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Thread: Rebecca Sears and Christopher Bowers Sentenced to LWOP in 2009 Beath Death of Laverne “Kay” Parsons

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    Rebecca Sears and Christopher Bowers Sentenced to LWOP in 2009 Beath Death of Laverne “Kay” Parsons

    January 2, 2010

    Defense hopes for beating death trials this year

    Defense attorneys for a Columbia County mother and son accused of fatally beating a neighbor hope to proceed with their two death penalty trials this year despite delays.

    Rebecca Sears, 41, and son Christopher Bowers, 20, are charged with murder in the March death of Ms. Sears' next-door neighbor, Laverne "Kay" Parsons.

    Ms. Sears' attorney, Victor Hawk, said he hopes to try the case this year, but "I don't get to control how fast the state is able to prepare their case."

    On March 25, Ms. Parsons was found in her garage beaten to death with a bat and a claw hammer. Ms. Sears, of the 200 block of Hot Springs Drive, and Mr. Bowers, of the 4000 block of Briarwood Drive in Martinez, were arrested a few days later. Both were indicted on murder, armed robbery and burglary charges in April.

    Though several hearings for pre-trial motions have been held, none have been "substantive evidentiary hearings" because prosecutors were awaiting results of evidence testing from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, District Attorney Ashley Wright said. Two more hearings on pre-trial motions are scheduled Jan. 27 and Feb. 25.

    Mr. Hawk, whose brother Jacque represents Mr. Bowers, said preparing the case for trial is a slow and lengthy process even without delays in evidence testing.

    "We have a lot of forensic evidence out there that for some reason they can't get the testing done," he said.

    Ms. Wright said about 80 percent of the tests are complete. She has said that because of backups at the crime lab and the number of tests needed, evidence has been sent there in batches.

    "It is causing us a lot of problems in going forward with our investigation and our own testing because we can't obtain samples of the evidence until after they've completed whatever testing they want," Mr. Hawk said.

    The time frame for taking a capital murder case to trial depends on several factors, including the number of defendants, the complexity of the case, when evidence is gathered and tested, and how many issues are heard at each pre-trial hearing.

    "Generally speaking, its better to try a case sooner rather than later," Ms. Wright said. "It's hard for the family to have to wait and wait."

    By law, Ms. Sears and Mr. Bowers will be tried separately. Even if waivers are filed, Mr. Hawk said judges are reluctant to try more than one death-penalty case defendant at the same time because of potential legal errors that could lead to a mistrial.

    "We made the request that they be tried separately ... because the evidentiary issues are very different between them," Mr. Hawk said. Case presentation and other factors also will differ in their trials, he said.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2010/01/02/met_561687.shtml

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    January 28, 2010

    Death penalty to be sought in beating case

    Defense attorneys for 41-year-old Rebecca Bowers Sears, and her son, Sean Christopher Bowers, 20, made several requests Wednesday at pre-trial hearings.

    Sears and Bowers are charged in the beating death of Sears' next-door neighbor, Laverne "Kay" Parsons.

    Sears' attorney, Victor Hawk, asked for results from tests performed on forensic evidence by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta. District Attorney Ashley Wright said most of the tests are complete.

    More pre-trial motions will be heard in February and March. Sears and Bowers will be tried separately, because Wright plans to seek the death penalty.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-01-28/death-penalty-be-sought-beating-case?v=1264640276

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    Judge rules on statement in Grovetown murder

    EVANS, Ga.---It has been two years since a Columbia County woman was attacked and left for dead. Today a judge decided whether one of her accused murderer's words can be used against her.

    Rebecca Sears' story began two years ago, when her neighbor, Kay Parsons, was attacked in her Grovetown home in March of 2009.

    Investigators initially thought both Parsons' and Sears' homes had been burglarized, but just days later, Sears and her son Christopher Bowers were arrested for Parsons' murder.

    Prosecutors call Bowers the killer and Sears the mastermind. Both are facing the death penalty.

    After spending nearly two years behind bars, Becky Sears was back in a Columbia County courtroom today.

