Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 20

Thread: Death Penalty Retrial Set for Gurpreet Singh in 2019 OH Quadruple Murder

  1. #1
    Senior Member CnCP Legend
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    2,243

    Death Penalty Retrial Set for Gurpreet Singh in 2019 OH Quadruple Murder





    Accused West Chester killer Gurpreet Singh booked in Butler County jail after arrest in Connecticut

    Family members say he told them he's innocent

    By Josh Bazan
    WCPO

    WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Butler County officials confirmed Wednesday night that Gurpreet Singh, who stands accused of killing his wife and three other family members in their West Chester apartment, had been extradited to Ohio and booked into the jail that evening.

    Singh was arrested Tuesday in Branford, Connecticut, where family members said he was he attending a wedding. They said Singh told them that he had nothing to do with the gruesome shooting deaths that rattled West Chester Township's tight-knight Sikh community.

    “We were shocked (by the arrest) because it happened so many months ago, and they questioned him initially, and I think he was there almost overnight,” one said.

    Singh was handcuffed and questioned by West Chester police after they responded to the murder scene and found him outside.

    “I remember he was telling us that they kept everything. His clothes, they were using cotton swabs under his nail and they were checking for everything that they could. He went home in a gown,” another relative said.

    Newly released Butler County Court records say Singh used a 9mm handgun to kill his wife, her parents and her visiting aunt on April 28. The records say the charges are based on "observations of officers, physical evidence, statements of witnesses and statements of the offender."

    Attorney Charlie Rittgers said he has been in contact with Singh's family and could be brought in as defense attorney.

    Court records indicate Singh has an Indianapolis address. His family said he has a home there and was staying in Indianapolis before the wedding in Connecticut.

    Here's part of what he said when he called 911:

    911: “Your wife and your family are doing what?”

    Singh: “They’re on the ground. They’re on the ground and they’re bleeding.”

    911: “How many people are down?”

    Singh: “Four. Four. Four.”

    911: “You say they’re bleeding?”

    Singh: “Yes they are.”

    911: “OK. Have they been shot? Have they been stabbed?”

    Singh: “I don’t know.”

    The victims were:

    • Singh's wife, 39-year-old Shalinderjit Kaur, shot three times. She was found on the dining room floor.
    • Her father, Hakiakat Pannag, 59, shot in the head eight times. He was found with his head on a pillow in a bedroom.
    • Pannag's wife, 62-year-old Parmjit Kaur, shot four times in the head and once in the arm. She was found lying on the living room floor.
    • Parmjit's sister, 58-year-old Amarjit Kaur, who was visiting from India. She was shot twice in the head and also found in the living room.


    Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said Singh could face the death penalty but that will be up to a Butler County grand jury.

    “Four counts of aggravated murder ... if the grand jury determines it, that can result in a specification making it death penalty eligible,” Gmoser said.

    https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news...in-connecticut
    Last edited by Steven; 05-15-2022 at 11:57 AM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    2,243
    Man indicted in 4 family slayings, could face death penalty

    By Dan Sewell
    AP

    CINCINNATI (AP) — A man accused of murdering his wife, her parents and her aunt in an Ohio apartment was indicted in their deaths, court records showed Friday.

    Grand jurors also specified in each of the four counts that Gurpreet Singh used a firearm and killed more than one person, meaning he would face the death penalty if convicted.

    Butler County Jail records show that Singh, 37, was booked into jail Friday morning after his return from Connecticut. The grand jury indictments were made public nearly eight hours later.

    His attorney, Charles H. Rittgers, told WLWT-TV on Friday that Singh is “absolutely not guilty.” He is scheduled for arraignment Monday.

    Singh was arrested July 2 in a Walmart parking lot in Branford, Connecticut.

    He called 911 on April 28 to say he found the four family members “on the ground and bleeding” in a West Chester apartment where he also lived, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Cincinnati. Each of the four killed had at least two gunshot wounds in their heads.

    Police said there was food left on the stove, indicating the family was preparing dinner that evening when they were shot.

    Police said repeatedly during the investigation that investigators believed the motive for the crimes was personal.

