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News
Colorado’s Death Row
Sir Mario Owens was convicted
and received a jury's death determination in
2008 for the murder of a young couple, Javad
Marshall-Fields and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe.
Javad Marshall-Fields was to be a prosecution
witness in another murder trial involving Owens. Robert
Ray also received the death penalty for
his involvement in the killing of the couple.
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Mario Owens Death Penalty Trial Starts
The day before prosecution witness Javad
Marshall-Fields and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe,
were killed, an emissary from his alleged killers
told him not to testify in an upcoming trial
or he'd die, prosecutors alleged today during
opening statements in the death penalty trial
of Sir Mario Owens. ... But Laurie Kepros,
one of several lawyers defending Owens, said
that Owens is innocent. She said that there
were no witnesses to the homicides of Marshall-Fields
and Wolfe; the weapons that fired the deadly
bullets have never been recovered and none
of the automobiles associated with Owens and
Ray have been found. Further, she said the
10 critical prosecution witnesses can't be
believed, most of them having criminal records.
In addition, some wanted to protect Ray and
had it in for Owens. Kepros said the prosecution
case was one of "evidence ignored, evidence
overstretched and evidence for sale." (4/8/08,
The Denver Post)
- Owens
Trial Death Penalty Phase Begins
Jurors must now decide whether Sir Mario
Owens deserves to be put to death for killing
a witness and his fiancee after the panel found
him guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday.
... Jurors will convene Monday and hear arguments
by the prosecution as to why Owens should be
put to death. If they don't agree unanimously
on that decision, Owens will automatically
receive life in prison without parole. ...
Christine Wolfe already feels that justice
has been served, regardless of whether Owens
faces the ultimate penalty for killing her
daughter. (5/15/08, The Denver Post)
- Owens
Death Sentence in Jury's Hands
Jury members in Arapahoe County District
Court are now deciding whether Sir Mario Owens
should be put to death for killing a witness
who was scheduled to testify against Owens'
friend, and the witness' fiancee. Defense attorneys
asked the jury to have mercy on Owens and spare
his life. They also said during closing arguments
of the sentencing phase that Owens had a brain
deficiency. "He's like a kid. . .in his
ability to make decisions," defense attorney
Dan King said. (6/13/08, The Denver Post)
- Owens
Gets Death Penalty
Sir Mario Owens, a high school dropout who killed an engaged couple days before
the man was scheduled to testify against Owens, was sentenced to death today
on two counts of murder. A jury of six men and six women deliberated about six
hours before announcing its unanimous verdict around 4:45 p.m. Owens showed no
reaction when the verdicts were read. (6/16/08, The Rocky Mountain News)
- Sir Mario Owens Sentenced to Death by Lethal
Injection
Sir Mario Owens was sentenced to death today
for the murders of Javad Marshall-Fields
and his fiancée, Vivian Wolfe. Judge
Gerald Rafferty ordered that Owens, 23, be
put to death by lethal injection in March
2009, but the sentence must be reviewed by
the Colorado Supreme Court. Owens will be
the second person on the state's death row.
Owens didn't speak during the court procedure,
nor did his defense team. (12/8/08, The Denver
Post)
Search the news archives of the Boulder
Daily Camera, the Denver
Post, and the Denver
Rocky Mountain News for additional information.
For information on other prisoners, see Colorado's
Death Row.
See the Web site's News section
for more articles and information about the death
penalty.
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