Arlena Roby

Gary Man Convicted in Hammer Murder

June 18, 2010

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) - Jurors have convicted a Gary man of bludgeoning his mother to death with a hammer. Lake County deputy Prosecutor Robert Neary says 34-year-old Rasson Roby struck his 59-year-old mother, Arlena Roby, a minimum of 18 to 24 times with a hammer. A Lake Criminal Court jury found Roby guilty Wednesday of voluntary manslaughter in his mother's February 2007 death.

He was initially charged with murder, but the judge gave jurors the option of convicting him of the lesser charge. Judge Diane Boswell banned Roby from his trial because he had been disruptive earlier, and he did not take the stand. Roby has a history of mental illness and told police he attacked his mother with a hammer in her Gary home because she "got into his personal space."

UPDATE:

A Gary man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for beating his 59-year-old mother to death with a hammer in 2007. the Northwest Times of Indiana reports.

A Lake Criminal Court jury found Rasson Roby, 34, guilty last month of voluntary manslaughter for Arlena Roby's death. Roby originally was charged with the more severe crime of murder, but jurors found him guilty of the lesser charge.

Arlena Roby was found dead in her Gary on Feb. 1, 2007, police said.  Deputy Prosecutor Robert Neary told the jury during the trial that Rasson Roby struck his mother a minimum of 18 to 24 times with a hammer.

Amenda Yang

Amenda Yang

Man Charged In Beating Death Of Estranged Wife

Michael Yang Says He Didn't Kill Amenda Yang

POSTED: 10:15 am EDT May 11, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS -- A Lawrence man was charged Monday in the death of his estranged wife after he adamantly denied killing her as he headed into court. Prosecutors filed a formal murder charge against Michael Yang, 53, in the beating death of Amenda Yang, 43 Monday afternoon.Yang told police that he was having lunch with a coworker at the time of his wife's killing, but that alibi did not hold up, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Investigators said they also recovered a watch, coat and tennis shoes that Michael Yang was wearing on the day of the killing that all tested positive for blood.Still, Yang adamantly denied having any part in his wife's death outside court Monday morning."I did not kill my wife. I want people to know that I did not commit that crime," said Yang, who is on suicide watch at the Marion County Jail. "I love my family and I miss my children."Four of Amenda Yang's six children came home from school to find that their mother had been bludgeoned to death at the Lawrence home in the 4300 block of Clinton Street on May 6, prompting a horrifying 911 call from one of the children, between ages 11 and 17."My mom is probably dead. Somebody hit her in the head. She is bleeding all over. Mom, can you hear me? Mom! Mom!" one of the children said."Can you imagine coming home to find your mother laying in a pool of blood in the floor?" said Marion County Chief Deputy Prosecutor David Wyser. "It's absolutely horrifying."Police said the couple were married but had separated last month.Yang is scheduled for an initial hearing on Tuesday. He is a convicted sex offender who served time for attempted rape in 1998. He is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail.

Previous Stories:

• May 8, 2009: GPS To Help Track Accused Abusers
• May 8, 2009: Husband Arrested In Woman's Beating Death
• May 7, 2009: Children Find Mother Beaten To Death In Home
• May 7, 2009: Woman Found Beaten To Death

Beth Stayer

Beth Stayer

5-year-old Says He Saw Dad Fatally Beat Mom, Court Papers Say

June 20, 2009 by Robert Annis | Star staff

5-year-old witnessed attack by his father, according to court papers

A 5-year-old allegedly witnessed his father beat his mother so severely in her Whitestown home that she died the next day, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Michael Stayer, 32, beat his ex-wife, Beth Stayer, 34, with a hammer and a tire iron June 11. He has been charged with murder and could face the death penalty.

Emergency medical workers found Beth Stayer nearly lifeless in her 2-year-old daughter’s room and immediately transferred the woman to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She died the next day from her injuries.

Beth and Michael Stayer had been divorced less than two months.