    The night of her arrest in 2009, Becky Sears was questioned by investigators. During the nearly 5-hour long interrogation, Sears outlines how a neighborhood love affair turned deadly.

    Thursday a judge ruled that tape will be played before a jury at the trial that will determine her future.

    Once again, Becky Sears entered a courtroom and smiled at her audience. Sears is accused of murdering her friend, and next door neighbor, Kay Parsons.

    On tape investigators questioned Sears days after the murder.

    "When you went into the interview room with Mrs. Sears, when y'all walked into the room in the very beginning, what was the goal of the interview?" the prosecutor asked Staff Sergeant Frank Dotson.

    "To get the truth," responded Sgt. Dotson.

    That tape was played at an August hearing. During the nearly 5-hour long interrogation, Sears talked about her loveless marriage and affair with Parsons' husband.

    "David and I had tried to stop seeing each other and that would last a couple days and then we would start calling each other again and start seeing each other again," Sears says on the tape.

    Becky admits to talking openly about "getting rid of" Kay Parsons. Prosecutors say her son, then 19-year-old Christopher Bowers, was listening.

    "I kept telling Christopher that I wanted to be with David and I put this thought in his mind to do something that I swear to God I never wanted anybody to get hurt. I never wanted Kay to get hurt," Sears says on the tape.

    During the interview, Becky explains to investigators what happened that foggy March morning in 2009. She says Christopher came to her with blood on his face and told her he'd taken care of everything. "He said 'I beat the **** out of her.' I didn't think he would do it. I thought he would get scared," Sears says.

    More than six months after that tape was played, Judge Sheryl Jolly ruled it is admissible and will be played before a jury.

    "The defendant was advised of her Miranda warnings, made a decision to waive those warnings and the statement was freely and voluntarily given," Judge Jolly ruled to the court.

    Since firing her attorneys, the Georgia Capital Defender's Office has taken over Sears' case, meaning the taxpayers have picked up the cost.

    Halfway through that interview, the battery on the tape recorder died, leaving a two and half hour gap during which investigators say Sears did a lot of talking. Investigators told the court they had Sears repeat any key information once a new recorder was brought in.

    The judge did give defenders 30 days to examine that tape recorder. She said she would reconsider her ruling if new evidence is provided.

    http://www.wrdw.com/crimeteam12/head...117763633.html

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    Judge rules evidence can be used in trial

    A Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that statements made by accused killer Christopher Sean Bowers and items seized from his home can be used during his trial.

    At a Jackson-Denno hearing at the Columbia County courthouse in Evans, Judge Sheryl Jolly determined that statements made by Bowers, 22, to police after his March 2009 arrest can be used as evidence in the death penalty trial against him.

    "The statement is admissible," Jolly said of the roughly 17-minute interview police conducted with Bowers before he invoked his right to have an attorney present.

    Bowers and his mother, Rebecca Bowers Sears, 43, are charged in the fatal beating of Sears' neighbor Laverne "Kay" Parsons.

    In a Jackson-Denno hearing, a judge determines whether statements a defendant made to police were given voluntarily and whether the defendant was made aware of his Miranda rights.

    Bowers' defense attorneys also tried to have evidence seized from his home during the execution of two search warrants excluded from trial evidence.

    They claimed the searches were unlawful, a violation of the Fourth Amendment, because Columbia County sheriff's investigators who prepared the warrants and presented them to judges for approval used hearsay from other investigators working the case to show probable cause for the search.

    They said the warrants lacked sufficient probable cause and never identified the residence to be searched as Bowers' home.

    "The (investigators) showed probable cause for the issuance of those warrants," Jolly ruled.

    On March 25, 2009, Parsons was found in her garage beaten to death with a bat and a claw hammer. Sears and Bowers were arrested a few days later. Both were indicted on murder, armed robbery and burglary charges in April 2010.

    By law, Sears and Bowers must be tried separately because the district attorney intends to seek the death penalty.

    Dates for the trials have not been set.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/cr...-be-used-trial

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    Pretrial hearing today for Columbia County woman and son accused in murder

    A woman accused of killing her next-door neighbor will be in a Columbia County courtroom today as a judge hears pre-trial motions.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Rebecca Bowers Sears, 43, and her son, Christopher Sean Bowers, 22.

