Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Military veteran's conviction upheld in fatal baseball bat beating of pregnant woman, fetus

LOS ANGELES - A state appellate court panel today upheld a military veteran's conviction for the baseball bat murder of a pregnant woman inside a California Army National Guard armory in Culver City.

The three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal found that Scott Allen Ansman "mercilessly struck" Joann Harris with a baseball bat, killing her and her 16-week-old fetus on Aug. 24, 2007.

In a 41-page ruling, the appellate court justices found that the evidence of Ansman's guilt was "overwhelming."

"The evidence portrays defendant as a desperate man consumed with guilt at the prospect of losing his family after cheating on his wife and believing, albeit incorrectly, that his sexual tryst with Harris resulted in her pregnancy," Associate Justice Frank Y. Jackson wrote on behalf of the panel.

"Defendant hoped that Harris would have an abortion, but she decided otherwise, causing him to be consumed with worry."

The appellate court panel noted that Ansman's co-workers recounted conversations in which he inquired about hiring a hitman and vowed that no one would come between him and his family.

The former U.S. Army veteran, who was a supply sergeant at the armory, called 911 from the armory and claimed that he beat the woman with a baseball bat after she pepper-sprayed him. He told investigators that Harris had also tried to stab him after he swung the baseball bat at her.

Ansman was convicted of murder for the slayings of the 29-year-old

woman and her fetus and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18175554?source=rss

Ehrinn Cummings Leila Arcieri Christina Aguilera Jessica Cauffiel Mary Elizabeth Winstead

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