Probe of prosecutors urged after DNA reverses Texas murder case [updated]

Michael Morton was released from a Texas prison in October, having served almost 25 years of a life sentence for a murder DNA tests later indicated he did not commit.

After winning his release, Morton's lawyers at the New York-based Innocence Project began investigating alleged misconduct by the prosecutors whose work led to Morton's conviction. Another man has now been charged with the killing.

On Monday, Morton's lawyers filed a report summing up their investigation. In the report, Morton's attorneys argue that former Williamson County Dist. Atty. Ken Anderson, now a district court judge, acted improperly while prosecuting Morton for the 1986 slaying  of his wife, Christine, at their home in the Austin suburb of Georgetown.

Morton’s lawyers are expected to discuss the report at a hearing today before District Judge Sid Harle in Georgetown.

Morton and his lawyers are also expected to ask Harle to establish a "court of inquiry" to examine allegations that Anderson illegally suppressed evidence by failing to provide documents requested by Morton’s trial judge. Another district would likely be appointed to lead the special court.

The report, published by the Austin American-Statesman, faults Anderson for refusing “to take any personal responsibility” for Morton’s wrongful conviction.

Last month Anderson called a news conference to say he was sorry "for the system's failure," not his own. He denied any misconduct, just as he had during a deposition with Morton's attorneys the month before.

“The problem in the Morton case is not that the system failed, but that Judge Anderson did not play by the rules,” the report said.

Eric Nichols, an Austin attorney representing Anderson, called the portrayal of his conduct “one-sided.”

“Anderson stands firm in his belief that the prosecution and trial were handled ethically and appropriately,” Nichols said.  

 

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Photo: Michael Morton, right, walks free after DNA evidence cleared him in the slaying of his wife after he had served 25 years in prison. Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell / Associated Press

Army identifies victims of Washington's double helicopter crash

This post has been updated. See note at the bottom for details.

A crash investigation team on Wednesday was still trying to determine the cause of the crash of two military helicopters that went down during nighttime operations at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state earlier this week, killing four aviators.

The team from the Combat Readiness Center at Ft. Rucker, Ala., was gathering debris -- spread over a wide area -- from the violent impact of the two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The impact was heard across much of the massive military installation, but it was not clear whether the aircraft collided or were involved in separate crashes.

The incident occurred during a “routine night training flight” in the base's southwest training area near Rainier, Wash., Army officials said. It occurred in clear weather shortly after 8 p.m. Monday, causing emergency sirens to sound across the base.

“We are conducting a thorough investigation to find the cause of this event and offer our utmost support to the families during this difficult time,” Col. Robert Dickerson, commander of the 16th Aviation Brigade, said in a statement. “The soldiers and leadership ... mourn the loss of our patriotic heroes. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of the aviators involved in the accident.”

The small OH-58D Kiowa Warriors are most often deployed on armed reconnaissance missions and have flown in various configurations on Army operations for the last four decades.

On Wednesday, the killed aviators were identified as:

--Capt. Anne M. Montgomery, 25, a native of North Dakota and 2008 graduate of the United States Military Academy.

--Chief Warrant Officer 3 Frank A. Buoniconti III, 36, a native of Colorado who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He previously was posted to Ft. Bragg, N.C., and the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, Calif.

--Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shan Joseph Satterfield, 32, a native of Alaska who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, with previous postings in Korea and Ft. Campbell, Ky.

--Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Sigfrid, 32, a native of Alabama who joined the Army in May 2008, arriving at Lewis-McChord in January.

Buoniconti's mother, Silvia Buoniconti, told the Colorado Springs Gazette that her son followed his father into the military “to serve his country” because “he felt it was the right thing to do.”

She said he had married his high school sweetheart, had three children and had only a few weeks ago adopted a fourth, a special-needs child. “Nobody wanted that little boy because of what he had and they didn’t want him to get into the system.”

[Updated 11:56 a.m., Dec. 15: The Army originally identified one of the victims as Joseph Shan Satterfield. His name is Shan Joseph Satterfield.]

 

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Top photo: An Army emergency vehicle leaves the scene of a fatal double helicopter crash at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Credit: Jeremy Harrison / Tacoma News Tribune. Bottom photos, from left: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Frank A. Buoniconti III, Capt. Anne M. Montgomery, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shan Joseph Satterfield, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Sigfrid. Credit: U.S. Army

 

Vegas tour helicopter climbed, turned before crashing, NTSB says

Federal investigators are looking into why a sightseeing helicopter flying toward Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas suddenly climbed and turned before slamming into a narrow ravine, killing the pilot and four passengers.

In the final minute before last week's crash, the tour helicopter shot up 600 feet, turned left, dropped 800 feet and turned left again, radar records indicate. It then plummeted into a ravine and burst into flames, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Tuesday. 

The brief summary of evidence, which draws no conclusions as to the crash's cause, is a prelude to a final report that could take up to a year to complete.

The day before the crash, federal investigators have said, the Eurocopter AS350 had its engine and mechanical control devices replaced as part of routine maintenance. On Dec. 7, the helicopter, operated by tour company Sundance Helicopters, departed from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and flew a route to Hoover Dam that all tour operators use.

