Thursday 29 May 2014

Winking murderer who threw his daughter into a river strapped to her car seat apologizes to girl's mother for end of their relationship... but not for killing the toddler

A homeless New Jersey dad complained that his designer wardrobe of Gucci suits and Prada accessories influenced a jury into finding him guilty last month of drowning his two-year-old girl in 2011.
Speaking before he was sentenced to life behind bars for tossing his daughter into a stream still strapped to her car seat, Arthur E. Morgan III said he wouldn't have worn his expensive suits if he knew he would be criticized by the media for it.
He also said that the media insisted on publishing photographs of him that portrayed him in a bad light - including the moment last month when a suited Morgan , 29, winked to cameras after a jury ruled he murdered Tierra Morgan-Glover.
Sentenced: Arthur Morgan III is led into Monmouth County Superior Court by Sheriffs officers for his sentencing hearing Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Freehold, New Jersey
Sentenced: Arthur Morgan III is led into Monmouth County Superior Court by Sheriffs officers for his sentencing hearing Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Freehold, New Jersey

Morgan also apologized, but not for murdering the child. Instead, just before he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison, Arthur Morgan III apologized to the
child's mother for the breakdown of their relationship.
'I want to say I'm sorry for the deterioration of what I thought was a beautiful friendship between the two of us that blossomed into a daughter,' Morgan told Imani Benton. 'For anybody that was truly affected by this, I hope we can all heal from this situation, knowing Tierra is in a better place.'
He also said his courtroom wink following his conviction was to reassure his sister he was not upset at the verdict.
Justice: Imani Benton, (right), mother of Tierra Morgan-Glover is comforted by Godsister, LaQuita Black during the sentencing hearing for Arthur Morgan III in Monmouth County Superior Court Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Freehold, New Jersey
Justice: Imani Benton, (right), mother of Tierra Morgan-Glover is comforted by Godsister, LaQuita Black during the sentencing hearing for Arthur Morgan III in Monmouth County Superior Court Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Freehold, New Jersey

The girl's mother, who wore a dress embroidered with Tierra's name and photos attached to it, said she hopes Morgan suffers in prison.
Murdered: Photo provided by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office shows Tierra Morgan-Glover of Lakehurst, N.J., who was found dead in her car seat, partially submerged in a stream in Monmouth County's Shark River Park in November, 2011
Murdered: Photo provided by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office shows Tierra Morgan-Glover of Lakehurst, N.J., who was found dead in her car seat, partially submerged in a stream in Monmouth County's Shark River Park in November, 2011

Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci said that there were no mitigating circumstances in the case and that if New Jersey still had the death penalty, 'you would be candidate No.1'.
'This child was alive when she was placed in the water in pitch darkness, and had to suffer the unthinkable action of having water rush in and fill her lungs while strapped into that car seat,' the judge said. 'This child suffered before she died.'
In April, the jury convicted Morgan of murdering Tierra, who lived with her mother, while on a day visit with him on November 21, 2011.
During his trial the jury listened in horror as they were told how Morgan strapped his own child to her pink-flowered car seat, then tied a five-pound metal car jack to the seat and threw the literal ball and chain into a Shark River Park stream.
According to the autopsy, it took up to five minutes for little Tierra to drown.
The jury also heard how Morgan spent all his money on clothes but lived in the back of his 1995 Cadillac Deville.
As he was handed his sentence, Morgan wore jail overalls.
Prosecutors had said he killed Tierra to get back at her mother for breaking off their engagement. They said he weighed down her pink car seat with a tire jack to ensure it would sink.
Emotional: A woman wipes tears off the face of Imani Benton, center, while attending a court hearing or Arthur Morgan III at Monmouth Country Courthouse, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Freehold, New Jersey
Emotional: A woman wipes tears off the face of Imani Benton, center, while attending a court hearing or Arthur Morgan III at Monmouth Country Courthouse, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Freehold, New Jersey

Her body was pulled from a creek in Wall Township, about 20 miles from her Lakehurst home, with one tiny black and purple sneaker sticking out of the water.
Bad impression: Arthur Morgan III winks at the cameras as he is lead off to jail after being found guilty of the murder of his daughter Tierra Morgan-Glover in Monmouth County Superior court in Freehold, N.J. on Thursday, April 3, 2014
Bad impression: Arthur Morgan III winks at the cameras as he is lead off to jail after being found guilty of the murder of his daughter Tierra Morgan-Glover in Monmouth County Superior court in Freehold, N.J. on Thursday, April 3, 2014

'We finally got justice for Tierra Morgan-Glover,' said Marc LeMieuxm, first assistant Monmouth County prosecutor.
'God bless her,' added county prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni. 'I hope she's in a better place.'
The girl's relatives gasped when Morgan smirked broadly as he was led out of the courtroom after his conviction, his hands and feet shackled. Immediately after leaving the courtroom, several of them collapsed into sobs, with one woman wailing, 'Oh, God!'
Defense lawyers had asked the jury to convict Morgan of reckless manslaughter, which could have seen him freed in as little as five years.
Morgan's state of mind the day of his daughter's death was a key part of the case. In his opening statement, defense attorney Ryan Moriarty indicated Morgan would not deny responsibility for Tierra's death but told jurors their task was to decide 'what form of homicide applies to this defendant.'
After her death, Morgan fled to California and was arrested several days later in San Diego, with a newspaper account of the killing in his pocket.

The Monmouth County medical examiner said the toddler died from 'homicidal violence, including submersion in water.'
Captured: This image provided by the U.S. Marshals shows Arthur Morgan III, 27, center, on floor, after he was arrested Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in San Diego
Captured: This image provided by the U.S. Marshals shows Arthur Morgan III, 27, center, on floor, after he was arrested Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in San Diego

He said the girl may have been conscious for three minutes after starting to breathe in water and could have remained alive for nearly five minutes after that.
Defense lawyer Jeffrey Coghlan told jurors Tuesday that Morgan believed Tierra's mother's family wasn't raising her properly and that Morgan wasn't thinking clearly at the time Tierra died.
On Wednesday, jurors asked the judge for a second glimpse of Morgan's video statement to police in San Diego. In the video, a detective asked Morgan if he said anything to his daughter before leaving her to die in the creek.
'I told her I loved her, and I gave her a kiss,' Morgan replied.
Morgan insisted his daughter was not dead when he left the area.
'I still heard some noises,' he said. 'I heard her. She sounded like she was crying.'
He said he drove away and never returned.

DM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...