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Thread: Michael J. Travaglia - Pennsylvania

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    Michael J. Travaglia - Pennsylvania




    Summary of Offense:

    For a week during the Christmas holidays in 1980, John Lesko and Michael Travaglia went on a crime binge near Pittsburgh that came to be called the "kill for thrills" spree. Between December 29, 1979, and January 3, 1980, they took the lives of a church organist, an unemployed security guard, a seamstress and a rookie police officer. Sentenced to death in Westmoreland County on July 26, 2005 for the 1980 killing of Leonard Miller, a rookie police officer from Apollo, Armstrong County. Lesko pled guilty in the drowning of William Nicholls, 34, of Mount Lebanon.

    For more on Lesko, see: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...ighlight=lesko

  2. #2
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Pa. Supreme Court upholds death sentence

    The state Supreme Court today upheld a death sentence for one of the "kill for thrill" shooters, ruling that the capital sentence imposed for killing an Apollo police officer was supported by the evidence.

    A jury twice sentenced Michael Travaglia, 53, of Washington Township in Westmoreland County, to death for shooting Officer Leonard Miller, 21, during the string of four killings from Dec. 27, 1979, to Jan. 3, 1980.

    Travaglia's friend and accomplice, John Lesko, 53, of Lincoln Place, also received a death sentence and remains on death row.

    In the 6-0 ruling, the justices rejected arguments by Travaglia`s attorney that the jury in the penalty phase for Miller's death was tainted when prosecutors mentioned Travaglia killed three other people.

    http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt...#ixzz1ZIkGOLmF

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    In today's United States Supreme Court orders, Travaglia's petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis was DENIED.
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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Supreme Court Won't Hear Killer's Appeal

    Michael Travaglia, John Lesko Doing Time For 'Kill For Thrill' Spree

    The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of one of two men sentenced to death in a killing spree that culminated in a police officer's murder more than three decades ago.

    The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Thursday (http://bit.ly/IOmGa4 ) that the high court has denied a request to hear 53-year-old Michael Travaglia's appeal.

    Travaglia and 53-year-old John Lesko were both sentenced to death in the Jan. 3, 1980 killing of Apollo police officer Leonard Miller. Authorities say the duo killed three other people during their so-called "kill for thrill" eight-day spree.

    Travaglia wanted the court to consider whether Westmoreland County prosecutors improperly used evidence about the other killings in seeking the death penalty at a resentencing hearing seven years ago.

    Lesko has a separate appeal pending in U.S. District Court.

    http://www.wtae.com/news/local/westm...74/-/7v1vqk/-/
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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    ‘Kill for Thrill’ murderer appealing his conviction

    A Westmoreland County man convicted of killing an Apollo police officer during a series of shootings that were tagged as the “Kill for Thrill” murders asked a federal judge on Friday for a new appeal of his conviction and death sentence.

    Michael Travaglia, 53, formerly of Washington Township, is also seeking the appointment of a federal public defender to help him prepare what is likely his last appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court in April refused to hear Travaglia’s appeal of a 2010 state Supreme Court decision to not overturn his death sentence.

    Westmoreland County juries have twice convicted Travaglia and John C. Lesko, 53, formerly of Homestead, of killing Officer Leonard C. Miller, 21. Miller was the fourth victim of an eight-day killing spree that started at the end of December 1979 and went over into the new year.

    Travaglia and Lesko are on death row, and Lesko is also appealing his death sentence.

    http://triblive.com/news/2125563-74/...deral-formerly
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  6. #6
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    Judge orders legal help for convicted killer

    A federal judge Monday ordered the Federal Public Defender's Office to assist one of the two men convicted in the 1979-80 "Kill for Thrill" murders in preparing the appeal of his conviction and death sentence for murdering an Apollo police officer.

    Michael Travaglia, 53, formerly of Washington Township, made the request Friday. U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer ordered Travaglia to submit his appeal by Oct. 30.

