A Little "Mea Culpa" For Ya

Reinforcing Bar

Two days ago our blog posted a chart outlining three local manslaughter cases. We listed the sentence for Neler Keeton as 15 years, when in actuality it was 20. Mea Culpa. That's the max for Manslaughter in Alabama; yes, he really ticked off the judge, but did he deserve it?

Our fellow blogger D.K. feels that he did. Shoalanda herself doesn't, and it's a point on which we have always disagreed. Keeton was guilty from the moment he escaped to his house and didn't call 911, but before that?

Anthony Hunt was 35 years Keeton's junior, and co-workers reported he had a hot temper when crossed. He wanted to make sure Keeton had little or no access to his own grandson, and he got his wish. He just wound up dead in accomplishing his goal. No, he didn't bring the rebar to Mr. Keeton's property, but he did use it. The prosecution contended Hunt hit Keeton accidentally, but no one has ever explained how he hit his former father-in-law on the forehead. Just how does that happen?

Now Mr. Keeton is serving a 20 year sentence, but what about Hershel Graham? He shot David Andrasik, a man with no weapon, one too inebriated to harm anyone, and received two years. We think D.K. agrees this is totally unacceptable. What about Chris Martin? Just as Hunt had dropped the rebar before Keeton shot him, Grant Campbell had dropped the knife before Mr. Martin shot him. It will be interesting to see what a Colbert County jury thinks about this case.

*****

We'll elaborate on a personal opinion here (and we're pretty sure D.K doesn't share it). Any 40 year old man who hits a 75 year-old man over the head in anger just might very well be better removed from the gene pool. No, we don't advocate shooting anyone, but nevertheless it was no great loss to mankind. Hunt was at worst a man who could not control his anger and at best a 40 year old who couldn't take a 75 year old in a fight without using what could have been a lethal weapon.



Shoalanda

Neler Keeton & Hershel D. Graham: Similar Crimes?

David Andrasik & Daughter

Neler Keeton was a 75 year-old resident of Zip City when he fatally shot Anthony Eugene Hunt. Red Bay resident Hershel D. Graham was 49 when he killed David Martin Andrasik. Are there similarities to these killings two counties and five years apart? We think there are.

2006 - Keeton's former son-in-law Tony Hunt, 40, had divorced his wife and quickly remarried. The younger man had custody of his two children, and Keeton was vocal in his unhappiness with what he considered inadequate visitation. A widower, Keeton often visited his grandson and granddaughter at school where he would prepare homemade ice cream for their classes.

2011 - Graham lived with his teenage son and was known for his odd behavior. Neighbors stated he had always had mental problems, but his psychological problems had become worse after a career as a professional athlete. Graham was known to let the family dog run loose despite the leash laws in Red Bay. Many say they were afraid to force the issue with him.

2006 - Thursday, May 26th was the last day of the Lauderdale County school term, and Keeton had brought his 10 year-old grandson home in preparation of taking him to a ball game later that day. Just as Keeton and his grandson were leaving, Hunt arrived and the two adults began to argue. Keeton picked up what has been alternately called a piece of rusty pipe or a length of rebar to defend himself. Hunt took the metal from Keeton and struck him in the forehead, causing a cut that later required stitches. It's been argued whether Hunt's actions were intentional or not, but the younger man was taller than Keeton, and an accidental wound seems far fetched. Others disagree.

2011 - Thursday, November 3rd, Andrasik was driving by the Graham home when the family dog ran in front of his car. He exited his vehicle and approached Graham's son about the continuing problems with the pet running loose. The younger Graham called his father, who then joined in the argument.

2006 - Keeton managed to get away from Hunt, running inside his house. Instead of calling 911 to report the attack, Neler Keeton returned to his front yard where he shot Anthony Hunt three times with a shotgun. Hunt died at the scene.

2011 - At some point, the younger Graham ran over Andrasik's foot. The elder Graham then shot the unarmed David Andrasik point blank in the heart, before walking back into the house to call authorities. Andrasik, 42, was pronounced dead minutes later at Red Bay Hospital.

2007 - A Lauderdale County Jury finds Neler Keeton guilty of manslaughter; Judge Mike Jones sentences him to 20 years in prison.

