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

Thread: Bass Webb Sentenced 2009 KY Rape/Murder of Bryia Runiewicz

  1. #1
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217

    Bass Webb Sentenced 2009 KY Rape/Murder of Bryia Runiewicz




    Judge combines rape, murder charges in Harrison slaying

    CYNTHIANA — A Harrison Circuit judge granted a motion on Tuesday to combine the charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his girlfriend.

    Bass Webb, 31, will now be eligible for the death penalty in the Harrison County case. On Dec. 14, a grand jury indicted Webb on a first-degree rape charge. Webb has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of Bryia Runiewicz, 32.

    Runiewicz was found dead in her home in Cynthiana on July 31, 2009.

    Harrison County Commonwealth's Attorney Doug Miller filed the motion for the rape and murder cases to be combined. Defense attorneys argued Tuesday against joining the cases.

    Circuit Judge Jay Delaney granted Miller's motion. Delaney also granted a defense motion to postpone the trial.

    Webb had been scheduled to go to trial on the murder charge next month. Delaney did not set a new date on Tuesday but said he might set the date at the next pre-trial hearing, March 22.

    Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/02/01/1...#ixzz1CjZGxlU6

    Another article

    Man Charged In Ex-Girlfriend's Murder Can Now Face Death Penalty In Case

    A man accused of raping and killing his ex-girlfriend in 2009 may now face the death penalty after the judge in the case agreed to combine the charges Tuesday in court.

    Bass Webb, 31, is accused of raping and murdering Bryia Runiewicz, 32, whose body was found in her home in July 2009. The decision by the Harrison Circuit judge Tuesday to combine the charges makes Webb eligible for the death penalty.

    In December, a grand jury indicted Webb on a first-degree rape charge in the case. Webb had earlier been indicted on a murder charge in Ruiniewicz's death.

    Webb is also accused of killing and then burying ex-girlfriend Sabrina Vaughn about six years ago. Vaughn's body was discovered in a shallow grave in Powell County in 2010. Webb is also accused of trying to run down two Bourbon County deputies.

    Webb is now scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on March 22. He was originally set to go to trial in the case in March, but the trial date has been postponed. No word yet on when it will be re-scheduled.

    http://www.lex18.com/news/man-charge...enalty-in-case

  2. #2
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Girlfriend Found Competent To Stand Trial

    A man accused of raping and killing his ex-girlfriend in 2009 was found competent to stand trial in the case during a hearing in Harrison County Thursday afternoon.

    Bass Webb, 31, is accused of raping and murdering Bryia Runiewicz, 32, whose body was found in her home in July 2009. A decision by the Harrison Circuit judge presiding over the case to combine the charges makes Webb eligible for the death penalty.

    In December, a grand jury indicted Webb on a first-degree rape charge in the case. Webb had earlier been indicted on a murder charge in Ruiniewicz's death.

    Webb is also accused of killing and then burying ex-girlfriend Sabrina Vaughn about six years ago. Vaughn's body was discovered in a shallow grave in Powell County in 2010. Webb is also accused of trying to run down two Bourbon County deputies.

    http://www.lex18.com/news/man-accuse...to-stand-trial

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Accused Killer Webb Makes Court Appearance

    A man already convicted of trying to kill deputy jailers in Bourbon County, who spit on a judge and is accused of killing two ex-girlfriends was in court Monday.

    Bass Webb's murder in the death of Bryia Runiewicz is set to begin in December. In court Monday, his lawyers argued against allowing Webb's other criminal history to be shared at his trial. They also want Webb free of shackles and handcuffs at his trial so not to sway the jury.

    But Runiewicz's mother, Dora Clair, who was in the courtroom for the hearing, says given Webb's prior courtroom behavior, like spitting on a judge, should be taken into consideration. "I know his lawyers have a job to do," she said. "I'd say bind him up from head to toe. I know they won't do it, but he should wear restraints - he earned them. You never know if he's going to pull a stupid stunt."

    While Clair said she dreads re-living her daughter's murder at trial she hopes it will finally bring justice to Webb she says he deserves. "December, the best Christmas I get (would be) the death penalty."

    The judge may announce his decisions on the motions at Webb's next hearing, which is scheduled for October 4.

    http://www.lex18.com/news/accused-ki...urt-appearance

  4. #4
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Harrison murder trial to be held in December as scheduled, judge rules

    A judge on Friday ruled that the trial of murder defendant Bass Webb will go on as scheduled Dec. 1, and overruled a defense motion to postpone the proceeding to July.