    West Chester Township Police Chief Joel Herzog called the slayings a “heinous crime” but didn’t discuss details or possible motive when announcing the arrest.

    Those killed were identified as Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; Amarjit Kaur, 58; Parmjit Kaur, 62, and Hakiakat Singh Pannag, 59.

    Singh has said he and Shalinderjit Kaur had been married 17 years and had three children. Family members identified Parmjit and Hakiakat as his wife’s parents, and Amarjit as Parmjit’s sister.

    Singh, a truck driver, told The Cincinnati Enquirer he was often away from home. Their three children were staying with other relatives at the time of the slayings, and police have said they are safe.

    In a statement after Singh’s arrest, relatives of those slain said they were thankful for the efforts of West Chester police, other law enforcement agencies and the Sikh community of the Cincinnati region, and that they were praying for Singh’s conviction.

    https://www.apnews.com/172f13658a5d4d55a522ebecb3079bdf

  3. #3
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    A 2020 trial date set for man accused of killing 4 family members

    By Lauren Pack
    Dayton Daily News

    A 2020 trial date has been set for a man accused of killing his wife and three other family members in West Chester Twp. last spring.

    Gurpreet Singh, 37, was indicted by a Butler County grand jury on four counts of aggravated murder stemming from the April 28 incident. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty if convicted.

    Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Howard denied bond for Singh during arraignment and set a pre-trial hearing for Thursday at the request of defense attorneys Charles H. and Charles W. Rittgers. The father-and-son attorney team defended Carlisle’s Brooke Skylar Richardson in a two-week trial last month and requested Singh’s pre-trial hearing wait until after that trial.

    After meeting with attorneys and prosecutors for nearly an hour in chambers, the case was called and Howard set Sept. 21 as Singh’s trial date.

    During an arraignment in August, Singh passed out in the courtroom while standing at the podium. At Thursday’s hearing he was seated at the defense table next to Charles H. Rittgers.

    Howard questioned Singh if he was satisfied with his attorney and how he was being treated in the Butler County Jail. He said he was satisfied with both.

    Rittgers told the judge there is one issue — his client is a vegetarian and the jail is trying to accommodate his dietary needs.

    Singh’s family members were in attendance, some of which supported him, but most who did not. They left the courtroom without comment.

    A number of motions have been filed by the defense that will require response from the prosecution. Howard set a hearing for Nov. 13 to consider some of those motions.

    One motion filed by the defense is to close all pre-trial hearings. Rittgers said he filed the motion to protect the jury pool.

    “Because of the publicity, we do not want the jury tainted by anything that may be heard as as result of what the prosecutors say or what we say,” he said.

    The defense attorney maintains Singh is innocent.

    Singh is the man who called 911 at about 9:40 p.m. on the night of April 28, screaming that he found his family dead, according to police. The defense team said Singh had last seen his family alive about 6 p.m. when he left to work on his truck.

    Singh is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their apartment on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

    On Sept. 24, prosecutors filed an eight-page document listing evidence in the case. Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said 64 search warrants have been issued as part of the investigation. They are sealed by the judge for all but attorneys to review.

    Listed on the court documents are audio or video interviews with 42 people, including eight interpreter calls to India, and 24 electronic device downloads.

    Lab results listed include a report of blood found on a belt, DNA on boots and siding, a projectile and gun report, and a forensic dive team report.

    The evidence listed also includes: “Land dispute information with email correspondence, flow charts, and photographs of involved individuals. A copy of Hakikat passport, Hakikat power of attorney and India attorney send paperwork.”

    Hundreds of photos are listed as evidence, including 146 from the crime scene, autopsy, gun recovery, apartment complex, firearm from the apartment and 360 interactive scene photos.

    Listed search warrants include four cars, computers, cellphones, “kids DNA,” a storage unit, Gas Buddy and American Airlines.

