Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Charles Severance Charged In Killing Piano Teacher, Transportation Official, Sheriff's Wife in Alexandria VA

Charles Severance Charged In Killing Piano Teacher, Transportation Official, Sheriff's Wife in Alexandria VA  ---  ===
Piano Teacher Ruthanne Lodato Shot At Front Door  

accused in 3 killings suspect arrested   February 6, 2014 Piano Teacher Ruthanne Lodato Killed in One of 3 Front Door Alexandria Murders  In Alexandria, Virginia, an older white man with a beard knocked on piano teacher Ruthanne Lodato's door, and shot her, killing her and also shot injuring the woman caring for her mother. The surviving caregiver was shot in the arm. Charles Severance who lived in Loudon County about an hours drive outside of Alexandria was arrested in March on gun charges as part of a 11 year old murder investigation. In September Severance was charged in other daylight door knocking murders including the November 11, 2014 killing of transportation official  Ronald Kirby in his home and wife of Sheriff Nancy Dunning who was gunned down December 5, 2003 in her home. Opening statements began Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in the trial of Severance, Prosecutors believe he was angry about losing custody of his son, and sought revenge against Alexandria "elite" . Authorities found writings that mirrored the murders, an e-mail sent to Fox News and linked unique ammunition rarely used in crimes to all 3 cases, but had no weapon and not much more than circumstantial evidence that had to be connected. Suspect had written: “Introduce murder into a safe and secure neighborhood It shudders with horror. Do it again, and again, and again,”  On November 2, 2015 Severance was found guilty after deliberating in earnest for about 12 and a half hours over three days, jurors convicted Severance of each of the 10 criminal counts against him

Oddly, after police were looking for an older man with a beard, and he had been contacted by law enforcement, Severance showed up at the Russian Embassy, acting strangely and seeking asylum,  Severance wought asylum at the Russian embassy when police tried to interview him. [1] but he was turned away and called an unwanted visitor. Coincidentally, Lee Harvey Oswald who had returned to the US after a long defection to Russia also visited Russian and Cuban embassies before shooting JFK.



Related cases:

December 5, 2003 Nancy Dunning Sheriff Wife 2003 Killing Real estate agent Nancy Dunning and the wife of now deceased Sheriff Jim Dunning was killed inside her Del Ray home. First of 3 similar killings for which Charles Severance is being investigated, with piano teacher Ruthanne Lodato and transportation official Ronald Kirby. Charles S. Severance went on trial in 2015 for 3 murders

February 6, 2014 Piano Teacher Ruthanne Lodato Shot At Front Door In Alexandria, Virginia, an older white man with a beard knocked on piano teacher Ruthanne Lodato's door, and shot her, killing her and also shot injuring the woman caring for her mother. The surviving caregiver was shot in the arm. Charles S. Severance went on trial in 2015 for 3 murders along with transportation official Ronald Kirby in 2014 and Sheriff Wife Nancy Dunning in 2013  Suspect lived little more than a mile from Lodato.

November 11, 2014 Transportation official 69-year-old Ronald Kirby was fatally shot inside his home, less than a mile from the house where Lodato was killed. No arrest has been made, and police have said there were no signs of forced entry. Kirby was the director of the department of transportation planning for the Council of Governments, an interstate association that helps counties around D.C. with development, growth and transportation planning. Plumber Daniel Petrillo  called Kirby at 11:32, By the time he knocked on the door. Kirby had been shot, as he drove to the home, he saw a man who looked like a hobo, with a shaggy beard. Under cross-examination, the defense challenged him and asked why he did not mention seeing the man in a long interview the day after the murder, or in an FBI interview that December. Petrillo didn't mention having seen the man until last month, defense attorneys said, suggesting it only came to him after he saw a photo of Severance.


Alexandria Police say the killings of  Ruthanne Lodato, left, Nancy Dunning, and Ron Kirby, may be connected.
Ruthanne Lodato, left, Nancy Dunning, and Ron Kirby, 










A sketch of the suspect in murder of a teacher in Alexandria and the mugshot of Charles Severance 
ALEXANDRIA POLICE AND WEST VIRGINIA REGIONAL JAIL AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AUTHORITY

Reference:

