Sheila LaBarre Murders
New Hampshire
Sheila LaBarre has admitted to killing Kenneth Countie and Michael Deloge, but she says she's not guilty by reason of insanity.
The Link I am suggesting you visit, reads like a horror story of the events of this case. This is a well written piece by Sally Jacobs, Globe Staff, on July 2, 2006.
Below are some "snippets" from the article, but I urge you to read the whole 5 page story.
Sheila LaBarre became well known for her temper and threats of using guns, in the small village of Epping, NH.
Over the years, many had wondered about the succession of young men they had seen slouched in the passenger's seat of her truck, each of whom seemed to disappear from town within months. When LaBarre was charged in April, 2006, with first-degree murder in the killing and burning of Kenneth Countie, 24, a mentally impaired man from Wilmington, Mass., many here were horrified, but not surprised. And as police questioned Allen afterward, the laconic farmer asked the question that was on the minds of many.
``What about the others?" Allen asked. ``Where's Jimmy? Where's Wayne? And Mikey?"
It is a question of no little interest to police who are trying to find at least one of LaBarre's former boyfriends, who is missing. In piles of burning material found just outside LaBarre's tired white farmhouse, investigators found three different sets of bone fragments, some of which were later identified as human. Inside the house, they discovered items belonging to Michael Deloge, a New Hampshire man who was known to locals as ``Mikey" during the two years he lived with LaBarre. Last month, investigators took DNA samples from his mother's home in Somersworth, and Deloge, 38, has been declared a missing person.
A Must Read Detailed Story.....
A woman, her men, and a mystery
Inside the strange world of Sheila LaBarre, where charges of murder are only part of the story
www.boston.com
Jury selection started on May 5th. The trial starts on May 13.
LaBarre will go with jurors to visit her former farm in Epping, a remote 115 acre property where she killed at least two men, but will be wearing a "stun belt" that will shock her if she tries to escape. They will be taken to a wooded area on the back of the large property, and will be shown the spot where LaBarre's truck was left the night police investigators saw a flesh-covered bone burning in front of LaBarre's house.
The prosecution released a list of 140 witnesses in the trial. The defense has released the names of 70 witnesses to try and prove their insanity defense.
More resource reading...
Union Leader
Another victim??? Toes found...
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8248497
Judge allows Labarre's former attorney's testimony
Union Leader
Timeline
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/15959771/detail.html
New Hamshire's insanity defense. The defense case goes first.
http://www.seacoastonline.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/NEWS/802170346
Thanks for the heads-up on this story--MilitaryMomToo!
UPDATES...
To comment on the trial Click Here!
06/20/08
Verdict Is In!!!
Guilty but Sane!!!
Two life sentences without the possibility of parole!
WMUR Video Feeds...
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/index.html
Defense lawyer Jeffrey Denner said he plans to file an appeal.
"It continues to be our belief that she's deeply crazy and insane," he said. "We also understand there's a huge amount of emotion in this case that clouds this issue."
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/NEWS/80620030
06/19/08
No verdict yet
Jurors in the insanity trial of Sheila LaBarre ended their first day of deliberations without a verdict Thursday. Once the verdict is reached, a page will go out to alert the parties involved and they will be given 15 minutes to assemble before the foreman reads the verdict. See you in Chat!!!
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/16657171/detail.html
06/18/08
Closing Arguments
Sheila LaBarre case goes to the jury
Sheila LaBarre has already admitted to killing 2 men.
The prosecution says that LaBarre was sane at the time of the murders, and that LaBarre has a personality disorder and was not insane or delusional. They say she knew the nature and quality of her actions, demonstrated premeditation, showed intent, and knew right from wrong.
The defense says she was insane at the time of the murders, that she's been sick all of her life and was reaching out for someone to stop her. They say that a lot of people called her a "nut, fruit cake, and crazy".
The jury will decide whether she is sane or insane for the murders of Kenneth Countie and Michael Deloge. Will LaBarre serve the rest of her life in prison, or will she be institutionalized?
New Hampshire's law with regard to insanity in criminal cases uses a two-pronged test to determine whether a defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity.
The burden is on the defense to present a case to prove insanity. They must first show that LaBarre suffered from a mental disease or defect. Then, it must show the murders were a product of that mental disease or defect. Neither "mental disease" or "defect" has been defined by the Legislature or the courts, which means it is up to the jury to decide whether the evidence presented about LaBarre qualifies.
Now we wait for the jury to decide.
Resource for NH insanity laws....
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/NEWS/802170346
06/17/08
Outburst in Court
Sheila LaBarre screamed to the judge
"I didn't kill my animals!" LaBarre shouted. "I never hurt an animal! I didn't shoot a dog! You're getting paid to say all this about me!"
That was Sheila's out burst in court when Dr. Albert Drukteinis, psychiatrist, was question whether is was Michael Deloge who was killing her animals, or LaBarre herself.
LaBarre was escorted from the courtroom, and the judge called for a short break. After less than 10 minutes, a composed LaBarre returned to the room, and the trial continued. No mention was made of the outburst.
Drukteinis said "My opinion is that she has not established that her actions in killing ... those two individuals was the product of a mental illness."
Drukteinis said that LaBarre didn't appear psychotic to him when he interviewed her. He said she also understood his questions well and was able to answer them, at times trying to explain away evidence that made her look bad.
"She answered questions well, she tried to explain evidence away that made her look bad. This is not what someone sees over many hours in a person who is psychotic," Drukteinis said.
He also said that she functioned much better than people with serious psychotic disorders normally do.
During cross examination he referred to some of the previous expert opinions as psychobabble.
Both sides rested their cases, and closing arguments will be At 1:00pm ET on Wednesday.
