Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for a man accused of killing a Germantown mother and her 11-year-old son, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office told Patch.
Defense attorneys referenced the decision during a pre-trial hearing, The Washington Times and several other news outlets reported.
Curtis Lopez, 46, was indicted on two counts murder, two counts kidnapping and robbery, Patch has reported.
He is accused of killing his estranged wife, Jane McQuain, in her Germantown apartment and beating to death her son, William, whose body was found in a wooded area of Clarksburg.
A trial was scheduled for Jan. 7, 2013.
There was so much collateral damage from this case; as I'm sure there is with many others. The fear these people instill in our communities by their isolated actions should not go unrecognized. The fact that predators, criminals, drug dealers, etc. are able to recieve any sort of protection and/or "justice" sickens me. The real unfortanate part is I would love to agree with Joe but the reality is that no matter who we elect their concern for being to radical and not politically congruent over shadows their ability to agressively promote TRUE change. This is not new, this has been the case for decades. The change needs to come from the Federal level and matriculate down to the local level so it is a nationwide effort and not contingent upon each states perception of "qualifying factors" for punishment and sentencing. Unless we get someone in office either dem, nonpart, or repub with some BALLS, it will forever remain the same!!
When my 1yr old daughter was raped & murdered in 1999, the SA wanted to death penalty but couldn't find a jury who would sit for a DP case. My daughter was the 2nd victim and her killer only got 25 yrs and will be out in 2018 (not even 25yrs). The system also failed my friend Heather who was kidnapped, beaten, shot & pushed out of a van onto Conn Ave. The courts let her estranged husband out of jail despite his many violations of a restraining order. He went straight to where Heather was and now she is gone. We had to rely on VA to put one of the 'snipers' to death; people with drug charges get more time than the person that killed my daughter; the handling of domestic violence cases in MD is a joke. Come on Maryland, step it up...get to rewriting laws and ENFORCE them. R.I.P. William, Jane, Heather and my baby girl Amani. My you be wrapped safely in God's arms, out of danger and out of pain. You will never be forgotten.
I thought (mistakenly) that this case qualified as a death penalty case. Why didn't it. I went to the States Attorney site, and there is no mention of it.
Our belated condolences to you.