961. The golf course, which closed in 2004, is in District 8 near the border of District 5 and is unincorporated county land.It's designated as private open space and development is not allowed under the city's current General Plan. A preliminary investigation revealed clues that led to Bambi Bennett, the daughter of Diane Parker from her previous marriage, and her boyfriend, Richard Gagnon. Horry County police charged Hill in 2009 after his DNA sample, which was taken when he was committed to the Tennessee Department of Corrections to serve a seven-year prison sentence, was uploaded. Gagnon successfully appealed his case and is awaiting a new trial. "They say, 'here we need to have this go up the road and have it tested.' We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. April 12, 2005, in Nixonville . Read on for more details about Richard Gagnon's conviction. [44] Some employees criticized the VTA's efforts to help them after the shooting; they claimed the Authority did not actually care for them and attributed the assistance efforts to the local Amalgamated Transit Union instead. Hembree said Hill is from Tabor City, NC, but he was arrested in Tennessee on robbery charges. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is ready to dive into the brutal double murder of Charles and Diane Parker at the hands of Bruce Antwain Hill, a convicted murderer and robber. Horry County Police Investigator Todd Cox said police then took another sample of Hill's DNA and had it tested and compared to the blood evidence gathered in 2005. However, it matched Hill in 2009 when his DNA was entered into a national database. The state Supreme Court has affirmed the life sentence of a North Carolina man for the 2005 killings of an Horry County couple. Katie Urka, who specializes in forensic DNA evidence for SLED, testified that several DNA markers between the two samples were perfect matches. A gunman killed nine people and then committed suicide, for a total of ten deaths. It wasn't until 2009 that Bruce was finally arrested after his DNA matched the unidentified DNA at the Parkers' home while he was detained for another home invasion charge. At that point and time it was sealed at the scene," Caulder said. [8] The shooting took place at the VTA's Guadalupe Division facility, which is located in the Civic Center neighborhood of San Jose, near the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and San Jose Police Department headquarters. [22] Before their deaths, some of the victims had led coworkers to safety. Beddingfield Funeral Service - San Jose. The gunman was 57-year-old VTA employee Samuel James Cassidy. [68], On June 15, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved an ordinance requiring, among other things, retailers to record video and audio footage of gun sales, with the intention of preventing straw purchases of firearms. We've got you covered if you're looking for box scores and other late sports results that missed the printed newspaper because of early deadlines. On the morning of April 12, 2005, two employees of Charles Parker's office found the couple shot to death in their Nixonville home. Charles Edward Parker Sr. was born in Conway in Horry County, South Carolina, on December 22, 1950. [31][32][33], In August 2021, a railyard employee who had witnessed the shooting died by suicide on his first day back to work following the shooting. Myrtle Beach vacation turns to probation, manager says. More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro. to the family or plant a tree Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel. In 2008, Richard Gagnon was sentenced to life in prison for the crimes. The reason Hill's DNA was entered into the database was never mentioned in the trial. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. She also went to Tilly Swamp Baptist Church, where she met and married Charles. Aisha Khan Since the 2005 deaths of Charlie and Diane Parker a second person is now charged with. No one was inside the residence at the time. Hill filed an application for post-conviction relief in another effort to vacate or change his sentence with the state the following year. As a precaution, bomb technicians also detonated a suspicious device at the house, using a specialized containing device that prevents the spread of shrapnel, but it turned out to be inert. "It's only opened by sled personnel to test it.". Investigation Discoverys Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent: Shattered Dreams lays down the facts and follows the complex trials meticulously, making it easier for the viewers to understand. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered--Who is Bruce Antwain Hill and where is he today. The trial took only about a day and a half. There is no doubt.". See full bio . Messages run for up to one year and you In the car with Hill was Kahlil Moore, Beatty said, a former employee of Charlie Parker's glass business. [19][21][22] Police and witnesses later said the gunman targeted some of his victims and spared others from being shot. Thus, he was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment without the chance of parole in 2008. 24-year-old Antwain Hill is charged with the 2005 murders of Diane and Charlie Parker. [45], Mayor Sam Liccardo said it was a "horrific day" for the city and the VTA, and he expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. Bruce and Richard were initially believed to be co-conspirators of the double murder, but Bruce refused to know Richard in a prison interview. Appellant Bruce Hill was convicted of two murders and first-degree burglary, arising from a home invasion and double homicide in Horry County in 2005. Bruce Antwain Hill, 26, is charged in the murder case of Diane and Charlie Parker. Charles Hill San Jose Police Program Manager/Supervisor Community Service Officer Unit at City of San Jos San Jose, California, United States [11], California's gun laws are among the strictest in the country. As per the authorities, they also had a spat with Diane and Charles over custody of Bambis sons and inheritance. Horry County police charged Hill in 2009 after his DNA sample was uploaded into a national database and linked to the Parkers deaths, according to authorities. The couple were charged and arrested after eyewitnesses reported seeing them around the premises and authorities found blood under Richard and Bambi's shoes. However, Horry County Police had released that information in June of 2009; Hill was being processed through a prison in Tennessee when his DNA sample was taken and entered in the database. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. [21][23], At 6:36 a.m., the fire at the gunman's house was first reported by a passerby. 01 May 2018; by James Wray; Monsters and Critics ; Diane and Charles Parker's murder in their own home is the subject of Unusual Suspects, in a case where the wrong man spent eight years in prison. In court Tuesday, Hill requested a new attorney. The charges against him were ultimately dismissed in 2015. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After the investigation began, authorities were quick to pin Bambi Bennett, Diane Parker's daughter and Charles Parker's step-daughter, and her boyfriend Richard Gagnon, who went on to be convicted for the murder. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Hill also was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and 30 years on a first-degree burglary charge, with those sentences running concurrently following his 2011 trial. [73][74] Representative Zoe Lofgren of San Jose emphasized the need to pass the Enhanced Background Checks Act and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which are unlikely to overcome a Senate filibuster. Gagnon was convicted in 2007, but police did not know about Hill until his mouth was swabbed for DNA when he began a seven-year prison sentence for a robbery in Tennessee. Charles and Diane Parker, two 54-year-old residents of Nixonville, lived a quaint and peaceful life before a tragedy struck the elderly couple. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). [9] It was unclear if he also legally owned the high-capacity magazines used in the shooting; they are prohibited in California unless they were obtained before January 1, 2000, and the buyer was not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. With this new evidence, officials with the 15th District Solicitor's Office said they hope that Hill can be brought back to South Carolina quickly, so he can be tried on the murder charges. [67] The liability insurance and annual fee policies were criticized by the executive director of Gun Owners of California, who said California's preemption laws gave the city no authority to enact differing gun laws. Skipper said everyone seemed interested because people in the community had known the victims for decades. [66] Some of these proposals had originally been put forward in 2019 after the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, the previous mass shooting to occur in Santa Clara County, but they were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hill and 44-year-old Richard Gagnon were each convicted in the Parkers deaths. According to a DHS official, Cassidy was detained by the officers partly because of red flags regarding sex tourism, but nothing relating to sex tourism was found, and the detention did not result in an arrest or apparently any follow-up action. Lets dive in, then! [37] She also said that he had talked about killing people at his workplace more than a decade ago. Gagnon was granted a second trial and subsequently received bail. [9][14][19], About 40 people were rescued from the area by law enforcement. You can cancel at any time. However, the police finally found a match for the samples from both the crime scenes in 2009 with the DNA obtained from Bruce Antwain Hill. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [8] A locker belonging to the gunman was found to contain suspected materials for bombs and detonator cords,[14] which were later deemed not to be dangerous. All Rights Reserved. It was expected to operate out of temporary facilities for three to five years. CONWAY, S.C. (AP) A North Carolina man convicted in a 2005 double murder in South Carolina has requested a new attorney, saying he had ineffective counsel during his 2011 trial. The verdict took jurors less than two and a half hours to reach. Im delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld Bruce Hill appeal, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said Thursday. [25], An August 2016 memo by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described how, after taking a trip to the Philippines, Cassidy was detained by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a secondary inspection. New murder charges in deaths of Horry County couple. Darling & Fischer Garden Chapel. [46] President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both urged Congress to take action on gun control legislation. Hill was being admitted to prison in 2009 when a sample of his DNA was taken and put into a national database. The VTA is a public transportation agency that operates bus and light rail services throughout Santa Clara County and employs about 2,000 workers. They originally charged Diane Parker's daughter with involvement in the murders. That is unless he fights it which could delay his arrival by up to 30 days, once he is here, he will be arrested, formally charged, and a trial date will be set. "One in 3.3 quadrillion? The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief. can stop at any time. A trial date has not been set. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer 01 May 2018 | Monsters and Critics; Today in Soap Opera History (April 23) 25 April 2018 | We Love Soaps; See all related articles Celebrity Best Friends. Bruce Hill, 26, of Tabor City, N.C., in court on Tuesday. They reportedly lived under a tent in the forest and visited the house to shower and eat while the elderly couple were away. Years after Richard Gagnon was sent to prison, Bruce Antwain Hill was arrested for another home invasion in Tennessee. But in 2009, using DNA collected from Bruce Antwain Hill, the authorities were able to match samples from both crime locations. Richard settled on the Carolina Coast and now has children of his own. Solicitor Greg Hembree said Bruce Antwain Hill, of Tabor City, was linked to the case by DNA evidence four years after those murders. Horry County police charged Hill in 2009 after his DNA sample, which was taken when he was committed to the Tennessee Department of Corrections to serve a seven-year prison sentence, was uploaded. In his appeal, Hill had challenged the circuit courts ruling to suppress evidence regarding Gagnons conviction; allowing the jury to see a letter about his DNA being in a national crime database; and that his rights were violated after a continuance was granted for prosecutors a day before the expiration of an Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act in the case. Bruce has many family members and associates who include Georganne Narron, Jennifer Simpson, Deborah Edgerton, Thomas Judyand Franklin Simpson. As the owner and operator of MIRRORTEC, he was self-employed and loved fishing and hunting. After years in prison, authorities finally found Bruce Antwain Hill, the real murderer. 2023 Iten Funeral Home. He said the labeling system was insufficient and questioned if DNA from another crime scene could have been sent off for testing in regards to the Parkers murders. [62][63], As of December2021[update], the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and an outside law firm retained by the VTA are both conducting investigations into the shooting. Hembree said a patio door window had been broken out where there was some reason to believe that when someone broke through the window they cut themselves and they were bleeding in the house. In a gross misjudgment by the authorities and the jury, Richard Gagnon, a 32-year-old white man residing in Horry County, South Carolina, was convicted of killing his girlfriend's parents. [48] On June 22, the San Jose City Council made plans to introduce a resolution commemorating the victims' lives. Santa Clara County district attorney Jeffrey F. Rosen said that, had his office been alerted about Cassidy's detainment, they would have had enough evidence to obtain a gun violence restraining order and seize his weapons. [9][10] A total of 379 VTA employees were employed at the yard. Bruce Allan Wagner, age 59, of Clarissa, MN, passed away peacefully at his home on September 4, 2021, surrounded by his family after his long battle with pancreatic cancer.

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