Resource details...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16629962/detail.html?rss=man&psp=news
http://wbz.com/pages/2427830.php?contentType=4&contentId=2270309
06/16/08
Murder Confessions On Tape
Sheila LaBarre confessed to murdering both men
Five, out of twelve, hours of video tape was played last Thursday of Dr. Alber Drukteinis', psychologist, interview with Sheila LaBarre. The tape continued Monday.
LaBarre began to talk about Kenneth Countie, how they met and that he asked to move with her.
She said that things started missing around her house, so she became suspicious of him.
LaBarre denied doing any wrong-doing when she was arrested and said she just wasn't in the right frame of mind.
"I’ve been arrested and falsely accused of something that did not occur," she said.
Later she said Countie tried to choke her one evening, and that while they were in the bathtub, she pushed him away and he fell and hit his head.
"He just stared up at me. He just didn’t move," said LaBarre, sobbing loudly. "I started CPR on him. I didn’t know what else to do. I was screaming his name ... I tried everything, and in a second or two I immediately started CPR on him. I used to be certified years ago. I did the best I could."
She tried to perform CPR and then tried to perform a tracheotomy. She didn't call for help because she had unplugged it because of a series of hang-up calls, and she didn't know where her cell phone was.
Later, she wrapped him in white linens and burned the body in a burn pile that she used to cremate her dead rabbits.
On one tape she wouldn't talk about Michael Deloge when she was asked about him. She said he had nothing to do with her arrest.
Eventually, she confessed to his murder, too.
The doctor did several memory tests on LaBarre as she sat there. He asked her to repeat a set of 3 numbers, had her count yo ti 10 and then say the 3 numbers again. She did fine. Then he had her say a set of 4 numbers, count to 10, and say the first 4 numbers again. She did fine that time, too.
He had her count forward and backwards. He had her say the days of the week backwards, and then had her subtract 7 from 100, then from 93...etc... She did just fine doing that, also.
Dr. Drukteinis is expected to testify about the interviews with LaBarre on Tuesday.
The trial is expected to end with closing arguments later this week.
Resource details...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16619265/detail.html
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view.bg?articleid=1101196
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8498076&nav=menu183_2
06/12/08
No Court Friday
Sheila LaBarre interviews with psychiatrist
The prosecution began showing the jury 12 hours of taped interviews between Sheila LaBarre and her psychiatrist, Albert Drukteinis, Thursday.
Drukteinis met with LaBarre 3 times, this year, in preparation for the trial. They expect the taped interviews will finish on Monday.
In the tapes LaBarre described her life and relationships with family members and friends, who all appeared to have abused, betrayed and misused her over the years.
She never really came out and said her father molested her. It was more about a dream where he touched her in some way.
She continued to talk about how her mother loved her brothers more than her and how people abused her, right down to a teacher that she hated.
To read more about Sheila's abuse video......
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=LaBarre%3A+My+father+was+cruel%2C+my+friends+weren't+true&articleId=c92695c0-3279-42e5-963b-7f4527ff0ba3
06/11/08
Deloge's Mother Testifies
It was heart breaking to watch Donna Boston as she testified about her son, Michael Deloge, one of the victims of Sheila LaBarre.
She said he was a loving child, a little slow, and a loner, who left high school after his freshman year.
Michael did odd jobs to make money and was living in a homeless shelter when she met LaBarre who asked him to move in with her.
Michael thought he was in love, and wanted his mother to meet his girlfriend, Sheila LaBarre. Boston had met LaBarre three times over the course of a year, but she never liked her.
Sheila got upset that Michael kissed his mother goodbye one visit.
"She told Michael that she wasn't coming over to my house or bringing my son over to my house again if we didn't stop the hugging and kissing," Boston said.
She saw him on her Birthday in July of 2005. During the visit LaBarre said,"Michael you've got to say something to your mother, or I'm leaving"
Michael told her that she had assaulted and raped him as a child, then Ms. Boston started sobbing while on the stand.
After the conversation, Boston kicked Michael and Sheila out of the house, as she didn't want to hear from Sheila ever again. She said that Sheila was just trying to make trouble.
The court took about a 5 minute break, so Ms. Boston could compose herself. It was shortly after that that her testimony finished.
I lost the feed for the afternoon, so I'm not sure of the late afternoon testimony.
According to the WMUR updates, a Mr. Austin Wiggin, who knew Sheila for about 20 years, took the stand and testified about the violence he witnessed LaBarre doing to Deloge.
Next was Amy Scott, who works for a Portsmouth law firm. She testified that LaBarre came in to pay an outstanding legal bill, March 21, 2006, and that Sheila didn't seem odd at all.
A juror was dismissed as the insanity trial of admitted killer Sheila LaBarre continued on Wednesday in Rockingham County Superior Court.
Judge Tina Nadeau offered no explanation for why a juror was dismissed from the trial, on Wednesday. She told the jury that jurors are dismissed for all kinds of reasons so there was no reason to speculate on why. (NLH)
Resources...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16177835/detail.html
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/index.html
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/GJNEWS_01/44255068
06/10/08
Sheila's Friend Testifies
Sheila Labarre Murders
Kim Rumrill, a blood spatter expert, pointed out the various areas where blood was found in the LaBarre home, and whom it tested to. Both the blood of Countie and Deloge was found in house.
They were able to get Michael Deloge's DNA match through the testing of his mother, Donna Boston.
She examined and tested a Buckman knife that had blood on it belonging to Kenneth Countie.
The prosecution called Dr. Marilyn Miller, who is a professor of forensic science, to the stand.
Miller explained how blood spatter analysis is done and gave courtroom demonstrations.
