http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=97e3a395-5270-4e9e-9c5f-a70abb77f22a
U.S. extraditing N.B. murder suspect
Kevin Bissett, Canadian Press
Monday, September 12, 2005
FREDERICTON -- A New Brunswick man wanted in a bloody double murder will be brought back to Canada nearly five months after he crossed into the United States carrying an arsenal of weapons.
The U.S. State Department has finally signed an extradition order to have Gregory Despres, 23, turned over to Canadian officials.
Documents obtained by the Canadian Press show the order was signed by R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs on September 6.
The extradition order was issued almost two months ago after a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Despres, has been in jail since he was arrested in Massachusetts April 27 in the murders of his Minto, N.B., neighbours, Verna Decarie, 70, and her common-law husband, Frederick Fulton, 74, who was decapitated.
A prosecutor told the extradition hearing that police matched blood on Despres's clothes to Fulton.
Depres did not fight extradition at the hearing.
While his lawyer Michael Andrews said he had concerns about his client's mental fitness to stand trial, delaying his return on competency grounds could only happen if he was "catatonic."
RCMP Const. Michel Mercier said Monday that arrangements for Depres' return to Canada are being made.
"We presume that his return to Canada will be between today and Wednesday of next week," said Mercier.
"There are a few things to check before we give any specific date."
Despres entered the U.S. April 25 carrying a red stained chainsaw and a bag full of weapons.
U.S. border authorities took the weapons and fingerprinted Despres, a naturalized U.S. citizen, but let him into the country after questioning him for three hours.
U.S. Customs officials and an RCMP officer at the border didn't yet know about the murders.
They knew he was supposed to be sentenced in Canada that day on an earlier assault conviction, but there was no warrant for his arrest.
A day after the bodies of Fulton and Decarie were discovered, Despres was arrested by police in Mattapoisett, Mass.
Family members of the victims say Despres should have been locked up after his March conviction for pulling a knife on Fulton's grandson last year.
He was allowed to go free pending sentencing on April 25 -- the day he crossed into the United States.
Gary DiPaolo, mayor of the Village of Minto said the double murder continues to stir emotions in the small community, and across New Brunswick.
"It's not the kind of thing that usually happens in our area, let alone our province," he said.
He said news of Despres's return will rekindle memories of the crime.
"And those are not fond memories ... but when all is said and done, hopefully the trial and the end of the trial will bring closure to the family and the community."
DiPaolo noted a lot of good has come from the tragedy, including a scholarship for music students in the name of Fred Fulton.
Fulton was a member of Minto's Country Music Wall of Fame.
© Canadian Press 2005
U.S. extraditing N.B. murder suspect
Kevin Bissett, Canadian Press
Monday, September 12, 2005
FREDERICTON -- A New Brunswick man wanted in a bloody double murder will be brought back to Canada nearly five months after he crossed into the United States carrying an arsenal of weapons.
The U.S. State Department has finally signed an extradition order to have Gregory Despres, 23, turned over to Canadian officials.
Documents obtained by the Canadian Press show the order was signed by R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs on September 6.
The extradition order was issued almost two months ago after a brief hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston.
Despres, has been in jail since he was arrested in Massachusetts April 27 in the murders of his Minto, N.B., neighbours, Verna Decarie, 70, and her common-law husband, Frederick Fulton, 74, who was decapitated.
A prosecutor told the extradition hearing that police matched blood on Despres's clothes to Fulton.
Depres did not fight extradition at the hearing.
While his lawyer Michael Andrews said he had concerns about his client's mental fitness to stand trial, delaying his return on competency grounds could only happen if he was "catatonic."
RCMP Const. Michel Mercier said Monday that arrangements for Depres' return to Canada are being made.
"We presume that his return to Canada will be between today and Wednesday of next week," said Mercier.
"There are a few things to check before we give any specific date."
Despres entered the U.S. April 25 carrying a red stained chainsaw and a bag full of weapons.
U.S. border authorities took the weapons and fingerprinted Despres, a naturalized U.S. citizen, but let him into the country after questioning him for three hours.
U.S. Customs officials and an RCMP officer at the border didn't yet know about the murders.
They knew he was supposed to be sentenced in Canada that day on an earlier assault conviction, but there was no warrant for his arrest.
A day after the bodies of Fulton and Decarie were discovered, Despres was arrested by police in Mattapoisett, Mass.
Family members of the victims say Despres should have been locked up after his March conviction for pulling a knife on Fulton's grandson last year.
He was allowed to go free pending sentencing on April 25 -- the day he crossed into the United States.
Gary DiPaolo, mayor of the Village of Minto said the double murder continues to stir emotions in the small community, and across New Brunswick.
"It's not the kind of thing that usually happens in our area, let alone our province," he said.
He said news of Despres's return will rekindle memories of the crime.
"And those are not fond memories ... but when all is said and done, hopefully the trial and the end of the trial will bring closure to the family and the community."
DiPaolo noted a lot of good has come from the tragedy, including a scholarship for music students in the name of Fred Fulton.
Fulton was a member of Minto's Country Music Wall of Fame.
© Canadian Press 2005
- More Details... —M. F. Abernathy, Tue Sep 13 21:30
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