"Up to the last minute, it was all standard tour operating procedure," NTSB board member Mark Rosekind told reporters last week. "At the last minute, things changed. Why? We don't know."

Killed in the crash were the pilot, Landon Nield, 31, and two visiting couples. Lovish Bhanot, 28, and Anupama Bhola, 26, of India were on their honeymoon. Delwin and Tamara Chapman of Kansas, both 49, were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

Sundance was involved in another fatal crash in 2003, when one of its helicopters hit a canyon wall near the Grand Canyon, killing the pilot and six passengers.

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Photo: A Las Vegas police helicopter carries investigators to the site of a deadly helicopter crash near Hoover Dam. Credit: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun / Reuters

Two Army helicopters crash in Washington state, killing four

Two Army helicopters crashed Monday night in a training area at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma, Wash., killing four crewmen.

Base officials said the accident occurred sometime after 8 p.m. and involved two OH-58 Kiowas, small observation copters that have been part of the Army's fleet since the Vietnam War.

Military investigators already have begun an inquiry into the cause of the crash, which occurred inside the southwest training area at the base, which is the largest military facility in the western U.S. The probe will be led by the Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Ala, officials said.

The names of the dead crewmen will not be released until their families can be notified, officials said.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the soldiers involved in this tragic accident," Maj. Gen Lloyd Miles, acting senior commander at Lewis-McChord, said in a statement. "We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, and we will do everything in our power to support the families of the brave soldiers who died this evening."

The base earlier this month saw the return of its last large group of soldiers from Iraq when 170 members of medical and artillery units were welcomed at an emotional homecoming. An additional 100 Lewis-McChord soldiers are returning individually or in small groups on commercial flights, base officials said.

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Photo: An OH-58 Kiowa helicopter. Credit: U.S. Army

Vegas crash victims include 2 couples celebrating their marriages

As much as Las Vegas has promoted itself as Sin City, it’s also considered a top destination for couples celebrating their commitment.

So it might come as little surprise that last week two couples in town to mark their nuptials boarded a helicopter for a sunset tour of the Las Vegas Strip and the Hoover Dam. One couple had been married for a month, the other for 25 years.

What should have been a routine sightseeing trip ended in a fiery crash. The Eurocopter AS-350, operated by Sundance Helicopters, suddenly climbed, made a sharp turn and plummeted into an isolated ravine outside Lake Mead, killing both couples and the pilot.

Federal investigators have not said what caused the crash, though they did tell reporters that as part of routine maintenance the helicopter’s engines and mechanical control devices had been replaced the day before. Sundance Helicopters has been involved in at least one other fatal accident.

Over the weekend, authorities identified one couple as Lovish Bhanot and Anupama Bhola of Gurgaon, India, the Associated Press reported. They were married Nov. 6 and were spending their honeymoon in Las Vegas. Bhanot, 28, ran a real estate company, and Bhola, 26, worked as a flight attendant.

They were joined by Delwin and Tamara Chapman of Utica, Kan. The Chapmans, both 49, were in town to renew their vows after a quarter-century of marriage, the AP said. Delwin Chapman ran a construction company and his wife had just closed her salon. The couple had four daughters.

The canyon in which the helicopter was found was so remote that authorities could access it only by helicopter and all-terrain vehicles. The pilot, Landon Nield, 31, had worked for Sundance for several years. He and his wife, Gabriela, were married in June.

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Photo: In this Dec. 10 photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, investigators examine the wreckage of a sightseeing tour helicopter from Las Vegas that crashed Dec. 7 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada near the Hoover Dam. The crash killed the pilot and four tourists. Credit: NTSB

5 bodies removed from site of Vegas tour helicopter crash

Rescue teams Thursday recovered the bodies of the five people killed outside Las Vegas when a sightseeing helicopter plummeted into a ravine that authorities could reach only via helicopter and all-terrain vehicles.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board launched an inquiry into what downed the aircraft, operated by Sundance Helicopters, during a sunset tour Wednesday of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam. A pilot and four passengers were aboard.

Relatives of Delwin and Tamara Chapman of Kansas identified them as two of the crash victims, the Associated Press reported. The Chapmans had traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

The pilot was identified by his father as Landon Nield, 31. Nield had worked for Sundance Helicopters for several years, White Eagle Nield told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He had gotten married in June, and his wife, Gabriela, had two children from a previous marriage.

Authorities had not released the identities of the other two passengers late Thursday. Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy told the AP that medical examiners may need to use DNA, fingerprint and dental records to confirm who was aboard the Eurocopter AS350.

Federal investigators will comb the site for several days, said NTSB board member Mark Rosekind. A final report on the incident, which includes safety recommendations intended to prevent future crashes, could take as long as a year.

Sundance, which flies out of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, was involved in a fatal crash in 2003 when one of its helicopters smacked into a canyon wall near the Grand Canyon, killing the pilot and six passengers. An NTSB report said that that pilot, nicknamed "Kamikaze," had a history of flying recklessly.