Toxicology analysis on vomited material found in a heating vent and duct-work showed the presence of nicotine, as did a sample of Countie's blood found on a cushion-less wooden chair in the dining room.
Countie's father, Ken Countie Sr., testified earlier in the trial his son did not smoke.
Michelle Bennett, an acquaintance of Sheila LaBarre's, testified about several meeting she had with Sheila during the week that LaBarre killed Countie.
Bennett's sons did work on the LaBarre farm on March 20, 2006. LaBarre went to Sheilas house to pay one of her sons for the work, and Bennett said that as they were going out for Pizza, she noticed Kenneth Countie had been sitting in the car for about an hour. She testified that it was about 30 degrees out, and the car wasn't running.
They were suppose to meet a couple of days later, but Bennett's dog was sick. Sheila offered to give it a chiropractic adjustment.
They got together the following day. Bennett said that she smelled something burning. Sheila said she'd been burning garbage, but Bennett said it didn't smell like garbage.
Bennett said that LaBarre told her at one point that she and Countie had split up. She also said she was worried that Countie might have hanged himself on her property and that police would think she was responsible.
When asked why she didn't bring him into the house, LaBarre said she would do that.... bring a stranger into her house.
Read resources...
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8458107
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/GJNEWS_01/319909059
http://www.wmur.com/news/16562246/detail.html
06/09/08
Murder Victim Video Shown
Sheila LaBarre taped Michael Deloge before she killed him
Court started with with Detective Sergeant Stephen Rowland, from the NH State Police Major Crimes Unit, on the stand this morning.
He testified about the items of evidence that they found at the crime scene, what was tested and how they were tested.
Kenneth Washington was the man who picked Sheila up right after she fled town. He testified how he met LaBarre as she was walking in the parking lot of a small mall.
He ended up spending three days with LaBarre, who paid for the hotel rooms, food and his pocket money.
He testified that he only was hanging around her for the money and sex, because he was out of work. He received about $1,000 over the course of the three days.
Washington had been watching a basketball game on TV. When the game was over he saw Sheila's picture on the screen with a news alert to look out for the fugitive who was suspected of murder.
When he called the police, the next day, they didn't make it easy for him. They told him to go pick her up and bring her to the police station. Although he had committed petty crimes in the past, he didn't want to have anything to do with a murderer, so he took off.
The high-lite of the day was when the prosecution produced a video of Michael Deloge, one of LaBarre's murder victims, speaking to his parents as Sheila LaBarre video taped it. He said he was starting to remember things about his past. Without Sheila pointing it out to him, he would never have known half the things he knows.
"You really messed me up. You really messed me up," Deloge said. (NLH)
Video...
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarrevideo/16548553/index.html
06/06/08
A Ranch In Ruins
Jurors see video of Sheila LaBarre's farm
Trooper John Encarnacao outside and inside of Sheila Labarre's property on March 26, 2006, and shared that video with the jury, today.
The property and house was in need of repairs, and probably wasn't taken care of since William LaBarre died. Fences were missing railings, and the barn and garages looked dilapidated.
The outside and inside were filthy and in dis-repair, with clutter inside and out. Toilet seats were missing and toilets un-kept. There was a room with rabbits and feces in it. Most of the animals had been evacuated by animal control.
Encarnacao pointed out blood spatter located on the walls and floor. Countie's blood was later determined to be throughout the house.
On the cabinet where Encarnacao first noticed blood, he found an orange notebook. He described a crude drawing in that notebook of a person with a description similar to Countie's.
"Underneath, it says '110 pounds' and it says '5 foot 4,'" he said.
Next to that drawing was more handwriting that appeared to be LaBarre's.
"It says, 'Incinerated slash burned slash ashes flushed, scattered,'" Encarnacao said.
The oven was filthy with ashes. The stove top was also covered in ashes with bone-like material still in it.
For more of today's testimony, and videos go to.....
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/16525550/detail.html
06/04/08
Countie's Mother Runs from Court Room Crying
Kenneth Countie's Father Testified
Dr. Roger Gray took the stand again, Wednesday morning, and was under cross examination from the prosecution.
Prosecutors challenged Gray's diagnosis, saying that he didn't look at all the information out there, including most of the hundreds of audiotapes found on LaBarre's property.
Prosecutors also brought up an evaluation made by a psychiatrist in 1998 after LaBarre made an outburst in court when she and her boyfriend of the time were charged with assaulting each other. That evaluation indicated that LaBarre was not psychotic.
Then the Defense rested their case, without Sheila LaBarre's testimony.
Prosecution called Marcella Sorg, a forensic anthropologist, to the stand, next. She examined bucket after bucket of bones and ashes that contained 8 different animal species, including about 30% of Kenneth Countie's remains. She went on to describe what she found.
At that point, Carolynn Lodge, Countie's mother, who has been sitting in the front row throughout the trial, cried out and ran from the courtroom. She had been crying through much of Sorg's testimony. After a brief conference between the judge and attorneys, Sorg's testimony resumed.
A little later, Kenneth Countie's father (also named Kenneth) took the stand. He talked about the last time he saw his son alive, which was February 16, 2006 when they went to a hockey game, the day before Countie met LaBarre.
Later that week-end, the victim moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to live with LaBarre.
His father said he called his son's cell phone several times and finally spoke to him within a week when Kenneth Countie's mother called police to check on her son's well-being.
He said that they had gone to New Hampshire in an attempt to bring their son home. They weren't able to visit him, however, and the father testified that he received an angry phone call from his son.
"He was very upset and mad," his father said. "Yelling that, 'She called the police on me.' I tried to let him know that he made a lot of people upset not knowing where he was."
Mr. Countie testified that Sheila LaBarre got on the phone and told him that they were in love and didn't want to be bothered.