Tags:
  • Alexandria: All three victims were prominent in the Alexandria community. Lodato was a well-known music teacher, Kirby a respected transportation planner and Dunning a real-estate agent who was the wife of then-Sheriff James Dunning.
  • Anti-Police while they lived together, Severance also expressed hatred of police and what he called “utopian elites.”
  • Asylum - sought asylum at Russian Embassy
  • Ballistics Forensic examination of bullet fragments found similarities among the ballistics in the shooting of Lodato, the 2003 slaying of Nancy Dunning and the November 2013 killing of Ronald Kirby.
  • Bible: arrested in West Virginia: a gun-cleaning kit but no guns, cash, many clothes, tourist brochures and books, including the Bible.
  • Camping in woods (like  Ali Muhammad Brown (jihadist))
  • Candidate for mayor 
  • Conspiracy theories
  • Custody Terror tried gain custody of the boy, saying that he is "guided by a Holy Ghost" and listing his qualifications for custody, including the fact he "does not have any strange body piercings ... is not a whining victim of post traumatic stress disorder ... and has never encouraged a child, adolescent or adult male to be a homosexual."
  • Gun cleaning kit:  arrested in West Virginia with a gun-cleaning kit but no guns
  • Gun crimes
  • Elite: Severance also expressed hatred of police and what he called “utopian elites.”
  • Illuminati conspiracy theories: website includes DARPA Information of Awareness Office logo which incorporates Illuminati Symbols
  • Erractic: has a "history of erratic behavior"
  • Knock on door murder - All killed at late morning in their homes after presenting themselves at the front door.
  • LGBT claimed to gain custody of child: "has never encouraged a child, adolescent or adult male to be a homosexual."
  • Local crimes: Severance's last known address in Alexandria is on Gunston Rod, all in 2 square mile area close to the homes where the three unsolved murders happened. wjla
  • Musician victim
  • Police security of opposing candidate: "Unbeknownst to me, the city manager and police chief assigned an undercover officer to shadow me at campaign events because they were so concerned about this fellow."
  • Public Official Victim or relation
  • Russia Media Influence
  • Russian embassy asylum request denied wapost After announcement they were looking for an older man with a beard, and had been contacted by law enforcement, Severance showed up at the Russian Embassy, acting strangely and seeking asylum, but he was turned away and called an unwanted visitor. Lee Harvey Oswald also visited Russian and Cuban embassies. 
  • schizophrenia: "Severance reluctantly admitted under cross-examination that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia" cbsnews
  • Serial shooter like  DC beltway sniper (jihadist), seemingly unrelated cases over long period.
  • Similarities - bullet fragments were similar,all three were killed at approximately the same time of day, in the late morning hours. All were killed in their homes after presenting themselves at the front door.All three victims were prominent in the Alexandria community. music teacher, transportation planner and real-estate agent of Sheriff
  • Teacher victim
  • Time: murders span 10 years, but two occurred in the past four months.
  • Trench coat and shorts: odd dress (wjla) "It was 70 degrees outside, he was at the candidates events wearing a leather coat that went all the way down to his ankles, and leather black gloves -- like something out of a comic book character," 
  • Website mentaldisorder.com
  • White suspect
Similar cases: Other serial killers: Ali Muhammad Brown (jihadist), DC beltway sniper (jihadist), camping in woods,

tags: February 2014,  government official, wife of official, teacher, front door, home attack, white suspect, no motive, unconnected events, political views, serial killers, no cause for neighbor alarm, , asylum seeker, erratic  illegal gun possession, marijuana, murder, schizophrenia, mental illness, , ran for mayor, police protected opposing candidate, holy ghost, anti-LGBT, website mentaldisorder.com, psyop, conspiracy theorist, illuminati

*Footnotes


  1. No Insanity Defense for Accused in Alexandria Murder Trial - Wboc  Aug 06, 2015 (AP) - Defense lawyers for a man accused of killing three Alexandria residents ... Defense lawyers for a man accused of killing three Alexandria residents over a 10-year span say their client suffers from schizophrenia, but they are not going to make an insanity defense, despite a long history of bizarre behavior that includes lunging at a congressman with a flagpole, seeking asylum in Russia and demanding to wear a kilt in court. Court records show he has received previous diagnoses of schizophrenia, but a court-ordered evaluation conducted at Central State Hospital found him competent, and concluded only that he suffered a personality disorder and feelings of self-importance.  Prosecutors say Severance was motivated by anger at losing a child custody case in Alexandria and sought revenge at what he perceived as the city's ruling class. They cite his violence-laced writings over the years, including a passage that states, "Introduce murder into a safe and secure neighborhood. It shudders with horror. Do it again and again and again."


Timeline:


Severance guilty in three high-profile killings in Alexandria - The Washington Post
  Charles Severance is found guilty of fatally shooting three people between 2003 and 2014. Charles Severance, who was found guilty of fatally shooting three people between 2003 and 2014, is sentenced to life in prison.Nov 2, 2015

Severance guilty in three high-profile killings in Alexandria - The ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../severance.../325cafb6-79b4-11e5-a958-d889faf5...

Nov 2, 2015 - The Alexandria murders trial in photos. Charles Severance is found guilty of fatally shooting three people between 2003 and 2014. Charles Severance, who was found guilty of fatally shooting three people between 2003 and 2014, is sentenced to life in prison.

Attorneys for accused serial killer Charles Severance rest their case ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...charles-severance.../827853a6-79b4-11e5-a958-d...

Oct 27, 2015 - Severance is charged in the slayings of three Alexandria residents. ... Attorneys for accused serial killer Charles Severance rest their case ... him to reiterate the question, Severance said, “I also have the right to a speedy trial, ...

Timeline: Charles Severance and three Alexandria deaths - The ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/local/timeline-charles-severance.../1293/

Severance found guilty. After deliberating in earnest for about 12 and a half hours over three days, jurors convicted Severance of each of the 10 criminal counts against him.

Charles Severance, 53, who for months has been the focus of a police investigations into three high-
DEC. 5, 2003

Nancy Dunning shooting
Nancy Dunning, 56, is found lying in the foyer of her home, shot several times. Police say they think that she was targeted.