    Sears and Bowers were charged with murder in the fatal beating of Sears' neighbor Laverne "Kay" Parsons.

    On March 25, 2009, Parsons was found in her garage beaten to death with a bat and a claw hammer. Sears and Bowers were arrested a few days later. Both were indicted on murder, armed robbery and burglary charges in April 2010.

    Because the district attorney is seeking the death penalty, Sears and Bowers will be tried separately.

    Dates for the trials have not been set.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/cr...r?v=1319190696

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    Death penalty trial of Columbia County woman might happen in April

    A Superior Court judge set a potential date this morning for the death-penalty trial of a Columbia County woman accused of murdering her neighbor and alleged romantic rival.

    The trial of Rebecca Bowers Sears, 43, will likely start in April. Superior Court Judge Sheryl Jolly tentatively set aside three weeks after Masters Week for the trial in Evans.

    Sears’ lead defense attorney, Newell Hamilton, said he doesn’t expect to file any more motions to continue the case, but there are still issues to deal with that might pose delays.

    “We still have to address the issue of getting Mrs. Sears’ husband back from Afghanistan,” Hamilton said. Raymond J. Sears Jr., is currently deployed with the military.

    Sears and her son, Christopher Sean Bowers, 22, are charged with murder in the fatal beating of Laverne “Kay” Parsons.

    On March 25, 2009, Parsons was found in her garage beaten to death with a bat and a claw hammer. Sears and Bowers were arrested a few days later. Both were indicted on murder, armed robbery and burglary charges in April 2010.

    Sears was allegedly having an affair with Parson’s husband, David.

    At today’s hearing to consider pre-trial motions, Hamilton voiced objections about including portions of victims’ impact statements as evidence in the trial. He specifically objected to a question asking how the victim’s family was emotionally or psychologically affected by her death.

    “We think that entire question is inappropriate and a problem,” Hamilton said.

    Jolly ruled to allow the statements, but agreed to reconsider the motion once Hamilton submits a brief describing his objections in more detail.

    By law, Sears and Bowers must be tried separately since the district attorney intends to seek the death penalty.

    A date for Bowers’ trial has not been set.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/cr...r?v=1319201678

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    Mother, son sentenced to life for beating murder

    A Columbia County mother and son pleaded guilty Friday to the 2009 beating death of Laverne “Kay” Parsons.

    Rebecca Bowers Sears, 44, and her son, Christopher Sean Bowers, 23, offered negotiated guilty pleas during a sentencing hearing in Evans.

    Superior Court Judge Sheryl B. Jolly sentenced both Sears and Bowers to life in prison without parole for murder, life in prison for armed robbery and 20 years for burglary, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

    “It was a good resolution to the case to get it done on both defendants that quickly,” District Attorney Ashley Wright said after the hearing. “I hate to say ‘that quickly’ three years later.”

    Columbia County sheriff’s deputies found a beaten and bloody Parsons in the garage of her Grovetown home in March 2009. Authorities accused Sears and Bowers of beating her to death with a bat and a claw hammer.

    “She’d been beaten very severely,” Wright said. “She’d been struck numerous times.”

    Deputies arrested the mother and son a few days later. Both were indicted on murder, armed robbery and burglary charges in April 2010.

    In previous court appearances, prosecutors said Sears had an affair with Parsons' husband and orchestrated the murder to eliminate her romantic rival.

    To try and derail the investigation, Sears and Bowers staged a shooting days after Parsons’ murder. Though Bowers meant only to threaten his mother with a gun before a “witness” listening from Sears’ mobile phone, he actually pulled the trigger and shot Sears in the leg in front of her Augusta workplace, said Richmond County sheriff’s investigators.

    Wright intended to seek the death penalty.

    “I think it is an appropriate case for the death penalty,” Wright said, adding that the pleas avoid the trauma of trials on the families involved. “It is, quite frankly, one of the grisliest murders I have ever seen.”

    Attorneys for Sears and Bowers negotiated the guilty plea to avoid the possibility of being sentenced to death.

    http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/cr...r?v=1336753883
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