After that phone call, the father left several more messages on his son's cell phone until LaBarre called back about a week and a half later. Countie's father said she wanted to play a tape for him and accused Kenneth Countie's mother, Carolynn Lodge, of molesting him.
"I was very shocked," his father said. "Not for a second did I believe that she did anything like that. But very shocked."
Investigators have said the allegations LaBarre made about Lodge and the younger Kenneth Countie were untrue.
The father said that he could hear his son yelling in the background, apparently in pain, repeating the allegations LaBarre was making. Eventually, LaBarre told him that he was on a speaker phone, and he tried to yell out a message for his son.
"I said as loud as I could for Kenny that when he gets a chance to give me a call, that I loved him and would straighten it all out," he said.
His son never called him back, and shortly after, the phone was disconnected, he said.
Court is not in session on Thursday, and will resume on Friday morning.
Read full resource details here...
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/16492669/detail.html
06/03/08
Last Two Defense Witnesses
Sheila LaBarre's Insane, Says Expert
Dr. Roger Gray, psychiatrist, was on the stand this morning to testify that after he evaluated Sheila LaBarre, he diagnosed her with Schizo-affective disorder, and believes that LaBarre is insane.
Gray said that LaBarre's foundations crumbled early in her childhood. Her sister testified, early on in the trial, that she believed LaBarre was sexually and physically abused by their father.
The judge called a 5 minute break as LaBarre broke down in tears and was escorted from the courtroom.
LaBarre re-entered the courtroom still tearful, but under control as the doctor went on with his diagnosis and opinion.
Gray referred to much of the evidence jurors had heard previously in the case, including tapes of LaBarre's interviews with police and audiotapes she made herself. LaBarre accused Countie and Deloge of being pedophiles and victims of incest. Gray said that she was projecting her own feelings and experiences on them.
Officer Stephen Moscato, of the Riviere Police Department, took the stand, very briefly, to testify about what LaBarre looked like when she was arrested in MA. She had dyed her hair a reddish color.
Dr. Gray returned to the stand and continued his testimony before the court recessed for the day, about an hour early.
The defense is expected to rap up their case after Gray's testimony. (NLH)
Resource...
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/16475018/detail.html
06/02/08
Trial to Resume Tuesday
Sheila LaBarre defense to rest
Sheila LaBarre's defense is expected to call their last witness on Tuesday, as trial resumes after a 3 day week-end. A juror had a graduation event, and because of the length of the trial, granted the recess.
LaBarre is being tried for the murders of Kenneth Countie and Michael Deloge. Is she a serial killer??? Is she insane???
There has been no word, yet, as to whether LaBarre is expected to take the stand in her own defense, or not.
The prosecution said LaBarre is not insane, as the defense alludes to, because she was able to go about her day to day business and chores like anyone else and that no-one, not even her doctors or police ever questioned her sanity. (NLH)
05/30/08
Former Tenants Testify
Five people testified, this morning, in the Sheila LaBarre trial. Three of them were former tenants on the property that Dr. LaBarre, deceased, had owned.One witness lived at a homeless shelter where Michael Deloge had stayed. And, one was a plumber who was called out to fix a leak at the LaBarre farm home.
The witnesses testified to LaBarre's erratic and threatening manor, when dealing with her.
One tenant was in the midst of moving when she came home to find a broken glass door, all of the lights turned on, all the burners on the stove turned on and the oven door left wide open. She also discovered her fish had died. Someone had poured bleach in the fish tank. LaBarre was the only one with a set of keys, besides herself.
Court adjourned early and will not be in session until Tuesday morning, 9:00 am EDT.
Read more details of today's testimony....
http://www.wmur.com/news/16436486/detail.html
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/05/30/former_labarre_tenants_fish_killed_furniture_turned_over/
05/29/08
"I'm Alive"
The many men of Sheila LaBarre
LaBarre was all "gussied up" for court today with her hair in two French braids that led down into two pigtails. Maybe she realized it was the day for a parade of her ex-boyfriends who were to testify.
James Brackett, the defense's first witness, has a new license plate since he found out about the two murders Sheila LaBarre had admitted to. It reads,"I'm Alive." Brackett dated LaBarre off and on for 6 1/2 years, before finally ending it in 2003.
He testified that Labarre frequently would get violent, scratching up his face and hitting him. She would accuse him of things he didn't do.
During those years she had shot at him, three times, with a .38 revolver, took an axe to his camper while he was in it, until he escaped through the vent in the roof, and knocked out his front teeth with a grill brush, while he was was bathing. He testified that she was aiming at his throat, and that they weren't even fighting at the time, so he didn't see the blow coming.
Brackett also testified that she had chased him through a pasture with a knife, totaled his car with her truck while he was in it, and cut him in the head with cuticle scissors, which required stitches.
He walked 20 miles in freezing weather to get away from her.
The next witness was Yvon Blais, who had dated LaBarre for 6 to 8 months.
When asked, Blais said he broke up with LaBarre because."It just wasn't working." When pressed even further by the defense as to the break-up, Blais said. "She was too controlling." He further described her as violent and erratic.
He testified to a fist fight he witnessed between LaBarre and Brackett, which ended up in a wrestling match.
Blais said she stalked him after they broke up. She called him constantly, even though Blais changed his phone number 3 times and she even tried to break down the front door of his mother's house, one night, while he was sleeping.
She went to the bars to look for him. Then she would sweet talk him, and he would go back to her until she got violent with him again.
The next witness was a farm hand named Phillip Sullos. LaBarre would pick up, the 52 year old man, from his mothers house, and would usually pay him with beer and cigarettes, for his work.