    Public defenders Tom Griffiths and Craig Newbern had argued that they could not be ready in time for trial. But Commonwealth's Attorney Doug Miller said he was prepared to start on Dec. 1.

    Webb is accused of murder in the death of Bryia Runiewicz on July 31, 2009. If convicted, Webb could face the death penalty.

    Webb is awaiting two murder trials: one in Harrison County and one in Montgomery County. Police have said Webb killed two ex-girlfriends: Runiewicz, 32, in a home on New Lair Road and Sabrina Marie Vaughn in Montgomery County. Vaughn's remains were found on a rural road in Powell County after she had been missing for about seven years. Vaughn was reported missing in 2003. A grand jury indicted Webb on the murder charge in April 2010.

    http://www.kentucky.com/2011/11/18/1...#ixzz1e5Fzprdu

  5. #5
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Accused killer's next hearing closed to media, public in hours before trial

    In the 48 hours before his murder trial, accused killer Bass Webb was back in court with his attorneys.

    Sporting a prison uniform, chains and knuckle tattoo reading "evil," Webb watched intently as they filed motions to close a hearing with two experts expected to testify that Webb's diabetes played a role in his actions.

    The judge agreed with Webb's defense team, saying a Daubert hearing scheduled for Wednesday will be closed to the media and public. In the hearing, the judge and prosecution will hear from two doctors about their findings on diabetes and aggression after which the judge will decide if the diabetes defense will be admissible or relevant during the trial.

    Defense attorneys Tom Griffiths and Craig Newbern argue Webb's diabetes and low glucose may have led to him kill his ex-girlfriend, Briya Runiewicz. Webb is already serving time after being convicted of trying to kill two bourbon County jail employees.

    Webb's attorneys dropped another bombshell in court Tuesday, not only asking for the murder trial to be postponed, but also filing a motion questioning the constitutionality of the death penalty for someone with a condition, such as diabetes.

    The judge says they'll deliberate that motion at a later date.

    Still on the table for discussion, which photos and videos of the crime scene will be admissible in court.

    Jury selection is scheduled to begin Thursday, December 1. Webb will be eligible for the death penalty.

    http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/A...8.html?ref=358

  6. #6
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Jury selection to begin Thursday in Harrison murder trial

    Public defenders plan to argue that a murder defendant's problems with diabetes and alcohol affected his mental state and should be considered as mitigating factors as his murder trial starts Thursday.

    Answering questions about Bass Webb's mental state could play a bigger role in the trial than the question of whether he killed his girlfriend, Bryia Runiewicz, 31, who was found dead in her home on July 31, 2009.

    Runiewicz, a one-time employee at the Bourbon County Detention Center, was studying to become a law enforcement officer. She died three days before she was to begin a job with the Department of Homeland Security. She is survived by two daughters from a previous relationship; the girls' father died the month before Runiewicz died.

    "Bass has never denied that he was the one who did this," public defender Tom Griffiths said Wednesday. "The question has always been what happened and why."

    Attorneys will be gearing up for a long trial. It is expected to take the entire month of December, though court will break for the holidays. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Thursday morning from a pool of about 200 people.

    If convicted, Webb could face the death penalty.

    Prosecutors intend to vigorously challenge the defense's theory about Webb's mental state, and say they know of no other criminal cases in Kentucky where it has been recognized.

    The prosecution could call as many as 70 witnesses. The defense has not said how many witnesses it will call. It's not clear whether Webb will take the stand.

    The case has already had some legal twists and turns this week and there are still some answered questions about how the case will proceed.

    Earlier this week, Webb's attorneys filed a motion challenging the constitutionality of capital punishment. That matter is pending.

    But defense attorneys got one victory on Wednesday: Harrison Circuit Judge Jay Delaney dismissed a rape charge Webb was facing. While acknowledging there was evidence that Webb had sex with Runiewicz sometime before her death, the defense had argued there was no evidence of forcible rape.

    Webb's attorneys — Griffiths and Craig Newbern Jr. — have indicated they intend to call witnesses who will testify that Webb's diabetes affected his mental state.

    One witness, Brad Bushman, a psychology professor at Ohio State University, has performed studies demonstrating that people who have trouble metabolizing glucose, a simple sugar found in the body that provides energy for the brain, show more evidence of aggression.

    Griffiths noted during a hearing on Tuesday that Webb "was drinking a great deal" before Runiewicz's death, and that had a "compound effect" on his actions.

    "This is not junk science," Griffiths said Tuesday.

