Man acquitted of murder after jury didn't believe witnesses

RANCHO CUCAMONGA (AP) -- Jurors didn't believe key witnesses and acquitted a man of murder in the death of an Upland church deacon.

Scott Frederic hαɾɾιson, 36, was charged with the 1992 murder of Phillip Perry, a 44-year-old deacon at St. Joseph's Catholic Church who was found shot to death in April 1992 in the back seat of his car in Tijuana, Mexico.

Jurors deliberated for a week before announcing the not guilty verdict on Monday. They said afterward that there was not enough evidence to convict even though they suspected hαɾɾιson played some role in the plot to kidnap, murder and dispose of Perry.

"There wasn't enough proof he actually pulled the trigger," juror Warren Giles said.

Two key prosecution witnesses -- Karl DiTommaso and Elizabeth Minor -- testified that hαɾɾιson was the shooter. DiTommaso said he sent hαɾɾιson and Minor to confront Perry because the deacon was having an affair with his wife.

DiTommaso and Minor were convicted in Perry's death in 2002.

"The witnesses weren't believable," Giles said.

I watched this on Cold Case Files this morning.

I guess it is just too much to ask a deacon not to cheat on his wife with a married member of his flock is it ?

You cannot trust anyone anymore can you ?

I do not think it is right to murder anyone, but I do believe that this is probably one of the reasons why God made one of his commandments.

... but, who am I to judge ?  

I really cannot stand people who cheat on their spouses, they are on the same level as child molesters.

I watched this on Cold Case Files this morning.

I guess it is just too much to ask a deacon not to cheat on his wife with a married member of his flock is it ?

You cannot trust anyone anymore can you ?

I do not think it is right to murder anyone, but I do believe that this is probably one of the reasons why God made one of his commandments.

... but, who am I to judge ?  

I really cannot stand people who cheat on their spouses, they are on the same level as child molesters.

Quote from: crossbro

I watched this on Cold Case Files this morning.

I guess it is just too much to ask a deacon not to cheat on his wife with a married member of his flock is it ?

You cannot trust anyone anymore can you ?

I do not think it is right to murder anyone, but I do believe that this is probably one of the reasons why God made one of his commandments.

... but, who am I to judge ?  

I really cannot stand people who cheat on their spouses, they are on the same level as child molesters.

Violating an innocent child is not the same as a married person having an affair.

Quote from: TKGS

Quote from: poche

I don't think it is fair to judge everybody just on the bad behaviour of one or two people.

Who's judging everybody?  It sounds as if crossbro is commenting on this fellow.

Quote from: poche

There are many deacons who make huge sacrifices to be of service to the Church. They don't get paid. They are faithful to their wives and families.    

Where did you hear this?  Some of them do not get paid, the ones who only work on Sundays and have other jobs, perhaps.  But there is a little cottage industry in some places and, while they are not paid a great deal, many of them are employed by the Conciliar church and are most definitely paid.

Poche is right here, most are unpaid.