Former co-workers told investigators that the pilot in the 2003 crash often “worked the helicopter, pushed the aircraft, and pushed the rules of flight in Descent Canyon,” the report said. The NTSB found that the tour company had failed to discipline him.

Sundance has been involved in at least four other accidents since 1997, the AP reported. The company has also been the subject of 10 federal enforcement actions since 1994, although most were for minor violations.

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Photo: Mechanics work on a grounded Sundance tour helicopter Thursday on the tarmac at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Credit: Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Recovery efforts begin for Las Vegas helicopter crash victims

Federal investigators launched a probe Thursday into a helicopter crash outside Las Vegas, in which the pilot and four passengers were killed during a sunset sightseeing tour.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a 12-member team to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where authorities said the helicopter appeared to have slammed into the River Mountains just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities had not identified the helicopter’s passengers by midday Thursday. The pilot was identified by his father as Landon Nield, 31. Nield had worked for Sundance Helicopters for several years, White Eagle Nield told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He had gotten married in June and his wife, Gabriela, had two children from a previous marriage.

The Eurocopter AS-350, operated by Sundance, had been on a sightseeing flight over the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam. A Sundance representative said the company had suspended all flights Thursday and was cooperating fully with the investigation.

The wreckage, which television news video showed strewn about a canyon, was in a site so remote that authorities could only reach it via helicopter and all-terrain vehicles. NTSB board member Mark Rosekind told reporters he expected the site’s ruggedness to complicate the investigation.

Authorities deemed it too risky to try to recover the crash victims late Wednesday, so a park ranger was dispatched to guard the bodies and debris overnight. Recovery efforts began Thursday morning.

Federal investigators will comb the site for several days, Rosekind said. A final report on the incident, which includes safety recommendations intended to prevent future crashes, could take as long as a year to complete.

Sundance, which flies out of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, was involved in a fatal crash in 2003. One of its helicopters smacked into a canyon wall near the Grand Canyon, killing the pilot and six passengers. A National Transportation Safety Board report said the pilot had a history of flying recklessly.

Former coworkers told investigators that the pilot was nicknamed “Kamikaze” and often “worked the helicopter, pushed the aircraft, and pushed the rules of flight in Descent Canyon,” the report said. The NTSB found that the tour company had failed to discipline him.

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Photo: Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy, center, talks with Las Vegas Metro Police search and rescue officers after viewing the site where a tour helicopter crashed near Lake Mead. Credit: Reuters

Arizona plane crash: Mother of 3 children killed is notified

Three children "going to spend time at the holiday with their father" were among six killed in a plane crash Wednesday night in Arizona, authorities said.

Elias Johnson with the Pinal County Sheriff's Department spoke to the Los Angeles Times from the scene of the crash on Thanksgiving morning.

"Six people -- three children, two of them boys and one girl" were killed, Johnson said. Three of those aboard were adult men.

The mother of the children lives in Arizona's Pinal County, where the crash took place in a mountainous area near Flatiron.  "I personally made a visit and notification" to the mother "with the information we had late last night."

"The mother is a pilot herself," Johnson said. "She understands when a plane crashes at 230 miles an hour ... directly into the face of the mountain ... and when it's a fiery crash" there's little hope of survivors. "So she understood that."

Late Wednesday night, emergency crews had struggled to reach the crash site in the rugged Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. A 12-person rescue crew began hiking to the site about 9 p.m., a Sheriff's Department official said.

The plane, a twin-engine Rockwell AC69, had taken off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, authorities said. Its registered owner is Ponderosa Aviation Inc. of Safford, Ariz., according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

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Photo: A fire burns Wednesday night at the scene of a plane crash in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Credit: Tim Hacker / East Valley Tribune

At least 6 believed dead in Arizona plane crash

Authorities believe at least six people were killed when a small plane crashed into the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix on Wednesday.

The crash happened about 5:30 p.m., witnesses said.

A spokesman for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Elias Johnson, said six people were aboard the private aircraft, all believed to be members of the same family. 

He did not think there were any survivors, but said, "It's too early to tell. We hope to God someone survived."

Johnson said at a news conference that the plane crashed near Flatiron, where a wildfire apparently sparked by the crash was burning out of control.

Emergency crews were struggling to reach the crash site in the rugged mountains about 40 miles east of downtown Phoenix. A 12-person rescue crew began hiking to the site about 9 p.m., a sheriff's official said. He estimated that it would take them at least six hours to reach the scene.

The plane, a twin-engine Rockwell AC69, had taken off from Falcon Field in Mesa, authorities said. Its registered owner is Ponderosa Aviation Inc. of Safford, Ariz., according to FAA records.  

The mountainous region near Lost Dutchman State Park and the Superstition wilderness features steep canyons and popular hiking trails. It is a favorite of treasure hunters who have frequented the area in search of the fabled Lost Dutchman gold mine for more than a century.

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Photo: A helicopter search light looks over the scene of an aircraft that crashed in the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction. Credit: Tim Hacker / East Valley Tribune