Update on Russell Ellwood,LA man charged w/killing 2 women & suspect in the SK's of 10-25 additional gals since 1991
Joe1orbit
Hello,
Those of you who are faithful readers of my posts know that a fellow named
Russell Ellwood, already under arrest on unrelated charges, was charged with 2
counts of murder. He is also a prime suspect in at least EIGHT additional
killings of both female and male prostitutes and druggies in and around the New
Orleans area of Louisiana. About 25 such victims have been harvested since
1991. And although police say they believe that not ALL 25 killings were
committed by any single serial killer, they have very strong suspicions as well
as circumstantial evidence, linking Russell to 8-10 of the serial murders.
Russell remains behind bars, held on one million dollars bail, and formally
charged with two muurders. In the the below updates we learn that police are
actively trying to establish links that would implicate Russell in the murders
of other prosties and druggies. They have released MANY photos of Russell, in
various different appearances, to the local media, and that has resulted in
quite a few new leads, as tattle-tales contact the police and claim to have had
bad experiences with Russell in the past.
They have now increased the number of murder victims that they consider
Russell to be a prime suspect in having killed, to 14. Russell continues to
deny that he ever killed anyone. And despite his BIG MOUTH getting him into
trouble, it does appear as though police and detectives have VERY little
concrete physical or DNA evidence linking Russell to any murder.
All that I am getting from these news articles is that police have SUSPICIONS
and they are seeking to PIN as many murders as they can, on Russell. There is
NO concrete evidence of any sort, as far as I can see. The BEST evidence of
Russell's GUILT that police have, is the fact that Russell may have told one or
two people that he enjoyed having sex with drugged and unconscious people, and
the fact that eyewitnesses may have seen Russell together with 2 or 3 of the
25+ victims, PRIOR to the victims being killed. NOBODY has seen Russell COMMIT
any act of murder, and there is no DNA evidence against Russell.
Based upon the above facts, IF no SOLID DNA evidence is uncovered, it would
be a travesty of justice for Russell to even have to face trial on these 2
murder charges, much less any additional ones. Unfortunately in your pathetic
society, the judicial and constitutional edicts which proclaim that the BURDEN
of PROOF as to the GUILT of any defendent MUST be met by the State, are
blatantly ignored and tossed aside. And so Russell should be VERY concerned
about the possibility of being found guilty, even with no concrete physical
evidence existing against him. Still, his best bet is to KEEP his SHUT. Say
NOTHING to anyone. It's a simple and wise rule, that so many defendents FAIL to
follow, that ir boggles my tactically astute mind.
We learn that Russell did like to change his appearance often. Coloring his
hair, changing his hairstyle, as well as a beard and moustache. But of course
that is NOT indicative of guilt, or of any type of criminal activity. And the
fact that a person chooses to alter their appearance often should NOT even be
allowed to be presented in court by prosecutors, if there is NO physical or
eyewitness evidence directly linking the defendent to any actual murder.
A grand Jury is expected to get this case in a few weeks, with a formal
arraignment set for April 8th, with regard to the 2 murders with which Russell
is charged. Russell's attorney wisely points out how FLIMSY and weak the
prosecution's case is, by virtue of the fact that Russell is only being charged
with second degree murder in these two cases, despite the fact that prosecutors
are publically saying they believe Russell to be a prolific serial killer, who
murdered 10-14 people, at least, all on his own with premeditation.
Based upon the LACK of solid evidence, these 2 murder charges should be
dropped, and unless physical or direct eyewitness evidence is uncovered,
Russell should NOT be indicted by the grand jury, IMO.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of the 3/7/98 online edition of The New
Orleans Times-Picayune newpaper:
Ellwood photos prompt calls; police sifting through leads
By Stephanie Grace and Rhonda Bell
Staff Writers / The Times-Picayune
Originally published March 7, 1998
After months of laboring to piece together even a bare-bones case, this week's
release of more than a dozen photos of serial-killer suspect Russell Ellwood
has a brought a rush of new leads to the task force investigating 26 killings
in five years across the New Orleans area.
Ellwood was booked Tuesday with second-degree murder in the deaths of Cheryl
Lewis, 30, of Bridge City, and Delores Mack, 39, of Metairie.
Authorities say they are actively pursuing Ellwood, 47, an Ohio native, as a
suspect in at least 14 other killings.
Ellwood has denied killing anyone.
Most of the victims were African-American women with histories of prostitution
and drug abuse. The task force has been investigating the killings since August
1995.
The release Tuesday of photos of Ellwood dating back 10 years has prompted many
calls, lead investigator Lt. Sue Rushing of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's
Office said Friday.
Some of the calls this week have been hopeful pleas from parents of murder
victims unconnected to the killings under investigation. Some have offered hot
tips that quickly faded. Others, however, have been ``very, very good leads,''
she said.
Among the most promising, Rushing said, is a witness who allegedly saw one of
the victims with Ellwood before her death. Rushing would not name the victim or
discuss details.
One lead that apparently didn't pan out was a statement by the mother of one
dead woman that her daughter, Lola Porter, had lived with someone who looked
like Ellwood in a house in Algiers.
After the mother appeared on TV, Rushing said, a forensic investigator from
Plaquemines Parish contacted the task force to talk about Linda Coleman, whose
body had been pulled from the Mississippi River in 1996, and who had lived at
the same address as Porter.
But Thursday night, Rushing said, the task force tracked down the man who lived
with Porter. It was not Ellwood. The man, Rushing said, is cooperating with the
investigation of Porter's death.
