[16], There were ten fatalities in the shooting, including Cassidy. [20] The shooting began in a conference room in Building B, on the western side of the yard, during a power crew meeting with the local Amalgamated Transit Union president, who was spared. Charles Hill San Jose Police Program Manager/Supervisor Community Service Officer Unit at City of San Jos San Jose, California, United States Gagnon said he got the blood on his shoes after he went inside the Parkers home after police and crime scene had left and removed crime scene tape. The police nabbed the alleged killer quickly, but what followed was a gross miscarriage of justice only to be corrected years on. Hill was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Double murder charges dismissed against Horry County man Gagnon's appeal was heard by the S.C. Court of Appeals after the conviction of Bruce Antwain Hill, 27, of Tabor City, N.C., in September 2011. Hembree also said that Gagnon, while in jail, told a fellow inmate unrelated to the case about another person being involved in the Parkerss murder. Horry County man convicted of murder, serving two life sentences Tabor City man found guilty in 2005 Horry County couple killings - SCNow Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. On August 2, a free bus bridge began serving portions of the Blue and Orange lines between Paseo de San Antonio and Milpitas stations. [5], The day after the shooting, a vigil was held outside San Jose City Hall and attended by hundreds, including the victims' families and many VTA employees, who were dressed in their work attire. The couple had a son named Charlie E. Parker Jr. and a daughter from Dianes previous relationship, Bambi Bennett. A testimony from a former preacher at Murrells Inlet Community Church also helped in clearing up Mullins' fake testimony. Gagnon charged with first-degree murder: Richard Gagnon, who stands accused of shooting and http://bit.ly/pwdvpw etailersXclusive.com. In October 2013, Hill was returned to Horry County, but he invoked his Fifth Amendment right and refused to testify in Gagnons appeal. His hearing was continued until May. [5][30] Six of the victims died in Building B, while the other three died at Building A. [66] Some of these proposals had originally been put forward in 2019 after the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, the previous mass shooting to occur in Santa Clara County, but they were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working as a school secretary with the Horry County School District, Diane loved scourging yard sales for crafts and antiques. According to a DHS official, Cassidy was detained by the officers partly because of red flags regarding sex tourism, but nothing relating to sex tourism was found, and the detention did not result in an arrest or apparently any follow-up action. He had previously filed an appeal, but the state Supreme Court upheld his sentence in July 2014. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered--Who is Bruce Antwain Hill and where is he today. She was dating Gagnon at the time. Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said Hills blood was found inside the Parker home, but at the time of Gagnons trial the blood evidence baffled litigators. Bruce Antwain Hill, 33, of Tabor City, N.C., had filed an appeal after his conviction of the murders of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., both found shot to death April 12, 2005, in their home off. In his closing argument Solicitor Greg Hembree focused on the DNA evidence. The authorities initially thought that Bruce and Richard were co-conspirators of the double homicide, but Bruce declined to know Richard in a prison interview. Sheriff's deputies block access to the VTA Guadalupe Division yard a day after the shooting took place. [6] The city announced and later passed a package of policy proposals intended to curb gun violence, including unprecedented liability insurance and compensation fee requirements for gun owners. 24-year-old Antwain Hill is charged with the 2005 murders of Diane and Charlie Parker. Bruce appealed against his sentence in 2014 but was denied. Richard was finally released in 2013 and his case was dismissed in 2015. [57] The remainder of the Blue Line was restored on September 12,[58] followed by the Green Line south of downtown on September 18. "I hope the truth will come out," Skipper said. Based on witness testimonies and Charles blood found on their footwear, Bambi and her boyfriend, Richard Gagnon, were arrested 2 weeks later by the police. "When Richard Gagnon went on trial for the murders of Charlie and Dianne Parker Court TV was down here broadcasting from the courtroom live," Skipper said. Ex-wife details anger problems, authorities probe whether fires linked to shooting that killed 8", "The San Jose shooter was disciplined for 4 separate incidents prior to killing 9 coworkers, transit company says", "San Jose shooter's work record shows insubordination, unexcused leave", "VTA shooter blew up on radio dispatch, complained about pay, vacation, coworkers say", "US Agents Failed to Share Questioning of Rail Yard Shooter", "Feds failed to tell VTA, law enforcement about San Jose shooter's detention in 2016, officials