NOV. 11, 2013

Ronald Kirby shooting
Ronald Kirby, who helped shape the region’s transportation policy for a quarter-century, is found fatally shot inside his Alexandria home.
Ronald Kirby, top D.C. region transportation planner, slain in Alexandria home
Ron Kirby and Anne Haynes on their wedding day, May 2012. (Photo by Steve Tisara/Tisara Photo)

DEC. 4, 2013
Dunning investigation continues
“We continue after 10 years to work to try to reach an arrest in this case,” Police Chief Earl L. Cook says at a news conference.
Alexandria police still trying to solve slaying of Nancy Dunning, sheriff’s wife

FEB. 6, 2014
Ruthanne Lodato shooting
Ruthanne Lodato, a 59-year-old music teacher, is shot after she opens the front door of her home to a balding, bearded man in a tan jacket.
Police look for gunman in fatal shooting in Alexandria

FEB. 8, 2014
Alexandria composite sketch.
Unease in Alexandria
People who have felt safe enough to leave front doors unlocked find themselves instinctively locking them. Many are scanning the faces of strangers for similarities to the sketch of the suspect that Alexandria police released, according to a Post report.
A sense of unease in Alexandria after slaying of beloved music teacher

MARCH 14, 2014
Severance a "person of interest"
Severance emerges as a “person of interest” in three high-profile slayings in the city, Alexandria’s mayor says.
Police looking into whether man arrested in W.Va. may be tied to Alexandria killings

MARCH 17, 2014
A West Virginia court appearance
Severance appears in a West Virginia courtroom on a fugitive from justice warrant, stemming from an unrelated weapons charge.
W. Va. authorities to weigh extradition of ‘person of interest’ in Alexandria killings

JUNE 21, 2014

Severance becomes police focus
Alexandria police confirm that Severance is the focus of their investigation into the three killings.
Charles Severance is ‘focus’ of police investigation into 3 killings in Alexandria

JULY 14, 2014

Indicted on Loudoun gun charge
Severance is indicted by a Loudoun County grand jury on a single count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A date is set for Oct. 27 for the trial.
Charles Severance indicted by grand jury on gun charge

SEPT. 8, 2014

Severance indicted in three murders
Severance is indicted on murder charges in the three high-profile slayings in Alexandria.
Charles Severance indicted on murder charges

Severance at an earlier court appearance in West Virginia. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

DEC. 11, 2014

Severance interrupts his own defense
Severance twice interrupted his own defense attorney in court and claimed that the lawyer no longer represented him.
Charles Severance, accused in 3 Alexandria killings, interrupts his own defense

APRIL 23, 2015

Trial moved to Fairfax
Judge Jane Marum Roush granted a motion to move proceedings to Fairfax County, saying the fear the killings generated gave her concern about seating an impartial jury in Alexandria.
Judge moves murder trial to Fairfax

JULY 23, 2015

Witness in Severance case testifies at hearing, describes being shot
A woman who prosecutors say was shot and wounded by Severance gave an account publicly for the first time in Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Witness in Severance case testifies at hearing, describes being shot

SEPT. 18, 2015

Severance can implicate someone else, judge says
Attorneys for Severance will be allowed to point the finger at another man — the late husband of one of the women he is accused of slaying — during Severance’s trial, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled.
Man charged in Alexandria slayings can implicate someone else, judge says

OCT. 5, 2015

Jury selection begins
When prosecutors try to convince 12 jurors that Severance is a killer who terrorized Alexandria, they’ll have to do so without a murder weapon, without DNA or fingerprints, and without any evidence that he had a relationship with, or had even met, the three victims.
In case of alleged Alexandria serial killer, prosecutors must piece together a puzzle


Charles Severance talks to defense attorney Joe King as he appears in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Oct. 1 in Fairfax. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

OCT. 8, 2015

Yes, it is' who shot me
Prosecutors’ star witness in the case against alleged Alexandria serial killer Charles Severance said in court Thursday that Severance is the man who shot her last year
A killer who ‘terrorized the community’ or an unfairly accused man?


Charles Severance talks to defense attorney Joe King. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

OCT. 14, 2015

The 'threatening' letters
The mother of Severance’s son testified about ‘frightening’ letters in a crucial piece of the narrative that prosecutors are trying to construct.
Mother of Severance’s son testifies of ‘frightening,’ ‘threatening’ letters

OCT. 15, 2015

Something was 'very wrong'
Chris Dunning testified that he knew something was “very wrong” when he wheeled his car up to his parents’ Alexandria home.
At Severance’s trial, Nancy Dunning’s son describes finding her dead

OCT. 21, 2015

Prosecutors rest their case
After prosecutors rested their case against Charles Severance, defense attorneys called his parents and sister to describe Severance’s eclectic background.
Prosecutors rest case against Alexandria serial killer suspect

OCT. 27, 2015

The defense rests
Charles Severance finally spoke in court, giving the judge a quirky history lesson and calling for the dismissal of charges against him.
Attorneys for accused serial killer Charles Severance rest their case

OCT. 28, 2015

Closing arguments
Prosecutors and the defense offered closing arguments in the triple murder trial.
A serial killer out to terrorize a community, or a wrongly accused man?

NOV. 2, 2015

Severance found guilty
After deliberating in earnest for about 12 and a half hours over three days, jurors convicted Severance of each of the 10 criminal counts against him.
Severance guilty in three high-profile killings in Alexandria

October 8, 2015 Trial Opens for Charles Severance Accused in 3 Alexandria Daylight Door Knocking Murders Headlines: 
Prosecutors: Man killed 3 to get revenge on city's elite Yahoo News Opening statements began Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in the trial of Severance, 55 ...