    Travaglia and co-defendant John C. Lesko, 53, formerly of Pittsburgh's Lincoln Place neighborhood, have been on the state's death row for 32 years. They killed four people during an eight-day spree from Christmas 1979 into the first week of January 1980 in what came to be known as the "Thrill for Kill" murders.

    The fourth victim was Apollo Police Officer Leonard C. Miller, 21, who was shot and killed Jan. 3, 1980, after he pursued Travaglia's and Lesko's car from Apollo across a bridge into Oklahoma Borough.

    Westmoreland County juries twice convicted Travaglia and Lesko in Miller's slaying. Lesko is appealing his death sentence.

    In April, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the death sentence that Travaglia again was given during a 2005 re-sentencing.

    Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck called Judge Fischer's order "not unexpected" following the high court's action.

    Peck indicated that his office will fight this appeal as it has the others for more than three decades.

    Vandergrift Mayor Lou Purificato was a police officer when Miller was killed and was the first officer to respond the scene, where he found Miller lying on the ground, dying.

    "It's been 32 years and I know those guys have been sentenced to death, but 32 years later it's ridiculous for all these appeals," Purificato said. "If justice is supposed to have the effect on people that is it intended to, then justice has to be swift. And this isn't swift."

    "Right now his appeal options are very limited," said Tim Geary, a Vandergrift attorney who prosecuted Travaglia and Lesko as an assistant district attorney. "They are much more limited than the first time he went into federal court because of a change in the law."

    Geary said the federal law changed to limit appeals about 10 years ago.

    He said he wonders if the state will ever execute any death row inmate who exercises all appeals. He noted that the three people who have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in Pennsylvania basically gave up their appeals.

    "Certainly, Travaglia and Lesko deserve -- richly deserve -- the death penalty," Geary said.

    The fact that justice has not been delivered to Miller's killers is frustrating to police officers, Purificato said.

    "It's just been going on too long," Purificato said. "The millions and millions of dollars that have been spent -- I just want the case to end one way or the other. This could go on for another 32 years."

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    No murder can be so cruel that there are not still useful imbeciles who do gloss over the murderer and apologize.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Fact's Avatar
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    This is the exact same filing that Justice Castille railed against. He still has a PCRA petition he's going to file.

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    Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Signs Execution Warrant for Westmoreland County Man

    Governor Tom Corbett today signed an execution warrant for Michael J. Travaglia, who was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy for killing a Westmoreland County police officer.

    Apollo Police Officer Leonard Clifford Miller was shot and killed on Jan. 3, 1980.

    Officer Miller stopped a sports car containing Travaglia, his co-defendant and another passenger, after it repeatedly sped past him. As Officer Miller walked toward the car, he was shot twice. Law enforcement officers, responding to Officer Miller's call for assistance, later found the policeman's body lying on the highway. His service weapon was drawn and all six rounds had been fired.

    In 1981, Travaglia was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy and sentenced to death in Westmoreland County Court for Officer Miller's death. Following a federal appeal, Travaglia was given a new sentencing hearing in 2005 and was again sentenced to death. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the sentence.

    Officer Miller's death was the last in a series of crimes committed by Travaglia and his co-defendant. According to court documents, in the days preceding Officer Miller's death, Travaglia and his co-defendant:

    Forced Peter Levato to drive them out of Pittsburgh on Dec. 27, 1979, binding his feet and hands, hitting him over the head and pushing him over a bridge. When the men discovered Levato was still alive, Travaglia shot him once in the chest and twice in the head. Travaglia later pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy for Levato's death.
    Robbed and repeatedly shot Marlene Sue Newcomer, who had offered the men a ride in her vehicle on Jan. 1, 1980. Travaglia later pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy for Newcomer's death.
    Forced William Nicholls to drive them out of Pittsburgh on Jan. 2, 1980, then shot, beat and gagged the man before pushing him into a lake where he drowned. Travaglia pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy for that incident.

    In 1985, Governor Richard L. Thornburgh issued the first execution warrant and in 1990, Governor Robert P. Casey issued a second execution warrant for Travaglia.