    Surveillance video from 15 locations are part of the evidence list, including Compass Self Storage, Guru Temple, Jamie’s Landscaping, LePetite Academy, McDonald’s at Union Center, Premier Shooting and PNC Bank.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...ers/ar-AAIAGPa
    "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. #4
    Senior Member CnCP Legend
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    2,243
    No bond and no return of cash for man charged in West Chester quadruple homicide

    By Lauren Pack
    Journal-News

    BUTLER COUNTY — A man accused of killing his wife and three other family members in West Chester Twp. last year was in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Thursday for a pre-trial hearing, the second since the case started over after the defense questioned if he understood English.

    Gurpreet Singh, 37, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder stemming from the April 28 incident. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty if convicted.

    Singh is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their apartment. All died of gunshot wounds.

    In December, Judge Greg Howard ordered that Singh’s case start over with arraignment of the indictment after his defense team questioned if the native of India understood court proceeds because English is not his native language. An interpreter fluent in Punjabi was present for the hearing Thursday, and the judge has ordered the interpreter be present for all hearings through the trial that is set for September.

    After a second bond hearing on Dec. 16, where the judge again ordered Singh be held without bond, a member of the defense team said Singh asked questions about the proceeding which led him to believe Singh may not understand what was happening in the courtroom.On Thursday, the defense team again requested bond be reconsidered, but it was denied for a third time by Howard.

    Singh heard the decision this time in English from the judge and in Punjabi from the interpreter.Numerous motions filed by the defense since Singh’s August arraignment will have to be reconsidered during hearings when the interpreter is present.

    The defense again requested $10,000 found in Singh’s wife’s purse when the apartment was searched after the quadruple homicide be given to Singh.In November, the defense argued the cash should be returned to Singh as part of marital property. This week, the defense filed a supplemental motion arguing the money should be returned to the guardians of Singh’s two children who are now living with relatives of the victim in California.

    Attorney John R. Bernans, part of the defense team, said if Singh or his wife cannot have the money, the guardians should be permitted to use it “for the care and well-being of the children.”“The children are living in California and that money could go to good use for their support,” Bernans said.

    He said the prosecution could take pictures of the money and location so it could possibly be used for trial.But Assistant Prosecutor Jon Marshall said, “The evidence was seized pursuant to a search warrant. It is evidence in a quadruple homicide …. we are here to prosecute this defendant for the murder of four people in his home. The items recovered in his home are evidence of the crime.”Marshall said Singh has other assets, including a home in Indiana and a semi truck that he could liquidate to get money to care for his children.

    “It is also the state’s understanding from contact with the victim’s family that they have no interest, nor have they made a request for the money for the care of the victim’s children,” Marshall said.Howard denied the motion in November and denied it again on Thursday.Ajaih Singh, whose sister and sister-in-law were killed, said the children are doing well and attending public school in California.

    https://www.journal-news.com/news/cr...k9QCzXvJjlzzM/
    Last edited by Steven; 02-01-2020 at 10:42 AM.

  5. #5
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Murder trial for man facing death penalty delayed to 2021

    A hearing for a man who may face the death penalty for allegedly killing his wife and 3 other family members in an Ohio apartment has been further delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Gurpreet Singh, 37, was indicted last year on 4 counts of aggravated murder in the fatal shootings of his wife, her parents and her aunt at an apartment complex in West Chester in April 2019.

    Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Howard moved Singh's trial from Sept. 21 to May 3, 2021. He cited “issues concerning the public health crisis regarding COVID-19" and said it may be difficult to seat a jury for the necessary time period to conduct the trial in the rescheduling order.

    Singh has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond at the Butler County Jail.

    (source: Associated Press)
    "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. #6
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Accused West Chester shooter's interview : 'My family is shot. I want to go to my kids.'

    The West Chester man accused of fatally shooting four members of his family, including his wife, tried to storm out of a police interview after investigators asked to test his hands for gunshot residue, video of the interview shows.

    “I want to go home. My family is shot. I want to go to my kids,” Gurpreet Singh. A detective had returned to the interview room with a testing kit.

    The video was played Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court as part of a hearing to determine if Singh's statements to police should be thrown out.

    Singh's attorneys say his constitutional rights were violated when police questioned him on April 28, 2019, the night of the killings.