No Insanity Defense for Accused in Alexandria Murder Trial - Wboc TV  www.wboc.com/story/.../no-insanity-defense-for-accused-in-alexandria-murder-trial
Aug 06, 2015 (AP) - Defense lawyers for a man accused of killing three Alexandria residents ... like seeking asylum at the Russian embassy when police tried to interview him.



September 8, 2014: Alexndria grand jury has indicted former Alexandria resident Charles Severance in the murders of Nancy Dunning, Ruthann Lodato and Ronald Kirby. Severance was the subject of a 10-count indictment to include the capital murder of piano teacher Lodato, the first-degree murder of sherriff wife Dunning, and the capital murder of transportation planner Kirby. Additional charges include use of a firearm in the commission of a murder, malicious wounding, and felon in possession of a firearm.

June 21, 2014:  Washington Post Alexandria police have confirmed that a 53-year-old former resident, a nomadic and eccentric would-be politician named Charles Severance, is the focus of their investigation into three killings that unsettled residents of the low-crime city, but [arrest is not imminent and his is not a suspect in the killings]...Severance faces charges of possession of a handgun by a non­violent felon in Loudoun County, where he lived with his girlfriend from mid-2011 until March.

March 13, 2014 Severance was arrested in a Wheeling West, Virginia library a few days later  on a warrant for a weapons offense at his Loudoun County home and taken into FBI custody. FBI agents first found his car before finding him. They searched his car, which was crammed with more than three dozen items, including a gun-cleaning kit, according to court testimony. A computer he is using at the library is seized. cbsnews

On March 7, 2014 The day after the announcement of a suspect, Severance briefly came to the attention of authorities in the District in another instance of seemingly bizarre behavior. According to a police report, he was questioned by police and U.S. Secret Service officers after he showed up at the Russian Embassy and “indicated that he was attempting to enter the embassy because he wanted to request asylum.” A federal law enforcement official said Severance tried to scale the fence. “The subject was sent on his way and all units cleared,” the police report said. A man who answered the phone at the Russian Embassy on Friday said only that the man had been wearing a large hat. wapost Severance visited Russian Embassy to request asylum A Metropolitan Police Department report shows Severance went to the Russian Embassy on Wisconsin Avenue in NW Washington on the afternoon of Friday, March 7, to request asylum. He was "sent on his way" and labeled an "unwanted guest" in a report taken by officers. Severance's effort to seek asylum happened about 24 hours after Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook held a news conference discussing possible connections between the three killings.wjla

March 6, 2014: it is announced that investigation of the recent murder of Alexandria music teacher Ruthanne Lodato leads to the belief it could possibly be linked to Dunning's murder as well as the murder of Ron Kirby. Bullets showed ballistic similarities, all three were killed at approximately the same time of day, in the late morning hours. Also, police said, they were killed in their homes after presenting themselves at the front door. They all lived within two square miles of each other. Police are looking for any other similarities and possible connection to a suspect showing a picture of an older  white bearded man.

March 2014: Severance’s girlfriend, Linda Robra a substitute teacher who has also worked as a real estate agent testified an Alexandria detective showed her the sketch in March, she observed that the drawing could be many people. She had told her boyfriend to leave her house if he would not speak to police. When the home is searched, police found a half-pound of marijuana.
All three victims were prominent in the Alexandria community.

1 killed connected to 2 other home killings  February 6, 2014 Piano Teacher Ruthanne Lodato Killed in One of 3 Front Door Alexandria Murders  In Alexandria, Virginia, an older white man with a beard knocked on piano teacher Ruthanne Lodato's door, and shot her, killing her and also shot injuring the woman caring for her mother. The surviving caregiver was shot in the arm, but saw the suspect and police produced a drawing that looked like a man later identified as a suspect.

November 11, 2013 Transportation official 69-year-old Ronald Kirby was fatally shot inside his home, less than a mile from the house where Lodato was killed after he had been seen alive that morning. No arrest has been made, and police have said there were no signs of forced entry. Kirby was the director of the department of transportation planning for the Council of Governments, an interstate association that helps counties around D.C. with development, growth and transportation planning. Police would not say whether any item of value was taken after the fatal shooting of Kirby. But Police Chief Cook hinted that investigators are looking for some other kind of motive. Cook told reporters, “We are not thinking that there is cause for alarm for neighbors at this time.” myfoxdc  Prominent transportation expert murdered in Alexandria home

2012: Severance spent spent three months living in the woods in 2012. (Like Muhammad Ali Brown)

mid-2011 - Charles Severance lives in Loudon county with his girlfriend  Linda Robra, a substitute teacher who has also worked as a real estate agent, after meeting at a swing dance at the Dulles Hilton in 2011. She says during their time together, he had never been violent, though a previous girlfriend said he had been violent and called police. She knows Severance had bought such a gun cleaning kit and he had suggested that she buy two .22-caliber revolvers because they would fit well in her small hands. He showed her how to load the guns, she said, and he knew where they were kept — one in her closet and one in her home office drawer, but these guns have never been found.

2009 cbsnews He tried unsuccessfully in 2009 to gain custody of the boy, saying that he is "guided by a Holy Ghost" and listing his qualifications for custody, including the fact he "does not have any strange body piercings ... is not a whining victim of post traumatic stress disorder ... and has never encouraged a child, adolescent or adult male to be a homosexual."

