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Thread: John Michael Allen - Arizona Death Row

  1. #21
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    This is what one of the journalists from The Arizona Republic said when they announced the sentence.

    Shedding no tears today for Samantha Allen as she heads to her new residence: Death Row.
    "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. #22
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    The horrifying life and horrifying death of Ame Deal

    By Laurie Roberts
    The Arizona Republic

    You go because you want to see the box that served first as a home for Barbie dolls, then as an instrument for discipline, then as a casket.

    You go because the way this little girl lived – and died – has slipped from public view but should never slip from the public’s memory

    You go because even though the story is well known, internationally known, it remains difficult to fathom.

    And so you go to a mostly empty Maricopa County courtroom, where the hideous story of the life and death of Ame Lynn Deal is being replayed one final time. Ame’s father, her grandmother and an aunt who served as her legal guardian already have been sent to prison for making her life a living hell. Her cousin, Sammantha Allen, is on death row.

    Now Sammantha’s husband, John Allen, is on trial and facing a possible death sentence.

    Some knew of abuse - and did nothing

    Ten-year-old Ame lived in southwest Phoenix with a dozen children and assorted relatives in a dirty house that reeked of urine, in a neighborhood that was filled with people, some of whom would later admit that they’d witnessed the abuse of Ame. They just never did anything about it.

    Reports paint a picture of a little girl who was robbed of her childhood long before she was robbed of her life. Picked on by most everyone in that house. Beaten, chained like a dog, forced to sleep in a bathtub.

    And regularly stuffed into that trunk that once held her sister’s Barbie doll collection until the collection grew too big to fit in the box.

    But apparently the box – 31 inches long by 15½ inches wide by 13 inches deep – never became too small to hold Ame, who was 51 inches tall and just days from her 11th birthday in July 2011.

    Punished for hours, for a Popsicle

    On the final night of her life, Ame was punished for hours for the horrifying crime of being caught with a Popsicle. The frozen treats had been given to several of the children but some of the adults were upset that Ame got one.

    So naturally, they forced her to stand in a back-bend for three hours, pulling the crying child back into the position every time she fell. Then came the jumping jacks.

    By 1 a.m., it was apparently time for the real punishment. According to court testimony, John Allen ordered Ame into the worn black box. Then he padlocked it with a key. Then he went to bed.

    Ame’s body was found the next morning.

    On Monday, Dr. Philip Keen, the county’s former chief medical examiner, told jurors that Ame suffocated after “being stuffed inside this box.” He showed jurors how Ame would have fit into the box, wedging an Ame-sized cloth doll into an exact replica of the box in which she died.

    Keen gave a clinical account of a 10-year-old lying dead in a box, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head forced down to her chest, her hands frozen into the vague shape of claws. He explained how she would have struggled to breathe before finally (mercifully) passing out.

    The lesson: Don't look the other way

    As you listen and look at that hideous trunk, you try to imagine what Ame’s final moments were like. To be jammed into a too-small space, to struggle to get air, to get OUT, and then to hear that click. To realize that you are locked in with no way out and dependent on people who don't give a damn about you, or you wouldn't be here, stuffed into a box that soon will become a coffin.

    This because you had a Popsicle.

    After Ame’s death, neighbors said they suspected all along that something was going on in that house. They spoke of children being outside at all hours. They spoke of angry words and cruel punishments, of Ame being ordered to walk barefoot on the hot pavement of the street in front of her house.

    But they looked the other way.

    Which is why I’ve been sitting in a mostly empty courtroom over the last few days, to hear the gruesome story once again.

    You and I can't fathom a world in which a child can be locked in a box to die. But Ame's world is the real world for far too many children. Even now there are Ames among us, enduring the unimaginable.

    And we dare not look the other way.

    http://www.azcentral.com/story/opini...ath/838396001/

  3. #23
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Jury in murder case sees tiny box where girl was left to die

    By Harold Tang
    Bristol Herald Courier

    PHOENIX (AP) — Prosecutors on Tuesday showed jurors a small plastic box where a 10-year-old Arizona girl was found dead in 2011 and urged jurors to convict the child's relative of murder.

