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Thread: Death Penalty Trial Delayed for William Daniel Randolph in 2017 AZ Murder of Correctional Officer, Cody Virgin

  1. #1
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Death Penalty Trial Delayed for William Daniel Randolph in 2017 AZ Murder of Correctional Officer, Cody Virgin


    Cody Virgin







    Prosecutors seek death penalty for Randolph


    By Kevin Reagan
    Arizona City Independent

    FLORENCE — Prosecutors are intending to seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing Cody Virgin earlier this year.

    William Randolph, 26, was arrested in February on suspicion of murdering Virgin in a remote area of Arizona City and then disposing of the 25-year-old’s charred body south of Coolidge.

    Virgin had been in a relationship with Randolph’s ex-wife before his death. The defendant is accused of developing a fake Facebook profile and using it to send Virgin messages, luring him out to where he was killed.

    Earlier this month, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office filed a notice that it intends to seek the death penalty in Randolph’s case.

    Since the “heinous, cruel” crime was done in a “cold, calculated” manner, prosecutors allege, it warrants the aggravating circumstances for imposing the death penalty.
    PCAO attorneys may call the local medical examiner and crime scene detectives to testify during Randolph’s trial to prove the murder was especially heinous and depraved.

    According to court documents, prosecutors may present Facebook account records to prove the crime had been planned and calculated.

    Aside from his first-degree murder charge, Randolph is also accused of instructing family members to harass his former wife while he’s been in jail. His ex-wife filed an order of protection against Randolph a couple months before Virgin’s murder.

    Randolph was indicted for aggravated harassment about a month after being arrested.

    The defendant was reassigned a new attorney shortly after PCAO filed its death penalty notice since his former counsel was not eligible to work on a capital case.

    John Schaus, Randolph’s new attorney, briefly appeared in court Friday morning with Randolph for an update on the case. The defense attorney told Pinal County Superior Court Judge Jason Holmberg he was still in the process of reviewing thousands of pages of evidence.

    The judge pushed Randolph’s next court appearance back to June 16.

    Because PCAO filed its death penalty notice, Randolph is no longer eligible to post bail as a matter of state law. He remains in the custody of the Pinal County Adult Detention Center.

    http://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_...814192687.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #2
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    November 5, 2017

    Randolph scheduled to stand trial in 2019

    By Kevin Reagan
    Casa Grande Dispatch

    FLORENCE — The defendant accused of murdering a 25-year-old Casa Grande man is scheduled to stand trial within the next two years.

    William Randolph, 27, had his first-degree murder trial set Friday to start on April 29, 2019. Prosecutors notified Pinal County Superior Court in April their intention to seek the death penalty for Randolph.

    Randolph is accused of luring his ex-wife’s boyfriend, Cody Virgin, out to a remote area of Arizona City on Jan. 30 and killing him. Virgin’s burned remains were found south of Coolidge a few days later.

    Prosecutors estimate Randolph’s trial lasting about 10 weeks due to the case’s complexity and large amount of evidence. Capital murder cases typically last longer and consist of multiple phases: proving the defendant’s guilt, proving aggravating factors of the crime and determining the defendant’s penalty.

    Time limits are extended for capital cases, in part to allow defense attorneys more time to accumulate mitigating evidence for their clients.

    Cissy Torres, the victim’s cousin, said her family’s happy to finally have a trial date set. They’re eager to put this whole matter behind them, she said.

    Court documents filed shortly after Randolph’s arrest state the defendant admitted to luring Virgin out to Arizona City through a fake Facebook account but denied killing him.

    John Schaus, one of Randolph’s attorneys, told the court Friday he’s in the process of developing a defense theory by reviewing the many pages of evidence and interviewing expert witnesses.

    Randolph was arrested shortly after Virgin was reported missing. At that time, authorities told PinalCentral Randolph’s cellphone had been traced to being near the sites of the murder and where Virgin’s body was found.

    Nine months after her cousin’s murder, Torres said the whole situation still seems “unreal.” Her family still has many unanswered questions about the crime — most importantly, why was Virgin killed?

    That’s a question, Torres said, they may never get an answer for.

    Virgin’s family has appeared at nearly all of Randolph’s court appearances since his arrest, many dressed in “Justice for Cody” T-shirts. Torres said they will continue appearing in court over the next two years, until the trial.

    “We’re the only ones who can speak for Cody now,” Torres said.

    Randolph is also facing separate criminal charges of harassment, filed while he’s been in the Pinal County jail. He’s accused of asking family members to contact his ex-wife, violating an order of protection served against him before Virgin’s murder.

    http://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gra...2570f794b.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #3
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Trial of man accused in 2017 death near Coolidge is delayed

    By Associated Press

    FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - The scheduled Jan. 27 trial of a man accused in a 2017 killing south of Coolidge is being delayed.

    William Randolph’s lawyer told a Pinal County Superior Court judge Friday that his side will likely not be ready until sometime in 2021.

    A status review for the case now is set for Nov. 22, but the judge says it’s too early to try to set a trial date yet.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if Randolph is convicted of killing 25-year-old Cody Virgin, whose charred remains were found in February 2017.

    The Casa Grande Dispatch reports Virgin went missing after he drove to a remote area of Arizona City for a party.

    His car was later found abandoned with blood around it.

    The 29-year-old Randolph has denied killing Virgin.

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ar-coolidge-i/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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