    In a written response, Commonwealth's Attorney Doug Miller and Michael Laws called that theory "at best a novel notion raising questions as to its validity and whether it is reliable, credible, scientific evidence."

    On Friday, jury selection will be interrupted for a hearing in which Judge Delaney will evaluate the admissibility of testimony in regard to links between diabetes and aggression that could be heard by Bushman and Dr. L. Raymond Reynolds, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Kentucky. The Friday hearing will be closed to the media and public.

    During a pretrial hearing in April, a psychiatrist from the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in LaGrange testified that blood-sugar levels could affect someone mentally, but she did not think it was the case with Webb, although "he was not completely compliant" with treatment for his diabetes.

    The psychiatrist, Dr. Amy Trivette, also testified that Webb showed signs of personality disorder, which could make it hard for him to interact with others, but she said he did not have a severe psychotic disorder, mood disorder or psychosis.

    The trial will be somewhat unusual in that it will have three phases.

    In typical criminal cases, a jury hears evidence and decides whether the defendant is guilty, then goes into a second phase to determine the punishment it will recommend to a judge.

    In Webb's trial, the jury will first hear evidence about the victim's death. If the jury finds him guilty of murder, the trial will go to an second or "aggravator" phase, in which the jury will hear evidence about prior serious assaults, which constitutes an aggravating circumstance under which the death penalty should be considered.

    Once the second phase is completed, the trial will go to the penalty phase. Depending on what happens in the "aggravator" phase, Webb could face the death penalty or something less severe. Other possible penalties include life in prison without the possibility of parole, life without parole for 25 years, life, or 20 to 50 years in prison.

    Webb has a criminal history that stretches back to 2000, when he was sentenced in Menifee County to one year in prison for attempting to elude a police officer and five counts of wanton endangerment.

    Earlier this year, Webb was found guilty in May of two counts of attempted murder for trying to run down a pretrial officer and a deputy sheriff outside the Bourbon County jail in 2009. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

    In March Webb was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison for assaulting an officer at the Fayette County Detention Center. In that case, Webb threw a metal telephone at a corrections officer. The phone, which had been ripped from a wall, cracked a riot shield held by the officer. The officer was not injured.

    Webb also is accused of murder in the death of Sabrina Marie Vaughn, who was in her 20s, in Montgomery County. Vaughn's skeletal remains were found in January 2010 on a rural road in Powell County after she had been missing seven years. A Montgomery County grand jury indicted Webb in April 2010. That trial is scheduled for April 2012.

    Webb gained notoriety after spitting in the face of Bourbon District Judge Vanessa Dickson during a hearing in August 2009; he was later indicted on a felony charge of intimidating a judicial officer. That case is still pending in Bourbon County.

    Webb also has been accused of spitting in the face of a Fayette County jail officer in February. He was indicted on charges of third-degree assault and being a persistent felony offender. According to a jail incident report, Webb told corrections officers that "there would be an assault every day until he killed one of us or we killed him." That case is still pending in Fayette County.

    In March 2004, Webb pleaded guilty in Fayette County to charges of third-degree assault. In that case, Webb grabbed a Lexington police officer's genitals and tried to head-butt the officer.

    Relatives seeking mercy for Webb wrote Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine and noted that Webb had problems with drugs and alcohol.

    "The only time he gets in trouble is when he is on drugs. He wants to stop taking drugs," his sister Sabrina Webb wrote.

    The judge sentenced Webb to five years in prison. Webb himself later sought shock probation from Goodwine, and in a August 2004 letter to the judge Webb wrote, "I take full responsibility for my actions, but I feel I am ready to change my life around if given the chance."

    Goodwine denied the motion for shock probation.

    Webb was released from state custody in January 2009, according to the state Department of Corrections. Six months later, he was charged with murder in Runiewicz's death

    http://www.kentucky.com/2011/11/30/1...#ixzz1fEolIZpx

  7. #7
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Judge does not think a fair, impartial jury can be seated in Webb murder trial

    A Harrison County judge does not think a fair and impartial jury can be seated in the Bass Webb murder trial.

    Harrison Circuit Judge Jay Delaney issued an order for a change of venue Monday morning. The judge said the case has received too much publicity, according to the Harrison County Clerk's office. Attorneys have been trying to seat a jury since selection began Dec. 1 in Cynthiana.

    Webb, 32, is accused of killing his girlfriend, Bryia Runiewicz, 31, whose body was found in her Harrison County home on July 31, 2009. If convicted, Webb could face the death penalty.