    Prosecutors said John Michael Allen, 29, crammed Ame Deal, his wife's cousin, inside the small storage box as punishment for stealing ice pops and could have saved her from dying but chose to go to sleep instead. They pointed out a few tiny holes through which air could have entered the locked box, which was left outside during the hot Phoenix summer.

    "He helped his wife to sleep while Ame was trapped in a box that was 21 inches shorter than she was," according to the lead prosecutor. "He chose to leave Ame to suffocate to death in her own sweat. That's what little regard the defendant had for Ame's life."

    Defense attorney Robert Reinhardt argued that Allen, a father of four young children, did not intend for the girl to die. The other adults in the home created the abusive home environment and were "playing John like a fiddle. John was manipulated," Reinhardt said.

    The closing arguments came as Judge Erin O'Brien Otis took the highly unusual step of barring news organizations from publishing the name of the prosecutor in the case.

    The names of prosecutors and other lawyers involved in criminal cases are routinely part of the public record, but the judge decided to ban journalists from using her name or risk being found in contempt of court. They also were barred from publishing photographs of the prosecutor, who was given the protections because she is a victim in another case that is in deliberations.

    Ame's death was the culmination of a shocking history of abuse at the hands of relatives who were charged with caring for her. Allen's wife, Sammantha, was convicted of murder and child abuse in June and is on death row.

    John Allen is facing charges of first-degree murder, child abuse and conspiracy to commit child abuse. If convicted, he also could receive the death penalty.

    Investigators stated in court records that according to interviews with other children in the family, "the common theme is Ame is bad, Ame lies, Ame steals, Ame is not allowed to play."

    Ame's mother left the family years earlier after suffering abuse from relatives and moved to Kansas without her daughter. David Deal, who is listed as the girl's father on her birth certificate, is serving a 14-year sentence after pleading guilty to attempted child abuse.

    Ame's legal guardian at the time of her death was her aunt, Cynthia Stoltzmann, who is serving a 24-year prison sentence for a child abuse conviction. Ame's grandmother, Judith Deal, is serving 10 years for child abuse.

    http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/tr...f8cd459c1.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

  4. #24
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    John Allen Found Guilty of Murder of Ame Deal

    BREAKING: Maricopa County Superior Court: Jury finds John "Bud" Allen, 29, guilty of first degree murder of Ame Deal, the 10-year-old padlocked in a footlocker to suffocate.

    https://twitter.com/SeanHolstege
    "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

  5. #25
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Ame Deal update: Jury's decision moves Phoenix man closer to death penalty

    By Associated Press

    PHOENIX - Jurors have found aggravating factors that could make a Phoenix man eligible for the death penalty in the 2011 murder of a 10-year-old girl.

    The Maricopa County Superior Court jury determined that the killing of Ame Deal was especially cruel or heinous since the girl was locked in a small storage box in sweltering summer heat.

    Closing arguments in the penalty phase of John Allen's trial are scheduled to begin Wednesday morning.

    The 29-year-old Allen was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse last week.

    Allen's 28-year-old wife Sammantha Allen was a cousin of Deal's.She was convicted of murder in the girl's death in June.

    Authorities say the couple forced Ame into the plastic box as punishment for stealing ice pops.

    The girl was found dead the next morning.

    http://www.abc15.com/news/region-pho...-death-penalty
    "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

  6. #26
    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Jurors weigh whether John Allen should die for locking Ame Deal in box that killed her

    By Stephanie Morse and Lurissa Carvajal
    The Arizona Republic

    Attorneys wrapped up their final arguments Wednesday in the penalty phase of the John Allen murder trial, and jurors now will decide whether he should face the death penalty for the abuse and death of 10-year-old Ame Deal.

    A Maricopa County Superior Court jury found Allen guilty on Nov. 8 of first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and conspiracy to commit child abuse.

