Taylor Behl - Security Tightened For Hearing

CourtTV's Crime Library is reporting that security will be beefed up at the Mathews County Court House for the pending hearing for suspect Ben Fawley. Fawley is not expected to enter a plea and some legal authorities are predicting an uphill battle for the prosecution in the case.

Mathews County, Va. Authorities at the Mathews County courthouse are bracing for a media onslaught later this week when Benjamin Fawley makes his first court appearance in the slaying of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl.

Additionally, the TimesDispatch offers up an account of the mood around Mathews in the face of the Taylor Behl murder and the pending trial.

MATHEWS It's 7:45 a.m. at Country Cuts just off Route 198 in Mathews, and barber/county supervisor Charlie Ingram and the old boys have been at it now for nearly an hour.

Mostly it's the conversation, not the $11 haircuts (price change effective Oct. 18, 2005) that brings them to the shop, where the barber chairs face away from the mirror, time is told by a clock with a Viagra logo, and a framed picture of fisherman's waders is accompanied by the warning, "It Gets Pretty Deep Around Here."

Comments

[Scott]

"It Gets Pretty Deep Around Here."

Actually, it seems pretty shallow around there to me. Not until the very last line of the article did I read anything but self centered thoughts about poor Mathews County and how this is going to inconvenience them. Pretty selfish and not very empathetic or understanding of the feelings of Taylor's family. I just hope justice is served.

[Diane]

So Collins is going to enter the plea of not guilty on Ben's behalf what's new!!! I personally hope the prosecution has some hard facts and concrete evidence. No doubt in my mind that Ben is going to serve time but the big question will be how much??

[Jontahn]

Actually, according to the Crime Library article, Collins is no longer representing Fawley.

"The 38-year-old part-time photographer — currently being held in Richmond on an unrelated child pornography charge — will be transported Wednesday to this rural, eastern Virginia courthouse for what is expected to be a brief court appearance. He is scheduled to appear before Judge William H. Shaw III, who is expected to name an attorney for Fawley. A tentative trial date may also be set."

Apparently his pro-bono work only holds true as long as there is also publicity involved? I've been very curious as to how Fawley was able to retain such an attorney anyway. It's my understanding that Collins NEVER does Pro-Bono work and is probably one of the top capital defense attorneys in the state... seems dubious, but my best guess is that Collins saw the chance for a media frenzy of publicity. Not that you can blame him really, any publicity is good publicity.

[Dan]

Collins bailed back when the child porn charges were announced.

[abigail]

Was if the child porn crap or the weapons charge? I don't even recall which came first..I guess the weapons charge since they have been dropped and I have not heard anything about the child porn. Was Collins not a "witness" in the weapons thing though because he handled the evidence physically and gave it to a colleague to turn in?

[IslandHney]

Ah, but there are now two new murderers who should definitely be facing the death penalty out of Richmond - Dandridge and Gray. Collins handled their neighbor in Arlington's case - Timothy Spencer - and he got death. I haven't kept up with that case to see if they have attorneys yet, so maybe he'll end up being the attorney for one of them.

[abigail]

I did not know that! Was Spencer just from Arlington and committed murders in Richmond? Was he the "South Side Strangler" or am I confused--again?
Yes, those guys deserve anything! Whatever, if I had it in my heart and mind I would love to take a whack at them with a hammer and box cutter myself, but I faint at the sight of blood and I am human, so I don't even think I could do it to those guys. Hopefully someone else will take care of them...Yes, I'm a wimp and a hypocrite. I want them to get whats coming to them, but I cannot do it. There, I've admitted it. I hate them, but I cannot inject them, hit the switch or take a hammer to their heads as much as my brain wants to. Okay, blast away, I'm off to bed after the last barf chunk laundry is done. Thanks Dan, you gave my kid the vomits through blog! :)

[Diane]

Thanks for the info as I thought Collins was still on the case.I know that he could not represent Ben on the gun charges because of a legal issue on how the guns were turned over.Does anyone know who his new lawyer is?

[IslandHney]

Abby - yes, all three were from the same section of south Arlington. I grew up about a mile from there. Spencer was not only from Arlington, but he murdered a woman near where I used to live. He was indeed also the Southside Strangler. I don't know much about him as the Southside Strangler. How many victims were there? I think I read that he murdered a woman near where the Harveys lived, correct? Anyway, if Collins specializes in death penalty cases, I'm sure these two are potential clients.

[Diane]

Jan. 24, 2006) The lawyer who has represented accused killer Ben Fawley since his arrest last fall on a weapon and child pornography charge will in all likelihood take a back seat on the defense team when Fawley's trial begins, Crime Library has learned.

Instead, local Mathews County lawyer Bill Johnson confirmed to Crime Library that he will take the lead in Fawley's first-degree murder trial in the death of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl. Chris Collins, the veteran lawyer from Richmond who has been Fawley's lawyer since suspicion began gathering around him last fall is expected to assist in the defense on a pro-bono basis.

Just thought I would post part of what I read over at the crime library.

[k]

Today's RTD article with info about Collins it says he is on as a pro-bono, etc.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833636388

[k]

He entered NO PLEA

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0106/297044.html

[abigail]

Abby - yes, all three were from the same section of south Arlington. I grew up about a mile from there. Spencer was not only from Arlington, but he murdered a woman near where I used to live. He was indeed also the Southside Strangler. I don't know much about him as the Southside Strangler. How many victims were there? I think I read that he murdered a woman near where the Harveys lived, correct? Anyway, if Collins specializes in death penalty cases, I'm sure these two are potential clients.

Posted by: IslandHney | Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 09:42 AM

I don't know much about the Southside Strangler or how many vitims he had. I think I was like 10 when it all happened and I think it was the first time I heard about something like that happening. Growing up most younger kids are so sheltered from the "real world" and that's how it should be.

[ClC]

"It Gets Pretty Deep Around Here."

"Actually, it seems pretty shallow around there to me. Not until the very last line of the article did I read anything but self centered thoughts about poor Mathews County and how this is going to inconvenience them. Pretty selfish and not very empathetic or understanding of the feelings of Taylor's family. I just hope justice is served."

well being a resident of Mathews I think I can safely speak for my family, and those that I know who also reside in this County and feel the same way, that not EVERY person feels that the media attention that will ensue, is of inconvenience. I am 100% for justice for Taylor and her family, even if that means it gets into my normal every day life... ie traffic etc.. who cares? it's for a good cause, we owe it to Taylor to put up with the little "inconveniences"... so don't be so quick to judge the whole County there Scott.

[Cynthia]

I have lived in Richmond since 1982; for such a small, conservative city it has an incredibly dark and seamy side. I remember Timothy Spencer, the "South Side Strangler" well. He did not just rape and strangle the women; he tortured them long before actually killing them. He strangled them slowly, would choke them to the point of unconsciousness, then release the ligature. Then he would repeat the process again and again. He raped them with such violence that he tore their vaginas. He masturbated and ejaculated on their bodies. He was a monster. The killers of the Harvey family are cut from the same cloth, as is Ben Fawley. Monsters all around us. If I stopped to think about it, I would probably be so scared I would never venture outside my apartment.

[abigail]

Gee, thanks Cynthia....
He sounds like a real f-cker. Like I said, I was young and just knew he was bad.

[absynthminded]

Murderer: Timothy Spencer
Execution Date: April 27, 1994
Jurisdictions: Arlington County, City of Richmond

Victims:
Susan Tucker,
Debbie Davis,
Susan Hellams
Diane Cho

Spencer was Richmond's "Southside Strangler," whose seemingly random crimes against sleeping female victims terrorized the region in the fall of 1987. Spencer was particularly outrageous as he attacked victims as they slept in their own homes. In one instance, he bound, raped and strangled 15-year-old Diane Cho while her parents and brother slept in the same apartment. He also bound, raped and killed three other women. He was identified as the culprit by DNA evidence and was the first defendant executed as a result of DNA evidence at trial.

After his conviction, Spencer refused to speak with criminal profilers who sought to analyze his behavior and motives for committing the crimes. He died unrepentantly in Virginia's electric chair on April 27, 1994.

http://www.vuac.org/capital/tables2.html

[IslandHney]

Wow - thanks for the background on Spencer ansynthminded and Cynthia. I believe I recall Susan Tucker as being the Arlington victim. When I get a breather, I'll check out the vuac link -

[IslandHney]

sorry - absynthminded - clumsy fingers this morning....

[k]

Two things:
lots of new details RTD 1/26/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833656955

and...what's witht he way the BF always skulks with his hands laced behind his back...he makes me ill

[k]

Two things:
lots of new details RTD 1/26/06
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833656955

and...what's witht the way "the BF" always skulks with his hands laced behind his back...he makes me ill

[k]

Sorry typos and it's double posting again

[Captain Joe]

"the BF" ? the butt F#####?

[k]

Capt, it's whatever you want "the" BF to mean. It is my way of depersonalizing him. If there is the added, common day interpretation then, hey, all the better. He disrespected his relations, "friends", etc. by referring to them as "The" such and such. Absynth, another poster, and I noted his use of "the" way back in mid-late September and believe his use of the word "the" was his way of dehumanizing those people in his life.

[Midwest Anon]

Hey Island Hny,

Are you Absynthminded?

If so, we've missed you

[teresa]

Abby-I went to Spencer's trial. The doctor he killed was my mother-in-laws doctor and she had just seen her that day. He looked so young and his mother would carry her Bible in everyday.

[teresa]

I forgot, did you know DNA was first used in the USA on his case?

[IslandHney]

Midwest Anon -

No, I am not Absynthminded - just another poster!

[IslandHney]

Midwest Anon -

No, I am not Absynthminded - just another poster!