He testified to the utter violence and cruelty that she imparted on Michael Deloge. Sullos said she would beat Deloge with a thick round stick until he fell to the ground bleeding.
Sullos testified that LaBarre had locked Michael Deloge in an empty, 10' X 8' wood shed for a couple of days. He had seen him just sitting on the floor when LaBarre opened the shed door.
Sullos saw many instances of violence and beatings given to Deloge, yet, never did anything about it. He said it wasn't his business.
The last witness called by the defense was Stephen Martello.
Martello had picked up LaBarre, on March 28, 2006, as she was fleeing town after the murders and interrogations by the police. She was waving her arms trying to flag down someone to help her, so he stopped. LaBarre said her Mercedes had broken down and she needed a ride. She said she would pay him to drive her to Boston, so he did.
Things were going fine, and they ended up in a hotel, where they had sex. Within 15 minutes, of finishing, LaBarre started threatening him and told him what she would have happen to his 9 year old boy if he ever mentioned that he had been with her.
She told him that all police officers were pedophiles and that he had just slept with an angel, meaning herself.
Martello said he could barely get his shoes on fast enough so he could leave.
When he returned to New Hampshire he saw a news story on TV with LaBarre's picture on the screen. He called the police to let them know that he had been with her.
The defense seemed frustrated at each of THEIR witnesses testimony today. They re-crossed each of the four men and tried to discredit some of their testimony. (NLH)
05/28/08
Movie Making Murders?
Sheila LaBarre's victim, Kenneth Countie shown left
Lt. Michael Wallace, from the Epping police department, continued his testimony Wednesday morning. He showed the jury charred, corroded pruning shears, hedge clippers, and a partially charred stick, that were recovered from the burn pile in front of Sheila LaBarre's farm home.
Bullet casing and Deloge's birth certificate were found when the contents of LaBarre's septic tank were removed.
Several officers, and Wal-mart took the stand today. The main subject was the Wal-Mart incident, where LaBarre said another customer had abused her husband (Countie) by grabbing his arm and shoving him out of the way, while he was in a wheelchair.
The defense continued to show the jury how LaBarre was acting insanely, in his opinion, while the prosecution explains her actions as typical of an aggressive person, not an insane one.
Det. Jill Rockey LaBarre, of the NH state patrol, was one of the first person's to question LaBarre, after Countie went missing.
"I found her to be very intelligent," Rockey said.
Rockey questioned LaBarre for several hours. She told the jury she believes LaBarre knew what she was doing.
At one point, LaBarre discussed who should play herself and Rockey if a movie came out about this case.
Defense attorneys called several other police officers to the stand who had dealt with LaBarre over the years. They described their encounters, including an outburst LaBarre made in Hampton District Court when her boyfriend at the time, James Brackett, was accused of assault.
The officers routinely described LaBarre as being demanding and harassing them at times. Under questioning from prosecutors, the officers said LaBarre always seemed to know what she wanted and was able to express herself clearly.
Defense lawyers said that they are planning to rest their case Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
http://www.wmur.com/sheilalabarre/16414150/detail.html
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8390061&nav=menu183_2
05/27/08
Sheila LaBarre "...shoot me!"
Letters to the Chief
Police Chief, Gregory Dodge, was the first to testify this morning. The defense went over various letters that LaBarre had sent him in February and March of 2006. Dodge had testified that he estimated approximately 150 calls had been placed with the Epping Police concerning Sheila LaBarre, over the past 20 years he'd been with the department.
Dodge kept LaBarre's letters from about the past five years in a special file at her request. The file included a request from LaBarre for a concealed weapon permit, which he denied because of past domestic violence reports and questions about her ability to handle a weapon.
Defense lawyers have been trying to show that LaBarre was delusional, and their questions have often focused on recorded instances in which LaBarre suddenly changed topics or made statements seemingly unrelated to what she was talking about.
"Sheila LaBarre always knew what she wanted," said Dodge. "When she had it in her mind she wanted something, she would stop at nothing to get it. She was always very adamant she would get her way one way or another."
The prosecution crossed pointing out how calculating and manipulative LaBarre was, and how she knew what she was doing the entire time.
They pointed out the guilt she showed when the police pulled up to serve her with a search warrant. when she saw Chief Dodge, she asked him to shoot her. Also, she had burned Countie's sneakers, that the police had told her to not disturb.
Detailed articles...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16404364/detail.html
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080527/GJNEWS_01/899281534/-1/FosNEWS
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080527/NEWS/80527030/-1/rss95
05/23/08
"It's Either A Rabbit Or A Pedophile."
Sheila LaBarre's Shambled Home
Sergeant Sean Gallagher was the first to testify for the defense, this morning. He's been working for the Epping police department since 1995.
Gallagher had been at Sheila's farm at least 2 times a year for 13 years, with complaints. He also received calls.
He got a dispatch call to handle an unruly person at a Wal-mart. Whith him was Detective Richard Coty.
He found Sheila taking pictures in the produce/frozen food isle. He said she was voice-tress and undisciplined. She told Gallagher she was taking pictures because she wanted to sue Wal-mart.
He saw Countie in a wheelchair with injuries, and not looking well. He was sitting in the wheel chair slumped over with an ashy look on his skin, with cuts on his face and hands.
She was asked to leave Wal-mart. She paid for her groceries and walked out with the officers and Countie, who was leaning over the cart as they walked.
Gallagher watched them leave.
Seven days later, on March 24, 2006, Gallagher was on night duty when he got a phone call at 1:00 am, from Sheila LaBarre. She was returning a call he had requested through messages. He wanted to ask her if she knew where Countie was. She began to cry hysterically.
