This is a compelling read - story by Jim Nolan and Mark Holmberg of The TimesDispatch. It's possible that Ashley Baskerville was an accomplice in the Harvey family murders before becoming a murder victim herself, along with her family. It would be interesting and upsetting if she initially hooked up with Dandridge through his Internet based ad.
An unlocked door is mentioned as having given access to the Harvey home. And what Dandridge and Gray netted in the robbery seems to amount to little more than a PC and some electronics. How senseless. How sad.
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/13582215.htm
Looks like the Extradition hearing will be at 12:30 today. Also police are looking into other violent crimes,up & down I-95 from PA, MD, & VA, including something in Arlington County, where gray is from, in connection with the two arrestees.
Posted by: k | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 11:55 AM
Sad? yed, It's sad, because Ashley probably though it was all about the free stuff. I'd add sick, twisted, and monstrous to the affair. I don't think it all about the free stuff so much as all about the act of stealing, the act of robbing, and the entertainment value of tormenting people. Maybe the measliness of the haul made them vicious, but I doubt it. I think the measly haul was the macguffin. They wanted the excitement of being bad-ass thugs. They were on a spree. Which, incidentally, sometimes begin with the murder of a close relative or intimate associate:
WPVI is reporting they are both suspects in the murder of Gray's wife, who was killed in November shortly after Dandridge got out of prison.
"35-year-old Treva Gray was found beaten and strangled in a wooded area on November 5th. The killing happened just days after Dandridge finished serving a 10-year prison sentence for robbery and went to live with the couple in their Pittsburgh area home."
Posted by: SarahW | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 12:09 PM
If it's true, may she rot in Hell. I wonder what people think about Richmond? This is reminiscent of the Briley brothers back in the late '70s.
Posted by: heheh | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 12:30 PM
The only thing sad is that 6 INNOCENT people had to die. She saved us some tax dollars. Sorry.
Posted by: Teresa | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 12:54 PM
There is no hell, Ashley is stinking like the rest of them. Ashley's stinking mother was no innocent. She is partially responsible for this shit happening! She and Ashley should have studied survival of the fittest. You think if you abandon kids that they will grow up to be productive? Ashley's mother and other family members knew Ashley was a grimey hoe. The only innocents were the lily girls. The Harveys were not innocents! The grieving couple who recently had two teenage daughters killed by a drunk driver, opened the door for the trio, and got robbed, they are not innocents either. People that leave their homes unlocked, and people who are stupid enough to open the door without knowing who is on the other side are not innocents, they are active participants.
We are a grimey nation, and if you choose to believe anything else, and you live according to that belief, don't cry victim when your 10 year old lets the big black boogie man in your trailer and you get prison raped for 5 hours while one child is locked in a closet, and and your other kids are in another room. Who thinks that the two recent Prince George rape/beating/robery incidents may also be connected to the Dandridge and Gray hoodrats?
Posted by: Black B | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 01:48 PM
Black- you are harsh. These other people did nothing wrong. Yes, I believe with the way things are today, we must keep our doors locked but the Harvey's did not deserve this. As for Ashley's mother, maybe she tried other things before signing her over, we don't know what happened there. The family in Chesterfield made it out of this alive and I believe only because Ashley knew those two girls that were killed in the car wreck. The blame is only on the asswipes that did this.
Posted by: Teresa | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 02:11 PM
IMO if two Caucasian men had brutally slaughtered an African American family, including two tiny children, we would have major riots in the streets right now. People will not forget this, it is a MAJOR blow to relations between the races in this country, as well as being a horrific tragedy.
Posted by: naturalangel | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 03:15 PM
My disconnect in this case is why the men picked the Harvey house. The house is one of the less expensive houses in that area. They certainly didn't go up and down the street trying or knocking on doors. The only thing I can surmise is that there was some connection between the Harveys and Baskerville. Baskerville's mother's house is about one mile as the crow flies ffrom the Harvey's house.
Posted by: heheh | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 03:24 PM
My disconnect in this case is why the men picked the Harvey house. The house is one of the less expensive houses in that area. They certainly didn't go up and down the street trying or knocking on doors. The only thing I can surmise is that there was some connection between the Harveys and Baskerville. Baskerville's mother's house is about one mile as the crow flies ffrom the Harvey's house.>>>
I have wondered that also. Did Ashley ever work at the daycare? Did she work at the store? Did she babysit? Something??? She was somehow connected to the other people.