    Travaglia, now 53, is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. His execution has been scheduled for Sept. 13, 2012.

    Travaglia's co-defendant, John C. Lesko, was also sentenced to death. In September 2011, Corbett signed an execution warrant for Lesko, now 53, who is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford.

    Travaglia's warrant is the 15th execution warrant signed by Governor Corbett.

    http://uspolitics.einnews.com/pr_new...and-county-man
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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  9. #9
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    Death warrant signed, then stayed for police officer’s killer

    Hours after Gov. Tom Corbett signed a new death warrant on Thursday for Michael Travaglia, the “kill for thrill” murderer won yet another temporary stay of the new Sept. 13 execution date.

    Corbett signed the warrant ordering that Travaglia, now 53, be put to death by lethal injection for his conviction of first-degree murder and conspiracy for killing Apollo police Officer Leonard Clifford Miller on Jan. 3, 1980.

    Shortly after, Travaglia’s new federal public defenders, Anna Ahronheim and Kirk Henderson, were granted a temporary stay of execution to prepare another federal appeal.

    “I just want it to end ... one way or another. It happened more than 32 years ago,” said Vandergrift Mayor Lou Purificato, who was the first police officer to arrive on the scene when Miller was shot.

    “Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be jumping for joy if they put another man to death, but I do want to see justice served. The law is the law, and these two (Travaglia and co-defendant John Lesko) certainly deserve it,” Purificato said.

    Travaglia of Washington Township and Lesko, 53, formerly of Pittsburgh’s Lincoln Place neighborhood, were convicted of Miller’s slaying in 1981 in Westmoreland County. After a federal appeal, Travaglia was given a new sentencing hearing and was sentenced to death a second time.

    Miller, 21, was shot and killed on Jan. 3, 1980, after he pursued Travaglia and Lesko’s car from Apollo across a bridge into Oklahoma Borough.

    Miller was the last to die in Lesko and Travaglia’s eight-day killing spree, which started on Dec. 27, 1979, and left four people dead.

    Lesko and Travaglia were driving home after they tied up William Nicholls of Mt. Lebanon and threw him in an icy lake in Indiana County. The pair decided to lure Miller away from a convenience store they wanted to rob and raced past the officer several times in Nicholls’ sports car.

    In addition to the conviction in Miller and Nicholls’ murders, the pair also were convicted of abducting Peter Levato of Pittsburgh and killing him near Loyalhanna Dam. The two killed Marlene Sue Newcomer of Leisenring, in Fayette County, on New Year’s Eve after she gave them a ride.

    In April, the U.S. Supreme Court set the stage for Corbett to sign the execution warrant when the nation’s high court refused to hear an appeal of Travaglia’s 2005 death sentence.

    Purificato said will never forget discovering Miller, a rookie officer for Apollo, on the ground, dying from two bullet wounds. Two juries found that Travaglia had shot Miller twice at Lesko’s urging.

    Purificato also worked with Miller on the Vandergrift force.

    “I worked with him Christmas Eve, and (Miller) was just a young kid and really excited about getting hired full-time at Apollo. A few days later, he was gone,” he said.

    Previous death warrants for Travaglia were signed by former Govs. Richard Thornburgh in 1985 and Robert P. Casey in 1990.

    Corbett signed a death warrant in September for Lesko, who is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution at Graterford. His death sentence also remains on appeal in federal court.

    Travaglia is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution at Greene County.

    “We have capital punishment in Pennsylvania, and this — killing a police officer — is a mitigating factor under the law,” Purificato said. “It’s been time for justice to finally be served.”

    http://triblive.com/news/westmorelan...ificato-apollo

  10. #10
    nikkitah
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    This has gone on over thirty years. A story that has haunted me since the juvenile who was with these two sat in the woods telling me about it. I was only 14 at the time and was taken to a police department to corroborate his story. Luckily i was never called to court, but i remember every word ricky said to me and the justice system has failed those four people. They didn't deserve to die, so what gives these two the right to continue to live?

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