The couple’s 5-year-old son witnessed the attack, according to the probable cause affidavit. The boy heard a commotion and screaming coming from his 2-year-old sister’s room and went upstairs, Jennifer Essex said in the affidavit. Essex is with the Indiana Department of Child Services.

Essex said the boy described a bloody scene, stating that “dad had hit mommy” and his father had used a hammer and “a killer,” which police believe was a tire iron found in Michael Stayer’s Jeep. Asked if his parents had been violent with one another before, the boy said he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

Dr. Marla Souder of Community Psychological Consultants, Indianapolis, is not involved in the case but said it’s beneficial for the boy’s mental health that he can communicate about it on his own terms.

He can be expected to have a hard time processing and sorting out what he witnessed, and he likely will go through multiple stages of grief as he mourns the loss of his mother and separation from his father, Souder said. That could develop into post-traumatic stress, she explained.

At 2, the Stayers’ daughter is unlikely to remember much about this incident, but she will live it through her brother’s experience, and that will have a lifelong effect, Souder said.

After police got to the scene, they said, Stayer’s brother, David Stayer, arrived and wanted to leave with the children and his brother’s vehicle, which potentially had evidence inside. Police are searching Michael Stayer’s cell phone records to see if he called or texted instructions to his brother.

Michael Stayer was arrested soon after the attack and is being held in the Boone County Jail without bond.

In addition to the murder charge, he faces felony counts of aggravated battery, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and domestic battery. He’s scheduled to go on trial Oct. 19 in Boone County. If convicted on all four counts, he could face up to 96 years in prison.

The two children are staying with a foster family.

A hearing is scheduled for Friday, where Boone Circuit Judge Steve David could decide if the children will remain with the foster family or be released to family members.

Tracy Parham

Gary man charged with killing, burying woman

21-year-old faces 65 years in prison if convicted of murder

May 31, 2007

CROWN POINT | A 21-year-old Gary man accused of bludgeoning a woman to death and then burying her in his backyard was charged Wednesday with murder.

Louis Vela turned himself in and confessed Tuesday, which led investigators to the body of Tracy Parham, 34, police said.

Officers on Tuesday evening found her naked body wrapped in contractors garbage bags in a grave near the garage at Vela's home, 3856 Van Buren St.

Vela reportedly told police he was smoking crack with Parham on March 11, his 21st birthday. When Parham refused to have sex with him, he bashed her in the head with a lead crystal clock, police and prosecutors say in court records.

When Parham did not wake up, Vela took her to his room and had sex with her, according to the court records.

Parham's body remained in Vela's bedroom while Vela went with family members to Taco Bell and a movie in Portage to celebrate his birthday, court records allege.

Later, in the dark, Vela wrapped Parham in the large plastic bags and dug a grave for her near his backyard garage, police allege.

But when Vela's aunt took him to visit his mother in a nursing home Tuesday, Vela broke down and told the women he had killed someone on March 11, court records say. His aunt encouraged him to turn himself in and accompanied him to the Gary police station.

Vela led police through the home, pointing out objects that likely will become evidence, including bedding, the clock and the shovel with which he buried Parham, police said.

Vela was jailed without bond and faces a maximum sentence of 65 years.

Parham's daughter, Sierra Parham, 13, told The Times on Wednesday that nothing she hears about her mother and how she died will change how she feels.

"No matter what, she was always the sweetest person. She was always there for me and had my back and took care of me like she needed to," Sierra said.

Johnette Parham, the victim's mother, said even though she hadn't heard from Tracy Parham in more than two months, she didn't file a missing person's report, hoping her daughter "went out of town with her boyfriend."

"I was praying that was the situation," Johnette Parham said.

She said she learned about her daughter's death from one of Vela's family members Wednesday. She said she did not know Vela, but she is glad Vela's aunt encouraged him to do the right thing.

"I think that was very courageous and honorable of them," Johnette Parham said. "I won't judge him; I'll let God judge him."