    The trial was expected to last through December. A hearing will be held Thursday to determine the next course of action.

    http://www.kentucky.com/2011/12/12/1...#ixzz1gLSKxcgC

  8. #8
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    No decision on change of venue made during hearing for Bass Webb

    Just days after a judge ruled a fair jury could not be seated in Harrison County for his trial, a man charged with murdering his former girlfriend returned to court.

    During a hearing Thursday morning, no decision on a change of venue was made for Bass Webb's trial.

    Two more hearings have been set for January for the defense and prosecution to argue where they think the trial should be moved.

    Also during Thursday's hearing, the defense filed paperwork to try to get the death penalty taken off the table. The judge did not make a ruling on that motion.

    Webb is charged with the 2009 rape and murder of his former girlfriend, Bryia Runiewicz, in Harrison County.

    He's already serving time for trying to kill two Bourbon County Jail employees on the same day Runiewicz's body was found.

    Webb is also charged with murder in Montgomery County for the death of another former girlfriend.

    http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/1...3.html?ref=323

  9. #9
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Bass Webb Murder Trial To Be Moved To Pendleton County

    The trial of accused killer Bass Webb will be moved to Pendleton County from Harrison County, a judge decided.

    The judge says the publicity surrounding Webb's case made it impossible to seat a jury in Harrison County. Webb is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Bria Runiewicz, in 2009. He is also accused of killing another ex-girlfriend, Sabrina Vaughn.

    The Commonwealth had asked for the trial to be moved to Pendleton County, but Webb's attorneys had asked for it to be moved to either Oldham or Bullitt Counties.

    So far, no trial date has been set in the case.

    http://www.lex18.com/news/bass-webb-...dleton-county/

  10. #10
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Second attempt will be made to seat jury in Webb murder trial

    The second attempt to seat a jury in the capital murder case of Bass Webb is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Falmouth.

    Webb, 32, was to have gone on trial in December in Cynthiana. But after several days of jury selection, Circuit Judge Jay Delaney issued an order saying a change of venue was necessary because of extensive publicity about the case.

    Falmouth, a town of more than 2,000 residents about 50 miles north of Lexington, is more in the orbit of the Cincinnati media market.

    Webb is accused of killing his estranged girlfriend, Bryia Runiewicz, 31, who was found dead in her Harrison County home on July 31, 2009. If convicted, Webb could face the death penalty.

    Runiewicz, a one-time employee at the Bourbon County Detention Center, was studying to become a law enforcement officer. She died three days before she was to begin a job with the Department of Homeland Security. She is survived by two daughters from a previous relationship; the girls' father died the month before Runiewicz died.

    The prosecution could call as many as 70 witnesses. The defense has not said how many witnesses it will call, and it's not known whether Webb will take the stand.

    Webb's attorneys, public defenders Tom Griffiths and Craig Newbern Jr., indicated in pretrial hearings last year that they intend to call witnesses who will testify that Webb's drinking and diabetes affected his mental state. Griffiths would not comment on strategy during a brief interview on Monday.

    Commonwealth's Attorney Doug Miller indicated last year that he intends to vigorously challenge the defense's theory about Webb's mental state. Miller could not be reached for comment.

    The trial is scheduled to run in the Pendleton County Judicial Center through Aug. 17. But testimony might not begin until the end of the month as the attorneys winnow a pool of 200 prospective jurors down to a dozen jurors and three or four alternates.

    If convicted, Webb faces penalties ranging from death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, life without parole for 25 years, life, or 20 to 50 years in prison.

    Webb has a criminal history going back to 2000, when he was sentenced in Menifee County to one year in prison for attempting to elude a police officer and five counts of wanton endangerment.

    Last year, he was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder for trying to run over a pretrial officer and a deputy sheriff outside the Bourbon County jail in 2009. He received a 50-year prison sentence. Webb is serving his sentence at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in West Liberty but during the trial he will be housed in the Boone County Detention Center in Burlington, where Pendleton County normally takes its prisoners.

    In March 2011, Webb was found guilty of assaulting a Fayette County Detention Center officer and was sentenced to 15 years.

    Webb also is accused of murder in the death of Sabrina Marie Vaughn in Montgomery County, whose skeletal remains were found in January 2010, seven years after she had gone missing.

    Webb received national attention after he spit in the face of Bourbon District Judge Vanessa Dickson during a hearing in August 2009.

    http://www.kentucky.com/2012/07/17/2...#storylink=cpy
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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
  •