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Thread: Joshua Eugene Russell - Alabama

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    Joshua Eugene Russell - Alabama






    Shooting suspect charged with capital murder

    Joshua Eugene Russell, 25, is facing a capital murder charge in connection with the shooting Wednesday of an Anniston police officer.

    Anniston police said this afternoon they'd gotten a judge's signature on the capital murder warrant, upgrading the charge from attempted murder in the shooting death of police Officer Justin Sollohub, 27.

    Doctors in Birmingham were expected this afternoon to be finishing operations to remove Solohub's organs for transplant. The officer had been on life support only to make that possible.

    Russell was being held at the Etowah County Jail in Gadsden with bond set at $420,000 on the attempted murder charge and four unrelated drug charges.

    Russell was being held in the Gadsden to ensure he is treated fairly, Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson told the Calhoun County Commission at a meeting this morning.

    “Emotions have been running high and we want to make sure this man’s rights are protected,” Amerson said. “We could do that in our jail, but we didn’t want any shadow on this case.”

    Sollohub’s mother, Jeniffer Morris, said this morning that her son was officially dead, and that doctors planned to complete operations to use his organs for transplant by this afternoon.

    Doctors already have found recipients in Alabama for his heart and liver. His pancreas will go to a recipient out of state, Morris said, though it wasn’t yet known where.

    After the procedures, she said, Sollohub’s body will be taken by Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown and state troopers to a state forensics lab in Huntsville.

    Funeral arrangements are pending.

    “He was a great kid,” Morris said. “He was doing what he loved to do. He didn’t want to sit in an office.”

    In addition to the murder charge, Russell was being held on four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, with bond set at a total of $120,000, according to officials at the Calhoun County Jail. He also faced another charge related to child support, jail officials said.

    Russell was apprehended Wednesday night hiding in an overgrown lot, after an intense eight-hour manhunt following Sollohub’s shooting. Agents from local, state and federal agencies searched in the heat for hours, with the aid of dogs, armored personnel carriers and helicopters.

    Anniston police today said they’d had a warrant for Russell’s arrest on a domestic violence charge. Additionally, Oxford police had warrants out for his arrest on the drug distribution charges. Troy police, meanwhile, had a warrant for his arrest on a felony charge of assaulting an officer, according to Anniston police Capt. Richard Smith.

    None of those were Russell’s first encounters with law enforcement. He’d been released in October 2010 after serving about a year of a five-year prison sentence on earlier drug distribution charges stemming from an arrest in Anniston.

    That Russell was free to become involved in the shooting Anniston police say he committed Wednesday irked Smith.

    “Absolutely, it’s frustrating,” Smith said. “As fast as we put them in, they’re back on the streets.”

    http://annistonstar.com/view/full_st...or-transplant?

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    The man who feared nothing: Justin Sollohub's family remembers his life, energy

    Anniston Star - Cameron Steele - ‎3 hours ago‎
    The man suspected of shooting him, Joshua Russell, was captured after an eight-hour manhunt and remains in custody on capital murder charges. Morris said she was at her office at the Department of Human Resources in Anniston when she heard the wails of ...

    Anniston Star - Laura Johnson, Patrick McCreless - ‎14 hours ago‎
    Russell is in police custody after allegedly shooting Anniston police Officer Justin Sollohub (top left) on Wednesday. (Photo: Trent Penny/The Anniston Star) Updated at 3:55 pm Adds details on Russell's capital murder charge. Joshua Eugene Russell, 25, ...



    Suspect in fatal shooting of Anniston officer in Etowah County jail

    Gadsden Times - Lisa Rogers - ‎12 hours ago‎
    Joshua Eugene Russell, 24, was captured about 7 pm Wednesday less than 200 yards from the alley where Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub was shot about eight hours earlier. Several agencies in Etowah County responded to Anniston after a call for ...



    Anniston officer's organs to be used for transplant; shooting suspect being ...

    Daily Home Online - Laura Johnson, Patrick McCreless - ‎15 hours ago‎
    Joshua Eugene Russell, 25, was being held this morning at the Etowah County Jail in Gadsden with bond set at $420000 after police charged him with the shooting Wednesday of an Anniston police officer, who was on life support this morning only so ...