Although they have not ruled out linking Coleman's death to the serial killer,
Rushing said, the mere fact that she fit the same description as the serial
killer's prey is not enough to qualify her as victim No. 27.
Authorities said Ellwood is a suspect in Porter's death. Her body was found off
South Kenner Road in Waggaman in 1996, four years after she disappeared.
Porter's mother, Lola Taylor, said her daughter, then 35, left the family's
Algiers home on foot, saying she was going to visit a friend. When she didn't
call or return home in three days, Taylor began a frantic search.
``If she was gone for two, three days, she would always call me and say, `Mama,
I'm by my friend's house, don't worry about me,' '' Taylor said. ``So I went
looking for her. But then I never laid eyes on her anymore.''
Also this week, authorities released the identity of a woman, previously
labeled a ``Jane Doe,'' whose skeletal remains were found under Interstate 55
in Tangipahoa Parish in March 1995.
Linda DiBenedetto of New Orleans was last seen at a motel on Chef Menteur
Highway in December 1993, Rushing said. Last summer, authorities matched her
DNA with that of her children and made a positive identification.
Authorities believe DiBenedetto also could be a victim of Ellwood.
``We have a strong suspicion it may be the work of him,'' Chuck Reed, a
spokesman for the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office, said Thursday.
St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said the leads continue to pour into
his office from friends and family of victims who say their dead loved ones
knew Ellwood, who is in the St. Charles Parish Correctional Center in lieu of
$1 million bond.
Rushing said she wasn't surprised so many people responded to the photos of
Ellwood, which show him sporting several hair colors and styles, as well as
beards and mustaches.
``He's like a chameleon, he's able to change his appearance so much. It's
incredible,'' she said.
However, Ross Scaccia, Ellwood's attorney, took issue with the tactic.
``The insinuation is that he changed his appearance to disguise illegal
activities,'' Scaccia said. ``It just makes for a question of fair play.''
-------------------------------------------
The following appears courtesy of the 3/5/98 online edition of The New
Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper:
Ellwood bond set at million dollars
Ex-cabbie's own words may hurt
By Rhonda Bell
Times-Picayune River Parishes Bureau
Originally reported March 5 in the Times-Picayune
A state judge Wednesday ordered accused serial killer Russell Ellwood held in
lieu of $1 million bond on two counts of second-degree murder, crimes his
attorney said Ellwood bragged about only in a show of prison bravado.
A handcuffed and shackled Ellwood smiled politely, not uttering a word as state
District Judge Emile St. Pierre in St. Charles Parish set bond on two counts of
second-degree murder in the February 1993 deaths of Cheryl Lewis, 30, of Bridge
City, and Delores Mack, 39, of Metairie. The women's bodies were found a day
apart off Louisiana 3160 in Hahnville.
In arresting Ellwood Tuesday, authorities said the evidence against him
included statements he made to a fellow inmate in a Sebring, Fla., prison.
Ellwood, they said, told a Florida inmate he enjoyed shooting up prostitutes
with cocaine and heroin before having sex with them in the back of his cab. If
they didn't wake up, he dumped them out of his cab, Ellwood allegedly told the
inmate.
But Ellwood's attorney, Ross Scaccia, said prosecutors have misconstrued the
statements to the prisoner. Outside the St. Charles Parish Courthouse
Wednesday, Scaccia didn't deny that Ellwood made the comments, but said his
client invented them only to appear tough to other inmates.
``If you're in a jail a lot of times you are intimidated, put under pressure,''
Scaccia said. ``Ellwood in effect was defending himself while he was with other
prisoners when altercations occurred. `You know I killed those people and I can
kill you too.' I can say the statements he made did not amount to any sort of a
confession. It was just to get the other prisoners away from him.''
During a news conference announcing Ellwood's arrest, authorities said the
47-year-old Ohio native remains the prime suspect in nine other deaths being
investigated by a regional serial killer task force. In all, 26 deaths are
being investigated by the Jefferson Parish-led task force with members from St.
Charles, St. John the Baptist and Tangipahoa parishes.
Investigators say they are also looking at as many as four other suspects, but
have refused to identify them.
A St. Charles Parish grand jury is expected to hear the charges against Ellwood
in about two weeks. Formal arraignment is scheduled April 8.
But Scaccia said the fact that Ellwood is not charged with first-degree murder,
a capital offense, is an indication the case against his client is flimsy.
``Is this a sign of weakness?'' Scaccia asked. ``Here's a guy who may have
supposedly committed 26 murders and he's not going to be prosecuted on the
death penalty?''
He said Ellwood would not have voluntarily returned to Louisiana if he were a
killer. Ellwood agreed to return to Louisiana in January with task force
members after they interviewed him at an Ohio jail where he was serving time
for a Florida probation violation. Upon his return, he was promptly booked in
St. Charles on an outstanding speeding ticket and related contempt-of-court
charge and later sentenced to four months in jail.
Meanwhile, St. Charles' arrest of the first suspect in the serial killings has
accelerated probes by law enforcement in other jurisdictions. Ellwood,
authorities said, remains a key suspect in nine other killings in southeast
Louisiana.
On Tuesday, investigators said Ellwood was being investigated as a suspect in
the murder of a prostitute in Florida. The details Ellwood allegedly told the
Sebring inmate closely matched the circumstances of an unsolved homicide case
there.
But Wednesday, a detective with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office said
Ellwood is not an active suspect in either of two open cases in which he was
questioned last summer.
Staff Writer Stephanie Grace contributed to this report.