    Singh, 38, was arrested in July 2019 and indicted a month later on four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39, his father-in-law Hakikat Singh, 59, his mother-in-law Parmjit Kaur, 62, and her sister Amarjit, 58.

    If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

    The hearing began in March in Judge Gregory Howard’s courtroom but has been delayed because of COVID-19 concerns.

    Police station interview was focus Monday
    It was Singh who called 911 after he said he found his wife and the others "bleeding" inside his Wyndtree Drive apartment.

    When police arrived, Singh had blood all over his hands, arms and body. His socks were saturated with blood. He was handcuffed and questioned at the scene, and then questioned again at the police station.

    According to police, Singh was questioned in the “soft interview” room, which is for general use.

    “It’s for victims and witnesses. It has furniture, a table, five chairs and a phone,” West Chester police Detective Randy Farris said in court. “The door has a handle.”

    Gurpreet Singh's attorney Charles H. Rittgers questions West Chester Township Police Detective Randy Farris at a suppression hearing Aug. 24.
    Defense says language barrier is an issue
    An interpreter was appointed in December at the request of Singh's attorneys, who say in court documents that Singh does not understand English as well as they thought, and legal terminology is a huge challenge for him.

    “We want to suppress his statements because English is Gurpreet’s second language, he was distraught after finding his wife and family members dead, he was denied his constitutional rights," said his attorney Charlie M. Rittgers.

    Singh recounts day of shooting
    The video showed Singh seated in a yellow chair, breathing heavily and drinking water from a white Styrofoam cup. He stuttered through questions about his name and age. Detectives had difficulty pronouncing his name, so he told them they could call him Gary.

    Singh asked Farris seven times for permission to call his children.

    “Your kids are okay. We want you to stay focused. We don’t want to cloud your mind. Take some time, drink some water,” Farris said.

    Singh said he woke up at 9 a.m. the day of the shootings – he had slept in because of a pulled muscle in his back. He said he stayed home all day. He said his mother-in-law and her sister left for their part-time jobs at a laundromat.

    He recalled laying on the carpet on the living room and watching his father-in-law, Hakikat, get news about Indian elections on an international channel. The two men discussed Indian politics, he said. Then Hakikat left in his car to go to the Sikh temple.

    Singh said his wife drove the three kids in her minivan to Punjabi dance practice, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

    When Farris asked Singh about his whereabouts later, Singh talked about how he worked on his truck until it was dark, replacing tail lights.

    Then he went home, where he said he found his family.

    'Who did you have a problem with?'
    “I saw my Mom. I thought she hit her head on the ground. She was bleeding. I went to the kitchen, and I called 911. I was going to everyone and calling their name,” Singh said in the interview.

    He recalled holding the phone and knocking on his neighbors' doors, although no one answered.

    “Somebody killed your family. Who did you have a problem with?” Detective Farris asked.

    “That’s what I am trying to understand, no drugs, nothing wrong, we live in the apartment since 2012, we never talked to anyone, not a high word, no argument. What happened to them?” Singh said.

    “Who would do this?” Farris asked.

    “As soon as I have a clue, I will tell you, I am so mad… if I could give you anything, I give you my blood,” Singh said.

    Singh said no one in the family was involved in any wrongdoing and that they had no enemies.

    Eventually, he said: “I can’t think straight now. I will help you with all you need but please find out what happened.”

    Farris left the room at one point, and Singh asked West Chester police Detective Jason Flick, who was in the room: “Why me? What do I do wrong? I didn’t kill a fly or…my family. I want to find out why. I don’t understand, I am so mad. I am still trying to understand, I can’t believe it.”

    Asked again who did it, Singh said he wished he knew.

    Gunshot residue test ends interview
    Farris returned to the interview room with a gunshot residue kit and told Singh that they had to test him.

    Singh then stood up, saying he wanted to go home. Farris read him his Miranda rights. Singh tried storming out, but there were two armed officers at the door.

    “I want to go home. My family is shot. I want to go to my kids,” Singh said, breathing heavily.

