Hot tub murder trial - part 2
PattyC4303
killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the jury to let their
dad live.
I have no idea what's happened to these kids. Not a word has been in the news
on this story since the death sentence.
PattyC
Man who killed first wife faces death for killing second
Friday, May 07, 1999
By John M.R. Bull, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Sadly, reluctantly, a jury yesterday ordered Timothy Boczkowski to be put to
death for killing his second wife in his North Hills hot tub in 1994, in much
the same way he had killed his first wife.
At least two jurors cried as their verdict was announced. Others sniffled.
Two of Boczkowski's teen-age children wept and hugged each other.
Celebrations by dozens of members of Maryann Fullerton Boczkowski's family were
muted.
Even hardened police officers were saddened.
"I feel so badly for the families. Even if you win sometimes, it's not that
great," said Detective Jim Cvetic, head of the homicide team that investigated
the case.
The jury convicted Boczkowski, 43, a denture maker from Ross, of first-degree
murder Wednesday.
Yesterday, jurors unanimously agreed that he should be put to death for
strangling Maryann Boczkowski in a hot tub. He already had been sentenced to
life in prison in the 1990 asphyxiation of his first wife, Mary Elaine, in a
bathtub in North Carolina. He was convicted in North Carolina of that murder in
1996.
Judge David S. Cercone imposed the death sentence immediately.
"I think it was an appropriate sentence," said prosecutor Edward Borkowski. "He
took the hearts and emotions of two families and destroyed them. He devastated
two sets of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins. There's a path of emotional
devastation that reads like a phone book."
The jurors clearly struggled over the impact that their decision would have on
his three children, Randy, Sandy and Todd, all of whom asked the jury to spare
their father's life. Jurors declined to talk about their verdict afterward.
"The kids are victims for a third time," said defense attorney Jack Conflenti,
trying to control his emotions. "They lost two mothers. Now they are losing a
father."
Maryann Fullerton's mother, Loretta, has struggled over her desire for
retribution for her daughter and a concern for the three children her daughter
adopted.
"I go back and forth. One day I hate him and want him to pay for what he did,"
Loretta Fullerton said between her tears. "Then there are the children. ...
Maryann loved and cared about them. And we know they are hurting too."
The jury decided the evidence was clear that Timothy Boczkowski strangled his
wife in the hot tub Nov. 6, 1994, and had prepared a defense months ahead of
time by telling friends and neighbors she was an alcoholic who might hurt
herself from her drinking someday.
The medical evidence was convincing that she was strangled and suffered roughly
50 bruises, mostly on her head and neck.
Three jailhouse inmates testified that Boczkowski indirectly confessed by
agreeing it was "stupid" to kill two wives in the same way.
The jury wasn't allowed to hear evidence that Boczkowski obtained chloroform,
used to anesthetize people, before Maryann Boczkowski was found dead.
Boczkowski argued that his second wife accidentally drowned and was not
strangled. Her injuries, he said, must have been caused when she was pulled
from the hot tub or by paramedics who worked to revive her.
It was a coincidence, he argued, that two of his wives would die in such
sudden, mysterious ways, both in tubs.
The case was full of coincidences, such as:
A Ross detective who helped in the investigation, Gary Waters, used to date
Maryann Fullerton years before she married Boczkowski.
Another detective, John Herb, is the brother of attorney Jim Herb, who handled
all but the penalty phase of Boczkowski's defense.
Both wives weighed 151 pounds when they died. They were both originally from
the North Hills, and are buried in the same North Hills cemetery. The graves
are relatively near each other.
When the jury rejected Boczkowski's defense, he put his children on the stand
to plead to the jury to spare his life.
His daughter, Sandy, 15, cried as she told the jury that she needed her father.
That defense strategy angered some of Maryann Boczkowski's relatives and
friends.
"He was still using his kids at the very end," seethed her aunt, Ruth Schumann.
"We're going to the grave and taping over the Boczkowski. It should never have
been there. Seventeen months of marriage, and it destroyed 150 people."
Throughout the trial Boczkowski, remained emotionless, even when his daughter
was crying on the witness stand in a vain attempt to save his life.
True to form, Boczkowski showed no emotion when sentenced to die. He merely
asked his defense attorney about his appeal rights and if there was a way to
speak with his parents. He also said he was innocent, Conflenti related.
That reaction was a far cry from his response when his daughter was done with
her tearful testimony.
At that point, Boczkowski turned to his attorney and quietly asked that he be
brought a sandwich later in his holding cell, Maryann Boczkowski's relatives
noted.
"He's a cold-blooded killer," said Gaye Barbiaux, a close friend of the victim.
"He set all this up. Maryann was a wonderful person. She didn't deserve to die.
No one deserves to die like this. Finally, justice is done, and we can get on
with our lives."
Under state law, the state Supreme Court will automatically review the case.
"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people."
Nancy Rudins
|> I found the testifying children a very sad thing. Their original mother
|> killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the jury to let their
|> dad live.
|>
|> I have no idea what's happened to these kids. Not a word has been in the news
|> on this story since the death sentence.
|>
|> PattyC
|>
|>
Thanks for posting this, Patty. How awful for the children.
Did you ever read "Blind Faith" by Joe McGinnis? This case
and its effects on the family reminds me so much of the
Rob Marshall case. He too tried to use his children, not
only to spare him from the death penalty but even tried to
get one of his sons to lie under oath to spare his sorry
skin.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--
Nancy Rudins nru...@ncsa.uiuc.edu
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/People/nrudins/
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
Patty
PattyC4303 wrote:
: I found the testifying children a very sad thing. Their original mother
: killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the jury to let their
: dad live.