say", "San Jose leaders honor VTA mass shooting victims", "VTA workers face fear, frustration in wake of San Jose shooting", "At Least 9 People Killed in Shooting at California Light Rail Yard, Suspect Also Dead", "Hundreds gather to honor the nine victims in VTA mass shooting", "San Jose VTA shooting victims honored during city council meeting", "VTA to get $20 million from state after San Jose mass shooting", "San Jose councilmember mourns friend lost in VTA shooting", "Extra buses added after San Jose VTA shooting suspended", "San Jose mass shooting: Muni, SamTrans and more send buses to South Bay", "Replacement Bus Service Along Light Rail Line Begins August 2", "Making More Progress with Light Rail Service", "VTA Light Rail System Fully Operational Saturday, September 18", "VTA light rail is coming back to San Jose", "VTA workers return to site of San Jose mass shooting", "Restarting VTA light rail will take longer than expected, new leader says", "VTA to discuss remodeling site of San Jose mass shooting", "Months after VTA shooting, families face bureaucracy and traumatized survivors return to workplace", "San Jos Leaders Propose Ordinances for Greater Gun Harm Reduction", "San Jose has yet to pull the trigger on gun buybacks", "San Jose mayor renews push for gun control after mass shooting", "San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo Renews Calls For Mandatory Insurance, Annual Fees For Gun Owners Following VTA Shooting", "San Jose becomes largest city in California to mandate video taping of gun purchases", "Three weeks after a mass shooting, San Jose leaders unanimously pass new gun law", "San Jose Will Force Gun Owners to Cover Costs of Gun Violence After Mass Shooting", "San Jose mandates gun owner insurance, annual fee", "California officials to fight to restore assault weapons ban", "California officials decry ruling overturning assault weapons ban", "South Bay congressmembers push for gun control after San Jose VTA shooting", "San Jose wasn't alerted that feds once detained rail yard killer for terrorist books, hateful writings, DA says", "San Jose mayor discusses crime, gun violence with Pres. In court Tuesday, Hill requested a new attorney. [34], Police identified the gunman as 57-year-old VTA employee Samuel James Cassidy. Closed San Jose golf course may become housing [38][39][40] According to coworkers, Cassidy was angered over a change in policy that ended cash payouts for unused vacation days and, in April 2021, aired his grievances over the radio communication system for light rail operators. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered: Where is Richard Gagnon now? - Sportskeeda Richard settled on the Carolina Coast and now has children of his own. Willow Glen Funeral Home. Bruce was born to George and Connie Wagner on October 23, 1961. One of Richards shoes contained traces of Charles blood. "Even though it is a recently developed evidence it's not evidence of Gagnons innocence.. The reason Hill's DNA was entered into the database was never mentioned in the trial. Depends on whom you ask", "Santa Clara County DA: VTA shooter could have been stopped if feds told local authorities about prior detention", "Gunman who killed 9 in San Jose VTA railyard shooting fired 39 rounds, targeted victims", "12 guns, bombs and 25,000 bullets recovered from home of VTA shooter", "San Jose gunman had 22,000 rounds of ammunition at his house, which sheriff's office thinks he set on fire", "VTA Yard Shooting: Gunshots Appear to Have Continued for 10 Minutes After Initial Calls for Help", "Police release dramatic bodycam video of San Jose rail yard shooting", "Horror at the VTA: The unbridled terror, true heroism behind Bay Area's deadliest mass shooting", "Dramatic recordings of VTA employees as a killer stalked them", "8 people slain, suspected gunman kills himself in mass shooting at San Jose rail yard", "San Jose mass shooting: VTA shooter's family apologizes, says he felt lost to them for months", "Diagrams show mayhem during Samuel James Cassidy's rampage at S.J. Cassidy had a "minor criminal history" and was charged in 1983 with misdemeanor obstruction for resisting a peace officer. He was one of the four sons of Lorraine D. Parker and the late William Lloyd Parker Sr. Charles was a deeply religious man, being a member of Tilly Swamp Baptist Church and a member and past Master of various religious congregations. The verdict took jurors less than two and a half hours to reach. However, the defense used false testimony from another convict, Robert Lee Mullins, who had been with Richard during pre-trial detention. [35][36] He had been employed at the VTA since 2001; for his first two years, he was an electro-mechanic, and he was eventually promoted to a substation maintainer position in 2014. North Carolina man seeks relief in South Carolina double homicide [75], Following reports that local law enforcement agencies were not informed by the Homeland Security Department of Cassidy's 2016 detainment, a department spokeswoman said the agency was working to improve information-sharing with other law enforcement agencies. Bruce Antwain Hill allegedly invaded the home of Charles and Diane Parker with the intention to rob them, but he killed them in the process. [25], An August 2016 memo by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described how, after taking a trip to the Philippines, Cassidy was detained by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a secondary inspection. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. [9] Agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. Bruce was sentenced to life in prison for both charges in September . Bruce spent much of his life milking cows and when he sold his dairy cattle, he bought his first herd of beef cattle. All rights reserved. Black Protestant church still vital despite attendance drop, Will he run? Bruce Hill (Appellant) challenges two evidentiary rulings by the circuit court and argues that his rights under the Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act (IAD) were violated. Also, read Diane and Charles Parker Murder | Where is Bruce Antwain Hill Now? News 13 attempted to contact the parkers daughter Bambi Bennett who was inititally arrested on charges of involvement with the deaths but was later released. Hill was convicted of two counts of murder and burglary and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2011. Hill was accused of two counts of first-degree murder for Charles and Diane and . It's place in this cardboard box that had already been marked on it. An investigation is underway after a shooting at a bar off of Highway 544 near Cox Ferry Road. PDF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA In The Supreme Court He has settled on the Carolina Coast. However, the CBP agents apparently prioritized sex tourism in their questioning of Cassidy, noting "sex friendly" hotels that were mentioned in his writings and his text messages with women in the Philippines. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder and 30 years of jail time for the first-degree burglary charge. Since the shooting, bus operations were relocated to a temporary facility as the VTA took steps to restore light rail service,[60] including retraining and recertifying drivers and giving operators tours of the Guadalupe yard. Please logout and login again. We affirm. Diane Parker (I) on IMDb: Movies, Tv, Celebrities, and more. Horry County Police Investigator Todd Cox said police then took another sample of Hill's DNA and had it tested and compared to the blood evidence gathered in 2005. 2023 www.fayobserver.com. [59], The shooting caused significant damage to light rail operation and control equipment. Attorney Greg Hembree's closing speech centered on the DNA evidence. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is ready to dive into the brutal double murder of Charles and Diane Parker at the hands of Bruce Antwain Hill, a convicted murderer and robber. "I think the whole community is interested in what happens in this trial, and I'm sure the family members are," Skipper said. Richard Gagnon was convicted of murdering Charlie and Diane Parker but Bruce Antwain Hill was the real killer. [2] He received his BFA at the Artisanry, Boston University in 1983 studying with Richard Hirsh and Christopher Gustin. Lets dive in, then! Hill did not testify, and defense attorney Ron Hazzard did not call any witnesses. Bruce was born to George and Connie Wagner on October 23, 1961. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Charles Edward Parker Sr. was born in Conway in Horry County, South Carolina, on December 22, 1950. Since the 2005 deaths of Charlie and Diane Parker a second person is now charged with killing the Horry County couple. [22] Before their deaths, some of the victims had led coworkers to safety. It wasn't until 2009 that Bruce was finally arrested after his DNA matched the unidentified DNA at the Parkers' home while he was detained for another home invasion charge. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered--Who is Bruce Antwain Hill - Sportskeeda Bambi was released later due to a lack of evidence tying her to the crime. Solicitor Greg Hembree said Bruce Antwain Hill, of Tabor City, was linked to the case by DNA evidence four years after those murders. Bruce Hill, 26, of Tabor City, N.C., in court on Tuesday. Investigation Discoverys Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent: Shattered Dreams lays down the facts and follows the complex trials meticulously, making it easier for the viewers to understand. Richard Gagnon was charged, and a jury convicted him in 2008. By LUIS ANDRES HENAO Gagnon said he got the blood on his shoes after he went inside the Parkers home after police and crime scene had left and removed crime scene tape. However, Horry County Police had released that information in June of 2009; Hill was being processed through a prison in Tennessee when his DNA sample was taken and entered in the database. His DNA was found at the crime scene, but that did not lead the investigators to any place concrete. Gagnon successfully appealed his case and is awaiting a new trial. In the car with Hill was Kahlil Moore, Beatty said, a former employee of Charlie Parker's glass business. The Sun News reports 33-year-old Bruce Antwain Hill, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the deaths of Diane and Charles Parker Sr., requested a new attorney Tuesday, as part of an application for post-conviction relief.