    The detectives left Singh alone in the room, and in the video he said: “Oh my god! This is wrong. I trust the police, and this.”

    Farris eventually told him they were getting a search warrant for his hands. Singh then said he wouldn't speak to them without his lawyer.

    "You are treating me like I am a criminal," Singh said. "Am I under arrest?"

    “You are being detained," Farris said.

    “You arrest me or let me go. I know my rights.” Singh replied.

    “You are being detained.”

    “Under what crime?”

    “Search warrant.”

    “Are you serious? You are keeping me away from my kids."

    Farris then asked him to spell his name, asked if he was right-handed, and confirmed he was a truck driver. Farris also asked Singh if he had any hobbies.

    When Singh was handed the consent form for the gunshot residue test, he said he didn't "understand half of it.".

    Farris told him that the search warrant was for gun powder residue as well as blood from clothes, photos of Singh's body, and swabs under his fingernails.

    Singh appeared outraged: “I see where this is going. Where is my right? Whoever did this is getting away from you guys."

    “Because you have time-sensitive evidence on you, we have to do this now," Farris said.

    The camera then shut off because Singh had to strip naked.

    Prosecutors had no comment after the hearing.

    No date was set for when the judge will rule on the motion.



    https://www.cincinnati.com/story/new...er/5625148002/
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  7. #7
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Death penalty trial in 4 West Chester homicides continued until fall 2022

    Statements to law enforcement will be permitted in the 2021 trial for a West Chester Twp. man charged with killing 4 members of his family last year.

    Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Howard filed a written decision this week denying the defense’s motion to suppress statements made by Gurpreet Singh.

    Singh, 38, is charged with 4 counts of aggravated murder for the April 28, 2019 homicides. With specifications of using a firearm and killing 2 or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty if convicted.

    Singh is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their residence on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

    The hearing for a motion to suppress evidence and statements by Singh filed by the defense team began back on March 6 with a day-long court session. Singh trial originally scheduled for September has been rescheduled for May 3, 2021.

    After 2 postponements due to coronavirus concerns, the spring hearing continued in August.

    Gurpreet Singh, who is charged with 4 counts of aggravated murder for allegedly killing his wife and other family member, was in Butler County Common Pleas. The defense team of Rittgers and Rittgers argued Singh’s rights were violated when he was questioned while handcuffed outside the scene and at the police station. But prosecutors say Singh was handcuffed for about 10 minutes for officer safety and as a witness when they found him bloody in the stairwell of the apartment building.

    Prosecutors point out that Singh was questioned in a “soft interview room” where he was given water and was eventually able to call about his children, then was released and driven home.

    At the March hearing, a police body camera video was played showing Singh from the moments after he called 911. Singh is seen wearing a red shirt, jeans and socks. As officers move toward him, blood is visible on his hands, shirt, pants and socks. He cries and says, “please help them.”

    The August hearing focused on Sing’s questioning for several hours afterward.

    During questioning by Detective Randy Farris, Singh said he spent the day at the apartment and didn’t leave until the afternoon because his back was hurting. Others, including his in-laws and children, left to shop, work and go to church, he said.

    Crews searched a pond at the Lakefront at West Chester apartments on April 30, 2019, after the shooting deaths of four family members in an apartment there.

    Later in the day, Singh, a truck driver, said he went to where his semi was parked. When he returned home, the door to the apartment was open and his family was dead, he said.

    “When I saw my mom I thought she fell on the ground and hit her head,” Singh told the detective.

    He referred to his in-laws as mom and dad.

    After a couple of hours of questioning, Farris told Singh that his family had been shot and requested to conduct a test on his hands for the presence of gunshot residue. Singh told the detective he did own a gun and had not shot it in years.

    Singh became upset when asked to take the gunshot residue test stating and said, “I want to go home right now.” He got up, but the detective told him to sit down and read him his Miranda rights.

    When Singh said he wanted a lawyer, detectives didn’t ask additional questions but told Singh he was being detained until they could get a search warrant to swab his hands.