2012 - A Franklin County grand jury will hear the case against the Grahams this month. What will they find? We sincerely hope justice is served.

Justice for David Martin Andrasik

Shoalanda

Comments welcome. No profanity. No vulgarity. No libelous statements. Get it? Got it! Good...

Death in Red Bay: David Andrasik

David Martin Andrasik

It was 5:30 p.m. last Thursday when a dog crossed the path of David Andrasik of Red Bay. The small western Colbert County town has a leash law, and Andrasik was ostensibly upset that the dog's owners were not keeping their pet confined and out of harm's way. Stopping his car, Andrasik confronted the 17 year-old boy whom he believed to be the owner of the dog. The boy's father stated Andrasik appeared agitated and he entered the verbal altercation in support of his son.

The father also stated he asked Andrasik to leave; however, at no point did either the father or son retreat to the house to call for police. After the argument migrated into the back yard of the dog owner's property, the father stated he felt threatened and shot the 42 year-old Andrasik, a 1987 Gulf High School graduate originally from Port Richey, Florida.

Hind sight is always perfect. We may ask why Andrasik didn't simply report the misdemeanor to the appropriate party the next morning. We may never know why he decided to chastise the dog's owners for their lapse. We may never know why one of the dog's owners took matters into his own hands instead of calling for police. We do know that David Andrasik was pronounced dead at approximately 6:00 p.m. A spokesperson for Red Bay Hospital said Andrasik died from a single gunshot to the chest. His death will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury to determine if the shooter will be tried for felony murder or some lesser crime. The Red Bay Police have not yet announced the name of the shooter, but we will publish it as soon as it's made available.

Each case is different, and certainly each county prosecutor has his or her own personal litmus tests to apply to such crimes. Still, there is a great similarity to the shooting of Anthony Hunt in 2006. Hunt entered his former father-in-law's property in Lauderdale County where he attacked Neler Keeton. The elderly Keeton then shot Hunt three times, causing the younger man's death. Keeton is now serving a prison sentence for his unfortunate over-reaction to Hunt's attack.

Besides being employed in production at Sunshine Mills in Red Bay, David Andrasik had a keen interest in martial arts. According to Florida corporation records, the shooting victim owned a half interest in a martial arts enterprise, Pasco Himitsu Dojo, in New Port Richey. Andrasik was also step-father to two children, as well as having a new infant who turned two weeks-old on November 5th. Our contacts at Sunshine Mills have told us David was well liked by everyone and the entire plant has been in shock over his violent death.

We wish to offer our sincerest sympathies to David's widow Carla, his family, and his friends who have vowed to fight for the truth. Rest assured we will follow this case as it is presented to the Franklin County grand jury.



Shoalanda

Matrimony: Holy & Unholy/Date Rape Safety

Former Lauderdale Circuit Judge Jimmy Sandlin & Former C.I.T.Y. Director Rhonda Bogus

Oh, the irony...Jimmy Sandlin runs for Lauderdale County Circuit Judge on the platform or saving marriages and divorces his wife. He then becomes a divorce mediator/facilitator and marries his long time girl friend. Wonder if he's found her a government job in Huntsville yet?

Related post: Huntsville Mediation

*****

More irony on the marital front: Legal eagle sources tell us that Malana Gay Grissom White, currently under indictment for the attempted murder of her husband's former wife and mother-in-law, will plead not guilty and accuse her victims Christy and Mona Tucker of custodial interference.

It will be interesting to see how the Lauderdale District Attorney's office handles that defense. It was after all the charges of custodial interference that helped in the conviction of Neler Keeton in the manslaughter death of his former son-in-law Anthony Hunt.

*****

Apparently Lexington's answer to Thomas A. Edison has met a road block in the sales of his Date Rape Coasters. Francisco Guerra and partner Brian Glover had invented an index card size detector that supposedly identified the presence of GHB and ketamine, common date rape drugs.

Michael Ioffe of the Tel Aviv University has now invented a much smaller device that is 100% effective in identifying the same two drugs and will send a notice to the tester's cell phone if the results are positive, as well as providing color changes for those who don't mind holding the ultra small strip up to the light in a crowded club. Perhaps the answer is not to frequent those clubs in the first place?



Shoalanda