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Thread: Mark Newton Spotz - Pennsylvania Death Row

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    Mark Newton Spotz - Pennsylvania Death Row


    Mark Newton Spotz


    Summary of Offense:

    Spotz shot his brother Dustin to death during a fight at their mother's Clearfield County home on January 31, 1995, then fled, killing three women within 48 hours in Schuylkill, York and Cumberland counties before surrendering to police in a Middlesex Township motel room. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in his brother's slaying and sentenced to death for murdering the three women. The last of his victims was retired Lutheran deaconess Betty Amstutz of Harrisburg, whom he killed in Cumberland County. He also killed Penny Gunnet of North Codorus Township, York County and June Ohlinger of Schuylkill County.

    Spotz was sentenced to death in Schuylkill County on March 6, 1996.

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    April 12, 2010

    Judges in two counties recently rejected appeals by convicted spree killer and death-row inmate Mark Newton Spotz.
    Now 39, Spotz was convicted in April 1996, of the Feb. 2, 1995, carjacking and shooting death of 41-year-old Penny L. Gunnet of New Salem.

    He also was convicted of the separate carjacking murders of June Rose Ohlinger, 52, of Schuylkill County and Betty Amstutz, 71, of Cumberland County. Spotz received the death penalty for all three first-degree murders.

    Prior to committing those killings, Spotz fatally shot his older brother, Dustin Spotz, in Clearfield County. Dustin Spotz's death during a family argument preceded Spotz's 48-hour cross-state spree.

    On March 25, York County Judge John S. Kennedy denied Spotz's post-conviction appeal for a new trial. Spotz based his motion on alleged ineffective counsel and trial error.

    On March 30, a Clearfield County judge dismissed Spotz's post-conviction appeal there.

    Spotz's Cumberland County post-conviction appeal was denied in June 2008. He has appealed that ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

    His post-conviction appeal in Schuylkill County was denied in 2001.

    Governors Casey, Ridge, Schweiker and Rendell had signed a total of five death warrants for Spotz. Each warrant was stayed by an appellate court.

    In 2001, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court stayed Spotz's execution for Gunnet's murder pending the outcome of his post-conviction appeal before Kennedy.

    Kennedy's ruling does not automatically place Spotz back on the execution list.

    "The governor would need to sign another warrant," York County District Attorney Tom Kearney said. "He will probably wait the 30-day appeal period. And Mark will probably appeal (Kennedy's ruling) to the (Pennsylvania) Supreme Court."

    http://www.ydr.com/ci_14853230?source=most_emailed

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Clearfield County Death Row Appeal Case At Center Of State Investigation

    The case of a Clearfield County man who is currently on death row could force Pennsylvania to examine how the courts deal with death row appeals.

    Mark Spotz was convicted of killing four people in 1995, starting with his brother in Clearfield County.

    Appeals of Spotz's conviction have the state Supreme Court looking at the actions of the Defender Association of Philadelphia’s Capital Case Appeals Unit.

    Chief Justice Ronald Castille has leveled charges of improper tactics and unethical lawyering against the unit.

    Castille said too much of the court’s time is spent dealing with diversions created by lawyers to undermine the death penalty.

    Castille, in his 34-page opinion, said, “When faux outrage about the delays their overall strategy necessarily induces severs their purpose, they forward that claim, accusing Pennsylvania courts of incompetence or laziness, their argument unencumbered by concerns for accuracy, honesty and candor.”

    Pennsylvania has 208 people on death row, but only held three executions over the past five decades.

    http://www.wjactv.com/news/29441972/detail.html

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Pennsylvania v. Spotz

    Opinion Date: June 26, 2012

    Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

    Appellant Mark Spotz appealed the denial of his petition for collateral relief filed pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA). Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1995 shooting death of Penny Gunnet for which he was sentenced to death. Appellant raised numerous issues on appeal; the Supreme Court concluded that there was "no merit" to any of the issues he raised and affirmed the decision of the PCRA court.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On July 9, 2012, Spotz filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    http://dockets.justia.com/docket/pen...cv01327/90001/

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Federal Appeals Pending

    Corbett Signs 21st Execution Warrant for Murderer Mark Newton Spotz

    Governor Tom Corbett signed his 21st execution warrant today for Mark Newton Spotz, convicted of kidnapping, robbing and brutally murdering a York County woman during a four-county homicide spree in 1995.