    Defense attorney Charlie M. Rittgers argued Singh was not free to leave once placed in a cruiser and detained in the interrogation room. Rittgers said Singh asked more than 30 times to see his children.

    Howard said in his ruling no coercive law enforcement tactics were used by police when questioning Singh.

    “The defendant was in fact read his Miranda warnings after police obviously became concerned that the defendant may be less than forthcoming about his involvement in these homicides,” Howard wrote in the opinion.

    (source: Journal-News)
    "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

  8. #8
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    7,316
    Man accused of killing 4 in West Chester says he has no money for defense

    A man accused of killing four family members in a West Chester Twp. apartment in 2019 says he has run out of money for his defense and is asking the court to declare him indigent.

    Gurpreet Singh, 39, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder for the April 28, 2019, homicides. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty, if convicted.

    The truck driver and father of two is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their residence on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

    Singh retained the defense team of Charles H. and Charles M. Rittgers and associates to represent him prior to his arrest in August 2019. Questions of Singh’s ability to understand English raised by the defense resulted in the court proceedings starting over in early 2020. The pandemic and continued coronavirus concern’s in Singh’s native country of India again continued the trial pushing it to October 2022.

    In a motion filed last week, the defense team requested a hearing to determine if Singh qualifies as a indigent defendant, which would qualify him for a public money, if approved by the judge, for a defense.

    In an affidavit, Singh said he was previously employed as a truck driver but can no longer do his job do to his incarceration without bond for two years.

    “Due to my unemployment status, I do not have the financial means to pay for any mitigation investigation, fact investigation, expert witnesses, evaluations of other trial or mitigation phase related services or witnessed,” Singh said in the affidavit. “Additionally, I no longer have financial savings to pay for said evaluations.”

    Charles H. Rittgers said the request for public funds does not pertain to attorney fees, but for investigation and experts only.

    “Our attorneys fees have nothing to do with this filing,” Rittgers said. “It is all related to the additional cost to properly defend him and to properly prepare for a mitigation stage should it be necessary.”

    Rittgers said while the defense has to prepare for mitigation, if they should lose the “innocence phase.” He added that part of the money is needed for the ongoing investigation to exonerated Singh.

    “In other words, our guy is innocent,” Rittgers said.

    The Butler County Prosecutor’s Office said a number of questions remain unanswered about Singh’s financial status, including “what experts/investigators have already been hired, how much they have already been paid and to what extent the defendant wants taxpayers to issue a blank check.”

    According to the defense’s response, prior to his arrest Singh was employed as a owner-operator of a semi-tractor trailer, which are typically valued at $75,000 and $175,000, that he had at least one bank account with a balance of $75,052.31 and owned real estate in Indianapolis valued at $330.180.

    In July 2018, Singh gifted a woman $20,000 to assist her in purchasing a house in Indianapolis, according to the prosecution.

    “In his motion, the defendant does not explain what happened to any of these considerable assets, nor does he make any averments about his current financial status beyond be incarcerated,” Assistant Prosecutor Jon Marshall said in the motion.

    Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Howard has scheduled a hearing for Sept. 1 on the indigency motion.

    https://www.journal-news.com/crime/m...MSA2ORJKXMTHU/
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

  9. #9
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Judge to rule on whether man accused of killing 4 relatives in West Chester is indigent

    Sep. 10—Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Gregory Howard said a man accused of killing 4 family members in a West Chester Twp. apartment two years ago has a right to have the state pay for expert witnesses if he's declared indigent.

    Howard heard from the Butler County prosecutor's office and Gurpreet Singh's defense team Friday morning for a hearing on his request to declare Singh indigent. Howard said he would review the documents that were presented and make a written determination.

    Singh, 39, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder for the April 28, 2019, homicides. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty if convicted.

    Attorney Neal Schuett said Singh, a truck driver and father of 2, has been in the Butler County Jail since he was arrested in August 2019 and unable to work. He said Singh has $270 in his bank account and no other assets.

    Schuett said Singh has received money from relatives in India, but "that well is now dry."