    A jury has spent this week hearing arguments from Maricopa County prosecutors and weighing aggravating factors that could result in a death sentence, along with mitigating factors from defense lawyers that could instead justify a sentence of life in prison.

    Ame Deal died in July 2011 after she was locked inside a box as punishment by Allen and his wife, Sammantha Allen. The child was left there overnight and died inside.

    Sammantha Allen, Ame's cousin, was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse earlier this year and was sentenced to death. Several other relatives of Ame also have been sentenced on charges stemming from ongoing abuse of the Phoenix child.

    On Tuesday, jurors accepted aggravating factors in John Allen's case that included Ame's age, a previous child-abuse offense and the "especially cruel, heinous or depraved" nature of the crime.

    The defense acknowledged the severity of the crime, but argued that prison is a lenient sentence when compared with the death penalty and that not all first-degree-murder defendants are sentenced to death.

    Jurors also are considering mitigating factors while deliberating between the death penalty or life in prison. Allen's background, his character and his intention to not commit murder are the three factors being taken into consideration.

    Allen's defense attorney told the jury there was no evidence of intentional murder and that Allen accepted responsibility.

    The prosecutor argued that Allen did not show responsibility, since that depends on the time he decided to show it and take responsibility for the crime.

    "It didn't start when he and his wife pulled Ame's lifeless body out of the box. It depends on when he called 911 and he didn't. He waited 30 minutes before making that call, and if he did any CPR, it was all for show," the prosecutor said.

    During Allen's trial, a videotaped interview of him with a Phoenix police detective was played that showed him eventually admitting he locked the child in the box.

    The defense also said Allen, who was 22 at the time of the crime, was a young man who was not fully grown yet was helping to care for several young children who lived in the home, among them Ame.

    The defense also urged the jurors several times to act on their own individual moral compass.

    The jury will resume its sentencing deliberations on Thursday.

    https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ase/867397001/

  7. #27
    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Helen View Post
    This is what one of the journalists from The Arizona Republic said when they announced the sentence.

    Shedding no tears today for Samantha Allen as she heads to her new residence: Death Row.
    That is right a real justice will put him to death
    Last edited by CharlesMartel; 11-16-2017 at 06:03 AM.

  8. #28
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    John Allen sentenced to death for murder of 10-year-old Ame Deal

    John Allen's decision to punish 10-year-old Ame Deal by locking the child in a box and leaving her to die inside was enough for a jury to decide he deserves to be sentenced to death by lethal injection under Arizona law.

    The verdict in the sentencing phase of Allen's trial was returned Thursday afternoon, with jurors deciding that the aggravating factors in the case outweighed anything that should result in a life prison sentence instead.

    After the sentencing decision was returned, Allen apologized.

    "I want to say that I'm sorry," Allen said. "What happened was an accident. I'm an idiot. I'm a jerk. It was an accident. I'm sorry to Ame, I'm sorry to her family. I think that's all."

    Allen was convicted Nov. 8 of first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit child abuse in the July 2011 death of Ame.

    In addition to the death verdict, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Erin O'Brien Otis sentenced Allen to 60½ years in prison for the three child-abuse counts and the one count of conspiracy to commit child abuse. Allen was credited for 2,303 days for the time he has been serving while awaiting trial.

    "In my entire career, I haven't seen too many cases that have been worse than this one," Otis said. "One of the most unnecessary deaths of a child I've seen."

    Several jurors declined to comment after the sentencing when approached by The Arizona Republic.

    Allen's wife, Sammantha Allen, who was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse in June, also was sentenced to death in August.

    Both Allens were arrested in July 2011 after Sammantha's cousin Ame was found at their Phoenix home dead in a plastic box that they had locked her in as punishment for stealing a Popsicle.

    John Allen is the fifth person convicted in the case.

    Judith Deal, Ame's grandmother, was convicted of child abuse and is serving a 10-year sentence. Cynthia Stoltzman, Ame's aunt and legal guardian, is serving 24 years for child abuse in the case. Ame's father, David Deal, is serving 14 years for child abuse.