Posted by: teresa | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 03:48 PM
Don't know T. The family has been told to keep quiet by LE. I guess we'll find out at some point.
Posted by: heheh | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 03:54 PM
"People will not forget this, it is a MAJOR blow to relations between the races in this country. . . ."
________
Sadly, I doubt this will prove true. The race angle will be downplayed since 3 of 7 were non-white and Richmond is majority non-white.
It will be interesting to see why the male thugs turned on the non-male thug.
Posted by: echobravo | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 03:57 PM
BlackB- WOW, I hope you find the help you deserve, being that angry must be difficult at best. I don't believe any of these people deserved to be killed, maybe not even Ashley. Of course, this is just my opinion.
As far as playing the race card in this situation... how often do you see whites playing the race card? I live in Memphis, it is 80% African American... white folks don't get the race card to play with. This has nothing to do with race, this is about two (maybe 3 if you count Ashley) Criminals MURDERING a peaceful family with two small and beautiful children. It takes a brutality that not many of us is capable of understanding for one to stab another, let alone to slash the throats of 4 individuals, one-by-one as their family members witness it.
They are cold blooded killers, plain and simple.
Posted by: jadensmokes | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 04:15 PM
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PA_RICHMOND_SLAYINGS_VAOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US
They agreed to be extridited back to Virginia. Let's hope their arrest, trial and conviction go this quickly as well.
Posted by: jadensmokes | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 04:36 PM
This is truly horrific. A family wiped out...for what? A few hundred dollars worth of electronics? And the way they were killed, beaten, with their throats cut. Two LITTLE GIRL with their throats cut. The photos of these two precious children will make your heart break. These two men are evil, that is right, evil. And if Ashley Baskerville was their accomplice in the Harvey murders, and I believe that she was, then she is also responsible for the deaths of her own parents, in addition to the Harveys. I will shed no tears for her. And I hope the two male sociopaths get tried, convicted, sentenced to death, and executed as soon as possible.
Posted by: Cynthia | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 06:03 PM
Holy cow Black. That was some harsh stuff. People are not innocent if they leave their door open? Especially when they are expecting company?
The 2 little girls deserved to die because their parents were having a chili cookoff?
When I go to a friends house to help cook for a party I ALWAYS know which door is left open, or at least where the key is hidden so I can let myself in and start what I have to do.
Posted by: melissa | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 07:44 PM
In no way whatsoever were the Harvey's responsible for thier own deaths and those of thier little angels. They were in THIER own home during the day waiting for Stella to come home and then later for guests to arrive. If the door was locked, who's to say they did not come knocking with the tale of a broken down car or needing directions. Perhaps that's what Ashley was for, to knock and wait for someone to answer and then maybe the Harvey's were ambushed by these good for nothing low life thugs.
Posted by: abigail | Monday, January 09, 2006 at 08:23 PM
When I think about race at it relates to this story, I'm not thinking about how the disparity brings out the worst in everybody. Richmond is 60% black, 20% below the poverty line, and the 5th most dangerous city in the country. However, the violence that goes on here is as segregated as the old south ever has been. But race didn't surface when the two black suspects were arrested. It started when the Harvey family was discovered. On that same day a black father and daughter were murdered in Richmond. They're getting so little attention. Although this is a particularly heinous killing spree, it is dwarfed by the amount of murder and violence experiences by blacks in Richmond. Murders of black families in Richmond is standard fare. When something aweful happens to whites, it's portrayed differently. The fact is that blacks and whites see events like these through very different lenses.
Posted by: Doggy Dog | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 07:40 AM
GC01003719-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON FEL.POSS.BURGLARY TO Felony 05/03/01 Nolle Prosequi
GC01003720-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON TRESPASS Misdemeanor 05/03/01 Guilty Yes
GC01003721-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON UNLAWFULLY TAMPER W/ Misdemeanor 05/03/01 Guilty Yes
GC01003722-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON UNLAWFULLY TAMPER W/ Misdemeanor 05/03/01 Nolle Prosequi
GC01003723-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON CONCEALED WEAPON Misdemeanor 05/03/01 Guilty Yes
GC94012033-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON DIP Misdemeanor 01/18/95 Guilty
GC94012034-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON FEL. POSS. COCAINE Felony 01/18/95 Grand Jury
GC98008974-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON DRUNK IN PUBLIC Misdemeanor 07/27/98 Guilty
GC94012412-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON JR. MISD/ACC/FACT/COCAIN Felony 01/18/95 Guilty
GC94012412-01 CASPER, LEWIS AARON JR. SHOW CAUSE SUMMONS/F Show Cause 01/18/96 Dismissed
GC94012413-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON JR. DRUNK IN PUBLIC Misdemeanor 01/18/95 Guilty
GC98003016-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON JR. DRUNK IN PUBLIC Misdemeanor 03/09/98 Guilty Yes
GC97013851-01 CASPER, LEWIS AARON; JR CAPIAS=FTA Capias 02/03/98 Guilty
GC97015166-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON; JR OBSRUCTION OFFICER Misdemeanor 02/03/98 Guilty
GC94009401-01 CASPER, LEWIS AARON; JR. SHOW CAUSE SUMMONS Show Cause 05/02/95 Dismissed
GC97013851-00 CASPER, LEWIS AARON; JR. DRUNK IN PUBLIC Misdemeanor 02/03/98 Nolle Prosequi
The Casper murders- Mr Casper was no saint. My understanding is he did time with Dandridge. Did he come for him or did Casper owe someone else? The Harveys on the other hand were outstanding citizens that had done nothing wrong. I guess Casper's daughter was the innocent victim here just like the Harveys. Alicia Rasin will keep the black murders in the public eye. Who speaks for the whites? I did not see her at the Harvey site and it is in the city. She makes me sick.
Posted by: teresa | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 08:24 AM
Teresa and Doggy Dog: I'm here in Richmond, too. I have to agree with DD on this one. It's really no different than the Behl case and when the young African American girl, whose name I can't recall right now - which probably speaks volumes, went missing at the same time. While Mr. Casper had his problems, there is no indication that his daughter was anything other than a teenager, whose life has now been snuffed out for whatever reason. It's all tragic. I'm not sure we white folks need anyone to speak for us, the media does a pretty good job. After a brief glance, I see nothing in the RTD about the Casper killings, maybe because they have nothing to report.
Posted by: heheh | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 09:13 AM
hehe- I did say Casper's daughter was the innocent victim. Ad for the Behl case, I think her mother made it very public as with Monica, her parents did not want to speak out. I guess she is the one you are talking about. She went with a man she met on the internet??? The police have said they have leads in the Casper nmurders.
Posted by: teresa | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 09:25 AM
"I'm not sure we white folks need anyone to speak for us, the media does a pretty good job."
I agree.
I just want to somehow mutilate the pictures of the two suspects to get my anger out about this, though.
Posted by: p | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 09:27 AM
I actually think if we find out Gray and/or Dandridge are responsible for Treva Gray's death the real tragedy here is that nobody seems to have cared enough to investigate her death very thoroughly. Because if they had done so, seems to me they wouldn't have had to look very far or very hard. And a whole lot of other heartache could have potentially been avoided. How the Washington, PA police managed to let Gray and Dandridge slide under the radar on this one, and then take off out of state no less, is beyond me. Sure, they could be innocent of this crime, but it seems a little coincidental to me that she was killed 10 days after Dandridge was released from jail and came to stay with them. Hmm, two convicted felons and a dead wife, I wonder who did it?
Posted by: blueser | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 02:19 PM
The news said Treva had not been married to Ricky very long. She was a mother of 3? or 4?
Treva's stepfather said he believed "he" was guilty of murdering Treva (assume he meant Ricky). He said "he" had scratch marks on him, but claimed they were passion marks. The stepfather believes that if the PA police had investigated her murder a bit more, Gray and/or Dandridge would be in jail in PA and the Richmond families would be alive today.
Posted by: p | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 03:13 PM
p- I watched that interview last night. To think that all of this could have been avoided is terrible.
Posted by: teresa | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 03:41 PM
It also could have been avoided if Dandridge and Gray were not "monsters". Who does this? Why? Who has no empathy for life, even thier own? Did they actually think that they would get away with all of these crimes? One maybe, but they got selfish and sloppy. They must really like prison. Read that Gray had cuts (saw the picture as well) and bruises. Hope Bryan Harvey got a good wack at him with that box cutter...or any of his victims for that matter.
Posted by: abigail | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 07:31 PM
"Read that Gray had cuts (saw the picture as well) and bruises. Hope Bryan Harvey got a good wack at him with that box cutter...or any of his victims for that matter."
I hope so, too, Abigail.
I heard there was a scuffle when the SWAT team was arresting them, so I assumed he "looked beaten" from the cops wrestling him or possibly the cops just beating him on purpose.
Posted by: p | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 07:40 PM
Damn, they make me angry! I was fairly down Sunday about it and decided to go shopping. Well, I ended up at Target at Stratford Hills (closest Taget to my house) and it's on Forest Hill which turns into Semmes which 31st street is off of. Got there and was thinking, "oh, no I bet they shopped here", so it just made my mood worse. Came home and sacked out on the sofa. Maybe he got his "wounds" from the Police, but I still hope a victim fought hard and got him/them good. Should have aimed for the heart though--oh wait, they don't have one.
Posted by: abigail | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 08:21 PM
abby- I think I am going to blow their pics up and take them to the shooting range this weekend. Get some anger out.
Posted by: teresa | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 02:11 PM
Black B
There are no excuses to murder. And the race deal is shit for an excuse, along with judging others who you do not know. What a bully.
Posted by: southern girl | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 03:23 PM
I know both of these men personally. I dated Mr. Grey for 5 years. This is a complete shock to all who know him and it very disharding to those who knew him intimatly. He never in the 9 years I have known him showed any type of violent tendencies toward anyone we hung around or myself. If they are in fact guilty they deserve what they get.
Posted by: Rathernotsay | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 04:17 PM
Usually when I know someone for 9 years I can spell their name, but hey, that's just me.
Did he not serve time in prison? That should have been a tip off right there, or perhaps this is after you got to know him. Dandridge spent 11 years at James River Correctional and not by accident. These two are as guilty as guilty gets. You don't resist arrest while a swat team is surrounding the house if you're not. JMO.
Posted by: abigail | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 07:01 PM
abby- I think I am going to blow their pics up and take them to the shooting range this weekend. Get some anger out.
Posted by: teresa | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 02:11 PM
Take some shots for me as well, and while your at it, take a box cutter and give 'em some slashes. I'm going to hell for being vengeful!
Posted by: abigail | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 07:22 PM
I know both of these men personally. I dated Mr. Grey for 5 years. This is a complete shock to all who know him and it very disharding to those who knew him intimatly. He never in the 9 years I have known him showed any type of violent tendencies toward anyone we hung around or myself. If they are in fact guilty they deserve what they get.
Posted by: Rathernotsay | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 04:17 PM
Sad for you but PLEASE do not call him a MAN or Mr. It is a piece of shit.
Posted by: teresa | Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 07:41 AM
To abigail - His name is spelled correctly. The media is spelling it wrong. As they have done his nickname and middle name, but that's neither here no there.
Posted by: rathernotsay | Friday, January 13, 2006 at 09:31 AM
GC06000332-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
MURDER -FIRST DEGREE Complainant:
BEADLES, L.
GC06000333-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
MURDER -FIRST DEGREE Complainant:
BEADLES, L.
GC06000334-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
MURDER -FIRST DEGREE Complainant:
BEADLES, L.
GC06000335-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
MURDER -FIRST DEGREE Complainant:
BEADLES, L.
GC06000336-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
MURDER -FIRST DEGREE Complainant:
BRERETON, W.
GC06000337-00 GRAY, RICKY JAVON 02/15/06 10:00AM Pending
Charge:
GRAND LARCENY Complainant:
I guess the courts are spelling it wrong too!
BRERETON, W.
Posted by: teresa | Friday, January 13, 2006 at 12:02 PM
I guess his ID is wrong....
Posted by: abigail | Friday, January 13, 2006 at 06:48 PM