    Spotz murdered of Penny Gunnet, 41, who was the third of Spotz’s four murder victims during a homicidal rampage between late January and early February 1995.

    The execution is been scheduled for Jan. 8, 2013. Executions in Pennsylvania are carried out by lethal injection. For more information, visit the Department of Corrections online at www.cor.state.pa.us and select “Death Penalty’’ from the left-side navigation bar.

    The following account was released from the governor's office:

    "Gunnet was carjacked on her way to work around 6 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 2, 1995. Spotz forced his way into her car at gunpoint, stealing her cash, credit cards, wedding rings and other jewelry.

    Gunnet’s body was found beneath her abandoned car several hours later. During the carjacking, she had been shot and run over, a pathologist said.

    Spotz was arrested, tried separately and convicted in four different Pennsylvania counties for killing his brother and three women. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for each woman he killed. For his brother’s death, Spotz, who is now 41, was sentenced to 17 ½ to 35 years in prison.

    The killing spree began Jan. 31, 1995, in Clearfield County when Spotz shot his brother, Dustin, after a fight.

    He fled the area, stopping in Schuylkill County on Feb. 1, 1995. There, around 5:30 a.m., Spotz encountered June Ohlinger who had just arrived at the convenience store where she worked.

    Spotz forced her at gunpoint back into her car, stealing her money and jewelry, including her wedding ring. Spotz then ordered Ohlinger out of the car, walked her to the center of the bridge and forced her to stand on a bridge railing. He then shot her in the back of her head and kicked her body into the creek below. Spotz drove off with her car.

    The following day, concerned that he had been driving Ohlinger’s car for 24 hours and that the police might be tracking him, Spotz told his girlfriend he was going to get “the next woman.’’

    The next woman was Gunnet, who like Ohlinger was on her way to work when she stopped her car at an intersection in York. A gun-wielding Spotz forced his way into her car, drove around for awhile, shot her twice at close range and then abandoned her car and dead body.

    About an hour later, a police officer was called to investigate an abandoned car. Gunnet’s dead body lay twisted underneath the car with dried blood on her face and clothes.

    Later that day, Spotz traveled to Harrisburg and abducted 71-year-old Betty Amstutz near her home in Dauphin County.

    He drove with Amstutz to two banks, cashing checks worth a total of $1,600, and then used her credit card to make purchases at a sporting goods store and to rent a room at a Carlisle motel.

    Hours later, Spotz then drove Amstutz to a rural road outside of Carlisle, shot her numerous times and left her bullet-riddled body in a roadside ditch.

    Spotz then drove back to town, picked up friends, bought drugs and returned to the motel, bragging how he had shot and killed his brother and “these other women.’’

    Shortly before 9 a.m. the next morning, Feb. 3, 1995, police located Spotz and surrounded the motel. Spotz saw the police, tossed his gun outside and turned himself in to authorities."

    http://northwhitehall.patch.com/arti...k-newton-spotz
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  7. #7
    Senior Member Member Jeffects's Avatar
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    Alright, one of us might as well say it....

    Let's see if Pennsylvania is good for removing Spotz... Ugh.

  8. #8
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Bright red headline Federal Appeals Pending
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  9. #9
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Fact's Avatar
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    This is getting stayed. 100% unless he decides to drop his appeals. Shame, because the guy's about the worst scum of the earth on earth.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Member Jeffects's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Heidi View Post
    Bright red headline Federal Appeals Pending

    I noticed the bright red headline, but do I have to wait for this dope to run out of appeals before I can share my uncanny wit wif yall? I'm in California, If I was only funny when people got executed, I'd be another Conan O'Brian!

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