2005:  Severance is convicted of a felony carrying a concealed weapon in Rockingham County, Va. In 2014, he can not legally have guns for 10 years. Should he be convicted, he would face a mandatory minimum sentence of two years just for the gun charge. Severance operates a website, mentaldisorder.com, in which he said his son "was legally isolated and separated from his father by the notorious City of Alexandria Juvenile Court. Although vilified by the inferior opinions of some judges, Charles Severance remains a God-fearing, highly respected, and solid citizen of Virginia.

2000: cbsnews: Severance lost custody and visitation of his son, Levite, in 2000 when the boy's mother sought a protective order. She said Severance behaved in a threatening manner when she tried to leave him, setting out a rifle on a pillow in their home and leaving ammunition carefully arranged on a sock, according to the Associated Press. Judge ordered Severance be denied visitation until, at the very least, he undergo a mental health examination, saying the case "is a most unusual one presenting real issues of safety for the Plaintiff and her son." A transcript of that court hearing shows that Severance reluctantly admitted under cross-examination that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but he thought the doctors were ill and he was fine. Website:  we reject the pretensions of US Military and State Department officials to exclusive expertise on Psychological Operations (Psy-Ops) Warfare, Public Affairs, seduction, diplomacy, and the "very dangerous gift of eloquence.".. pretensions of liberal law enforcement officials to exclusive expertise on the public safety, maintenance, discharge, and "gun control" of dangerous firearms.  website includes DARPA Information of Awareness Office logo which incorporates Illuminati Symbols

2000: Severance ran for mayor a second time. Wapost: "Some remembered him as strange but harmless; others have said they were frightened by him." cbsnews: Former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley, who ran against Severance in both the 1996 and 2000 mayoral elections, tells CBD DC's radio affiliate WNEW that Severance was an "odd opponent, to say the least" -- wearing all black and giving the same answers for all campaign questions. "He would launch into a diatribe about juvenile mental health conditions and the use of psychotropic drugs," Donley said, adding that police assigned an undercover officer to shadow him during both elections out of concern that Severance posed a threat to his safety.

1996: Severance ran for mayor.  He wore strange costumes and had unusual campaign platforms, "It was 70 degrees outside, he was at the candidates events wearing a leather coat that went all the way down to his ankles, and leather black gloves -- like something out of a comic book character," Euille said.


Looking Back: Nancy Dunning Murder Investigation - DC ...myfoxdc WTTG (March 6, 2014) It is a murder that remains unsolved to this day. Nancy Dunning, real estage agent and the wife of a former Alexandria sheriff, was shot to death in her Del Ray home on December 5, 2013. Her husband, Jim Dunning, was questioned by police about her murder and was never cleared as a possible suspect. He would retire in 2005 and move to South Carolina, where he later died of natural causes in 2012.

*Sources

Charles Severance on trial - LiveBlog
liveblogwp.wtop.com/Event/Charles_Severance_on_trial
Oct 15  Charles Severance's trial for the murders of prominent Alexandria residents Nancy Dunning, Ron Kirby and Ruthanne Lodato began Monday, ...

Mother of Charles Severance's Son says she got frightening and threatening letters Testifies in Triple-Murder Trial Wednesday, October 14 WRC NBC Washington DC - Julie Carey Nichols, the woman who had a child with him in 1999, had remained out of public view. But in court Wednesday, she testified for the prosecution. Nichols became pregnant shortly after meeting Severance in 1999. For a brief time, they lived together in Alexandria, but troubles surfaced quickly, and before their son was a year old, she had moved out, taking the baby with her. Nichols testified he sent "a lot of letters" from 2000 until 2009. , "They were frightening and they were threatening."

Severance's ex-wife testifies about frightening letters
Wednesday, October 14 WUSA CBS Washington DC

Mother of Severance's son testifies of 'frightening,' 'threatening' letters
Wednesday, October 14 Washington Post - Matt Zapotosky

Mother of Charles Severance's Son Testifies in Triple-Murder Trial
NBC4 Washington‎ Oct 14 News4's Julie Carey reports on testimony on Wednesday by a woman who had a child with triple murder suspect Charles Severance, and the ...
Charles Severance case: Ex-girlfriend testifies against man accused of 3 Va. murders
Washington Times‎ -Oct 13 ex-girlfriend of the man accused of killing three Alexandria residents over the course of a decade says he harbored a grudge against the court system for losing custody of his child. while they lived together, Severance also expressed hatred of police and what he called “utopian elites.”