    Schuett said the team of Charles H. and Charles M. Rittgers is asking for $50,000 to $60,000 from the state to hire expert witnesses throughout the trial set to begin in 2022. He said the firm isn't asking for "a blank check."

    He noted that the average cost of a death penalty case in the U.S. is between $500,000 to $2 million. Howard said from his experiences the cost is much lower in Butler County.

    Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Josh Muennich said Singh has paid his defense team $250,000. He compared the firm to a Ferrari and now it wants the state to pay for gas.

    Singh is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their residence on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

    In a motion filed in July, the defense team requested a hearing to determine if Singh qualifies as an indigent defendant, which would qualify him for public money, if approved by the judge, for a defense.

    "Due to my unemployment status, I do not have the financial means to pay for any mitigation investigation, fact investigation, expert witnesses, evaluations of other trial or mitigation phase related services or witnesses," Singh said in the affidavit. "Additionally, I no longer have financial savings to pay for said evaluations."

    Schuett said the request for public funds does not pertain to attorney fees, but for investigation and experts only.

    According to the prosecution's response, prior to his arrest Singh was employed as an owner-operator of a semi-tractor trailer, typically valued at $75,000 and $175,000, that he had at least 1 bank account with a balance of $75,052.31 and owned real estate in Indianapolis valued at $330.180.

    In July 2018, Singh gifted a woman $20,000 to assist her in purchasing a house in Indianapolis, according to the prosecution.

    "In his motion, the defendant does not explain what happened to any of these considerable assets, nor does he make any averments about his current financial status beyond being incarcerated," Assistant Prosecutor Jon Marshall said in the motion.

    (source: Journal-News)
    "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

  10. #10
    Senior Member CnCP Legend
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    2,243
    Butler County prosecutor debates issue with using public funds in quadruple murder trial

    By Jared Goffinet and Ken Brown
    WXIX

    WEST CHESTER, Ohio (WXIX) - The trial for a man facing quadruple murder charges could cost the taxpayers

    Gurpreet Singh faces four counts of aggravated murder for allegedly killing his wife, her parents, and her aunt at the Lakefront at West Chester apartment complex in April 2019.

    He could face the death penalty if convicted.

    The attorneys representing Singh have filed paperwork requesting money from the court to help build their defense.

    Singh was declared indigent which means he no longer has the funds to pay for private defense counsel, according to court documents.

    Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser is urging the court to reconsider this, court documents show. He wrote in his October objection to the court that Singh’s counsel has charged fees equal to his total assets.

    The defense team was retained and paid for by a family member of Singh, according to court documents. The funds needed for additional services and experts have run out, the documents read.

    For the defense counsel to then request taxpayer funds for mitigation and forensic experts and private investigators on top of the $250,000 they have already charged for this case is “unacceptable,” Gmoser said.

    In a case like Singh’s, the prosecutor notes that “any experienced lawyer” should know those experts would be needed.

    “There are very few defendants that can privately hire attorneys in death penalty cases,” said FOX19 NOW legal expert Mark Krumbein. “I mean, it’s very rare so this is unusual that in this case, Mr. Singh can afford private attorneys.”

    The defense team said in court they expect to need an additional $50,000 to $60,000 for the experts. How defense counsel came up with the numbers is unclear, the judge wrote in the ruling.

    The judge said in his decision the defense needs to file a motion and schedule a hearing with the court for any funds they request.

    Wednesday’s court proceedings indicate the death penalty certification is not necessary for private council.

    The judge has yet to grant public funds to Singh’s defense and what is allotted to them, if anything, will be decided at a later date.

    The judge said there was no fee agreement reached between Singh’s attorneys and his family.

    If funds are granted to the defense, the issue becomes private attorneys deciding how to best use public funds to represent Singh in this case as opposed to a death penalty certified public defender deciding how to use the money.

    The trial in the quadruple homicide case has yet to begin.

    On May 26, the defense requested more time due to delays in getting things they need from Singh’s home country because of COVID-19 restrictions, according to his attorney.

    The trial was delayed until Oct. 3, 2022.

    https://www.fox19.com/2021/11/10/but...-murder-trial/

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •