Close Topic Options

Man Convicted - Ex-Girlfriend Shot to Kill Baby  

USED BY PERMISSION

From:  The Pro-Life Infonet
Reply-To:  Steven Ertelt
Subject:   Man Convicted of Having Ex-Girlfriend Shot to Kill Thier Unborn
Baby
Source:   Associated Press; October 26, 2002

Man Convicted of Having Ex-Girlfriend Shot to Kill Thier Unborn Baby

Canton, OH -- Responding to what is becoming an increasing trend of violence by partners against pregnant women who refuse to have abortions, a jury has convicted a man of scheming to end his ex-girlfriend's pregnancy by having her shot during a staged carjacking. Jurors rejected a defense lawyer's argument there was no proof her shooting was planned.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 1 for Paul Nino Tarver II, 29, who prosecutors say arranged to have Keisha Lewis, 23, shot so he could avoid becoming the father of her child. Lewis survived the March 7 shooting, but her 3-month-old unborn baby did not.

The jury of six men and six women took less than four hours Thursday to convict Tarver of complicity to aggravated murder and complicity to felonious assault.

Ohio law allows for an aggravated murder charge for purposely killing an unborn child outside the scope of an abortion.

Tarver faces a prison sentence of 20 years to life for the first charge, plus three years for using a gun. Stark County Common Pleas Judge Sara Lioi could add another two to eight years for the second charge, which dealt with the shooting of Ms. Lewis.

Defense attorney Jeff Haupt called no witnesses, choosing instead to question the evidence gathered and focus on the absence of the shooter and the gun.

A visibly upset Tarver muttered to his attorney and turned to glare at Lewis as she sat in the back of the courtroom. A sheriff's deputy warned him to stop.

"It's not right. It's not right. If you listen to the evidence you could see that nothing was consistent," said Paulette Tarver of Canton, Tarver's sister.

Paul Tarver's attorney maintained he and Lewis were robbed, victims of a masked gunman who surprised them as they sat in a truck at a restaurant parking lot.

Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Chryssa Hartnett argued the robbery was a setup, and that Tarver's renewed interest in Lewis was part of a lie.
Hartnett said that Tarver wanted Lewis to have an abortion so he could be with another woman. When Lewis refused, Tarver began threats that escalated to the staged heist, Hartnett said.

Although the masked gunman has not been identified, his intention was clear,
Hartnett said in her closing argument. She said there was no other reason the gunman would aim at Lewis and fire three times into her belly from inches away.

When Tarver fled, the gunman fired once at Tarver's leg. He was wounded.

Haupt said that putting Tarver on the stand would have opened the door for questions about past convictions for robbery and drug trafficking. "It was a very, very difficult case," Haupt said. "I obviously fell short in presenting the evidence to the jury."

Lewis uses a cane and said she still has pain and some loss of feeling. Two bullets remain inside her.

nbsp Baby Kill Shot Ex-Girlfriend Convicted Man

Oh my goshhhhh, this guy is really evil.  I'm glad to know the girl is still alive although the baby is dead.
Hope they give him a sentence for life in prison without possibility of perole.!

Man Convicted - Ex-Girlfriend Shot to Kill Baby   History & Civil Business Politics

I remember when I heard about this. People are nuts these days I swear! I don't understand the logic.