Charles Severance's Former Girlfriend Testifies at Murder Trial
Tuesday, October 13 WRC NBC Washington DC

Severance's ex-girlfriend: guns missing after he left house
Tuesday, October 13 WUSA CBS Washington DC


Ex-Girlfriend Testifies Against Charles Severance
Tuesday, October 13 WRC NBC Washington DC


Charles Severance case: Ex-girlfriend testifies against man accused of
Tuesday, October 13 Washington Times

Charles Severance case: Ex-girlfriend testifies against man accused of 3 Va. murders
Tuesday, October 13 AP - Matthew Barakat

Serial Killer Identified During Trial By Eye Witness
Friday, October 9 AOL

Opening Statements Heard In Murder Case Against Charles Severance
Thursday, October 8 WTRF CBS Wheeling

Prosecutors: Man killed 3 in Alexandria to get revenge on city's elite
Thursday, October 8 Washington Times - Matthew Barakat

Man accused of killing three in revenge after losing custody case
Thursday, October 8 Daily Mail

Trial Underway for Charles Severance
Thursday, October 8 Charlottesville Newsplex - Matthew Barakat

Prosecutors: Virginia man killed 3 to get revenge on city's elite
Thursday, October 8 CBS News

A killer who 'terrorized the community' or an unfairly accused man? 
Thursday, October 8 Washington Post

Jury Selection Begins in Charles Severance Trial
October 5, 2015 WRC NBC Washington DC

Charles Severance goes on trial for Alexandria murders
October 5, 2015 WUSA CBS Washington DC

Charles Severance goes on trial for Alexandria murders
www.wusa9.com/.../charles-severance...murders/73365052/
WUSAOct 5, 2015 - The triple murder trial of Charles Severance began today with jury selection. That process hit a snag when at least two potential jurors did ...

In case of alleged Alexandria serial killer, prosecutors must piece together a puzzle
October 4, 2015 Washington Post
http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/1481026.html
3 daylight door-knocker murders Alexandria Serial Killer Found?! Posted by: thisisajokeright () March 14, 2014 11:08AM Or whoever possibly killed Ms. Lodato? NBC reporting that police arrested a guy named Charles S. Severance in Wheeling, WV -- wanted in LDN for possession of a firearm by a felon, and are currently questioning his involvement in the 3 daylight door-knocker murders that happened over the past 10 years in Alexandria. Stay tuned!

A killer who ‘terrorized the community’ after losing custody or an unfairly accused man circumstantial case ? Washington Post  By Matt Zapotosky October 8 at 12:42 PM   The way prosecutors tell it, Charles Severance was a vindictive killer who “terrorized the community” that he once called home because of a child custody dispute that went against him and a general hatred of those he considered to be Alexandria’s elite. By defense attorneys’ account, Severance was an intelligent man with some mental health problems who was charged with killing three people after prosecutors unfairly “jumped to conclusions.”

On Thursday, both sides made their opening pitches to jurors who will decide whether Severance is guilty of murder in the February 2014 slaying of music teacher Ruthanne Lodato, the November 2013 shooting of regional transportation planner Ronald Kirby and the December 2003 killing of real estate agent Nancy Dunning. The case against Severance is largely a circumstantial one, and prosecutors are expected over the next six weeks to try to put together a variety of puzzle pieces to convince jurors to convict him of the crimes.

David Lord, a senior assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Alexandria, told jurors that when Severance lost custody of his son it “caused him to develop hatred toward those he considered the elite of Alexandria” and that his ensuing rampage over the next decade “devastated the families” of those he killed. Lord quoted extensively from Severance’s own writings, arguing that Severance’s documented words described his crimes perfectly.
[A look at the evidence prosecutors have against Charles Severance]

writings: “Introduce murder into a safe and secure neighborhood It shudders with horror. Do it again, and again, and again,” Lord said, quoting Severance. Defense attorneys fired back that while Severance’s writings sometimes contained “violent themes,” they also described history and game development and did not mention any victims by name.

... Severance, the son of a Naval officer and a teacher-turned-homemaker, was an intelligent man who studied at three colleges and ultimately earned a mechanical engineering degree, but also struggled with mental illness

no murder weapon, DNA or fingerprints; nor do they have any evidence that Severance had even met the three victims. But Lord said jurors will hear from witnesses who saw Severance around the Lodato and Kirby homes close to the time of their killings, and they will see surveillance video that prosecutors suggest shows Severance at a Target store at the same time as Dunning, just before she was killed. (King said witnesses will testify that the person on that video is not Severance.).

... recovered the same type of ammunition in each case and that it was not one that experts had seen used in any other crime. He said Severance was fascinated with that particular type of ammunition, 

...few months before Kirby was killed, Lord said, Severance wrote in an e-mail to Fox News, saying: “i’ve been nudging and trolling for over a decade and nobody has noticed. violence wins. assassinate because it is in the best interest of the child.”

In case of alleged Alexandria serial killer, prosecutors must piece together a puzzle Wa Post Their most convincing piece of evidence might be Severance’s writings, seized from his car and through various electronic means. In one document, Severance wrote, “Knock. Talk. Enter. Kill. Exit. Murder” — an apparently perverted version of a biblical parable that prosecutors have argued seems to describe the crimes to a T. All of the victims were shot in brazen, daylight attacks at their homes, and prosecutors have said Severance might have simply gone to their well-to-do neighborhoods and picked them at random.