    Officer Justin Sollohub officially pronounced dead

    WBRC - Melynda Sides - ‎14 hours ago‎
    After an intense manhunt involving several law enforcement agencies, a suspect, Joshua Russell, 25, was arrested in connection to the shooting. Russell was charged with attempted murder of Sollohub while he was still alive. ...



    Anniston officer being kept alive to donate organs; suspect being held in ...

    Gadsden Times - ‎17 hours ago‎
    Authorities said Joshua Eugene Russell, 25, is being held in the shooting, with bond set at $420000. He currently is charged with attempted murder and that charge could be upgraded. Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson said Russell was transferred to ...



    Mom says officer son will donate organs

    Washington Examiner - ‎16 hours ago‎
    Authorities say 25-year-old Joshua Eugene Russell is being held in the shooting, with bond set at $420000. He is currently charged with attempted murder, and that charge could be upgraded. Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson says Russell was ...



    Officer critically wounded; suspect arrested

    Houston Chronicle - ‎Aug 24, 2011‎
    Anniston Mayor Gene Robinson tells WBMA-TV that the officer is on life support. Local, state and federal officers converged on the area with tracking dogs and helicopters. Police tell The Anniston Star they arrested a 30-year-old Anniston man in ...

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    Suspect pleads not guilty in death of Anniston police officer

    Joshua Eugene Russell, charged with capital murder in the death of Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub, pleaded not guilty in a written court filing Wednesday.

    Russell, 25, was arrested in August 2011 after a day-long manhunt that followed the shooting of Sollohub, 27. If convicted, Russell could be sentenced to life in prison or to death by lethal injection.

    Court documents show Russell entering three pleas: not guilty, not guilty by reason of mental defect and a third plea that combines the previous two.

    Russell’s attorney, John C. Robbins, also filed a motion seeking a mental evaluation of Russell, as well as a number of motions challenging the constitutionality of Alabama’s system of assigning death penalty verdicts. None of those motions is uncommon in capital cases, sources in the court system say.

    Russell’s pretrial motions are scheduled for a hearing March 16 before Circuit Judge Brian Howell. It is not yet clear when the case itself will go to trial.

    Assistant district attorney Lynn Hammond declined comment on the case because it is still pending.

    Attempts to reach Robbins, Russell’s lawyer, were not successful Wednesday.

    http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/172...police-officer

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    Jury selection set for September in slain APD officer case

    Jury selection for the capital murder trial of Joshua Russell, the man accused of killing Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub in 2011, will begin Sept. 9, a judge said during a hearing this afternoon.

    Russell, 26, who was present during today’s hearing, is being held in the Etowah County Jail on a capital murder charge. Prosecutors say he shot 27-year-old Justin Sollohub in the head during a foot chase in August 2011. Sollohub died a short time later in a Birmingham hospital.

    Calhoun County Circuit Judge Brian Howell granted a motion earlier this year to move the trial to Lee County based on previous media coverage of the case and the difficulty of finding an unbiased jury.

    Howell said today that questionnaires for potential jurors would be mailed soon by the Lee County Courthouse. Jurors will answer questions about their media preferences, background knowledge of the case and thoughts on the death penalty.

    Prosecutors and defense attorneys will meet with the potential jurors on Sept. 9 to choose who will decide Russell’s fate. Russell could face the death penalty if found guilty.

    During today’s hearing, Howell granted a motion from Russell’s court-appointed attorney, John Robbins, to suppress an audio tape of police radio traffic after Sollohub was shot.

    The judge listened to the audio recording, which included an “officer down” call, the location of the shooting and a description of Russell, who at the time had fled from police.

    Lynn Hammond, Calhoun County assistant district attorney, said she wanted the recording played for the jury to establish Russell’s description and what Sollohub was doing at the time. After the shooting, police searched for hours before they discovered Russell, Hammond said.

    “He didn’t walk himself down to the police station and say I’m the one who shot the police officer,” she said.

    Hammond said she wanted to make the jury aware they were looking for the right suspect.

    Howell said he felt Russell’s identity could be pinpointed during the trial through witness testimony.

    “I think everything else can be supported by testimony rather than playing the radio traffic,” the judge said.

    Howell also ordered that parts of Russell’s videotaped statement to police be cut out before it’s shown to jurors.

    Prosecutors wanted jurors to watch footage of Russell pulling out a bag containing a green, leafy substance and swallowing it while he sits alone in an interview room at the Anniston Police Department, Hammond said.