LaBarre asked Gallagher to listen to a tape. He heard her voice say she was a Justice of the peace. She was questioning Countie about rapes of several children, the ages of 6, 7, 8. Her demeanor on the tape was angry. Countie was answering "yes" in a muffled voice. LaBarre yelled at Countie to "talk right." Then he heard a gurgling noise as if someone was heaving.
He could hear Sheila wailing in the background, while the tape was playing, crying and screaming "Why...why...why?"
Gallagher heard Sheila on the tape telling Countie to stop faking that he was throwing up. Then, he heard her telling Countie to stop faking that he fainted. The tape finished after 10 minutes.
Gallagher asked her where Kenneth Countie was, and said that if everything on the tape was true she should be happy to tell him.
That night, when Gallagher came back on duty, he and Detective Coty, pulled up to the Sheila's unlit home. Using his car lights and a flashlight, they approached. He saw a burned mattress in the front yard. He examined it, and then saw a second burn pile. It was about 10 feet from the house, partially covered with fresh hay.
While examining the pile he saw a knife with a partialy melted handle, a chair, limb clippers, and a bone, approximately 3 1/2 inches long with a large portion of flesh attached.
Sergeant Gallagher went to the front door of the farm house, and knocked several times. When there was no answer, he tried to open the door, to do a well being check, after given permission from headquarters. It was at this time that Sheila came up the road. She asked what they were doing. They told her they were looking for Kenneth Countie.
LaBarre allowed them to search the house, but to no avail.
They then asked Sheila about the bone in the burn pile. She said it was from a rabbit. Detective Cody told her it was too big to be a rabbit bone. She then said it was "either a rabbit or a pedophile". When asked why she said it was a pedophile, she denied saying it.
They spent an hour and a half at the LaBarre home that night.
Sergeant Gallagher was worried that it was a bone of Kenneth Countie, in that fire pit, and search warrants were issued.
The prosecution questioned Gallagher about a February 1, 2001, criminal mischeif call at the LaBarre residence.
Gallagher testified that when he arrived to the house, Sheila LaBarre showed inappropriate behavior by becoming overly flirtatious with him. He had told her to "knock it of", but she continued. She asked if he wanted to look at a collage of nude and partially nude pictures of her, and he declined. At that point she tried to rub up against him. He told her to "knock it off", again, and left the house. She stood on the porch and made two deep sighs, which caused him to turn around and look at her. She place one hand on her breast and one hand on her thigh and started rubbing herself.
Her actions made him so uncompfortable that a mandate was created to where two officers were to go to the LaBarre home, should there be future calls.
Just before the lunch break, when asked, Gallagher said that LaBarre had never mentioned, or complained, about pedophilia over the 13 years he has worked for the police department.
After lunch the prosecution continued his questioning.
Detective Coty found a pair of sneakers in the basement. Coty asked to take the sneakers but Sheila said, "No." He then told her not to move them and she said she wouldn't.
He asked to take the fleshy bone from the pile, and she said,"No." She then asked them to leave.
The following day they went back to the farm to find a dirty, discheveld Sheila LaBarre. Sheila had disturbed the burn pile while sifting through it.
The prosecution reiterated that before the 24th of March, she had never mentioned living with a pedophile, and never mentioned Michael Deloge.
The next to testify was Richard Coty, a detective with the Epping police department for the past 8 years.
The defense questioned Coty about the day he went to LaBarre's farm and found the burn piles. Coty's recollection of events were, basically, the same as Gallagher's.
The defense asked about the search of the house. When Coty questioned LaBarre about the sneakers found in the basement, Sheila said the shoes weren't Kenneths. When Coty told her that he recognized them as the shoe's he had on at Walmart, she replied that she hated Kenneth.
Coty described the house as messy, smelly and falling apart. The description was one of a house you might find in a horror movie. There were no toilet seats on the toilet, wall paper peeling, animal feces, hay, missing screen door, torn up lenolium, blood on the walls, and near the bed frame, and much more. The house smelled because of some sort of rotting steak in the sink.
The sneakers were gone.
Court recessed early for the Memorial Day week-end. The trial wil resume on Tuesday morning.(NLH)
05/22/08
"He's in the Bag"
This morning the defense played another video tape of a second interview with Sheila LaBarre.
There were two new officers Interrogating Sheila about her statements that she made when officers came to her house a second time, the following day. She had been standing outside with a Wal-mart bag, and when she was asked,"Where's Kenny?", she answered, "He's in the bag." She told them that the bones needed to be tested.
She, then, asked the chief to shoot her that day.
She said she thought that maybe Kenny has set himself on fire, but she wasn't sure the bones, that were mixed with the other things she had been burning that day, on top of the mattress her and Kenny had slept on.
She continued to say she had nothing to do with Countie's death or disappearance. She gave the police one excuse after another and continued to make up lies as she went along, contradicting herself.
State police Sgt. Robert Estabrook raised his voice and accused LaBarre of lying about Countie's death during her during the interrogation.
"Am I looking in the eyes right now of a cold-blooded killer or someone who might have been involved in an accident?" Estabrook said.
"I'm not a cold-blooded killer," LaBarre said.
Dr. Malcolm Rogers said that LaBarre was denying obvious facts because they didn't fit into her view of reality.
Prosecutor Jim Boffetti challenged Rogers' conclusions. He asked Rogers whether LaBarre seemed in control of herself during the tapes and whether she was trying to be deceptive to police.
Boffetti noted that a psychologist who examined LaBarre in 1998 didn't find any sign of psychotic behavior. He also asked Rogers if he knew for a fact that LaBarre was in a psychotic state when she killed Countie and Deloge.