... Lodato killing, prosecutors have a potential eyewitness: a woman who worked as an aide in the home and was shot and wounded by the attacker. She helped generate a police sketch that looks remarkably like Severance, and prosecutors have said that she might be able to identify him in court.
To link all three cases, prosecutors have ballistics evidence [unusual bullets] 

... a different gun was used in each killing but that all were the same type, and there is evidence that Severance had three guns of such a variety around the time of all three killings. Gun experts, prosecutors have said, will testify that the killings were the only ones in which they had seen the type of ammunition used, and Severance wrote of his fascination with that ammunition.

comments: 

3 Circuit Court
10/7/2015 7:23 PM CDT
Jim Dunning is fair game. Charles Severance is NOT guilty. Both of the Dunning father and son had a way too perfect alibi, perfectly accounted for at lunch with a lot of waitresses to confirm. They waited until the perfect time to drive home and find her "murdered" as Jim put it on the 911 call. The investigators assumed Jim hired a hit man due to the fact that he quickly vanished off to Hilton Head SC with a hella chunk of the Life Insurance money.
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kguy1
10/6/2015 11:17 AM CDT
Police and the media tried unsuccessfully to link Jim Dunning to Nancy's death because they thought that crime was committed for a rational motive. Now it seems clear that Severance's motives and actions are anything but rational. Defense attorneys will smear the memory of Jim Dunning in an attempt to muddy the water and gain an acquittal. Nice tactic, attack someone unable to defend himself. I was a friend and neighbor of Jim and Nancy for 13 years. I spoke with him at her memorial service. He was stunned. He looked visibly shrunken and 10 years older. Not a man who has gotten away with a crime. Try an insanity defense, guys. You'll get farther with that.
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bjdon99
familynet
10/5/2015 6:36 AM CDT
"I think what they’re going to try to do is poison the jury against the defendant.” 
Yep, and that has been the problem with this case from the beginning. Use his oddity against him to gain a conviction. And even when the jurors in their hearts might be doubtful they will think, "But if we let him go and he is the killer and he does kill again then will that be our fault?"
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SusanMarie2
10/5/2015 6:20 AM CDT
So now they know how the average citizen feels when they've got this puzzle where everything fits but law enforcement says, "Sorry, ma'm, but you've got to have evidence...physical evidence."
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MEinVA1
10/4/2015 8:28 PM CDT
This will certainly be interesting. Severance may look and act crazy, but that matters little or not at all in the determination of his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. At this point, it appears, there is plenty of reasonable doubt.
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3 Circuit Court
10/4/2015 6:52 PM CDT
Seung Hui Cho was clean shaven, used .22 hollow tip Subsonic bullets, just after 11am, and from Fairfax VA. Scrappy beard makes no difference.
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SusanMarie2
10/5/2015 6:37 AM CDT
But witnesses describe someone with graying scrappy beard and hair.

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MMCarhelp
10/4/2015 6:59 PM CDT
g3ntry is correct. It does not prove his guilt by any means, but, given the fact that he's not a 60s or 70s-era musician, having hair and beard at that ridiculous length (for the 21st century) certainly does not help his case any. I shows that he may have a mental illness and/or barber-phobia......which also does not help his case any.
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ChrisJ4
10/4/2015 11:45 PM CDT
Studies have shown that only 7% of mentally ill people commit acts of violence of any type (and this includes things as minor as shoving someone). This is only slightly above the percentage of non-mentally ill people. 
It definitely looks like Severance is mentally ill, but that only increases the odds of him being violent by a very small amount - not what I would consider "evidence."

Also read: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/charles-severance-focus-of-investigation-into-killings/2014/06/21/152a5804-f56b-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html

 it was Severance’s own behavior that led police to zero in on him. After he had been contacted by law enforcement, Severance showed up at the Russian Embassy, acting strangely and seeking asylum, officials said. When he was turned away, he left for West Virginia and ended up at a motel in Wheeling.


Charles Severance Charged With Murder of Three ...















  • www.nbcwashington.com/.../Charles-Severance-Indicted-Murd...

    WRC‑TV
    Sep 8, 2014 - Cook said he is confident that Severance is the suspect they've been ...Severance is now charged with first-degree murder for the death of the ... Lodato'smother's caregiver was also shot in the February 2014 incident.
























  • Charles Severance - Heavy.com

    heavy.com/news/2014/.../charles-severance-ruthane-lodato-murder-suspe...

    Mar 14, 2014 - Contrary to reports, NO arrest made in any homicide cases. APD is looking at all ... at Her Front Door. Ruthanne Lodato Charles Severance.
























  • Charles Severance charged in 3 Alexandria murders

    www.wusa9.com/...severance-charged-in...murders/15289613/

    WUSA
    Sep 9, 2014 - (WUSA9) -- Charles Severance has been charged in three unsolved ...Ruthanne Lodato, 10 months after the murder of Ron Kirby, and 11 years after the ...of Nancy Dunning, Alexandria police have finally charged a suspect.
























  • Charles Severance is 'focus' of police investigation into 3 ...

    www.washingtonpost.com/.../crime/...severance...killi...
    The Washington Post
    Jun 21, 2014 - Severance, 53, has not been charged in the slayings of Ruthanne ...and that Severance is not a suspect in the deaths of Ruthanne Lodato,  ...
























  • Charles S. Severance arrested in Wheeling, W.Va. | WJLA ...

    www.wjla.com/.../alexandria-murders-charles-s-severance-arr...

    WJLA‑TV
    Mar 14, 2014 - Murder Suspect Sketch and Charles S. Severance mugshot. ...Lodato murder could be connected to other high-profile murders. Charles S.
























  • Charles Severance Charged in Murders of Lodato ... - Patch

    patch.com/.../breaking-news-charles-severance-charged-mur...

    Patch Media
    Sep 8, 2014 - Severance had been a "person of interest" since his arrest on ... Police Release Sketch of Suspected Shooter in Lodato Murder · Police Restrict  ...
