    Robbins argued that Russell was never charged for possessing the alleged marijuana and that police never tested the substance. The defense attorney said playing that part of the tape for the jury would only “dirty up” his client.

    The judge agreed with Robbins and said that a jury or appellate court could look at that and say “he has marijuana and that’s against the law so he must be a criminal and guilty of what he’s accused of.”

    Howell said no further hearings should be necessary before the trial begins next month.

    http://annistonstar.com/view/full_st...enter_featured
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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    Jurors to be selected Monday for capital murder trial

    Attorneys are reviewing questionnaires turned in by potential jurors from Lee County in preparation for next week’s capital murder trial of Joshua Russell, the man charged with killing Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub in 2011.

    Jury selection is slated to start Monday morning at the Lee County Courthouse, according to Calhoun County Circuit Judge Brian Howell.

    Prosecutors say Russell, 26, shot Sollohub in the head during a foot chase in August 2011. Sollohub, 27, died a short time later in a Birmingham hospital.

    Officers moved Russell from the Etowah County Jail to a facility in Lee County this morning, Howell said.

    In February, Howell granted a motion to change the trial’s venue to Lee County because attorneys did not think they could find unbiased jurors without previous knowledge of the case.

    Howell said the Lee County Courthouse sent out questionnaires to more than 100 potential jurors, and attorneys were reviewing them this weekend.

    “I have every intent to get a jury on Monday, even if it takes until midnight,” Howell said.

    The judge said he expects opening arguments to begin Tuesday morning and for the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office to present witnesses.

    Howell said prosecutors subpoenaed around 100 witnesses, but plan for around 50 to testify.

    Potential jurors answered questions about their news preferences, which organizations they’re involved in, whether they have addiction issues and how they feel about the death penalty. Howell said there must be 36 potential jurors for attorneys to “strike from,” meaning attorneys will cross off jurors’ names until those that are left make up the jury. The judge said 14 jurors are needed to try a capital murder case; two of those jurors are considered alternates and won’t decide Russell’s fate.

    Jury selection is scheduled to start Monday at 10 a.m.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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    Jurors chosen for trial of Joshua Russell; arguments begin today

    After seven hours of questioning, 14 jurors were selected Monday evening to decide Joshua Russell’s fate during the capital murder trial in which he’s accused of killing Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub in 2011.

    Prosecutors say Russell, 26, shot 27-year-old Sollohub in the head during a foot chase on Aug. 24, 2011. Sollohub succumbed to his injuries 24 hours later in a Birmingham hospital.

    Jury selection began Monday morning at the T.K. Davis Jr. Justice Center in Lee County. In February, Calhoun County Circuit Judge Brian Howell granted a motion to move the trial to Lee County in order to find an unbiased jury with limited knowledge of the case.

    Russell, who was previously held in the Etowah County Jail, was moved to a facility in Lee County on Friday. The defendant was present during the selection process.

    At 10 o’clock, 111 potential jurors came to the courtroom and by midmorning their number was whittled down to 88. Several potential jurors were released on work or childcare-related excuses.

    Calhoun County District Attorney Brian McVeigh asked the potential jurors, who were split up into four panels throughout the day, whether they were opposed to the death penalty. McVeigh also gave jurors the opportunity to tell the court whether they felt they were incapable of judging someone for religious or philosophical reasons.

    “I want a jury to care. This is the most important case going on anywhere in this state. I need you to reach down in your souls and say if there’s anything that’s going to distract you from 100 percent of your attention,” McVeigh said to one panel.

    Russell’s attorney, John Robbins, asked potential jurors if they served as police officers or have family and friends who worked in law enforcement. He also asked those on the panels if they owned firearms, regularly shot target practice and believed someone could be accidentally shot.

    “The allegations are that Joshua Russell intentionally killed him. Can you put aside your personal feelings? How you feel about police officers. Can you be fair to Joshua Russell?” Robbins asked.

    One potential juror questioned Howell on why the trial had been moved to Lee County. Howell said it was because he’d made the decision to move the trial. The man persisted and asked if it was because Russell could not get a fair trial in Calhoun County. Shortly after, the man said he did not feel comfortable with Howell based on his interaction with the judge.

    “What I feel about the case is immaterial because it’s the jury that decides what the true facts are. My only role is to make sure the case is tried properly. Outside of that, I have no interest in the case,” Howell told the man.