    Testimony in Sammantha Allen's sentencing hearing painted a picture of a household in which adults were all aware of extreme measures used to discipline children living in the home.

    Allen's 27-year-old sister, Sara Fuger, said what happened to Ame was an absolute tragedy.

    "I truly believe that it could have been avoided," Fuger said outside of the courthouse after her brother was sentenced. "What my brother did and what his wife did was completely inexcusable."

    She said that as adults, there is a responsibility to stand up for children and say something when something is seen. Fuger said Ame and her family lived across the street but she was never aware of Ame’s existence.

    "Growing up, he was the best big brother you could ask for,” she said. “He got put into a situation where he didn’t feel like he was able to stand up for himself.”

    https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...der/872414001/
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

  9. #29
    Moderator Ryan's Avatar
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    Allen entered Arizona death row on 11/16/17.

    https://corrections.az.gov/public-resources/death-row

  10. #30
    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    County attorney submits correction: Prosecutor asked judge to bar name from trial coverage

    By Michael Kiefer
    The Arizona Republic

    An attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed a notice with the Arizona Court of Appeals correcting his misstatements in a Dec. 5 hearing over whether a prosecutor had asked a judge to bar the media from using her name or image.

    According to transcripts filed with the notice, prosecutor Jeannette Gallagher had asked in open court for Superior Court Judge Erin Otis, a former colleague, to make the unusual ruling in the case of John Allen, who was on trial in the murder of his wife's 10-year-old cousin.

    Allen's lead defense attorney, Gary Beren, confirmed that Gallagher also had asked Otis to order that her name or image not be used when the matter came up during a conversation between the case's two prosecutors and two defense attorneys at Otis' bench, out of earshot of the rest of the courtroom.

    The issue was argued in front of the Court of Appeals on Dec. 5, when Deputy County Attorney Gerald Grant stated that his office had not requested the censorship of Gallagher's name or image.

    Grant changed that position on Tuesday when he filed a "notice of errata," writing that he had "learned yesterday" that Gallagher had made the request.

    In her request that her name and image not be used in media coverage, Gallagher said she wanted to maintain the integrity of another case, in which she was a victim, that was being deliberated by a separate jury.

    Gallagher's name and photo had been used repeatedly in earlier coverage of 10-year-old Ame Deal's murder trial. But on Nov. 6, during a hearing on whether to allow The Arizona Republic to shoot still photos in the courtroom, Otis barred further use, over the objections of an attorney representing several media outlets. She said the bar would be lifted when the two cases concluded.

    The Arizona Republic, the Associated Press, 12 News, and Channels 3 and 5 later filed what is known as a special action with the Court of Appeals, seeking the higher court's ruling that such prior restraint violates the public's right to know under the First Amendment.

    Otis had said in her order that she didn't want the jury in the case in which Gallagher was a victim to be tainted by coverage of the Allen trial.

    In that case, a man named Albert Heitzmann was charged with stalking Gallagher and with misconduct with weapons.

    During the Court of Appeals argument, David Bodney, who represents the media outlets, asked if the Heitzmann jury had not been given the usual admonitions to avoid media coverage of the case. Grant said he did not know.

    Court records obtained by The Republic show that before the trial began, the jury was given a standard boiler-plate admonition not to talk about the case or follow coverage.

    By the time the Special Action reached the court, both cases had been resolved. Heitzmann was found guilty of stalking on Nov. 7. The weapons charge was dismissed by the Arizona Attorney General's Office on Dec. 11. Allen was sentenced to death Nov. 16.

    Both Gallagher and Otis filed motions with the Court of Appeals declaring that the special action was moot because the cases had ended and the gag order had been lifted. The media wanted to continue to make its argument to prevent similar bans from occurring in the future. The Court of Appeals allowed the question to go forward.

    The court took the matter under advisement, with no indication of when it would rule.

    https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...all/949596001/

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