Archives: January2013

Bonds of more than $1 million set for couple booked in murder of Chalmette man; Arrested woman admits she was in victim’s apartment and says the male suspect came in and struck him

Bonds of more than $1 million have been set for a couple booked in the murder of a 68-year-old Chalmette man found stabbed in his apartment on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Booked Sunday evening with first-degree murder were Shari Head, 43, a known friend of the victim, and Chris Geeting, 39, who Head allegedly had been staying with at a Chalmette trailer park where they were both found packing up a truck to leave on Sunday, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

They are accused of killing Joseph Spurlock, a security guard, who lived in an apartment in the 3300 block of LaPlace Drive.

Geeting, who has served prison time for drug and theft convictions, has a bond of $1.5 million. Head, who has a criminal history including prostitution arrests, theft and had a warrant out for her arrest in New Orleans on an armed robbery charge, has a bond set at $1.25 million.

St. Bernard authorities have also released more details about the murder investigation.

Head had an on and off relationship with the victim, Joseph Spurlock, knowing him at least more than a year because in 2011 he filed a police report alleging Head had taken his vehicle without permission. She retunred the vehicle, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Head, under questioning by sheriff’s detectives, has admitted she was in Spurlock’s apartment with him early Friday morning, Jan. 4, and alleged Geeting came in and struck Spurlock to the head, according to Col. John Doran, who commands all enforcement personnel for the Sheriff’s Office.

Head also admitted to detectives that when Spurlock was struck by Geeting she ran from the apartment with the keys to the victim’s SUV, which she drove off in, and further said she returned to the apartment at a later time to see what happened and found Spurlock dead. She also admitted taking items at that time including the victim’s credit cards and jewelry, Doran said in an interview with a local television station.

Geeting has denied any involvement, saying he was never in the victim’s apartment.

Investigators believe Spurlock was killed in those early hours of Friday morning.

“We believe Geeting was waiting (outside the victim’s apartment), and that he and Head arrived there together,’’ Doran said. Head was with Spurlock in the bedroom “and Geeting came in and pounced on him,” Doran said.

He said witnesses reported seeing Spurlock’s SUV parked at his residence during the day Saturday, Jan. 5, which fits her story of going back there.

There were also numerous purchases made with the victim’s credit card and detectives believe Head and Geeting were buying items and trading them for drugs in New Orleans, Doran said.

After it was learned on Sunday that Head was a friend of Spurlock, and that she and Geeting had been arrested for shoplifting in St. Tammany Parish recently and listed their address as a Chalmette trailer park on Laura Drive, detectives headed there to find and question them.

Sheriff Pohlmann was being informed of the investigation details after Spurlock’s body was found about noon Sunday and the sheriff and Lt. Robert Broadhead were the first Sheriff’s Office representatives to arrive at the trailer park. They saw Head and Geeting packing up a pickup truck outside a trailer and stopped them for questioning as they were about to leave.

The two suspects had the victim’s credit card and debit card when they were stopped at the trailer park, the sheriff said.

“Fast work in checking out leads led to a quick arrest in this murder case,” Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The sheriff said a woman who worked with Spurlock was instrumental in helping make a quick arrest because she reported to the Sheriff’s Office Sunday that his apartment needed to be checked because he hadn’t been to work since he got off early Friday, saying it wasn’t like him to be absent without a reason.

198th Anniversary of Battle of New Orleans remembered with wreath presentation at Chalmette Monument on the battlefield

James Coleman Jr., honorary consul of Great Britain from the British Consulate in New Orleans, speaks at the ceremony for the 198th Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.

Tim Strain of Chalmette, escorting James Coleman Jr. of the British Consulate in New Orleans and Jane Caruso of the Daughters of the British Empire in Louisiana, lays a wreath at the steps of the Chalmette Monument at the end of the ceremony.

Chalmette resident Tim Strain, a volunteer re-enactor who is dressed in uniform as a figure in the Battle of New Orleans, salutes as the National Anthem is is played by a Marine Corps band at the opening of the ceremony Tuesday at Chalmette National Park remembering the 198th Anniversary of the battle where American forces defeated invading British.

The 198th Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, where American forces defeated the British at Chalmette, was commemorated Jan. 8 with a wreath presentation at Chalmette Monument on the battlefield.

The theme was the celebration of the peace and friendship that has existed between America and England since the Jan. 8, 1815 battle.

Ceremonies, presented by the United States Daughters of 1812 – with the Battle of New Orleans being the last battle of the War of 1812 – included appearances by members of its Chalmette chapter as well as its national and state groups.

Also attending was special guest James Coleman Jr., honorary consul of Great Britain from the British Consulate in New Orleans, Jane Caruso of New Orleans, from the Daughters of the British Empire in Louisiana for women of British ancestry, and Dana Masters a Tribal Councilwoman from the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians.

“This is a day of celebration for both America and Great Britain,’’ Coleman said at the ceremony. “I’m glad to see how beautiful the battlefield and new Visitor’s Center is.’’

Also speaking was Lance Hatten, acting superintendent of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, of which Chalmette Battlefield is a part of.

Chalmette resident Tim Strain, a volunteer re-enactor at the battlefield, took part in the ceremonies in uniform as Maj. Jean Baptiste Planche, a cotton broker who took part in the battle. Strain also escorted officials including Coleman and Caruso in laying wreaths at the steps of the Chalmette Monument.