Read full article details...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16361742/detail.html?rss=man&psp=news
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/NEWS/80522020/-1/rss01
05/21/08
No more Tide--Use a Bic
A second taped interview, from March 27, 2006, with Sheila LaBarre was shown to the jury, today. The tape lasted the majority of the day.
LaBarre continued to say that she had no idea where Kenneth Countie was.
The two new officers asked about a burnt bone in the fire pit in her front yard, LaBarre maintained it could have come from one of her dead rabbits.
LaBarre was questioned about the burning she was doing on the second day with her encounter with police at her farm. When questioned about this, LaBarre said she was burning clothes and other household items and that she ran into the house because she felt intimidated by the police. She also said she was sifting through the ashes looking for rabbit bones and metal objects.
She even reported that she would burn her own laundry if she didn't feel like doing it.
Police said that during this visit, LaBarre asked one of the officers to shoot her and she exclaimed she wanted to go to heaven. The officers asked why she would say that and if she wanted to die, but LaBarre played it off like she was joking, a claim the police threw back in her face.
"You weren't joking. To me you were panicked. You were screaming. You're crying. You're hysterical," said Police Sgt. Robert Estabrook. "You're making it sound like a casual joke. It was not."
The tape showed LaBarre apparently having trouble focusing. She went from answering a question to drifting off to subjects such as her health or her finances. At one point, she suddenly has to put lotion on her legs.
For full resource details....
www.boston.com
http://www.wmur.com/news/16351364/detail.html
Also...
PORTSMOUTH — Two dozen local high school students took a field trip to Rockingham County Superior Court on Wednesday when they observed legal debate over the competency of Sheila LaBarre to stand trial for two murders.
Read article...
www.seacoastonline.com
05/20/08
Sheila Pulled A Rabbit Out Of Her...
Sheila pulled a rabbit out of her animal carrier while she was in the middle of her police interrogation soon after Kenny Countie went missing. (Rabbit bones were in the same fire as Countie's bones).
Instead of audio tapes, the jury watched a video of LaBarre's statements to the police, for the better part of the day.
During the tapes, LaBarre referred to Kenneth Countie as Adam, as she said he had changed his name to "Adam Olympian LaBarre".
When questioned about reports that she had been seen pushing Countie at a Wal-Mart while he was in a wheelchair, she said that the wheelchair incident was a joke and that the cuts people reported seeing on Countie were caused by an accident at home.
For more details of today's proceedings.....
http://www.wmur.com/news/16339242/detail.html
www.boston.com
05/19/08
Judge Can't Hack It
I heard an awful sound, coming from my office window, while I was getting ready for the video feed of the trial to start this morning. It sounded like my neighbor's dog was in real trouble, hacking and howling at the same time. I rushed into my office only to find that the trial had started and more of Sheila LaBarre's evidence tapes were being played by the defense.
After about 45 minutes, or so, court recessed for the day. because the judge became ill. (Maybe from the howling, hacking sounds?)
Luckily I found some good resources for information about what was on the tape.....
Dr. Malcolm Rogers, forensic psychologist took the stand again this morning to explain to the jury what the meaning of the tape they were listening to was.
On recordings played for the jury Monday, LaBarre interviews Countie as if taking a legal deposition. LaBarre accuses Countie's mother, Carolynn Lodge, of sexually abusing her son and a young girl.
Countie can be heard clearly answering yes to LaBarre's questions and says he hates his mother and wants his family to leave him alone.
Rogers said LaBarre's thoughts are her attempts to project her personal experience with sexual abuse as a child onto other people. He said the thoughts, feelings of paranoia and irrational accusations are symptoms of mental illness.
"It's pretty clear Mr. Countie is just passively repeating what she has really pushed him into doing," said Rogers. "Whether this is conscious or not, this is an effort to alienate Mr. Countie from his mother."
But he testified he believes LaBarre did believe what she was saying.
Read article details.....
www.boston.com
http://www.wmur.com/news/16327997/detail.html
05/17/08
Friday's Testimony
Sheila Labarre's Progression Into Insanity?
It was a short day in court Friday, in the Sheila LaBarre trial. The defense continued to play the audio tapes that they assert proves her insanity.
Dr. Malcom Rogers was on the stand this morning, explaining LaBarre's behavior confirmed the different medical conditions he has opined, and how they have progressed over the years.
Rogers pointed out how LaBarre overreacted to perceived threats to her.
The tapes displayed the grandiosity and control she pressured on persons of all standings, from the police to a simple telemarketer who HUNG UP ON HER.
She would try to influence her position with them by giving false social standings, from a lawyer, millionaire, to an angel sent from heaven.
Other tapes played for the jury revealed LaBarre’s tumultuous relationship with another man, James Brackett. In one recording, LaBarre yells at Brackett to leave her property. Brackett yells back, accusing LaBarre of assaulting him and breaking his teeth. She ignores his complaints, however, and repeats the words "coffee" and "hot coffee" as Brackett confronts her.
In another tape with Brackett, LaBarre talks about killing a dog with a gun or a hammer. LaBarre, like in many of her recordings, abruptly veers the conversation to accusations that Brackett is a pedophile. At one point Brackett yells, "I am going to be in hell," to which LaBarre replies, "No, you are already in hell."
These tapes with Brackett show LaBarre’s potential for violence, said Rogers.
"It certainly implies anger and (that) if she could kill a dog, she could certainly kill him," said Rogers. "He managed to leave. One suspects if he had not, he might have been another victim."
Rogers said,"The best I can do is to try to construct the pattern of deterioration, but I do think it occurred and that she became more floridly bizarre and psychotic."
"I think that her perception of reality was significantly impaired, and again, the major theme that has gone through this period and her perception of reality was most impaired was in the degree of pedophilia in most of the population and, in particular, the men she became involved with," Rogers said.