Patty:
It's a strange thought I was having, but I think it's better this way than to have
a murder/suicide. Of course, neither is good, but I guess there's that strong
need for a parent or for answers.
This or the other article said that he was jealous of his first wife but doesn't
give a motive for the second wife. Was it also jealousy, even jealousy that
his children might have bonded with the second wife? Did he have an
insurance policy on the second wife since it was premeditated? I wonder
if her parents got a new gravestone.
So he remains in PA custody now, right? He's never returned to NC
:
: Man who killed first wife faces death for killing second
Nancy Rudins
|> x-no-archive: yes
|>
|> "Nancy Rudins" <nru...@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote in message
|> news:fVox5.393$rr....@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu...
|> original mother
|> > |> killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the
|> jury to let their
|> > |> dad live.
|> > |>
|> > |> I have no idea what's happened to these kids. Not a word has
|> been in the news
|> > |> on this story since the death sentence.
|> > |>
|> > |> PattyC
|> > |>
|> > |>
|> >
|> > Did you ever read "Blind Faith" by Joe McGinnis? This case
|> > and its effects on the family reminds me so much of the
|> > Rob Marshall case. He too tried to use his children, not
|> > only to spare him from the death penalty but even tried to
|> > get one of his sons to lie under oath to spare his sorry
|> > skin.
|>
|> pretty good for a fictional account of the book. You began to see
|> who the father was about 45 minutes into the movie. I can't
|> remember the name of the movie, it may have been Blind Faith but
|> I'm not sure. Memory is going with advanced age :) I believe
|> Robert Urich played Rob Marshall.
|>
Hi Michael,
Yes I did see the movie "Blind Faith." It seemed to follow the
book fairly accurately, as far as movies from books go. Robert
Urich did a fantastic job of playing Rob Marshall. I don't
recall offhand who the other actors/actresses were but overall
it was pretty well produced.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--
Live life like making pudding. Cook, then chill.
PattyC4303
writes:
>PattyC4303 wrote:
>: I found the testifying children a very sad thing. Their original mother
>: killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the jury to let
>their
>: dad live.
>
>Patty:
>It's a strange thought I was having, but I think it's better this way than to
>have
>a murder/suicide. Of course, neither is good, but I guess there's that
>strong
>need for a parent or for answers.
>
>This or the other article said that he was jealous of his first wife but
>doesn't
>give a motive for the second wife. Was it also jealousy, even jealousy that
>his children might have bonded with the second wife? Did he have an
>insurance policy on the second wife since it was premeditated? I wonder
>if her parents got a new gravestone.
>
>So he remains in PA custody now, right? He's never returned to NC
One thing I read said they argued about the second wife's drinking... That's
all I know. I imagine he is on death row in PA, since that one ended with a
death penalty decision. I'm thinking the NC authorities liked that angle.
By the way, I so want to post on that other murder I'd mentioned. But the
"research" cost is $40 to $120. I don't want to that much. The local paper
DID suggest try the library. Which of course I could do, if I ever get to the
library again! (Used to go to the library a lot before the Internet....)
PattyC
PattyC4303
Rudins) writes:
>In article <20000917180629...@nso-bh.aol.com>, patty...@aol.com
>(PattyC4303) writes:
>|> I found the testifying children a very sad thing. Their original mother
>|> killed, then their adoptive mother killed. Then begging the jury to let
>their
>|> dad live.
>|>
>|> I have no idea what's happened to these kids. Not a word has been in the
>news
>|> on this story since the death sentence.
>|>
>|> PattyC
>|>
>|>
>
>Thanks for posting this, Patty. How awful for the children.
>Did you ever read "Blind Faith" by Joe McGinnis? This case
>and its effects on the family reminds me so much of the
>Rob Marshall case. He too tried to use his children, not
>only to spare him from the death penalty but even tried to
>get one of his sons to lie under oath to spare his sorry
>skin.
>
>Kind regards,
>Nancy
Of COURSE, I read Blind Faith! (And have a special affection for Robert Urich
from the TV movie...).
Did anyone notice Rob Marshall was nominated for an Emmy for something last
week. He didn't win. I have to admit, I was hoping he might. He met his
wife, Tracy Gold (I think) while in Hollywood doing some "advising" type stuff
for the TV movie of Blind Faith. Wonder what happened to the other brothers?
My cousins daughter is now attending Muhlenburg College. When I'd heard she
applied, I thought, hmmm, why do I know that one? My mom, another true crime
buff, said, well that's were the son from Blind Faith went to school!
Nancy Rudins
|>
|> Of COURSE, I read Blind Faith! (And have a special affection for Robert Urich
|> from the TV movie...).
|>
He really did a great job in that movie. He acted exactly as
I pictured Rob Marshall in the book.
|> Did anyone notice Rob Marshall was nominated for an Emmy for something last
|> week. He didn't win. I have to admit, I was hoping he might. He met his
|> wife, Tracy Gold (I think) while in Hollywood doing some "advising" type stuff
|> for the TV movie of Blind Faith. Wonder what happened to the other brothers?
|>
|> My cousins daughter is now attending Muhlenburg College. When I'd heard she
|> applied, I thought, hmmm, why do I know that one? My mom, another true crime
|> buff, said, well that's were the son from Blind Faith went to school!
|>
Would that by Rob Jr. or the youngest son? I thought the
middle son went to Lehigh. (It's been a while since I
read the book so I've forgotten their names.)