Jerry Graves Jr., chief administrative officer for St. Bernard Parish government, represented the parish at the event and Chief Deputy Richard Baumy and Col. John Doran represented the Sheriff’s Office.

Chalmette man found stabbed to death in his apartment on Sunday; A woman he knew and a man were arrested within hours of the discovery; They had victim’s credit card and his SUV was found in N.O.

Chris Geeting, booked with first-degree murder in stabbing death of Joseph Spurlock of Chalmette.

Shari Head, booke with first-degree murder in St. Bernard Parish.

Chalmette murder victim Joseph Spurlock , 68

A 68-year-old Chalmette man was found stabbed to death in his apartment on Sunday, Jan. 6, and a woman he knew and a man were arrested within hours of the discovery, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The two suspects had the victim’s credit card when they were stopped at a Chalmette trailer park where they had been staying, Also, the victim’s missing SUV was found by New Orleans police.

“Fast work in checking out leads led to a quick arrest in this murder case,” Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Joseph Spurlock, 3313 LaPlace Drive, who was employed as a security guard by Bayou State Security in New Orleans, died of several stab wounds to the upper part of his body, Sheriff Pohlmann said. He was found when someone from his work place went looking for him Sunday when he hadn’t come to work since getting off early Friday, Jan. 4.

The victim was likely killed sometime early Friday morning after neighbors heard a woman’s voice in the apartment, the sheriff said.

Booked Sunday evening with first-degree murder were Shari Head, 43, a known friend of the victim, said Sheriff Pohlmann. She lists a New Orleans address that was an abandoned residence and is believed to have been staying with a man at 1929 Laura Drive in Chalmette, a trailer in a trailer park between East St. Bernard Highway and the Mississipi River.

Also booked with first-degree murder is Chris Geeting, 39, who Head allegedly had been staying with Head at the trailer park.

Head has a criminal history including arrests for shoplifting, prostitution, theft and currently was sought on a warrant alleging armed robbery by New Orleans police, St. Bernard authorities said.

Because she knew the victim and because of her criminal history, Head was being sought for questioning in the murder when sheriff’s detectives found her and Geeting outside 1929 Laura Street, preparing to leave in a pickup truck that had numerous items packed in the back.

Head, who recently served time in a St. Tammany Parish jail for shoplifting, had listed the Laura Drive address as her residence when she was arrested in that parish, which led St. Bernard authorities to the trailer park, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Geeting, who also was booked with shoplifting with Head in St. Tammany Parish, has a criminal history that includes serving prison time for drug and theft convictions, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Both Head and Geeting were booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Three men arrested in seperate burglaries and attempts, including one booked with two vehicle break-ins; Sheriff reminds residents to lock car doors

Patrick Vaughn, booked with two auto burglaries.

Three men were arrested in separate burglaries and attempts recently, including one suspect booked with two vehicle break-ins, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The sheriff also reminds residents to lock their vehicle doors because most burglaries continue to involve cars and trucks that have been left unlocked, making them targets for thieves who pull on handles, looking for ones left open. At least one of the burglaries in which arrests were made involved unlocked doors.

Patrick Vaughn, 31, 2209 E. Christie Drive in the Poydras area – who has prior arrests for burglary and possession of stolen property – was booked with two counts of burglary of vehicles and possession of property stolen, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Vaughn was initially booked Dec. 26 on one burglary count and booked with the other the next morning when he was being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Both vehicles were burglarized in the parking lot of a Chalmette bar and a video surveillance camera showed Vaughn committing the crimes, the sheriff said.

Numerous stolen items were recovered.

Vaughn remained jailed, in lieu of $40,000 bond set in the case.Patrick

Separately, Ashton Domingo, 20, 2804 Oak Drive, Violet, was booked Dec. 20 with attempted burglary of a vehicle after its owner saw him pulling on a door handle just after midnight, trying to get inside. The owner began chasing Domingo, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Domingo, seen running into a residence at 2804 Oak, initially denied having been outside when deputies confronted him at his residence. But he was arrested after he was identified by the vehicle owner. Domingo later admitted he had tried to open the vehicle, the sheriff said.

Domingo was also booked with possession of a marijuana cigarette and two prescription pills that were recovered. He was jailed but there was no bond information available.

Also, on Nov. 22 a third man in a third burglary case was arrested after he tried to break into a Chalmette residence and stole tools and many other items outside the home, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Patrick Williams, 42, 601 West St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette, was arrested the day of the incident after he was found and recognized based on both he and his getaway vehicle being seen on a video surveillance camera outside the residence he tried to break into, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Much of the stolen property was recovered. Also recovered at the scene of the thefts was a pair of shoes the perpetrator exchanged for a pair he stole and the name Patrick was written on the soles in blue marker.

That same day, Sheriff’s Dep. Lt. Robert Broadhead noticed a vehicle matching the one on the surveillance camera was parked next to 601 West St. Bernard Highway and investigated, the sheriff said.

When the officer found its alleged owner it was Patrick Williams, who matched the man on the surveillance footage. It was later found he wasn’t the registered owner.

Williams denied involvement in the attempted burglary and thefts, the sheriff said, but items matching those stolen were recovered in his apartment and vehicle trunk and the victim identified them as items taken. Williams also admitted it was his shoes found at the crime scene.

Williams was booked with attempted residential burglary, theft and criminal damage at the victim’s home.

He remained in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $40,000.