    The potential juror then asked if Howell would determine Russell’s sentence, to which the judge replied “if the defendant is found guilty, yes sir.”

    Later, Howell and the attorneys discussed whether the man’s questioning had tainted the entire jury panel. McVeigh asked if the rest of the potential jurors on that panel should be individually questioned after the man’s outburst.

    “I really don’t think it rose to the level of tainting the whole panel,” Howell said. “The jury knows why we’re here. They know why we’re in Lee County. I think to draw more attention does more harm than good.”

    Robbins agreed with the judge.

    McVeigh described the entire situation was “an oddity.”

    “I’ve only seen one other time where a juror became outwardly confrontational with the court,” he said.

    Three potential jurors were excused after they said they could not, under any circumstances, recommend the death penalty as a punishment. Russell, if found guilty, faces death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    Another potential juror was excused because she had prior knowledge of the case. The woman told the court she had watched news reports and read online details about the case. The woman said she’d also participated in a discussion on capital murder Monday afternoon with other potential jurors.

    By 5:45 p.m., attorneys had 81 potential jurors to choose from, known as striking.

    “Eighty-one is probably the largest panel I’ve ever struck from in my legal career,” Howell said.

    The striking process took a little more than an hour and the attorneys agreed on a jury comprising five men and nine women. Howell instructed the jurors to avoid reading articles about the case in the newspaper, researching or discussing the case.

    Opening arguments are expected to begin this morning in Lee County at 9.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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    Anniston man found guilty of capital murder in police officer's death

    After 3 hours of deliberation Monday afternoon, a Lee County jury found Joshua Russell, 26, of Anniston guilty of capital murder in the 2011 killing of Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub.

    During the trial, which began Sept. 9, jurors had the option of finding Russell guilty of capital murder, guilty of manslaughter or not guilty. On Tuesday, the jury will decide whether to recommend Russell a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

    (Source: The Opelika-Auburn News)
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  8. #8
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    Thank you Heidi. This crime occurred in the same small Alabama town, Anniston, where recently Nicholas Smith was found guilty of kidnapping and capital murder of a school teacher. I appreciate your attention to both these cases.

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    Jury recommends life without parole for Joshua Russell

    A jury in Lee County has voted 8-4 to give Joshua Russell, the man convicted of killing an Anniston police officer, a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

    On Monday, the jury found Russell guilty of murdering Anniston police officer Justin Sollohub in August 2011. Sollohub was shot in the head after chasing Russell on foot.

    The prosecution asked for the death penalty in the case, but Russell's attorney John Robbins asked for life without parole.

    "We will continue to seek the death penalty from the court," Calhoun County District Attorney Brian McVeigh said after hearing the jury's decision.

    Calhoun County Circuit Judge Brian Howell will have the final say in Russell's sentencing.

    The Anniston Police Department said on their Facebook page that the judge will make his final decision in a few weeks.

    Anniston Police Chief Shane Denham was one of several Anniston officers who attended the trial in Lee County as a show of support.

    "I'm a little disappointed with the recommendation for life without parole," Denham said.

    "However, it is a recommendation, and it goes to the judge's hands…I think he'll (Judge Brian Howell) make a fair and just decision, but whatever he decides, we'll live with it, whichever way it goes."

    Chief Denham said when he first heard the recommendation for life without parole, he felt queasy in his stomach.

    "My heart goes out to the family. I can't imagine what Jenniffer and Byron are feeling right now. And I just hope they take some comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, Joshua Russell is going to spend the rest of his days in prison," Denham said.

    The case was moved to Opelika in Lee County due to pretrial publicity and in an effort to find a jury that had not heard much about the murder.

    http://www.wsfa.com/story/23468883/j...joshua-russell
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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    Man sentenced in slaying of Ala. police officer

    A judge has sentenced the man convicted of fatally shooting an Anniston police officer to death.

    Joshua Eugene Russell was sentenced Monday in Calhoun County Circuit Court. The trial was moved from the Anniston area so it could be heard by a jury with no prior knowledge of the case.

    Investigators have said 26-year-old Russell shot 27-year-old Joshua Sollohub during a foot chase in 2011.

    In mid-September, eight of 12 jurors recommended that Russell receive a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The rest voted for him to get the death penalty.

    Alabama law allows judges to override a jury's recommendation.

    http://www.alabamas13.com/story/2423...police-officer
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

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