  • Charles Severance Charged in Murders of Lodato ... - Patch

    patch.com/.../breaking-news-charles-severance-charged-mur...

    Patch Media
    Sep 8, 2014 - Severance had been a "person of interest" since his arrest on ...Alexandria Police Release Sketch of Suspected Shooter in Lodato Murder
























  • Man arrested in W.Va. connected to Alexandria murders ...

    www.myfoxdc.com/.../charles-severance-bolo-warrant-issued-ale...

    WTTG
    Mar 14, 2014 - Severance was arrested at a library in Ohio County Thursday ... In an interview with FOX 5's Bob Barnard, Mayor Euille said Severance is a suspect in ... to the Lodato case being connected to murders of both Kirby Dunning.
























  • Severance charged in Va. murders - WTOV Steubenville ...

    www.wtov9.com/.../severance-charged-va-murders-5621.sht...

    WTOV‑TV
    Sep 9, 2014 - News»Top Stories» Severance charged in Va. murders ..... "I am confident that the suspect Charles Severance is the suspect ... In the Lodato slaying, a caregiver who worked in the Lodato home was also shot, but survived.
























  • Is Charles Severance, man arrested in West Virginia, tied to ...

    www.cbsnews.com/.../is-man-arrested-in-west-virginia-tied-to-...

    CBS News
    Mar 17, 2014 - A sketch of the suspect in murder of a teacher in Alexandria and the mugshot of ... Charles Severance, a man arrested Thursday in West Virginia on a gun ... similarities among the ballistics in the shooting of Lodato, the 2003  .















    1. Manhunt for suspect in fatal shooting of beloved music teacher

      www.nydailynews.com/.../crime/manhunt-suspect-...

      New York Daily News
      Feb 8, 2014 - Police have launched a manhunt for a person suspected of killing a ...Piano instructor Ruthanne Lodato, 59, was killed Thursday after she ...





      1. Police look for gunman in fatal shooting in Alexandria - The ...

        www.washingtonpost.com/...shooting.../1a31164e-...

        The Washington Post
        Feb 6, 2014 - Preliminary reports indicate a suspect came up to the door of a home ...Police identified the slain woman as Ruthanne Lodato, 59, who lived in  ...
      2. 911 call made after Ruthanne Lodato's shooting in ...

        www.washingtonpost.com/...lodato.../84d6b5ac-99...

        The Washington Post
        Feb 19, 2014 - In chaotic moments after Ruthanne Lodato was shot, caller ... older white man with a beard — knocked on Lodato's door on Ridge Road Drive  ...
      3. Ruthanne Lodato Killed, Another Woman Wounded in ...

        www.nbcwashington.com › news › local

        WRC‑TV
        Feb 7, 2014 - Police say it's too soon to tell whether a deadly shooting in a quiet ...Police say the man knocked on 59-year-old Ruthanne Lodato's door in the  ...
      4. Alexandria, Viriginia music teacher Ruthanne Lodato fatally ...

        www.cbsnews.com/.../virginia-music-teacher-killed-after-answ...

        CBS News
        Feb 10, 2014 - Va. music teacher killed answering door; suspect sought ... Police say a man fatally shot Ruthanne Lodato and injured a second woman inside  ...

        • Image result for lodato shot door
        • Image result for lodato shot door
        • Image result for lodato shot door
        • Image result for lodato shot door
        More images for lodato shot door




      5. Ruthanne Lodato killed in double shooting | WJLA.com

        www.wjla.com/.../possible-burglary-home-invasion-in-alexan...

        WJLA‑TV
        Feb 6, 2014 - A woman shot at a home in Alexandria Thursday afternoon has died, ...and when the door opened, he shot both Ruthanne Lodato, 59, and her  ...
      6. Woman shot, killed after answering door - WUSA9.com

        www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2014/02/.../shooting.../525871...

        WUSA
        Feb 7, 2014 - Alexandria police say two women were injured during a shooting at a ...New door being installed at Ruthanne Lodato house in Alexandria on  ...
      7. Serial Killer Feared After Virginia Shooting - ABC News

        abcnews.go.com › US

        ABC News
        Feb 10, 2014 - The most recent shooting came Thursday when Ruthanne Lodato, 59, was shot and killed after a knock at her door around 11:30 a.m. A  ...
      8. Music teacher killed, another wounded in Alexandria double ...

        www.myfoxdc.com/.../2-women-shot-inside-house-in-alexandria

        WTTG
        Two women were shot by a man who had apparently knocked on the door and ... Police say 59-year-old Ruthanne Lodato was taken to the hospital, where she  ...
      9. Manhunt underway for person who shot dead beloved ...

        www.nydailynews.com/.../manhunt-suspect-fatal-s...

        New York Daily News
        Feb 8, 2014 - Ruthanne Lodato, 59, was shot when she opened the door of her home to a stranger on Thursday. The shooter also wounded her caretaker,  ...
      10. Alexandria, Viriginia music teacher Ruthanne Lodato fatally ...

        www.veooz.com/news/Gr9MYT.html

        Police say a man fatally shot Ruthanne Lodato and injured a second woman ... the suspect knocked on the door and shot the women when they answered it.



    http://ninjapundit.blogspot.com/2014/07/piano-teacher-ruthanne-lodato-shot-at.html

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