Two Charged in Slaughter of Va. Families (Harvey family update)

[brentspeak]

I know that some were following the murder of rocker Bryan Harvey's family that took place last week in Richmond, VA. Here's an update:

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Two men were captured Saturday and charged in the brutal killings over the past week of seven people from two Richmond families, slayings that police hadn't publicly tied together until now.

Police Chief Rodney Monroe said Ray Joseph Dandridge and Ricky Gavon Gray, both 28, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and auto theft.

He said the charges stem from the slaying Friday of Percyell Tucker, 55, Mary Baskerville, 47, and her daughter, Ashley Baskerville, 21; and from the New Year's Day killings of Bryan Harvey, 49, his wife, Kathryn, 39, and their two young daughters, Stella, 9, and Ruby, 4...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060107/ap_on_re_us/richmond_slayings

[roguevalley]

1. this is horrendous. i hope that family gets justice.

[atomic-fly]

2. Fucking animals....

I'm glad they have been caught if this is true. I still cannot believe they would kill children/adults in such barbaric way.

[Skittles]

3. amimals don't do stuff like this

people do

[flamingyouth]

4. What an awful story.

I hadn't heard about this before today. :(

[SquireJons]

5. A huge sigh of relief

I live two blocks from the Harveys home and I knew all four of them. My son went to daycare with Stella and I saw Kathryn just two weeks ago at her store. This week has been devastating for the many people who knew the family, and for our neighborhood and city in general. Not only was this family killed on New Years Day, but another man and his 17 y/o daughter were also murdered that day. The final tragedy occurred yesterday when yet another family was discovered murdered much the same way the Harveys were. The only silver lining is that this case lead to the apprehension of the men responsible.

All I can say is that we feel a tremendous sense of relief that the killers have apparently been caught. But we also feel an enormous sense of loss. For me personally, it is a loss of innocence, to some extent. My blind trust in other people, my sense of safety and self reliance and my optimism that things will work themselves out. Sometimes they just don't.

While I have always been an opponent of capitol punishment, I'll make an exception in this case. Lethal injection is too good for these dogs. I'd be happy to use a baseball bat and a knife, though I'm sure it would take me hours to complete the job.

[madeline_con]

6. I have to agree...

this is the sort of thing that makes supporting an abolishment of the DP really difficult.

[SquireJons]

9. Yes, difficult

That's why I have always said that those with a connection to victims of violent crime should not be allowed to dictate the punishment. The emotions cloud your ability to reason. While I stand by my life long conviction that capitol punishment is state sanctioned murder, I would gladly torture these beasts as long as I could keep them alive - and then I'd kill them with my bare hands. I guess I haven't quite achieved true enlightenment yet.

[Beam Me Up]

7. I can't imagine how terrifying and upsetting this must have been for you

and your family. This is just awful. Would you please keep us updated or point to links where we can read more about this case as it unfolds. I'd be curious to see how this is being reported locally and what is being said as to motivation and such.

Thanks, and peace.

[SquireJons]

10. Sure, as much as I can

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the local news paper. While it's usually not worth lining your birdcage with, the coverage of this case has been good. Here's a link to the latest article.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769183075

I'd have to say that the news coverage has been interesting because of the racial aspect. Richmond is a city with a big racial problem and the Harveys were white, while the other victims were black. The Times-Dispatch caters to the conservative/redneck segment of our city so they have not been even handed in their coverage. Though they have treated the other victims with dignity, the coverage has been roughly 90% about the white family. That certainly is not the fault of the victims or any of their many friends, but it has been a bit unsettling. I'm sure the black community has noticed the difference.

[SquireJons]

11. Here's another good article

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769180105&path=%21news%21crime&s=1031783565272

[Beam Me Up]

15. Ugh.

I'm teary eyed now and I don't have any idea why. (Not the kind of person who cries easily.)

I think the world would be a better place, though, if we all cried more often.

Thanks.

[flamingyouth]

13. I agree that there is a racial component to the coverage.

But I think part of it might be the ages of the Harvey children. I mean, what kind of sick fucks torture and kill four- and nine-year old kids?

Anyway, the whole thing is just chilling and sickening. Having known of Bryan Harvey through his music I feel a connection to all of this and it just saddens me beyond belief. :cry:

[Beam Me Up]

14. Thanks for the link. Read the story.

I appreciate that you put this in some local context, too. I don't know why this is touching me so but I'm feeling very upset about it--and I live in California! Like one of the people said in the article, I just don't understand why people have to be so vicious to one another. And the children! With everything else going on in the world right now this is just heart breaking.

Thanks again for the link!

[flamingyouth]

12. I can't imagine how you feel.

I'm horrified and live across the country from the crimes.

This is the work of monsters. It's sick and unreal. My heart goes out to all friends of the victims.

[progressivebydesign]

8. I hope both families get justice.

What a horrible tragedy to lose both of those families.

[brentspeak]

16. Apparently, one of the 2nd family victims may been a perpetrator

According to the witness statements, Baskerville sat in the van that morning keeping an eye on the neighborhood while, police said, Dandridge and Gray entered the Harvey home at 812 W. 31st St. with the intention of robbing the occupants.

Hours later, just before 2 p.m., the Harveys -- Bryan, 49, Kathryn, 39, Stella, 9, and Ruby 4 -- were found slain in the basement of the house. Police said they were bound with tape, severely beaten and had their throats cut.

Just two days later, Baskerville also accompanied Dandridge and Gray to a home invasion in Chesterfield County, witnesses told police.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769193746&path=!news&s=1045855934842

[superconnected]

17. This is why I'm pro the death penalty.

I'm too passionate to read things like this and not feel like they deserve to die.
It's amazing to me, how some people don't feel that way.

[LostinVA]

18. See, it's amazing to me you feel the way you do

I don't believe the state has any right to take a life. To me, this isn't vengeance or justice, it's government-mandated murder. I do 100% believe in life without parole for murders, rapists, and pedophiles. I think this is a much worse punishment for them, too. Emotionally, yes, I thin k they should be taken into a field and shot, but what gives the State of Virginia or the US Government that right???

I can understand being so angry at someone for killing your family that you kill them (the Holocaust Avengers, for example), but that is not what this is.

Trust me, we are NOT ambivalent, and it irritates me you label anti-DPers that way, because that is a 180 from how we believe. We aren't am,bivalent at all.

[superconnected]

19. It is vengence.

It's totally vengence. When someone does something that henious, I think the natural response is, "get em".

Too bad the American people don't consider robbing them for billions henious.