Ding Dong The Bastards Dead, John Couey Finally Dies In Florida

Convicted child killer Couey dies in prison, Florida officials say

(CNN) -- A Florida death-row inmate convicted of abducting and murdering 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in 2005 has died, prison officials said Wednesday.

John Evander Couey, 51, died at 11:15 a.m. ET of natural causes, a Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman told CNN. He had been taken to a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital from Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida.

Because of privacy laws, no further information could be released by the Department of Corrections.

A source close to the case told CNN that Couey's death was not unexpected and he had been ill for some time.

Couey was sentenced to die in August 2007 for abducting and raping Lunsford, then killing her by burying her alive. The girl was snatched from her bed in her family's Homosassa, Florida, home the evening of February 23, 2005, by Couey, a registered sex offender. Her body was found three weeks later, buried at the home of Couey's half-sister, who lived within sight of the Lunsford home. The girl's body was wrapped in plastic garbage bags, and her hands were bound with speaker wire. She was clutching a stuffed dolphin -- a toy won for her at a state fair by her father, and which Couey allowed her to bring with her when she was abducted.

Authorities believe Lunsford was kept for several days before she was killed. Her blood was found on a mattress in the home where Couey was living, her fingerprints also were discovered at the location. During the search for the girl, as authorities and hundreds of volunteers combed Citrus County, north of Tampa, police twice visited that home. "Couey's timeline after he kidnapped Jessica Lunsford leaves open the possibility that she was alive, and in the house, at the time of the first and possibly the second interview," according to a prosecution memo in the case. In sentencing Couey, Judge Ric Howard noted Couey became fearful of police dogs being used in the area in the search for the girl.

He told Lunsford he was planning to take her home, but did not want her to be seen, and so persuaded her to get into a trash bag. He then knotted another trash bag over her head, placed her in a hole and shoveled dirt on top of her. Jurors convicted Couey of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery on a child under 12 in March 2007.

Howard, at Couey's sentencing, brought many in the courtroom to tears as he discussed how the girl died slowly as her oxygen ran out. A medical examiner testified she could have been alive as much as five minutes, or even longer, before she lost consciousness, Howard said. "He caused a slow, suffering, conscious death," Howard said of Couey. "Her only source of comfort during this horrific experience was her purple dolphin." Another horrific detail the judge noted: The girl was able to poke several fingers through the innermost trash bag covering her before she died.

The judge also noted that Couey made "crude, vulgar and repulsive" comments to police after his arrest regarding his sexual assault of the girl, and the judge quoted Couey as saying the media was blowing the case out of proportion -- "This kind of thing happens every day."

Lunsford's slaying sparked national outrage and led to stricter Florida laws regarding registration and supervision of released sexual predators, following a push led largely by her father, Mark Lunsford.

Although Lunsford's death was one of several that contributed to the passage of a federal child-protection law dealing with sex offender registration and other matters related to child sex offenses, Mark Lunsford said at the time of Couey's sentencing the law does not go far enough.

In a jailhouse phone call before his sentencing, Couey told a woman described as his aunt he expected the death penalty. "I kick myself in the butt a hundred times a day," he said.

"Stupidity ... Just trying to figure out, I'm just asking myself, 'Why was you so stupid?' " "Well, none of us are perfect," the woman said, "and the drugs didn't help any." "No, that was a big problem," Couey said. "Drugs, alcohol." Speaking after Couey's sentencing, Mark Lunsford referenced Couey's earlier comments in which he said that when he got to heaven, he would apologize to his victim.

"I have bad news," Mark Lunsford said. "I don't think you're going to make it there." He called on Couey to drop his appeals.

"You want to do something for her, give your life for the one you took."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/30/florida.couey.dead/index.html

Well isn't that Special.

Just when I think nothing can shock me someone makes a liar out of me. Why the rant you ask..OK so ya didn't ask but your gonna get it anyway. Since I refuse to help this individual scum sucking bottom feeder out I won't use his/her name or site, just rant in general. OK none of us are naive, we know that there are pigs out there who live to make a buck from the suffering of others. From writing so called tell all books to selling what is termed as Murderabillia. What makes it worse is that there is actually a market for this garbage. What kind of society do we live in that takes pride in saying I own the tissue Charles Manson sneezed in or the makeup Gacy wore as a clown? The newest filthy animal to be idolized is none other than John Couey.

The no good bastard who slipped into a sleeping household, stole a 9 year old from her warm bed. Then held her yards from her own home then raped, tortured and buried her alive. All while watching the police, volunteers and her father frantically look for her. Yes stood there watching and decided he better get rid of her and leave town before they see him and arrest him for failure to register as a sex offender. Not for killing Jessica but for his own selfish reason. That sucker knew what he was doing the whole time. Then he tried to claim mental defect when he was caught and tried for Jessie's murder. Sitting at the defence table trying to look as innocent as a baby while coloring. Luckily the jury didn't fall for it so now he sits on death row in Florida right where he belongs.

Then the murderabilla slime crawls out from under it's rock ready to pounce. What is being sold i won't say either. Who gives a crap. No matter what it is it has Jessie's blood all over it, metaphorically speaking. When these ameba's sell anything from a killer it is like murdering that victim all over again. It opens wounds that will never really heal.

As civilized people we have to know when to not just say enough but YELL IT!! Profiting from the total destruction of a family and a child's innocence is just wrong. Like a drug dealer the money he/she makes has someones blood on it. Buying this murderabillia is the same thing. Plain and simple blood money. If the courts can stop convicted killers from profiting from their crimes why not these scum buckets?

Write your Senators or Congress person and say stop letting these animals profit from an innocent victims tragic death. The longer they are allowed to do this the more the families have to relive their loved ones murder over and over again. When will this stop. Their death was hard enough when it happened why rip them apart on a daily basis. There has to be something that our overpaid Government can do besides take long expensive vacations on their states dime. Use my dime to do something. Because all Government can be replaced.

So please think hard about what I have said and find it in your heart to write. Not just for Jessica Lunsford's family but the families of all murder victims. Someday it may be your family, let's not wait for it to mean something to you personally,do it now.

Visit our site to find your local Representative. Thanks for listening.

Here we go again....

Lunsford murder jury selection begins

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted February 13 2007

MIAMI · Jury selection began Monday after a judge denied another effort by defense lawyers to delay the trial of a convicted sex offender accused of the 2005 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who died after she was buried alive while searchers looked for her.

"The fact of the matter is, this case is going forward," said Circuit Judge Richard Howard, who denied a request for a delay by attorneys for defendant John Evander Couey.

A few minutes later, Howard, prosecutors and defense attorneys began questioning prospective jurors about their knowledge of the heavily publicized case. Publicity forced the trial to be moved from Citrus County, where the crime occurred, to Miami.

Jury selection is expected to consume much of the week and the final panel of 12 jurors and six alternates will be sequestered in an effort to limit anything they might hear or read about the case. News organizations are barred from showing the faces of jurors or reporting their names.

Couey, 48, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual battery on a child younger than 12 and burglary. He faces death if convicted, with the trial expected to take up to four weeks.

Couey attorney Dan Lewan has made several efforts to delay the trial and said again Monday that the defense team has not had adequate time to go through evidence released by prosecutors a month ago. Much of that evidence focuses on testimony by jail guards about incriminating statements Couey allegedly made.

Howard, who is a Citrus County judge, scheduled a hearing today on a defense motion to suppress the guards' testimony, with several of the potential trial witnesses expected to testify. Howard said there would be no jury selection today because the hearing could take several hours.

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