"My reaction is that this is just totally bizarre," Rogers said. "And any sort of veneer of normality is missing in this conversation."
At the end of Friday, the defense played two different tapes LaBarre recorded with her second victim, Countie, in the room. On the first tape, LaBarre is heard saying, "This is an investigation into the possible assassination of President Bush." She also says Countie has "threatened to kill President Bush."
Court recessed shortly after noon.
Read resource story details...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16293671/detail.html
news.bostonherald.com
www.fosters.com
05/15/08
Tape Day in Labarre Case
Forensic psychologist Malcolm Rogers was on the stand again today as they played several hours, of the approximately 330, audio tapes that Sheila LaBarre had recorded between 1990 and 2006.
LaBarre's obsessive focus on pedophilia and the abuse of her animals were two recurring themes in her life, Rogers testified.
Rogers said LaBarre was insane when she killed 23-year-old Kenneth Countie in 2006 and Deloge in 2005. He said these crimes were caused by her mental illness. His determination came after reading police reports, listening to some of LaBarre's many tapes and speaking with her.
The defense has outlined a childhood for LaBarre marked by sexual and physical abuse. Attorneys described her as an avenging angel who believed that nearly all the men in her life were pedophiles.
"At one level, she viewed herself as ridding society and protecting society from the dangers of pedophiles," Rogers said. "In one way, with that kind of bizarre thought process, she didn't view it as morally wrong. I think she understood the legality to her actions."
The defense has outlined a childhood for LaBarre marked by sexual and physical abuse. Attorneys described her as an avenging angel who believed that nearly all the men in her life were pedophiles.
The last tape heard Thursday was of LaBarre singing in a high-pitched voice. Rogers said that in people suffering from schizo-affective disorder, it's common that their mood can change quickly, from anger to giddiness. The singing may have represented such a mood change, Rogers said.
Read in depth details.....
http://www.wmur.com/news/16273434/detail.html
www.concordmonitor.com
www.wmur.com
05/14/08
Wednesday’s Testimony
Wednesday morning the prosecution continued to question Lynn Noojin, Sheila LaBarre’s sister.
She was questioned about some letters that were sent to her from her jailed sister. She admitted that she destroyed most of letters that Sheila sent to her from jail, to protect both Sheila and herself. She says she was afraid of their past childhood abuse going public. Noojin blames the childhood abuse on a number of LaBarre's problems, saying "if you have not been molested, I don't think you can understand what it does to you."
Noojin testified that she hoped her sister would be able to get mental health treatment as she didn’t think she could “live with this in her”. She said, "Without some kind of treatment, things erupt from when you've had a bad childhood. If you have not been molested, I don't think you can understand what it does to you."
A lieutenant, from the NH state police, took the stand, in behalf of the defense, and testified that hundreds of tapes were found with over 1,000 of recorded time. LaBarre was in the habit of tape recording conversations of all kinds. She also recorded calls she made to TeleMates dating service. She would listen to messages that were left for her, by interested men. She would discard the more assertive ones and welcome the weaker, more vulnerable ones. Labarre frequently pushed those she was talking to, into discussing pedophilia or incest. She, also, discussed adopting children for the purpose of sex.
"She responded that she's a black widow and she can devour you without even mating," an investigator said this morning, testifying about a phone call between LaBarre and a man contacted through the TeleMates dating service.
The defense called Dr. Malcolm Rogers, a psychiatrist, to the stand. He went over the various types of mental illnesses and opined that Sheila LaBarre had Schizo-affective disorder with a delusional process going on. Rogers said he thinks LaBarre had a personality disorder since early on in her life.
The defense pointed out, through Dr. Roger's testimony that a sane person wouldn't burn a body in plain sight, and wouldn't say that a bone sticking out of it was either a rabbit or a pedophile. She did try to destroy evidence, but in such a bizarre and disorganized way, that it showed evidence of her psychosis.
They played a recording between LaBarre and Michael Deloge, where she is acting like a reporter or interrogator interviewing him. She has him confessing to crimes of child molesting, and other supposed crimes. He sounds like he's under a lot of distress, speaking softly and answering most of her questions with a "yes". (NLH)
Resources and reading...
wbztv.com
Union Leader
05/13/08
Trial Day 1
Sheila LaBarre's Sister Testifies
The morning started off as expected. The jury went to the LaBarre's farm to view the property where the murders of Kenneth Countie and Michael Deloge occurred. Some of them stood on the porch and peered into the closed windows of the house. Sheila LaBarre stood with her stun belt around her, sobbing as she looked at the farm.
The trial began at 1:15 pm, EDT, with opening statements. Because it's up to the defense to prove that LaBarre was insane at the time of the murders, they gave their statement first.
Attorney Brad Bailey said that LaBarre thought the men and other men in her life were pedophiles and that they were victims of incest. He said she believed people who were "out to get her" were in the woods near her house.
But prosecutors said that while LaBarre may have a mental illness, she should not be considered insane. They said psychiatric experts will testify that she has a mood disorder that leads to much of her behavior.
"She's crude, manipulative, cruel and vindictive," Rice said. "And your common sense will tell you that a person can be any of those things and not be insane."
Lynn Noojin, LaBarre's older sister by four years, was the first witness for the defense.
Noojin told of both physical and possible sexual abuse by her father, as they were growing up and very young.
As Noojin recounted their up-bringing through the years, and beyond, she described a woman, LaBarre, who increasingly showed more and more aggression and strange behavior as the years passed by.
Be sure to stop by our Chat Room and watch the trial with me!
To read the resource details of the day, or watch today's trial video, click on this link...
http://www.wmur.com/news/16251579/detail.html