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Thursday, February 18 2010 - 10:54 PM
Raymond Lee Jennings Sentenced to 40 years to Life
By Chris McGuinness
Raymond Lee Jennings was given a sentence of forty years to life for the murder of teenager Michelle O’Keefe. The sentence was handed down by Judge Lisa Chung at the Michael D. Antonovich Courthouse in Lancaster on Thursday. Members of the O’Keefe family attended the proceeding and were able to speak directly to Jennings for the first time in almost five years.
“This day has been coming for a long time,” Michael O’Keefe said as he addressed Jennings in court. “The pain you caused…it is immeasurable.”
“What kind of demon lives inside you that would cause such a dastardly act?” He added.
Michael O’Keefe made his statement before a standing room only audience in the courtroom. Standing next to a large portrait of his daughter, O’Keefe focused much of his statement not on his own pain, but the effects of the murder on his family.
“My wife has a wound that will never heal.” O’Keefe said.
Michael O’Keefe ended his comments by asking Jennings to apologize for the murder and the aftermath it had caused.
“Why couldn’t you have been man enough to confess what you had done?” He asked Jennings. “The bible says to forgive, and I accept that. But I ask you to at least apologize for tearing my family apart.”
Michelle’s mother Pat spoke about the close relationship she had with her daughter, and lasting effect the murder has had on her life.
“Every day when I wake up I think of Michelle,” O’Keefe said. “Michelle was a gift from God.”
“I will never be able to see her graduate from college. I will never be able to spoil her children as a grandmother. You took that away from me when you murdered Michelle.” She added.
Michelle’s younger brother Jason also spoke at the hearing. In an emotional speech before the court, O’Keefe had harsh words for Jennings; characterizing him as “a coward” and “a liar”.
“On February twenty-third, I experienced the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life and it’s all because of you…for you to kill an eighteen-year-old girl who was innocent shows how much of a coward you really are.” O’Keefe said.
“Instead of letting her go home…now you’re going to be in prison for the rest of your life.”
Jason O’Keefe went on to list many of Jennings’ transgressions, including his alleged marital infidelity, the circumstances surrounding his service in the army, and his purportedly false statements to law enforcement stating, “God gave us the Commandments to follow and honest to God, Ray, you are the only individual I know who’s broken all ten.”
In a part of his statement O’Keefe made potentially incendiary remarks regarding Jennings’ children. Citing past hearings and trials where Jennings appeared to be laughing and smiling at the O’Keefe family, Jason O’Keefe asked the man convicted of his sister’s murder “Do you think it’s funny now?”
“Do you think Xavier (one of Jennings’ children) thinks it’s funny? What about the bastard back in North Carolina? Do you think they find it funny?” O’Keefe stated.
Like his parents, Jason O’Keefe asked Jennings to apologize and repent for his crime, telling him it would be his “last opportunity” to tell the court the truth about his sister’s murder.
“Today you will have the chance to repent…the question is if you will do it or not.” O’Keefe said.
“It is my prayer that you repent for your sins because no man should burn in hell.” He added.
Jennings’ supporters also addressed the court on Thursday, voicing their belief in his innocence and characterizing the trial as unfair. Christina P. Jones, the cousin of Jennings’ estranged wife likened the trial to mob rule.
“I honestly believe that Raymond is innocent.” She said.
“I feel like this is more like a mob lynching…it’s very one-sided.” She added
“(Jennings) is truly a victim of our criminal justice system,” said family friend Mary D Waddy. “He was falsely accused and wrongfully detained.”
Jennings himself also spoke, stating that he was innocent and had nothing to do with the murder of Michelle O’Keefe.
“I sit here as an innocent man…this is one sin I will not be judged for.” He stated, adding “My five children will know who their father is and that he is not a murderer.”
After statements by all the parties, Judge Chung handed down the verdict. Jennings will receive fifteen years to life in prison for second degree murder as well as twenty-five years to life for unlawfully discharging a firearm in a homicide, totaling a sentence of forty years to life in prison. In addition Jennings was also slapped with a restitution fine of ten thousand dollars. According to Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake, Jennings will have to serve the forty years consecutively before being eligible for parole.
Michael O’Keefe stated he was happy with the outcome of the sentencing hearing stating that, “It came out just as I expected, so I have no complaints.”
www.avnewstodayonline.com
fewenuff says...
W-R-E-C-K-S did it!
I feel SOOoooo much safer.
THROW THE LYING BUMS OUT!!!…and their little dogs too!
Lan Astaslem!
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Have Faith says...
He did not do it. The mother wanted someone to blame, and she got it, but that doesn’t make him guilty. In a while the true perp will turn up, confessing for some reason, or someone else in the car will speak up, Ray and his kids will get a settlement for getting railroaded. That’s my take on it for what it’s worth.
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Sincere says...
He is guilty. The jury said so, and the judge agreed. This is called justice, and justice stings. What you want is mercy, which is what Jennings denied Michele when he executed her on that cold lonely night.
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Sincere says...
Yes, Rex did do it. If he hadn’t taken the case Jennings would be out there looking for another child to kill.
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Larry Grover says...
I thought the DA prosecuted the case?
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dbeardw says...
Sincere says…
Yes, Rex did do it. If he hadn’t taken the case Jennings would be out there looking for another child to kill."
I don’t believe for one minute that Jennings did it. Two trials down below did not conclude so. They had to bring the case back up here and prey on the sentimental issues of the public.
And Sincere gives Rex credit for what.
I think Sincere should ask how much money Rex made and how much the family actually got in their civil suit against the city. This is a small town and people talk. Rex came out with quite an impressive amount. Let’s say some family members were complaining to their friends about what got vs. what they got. People know people who know people.
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dbeardw says...
Sincere says…
He is guilty. The jury said so, and the judge agreed. This is called justice, and justice stings. What you want is mercy, which is what Jennings denied Michele when he executed her on that cold lonely night."
Right Sincere, judge and jury FINALLY AGREED after THREE TRIALS.
Oh my — THREE BITES AT THE APPLE DOES IT IN A CITY THAT HAS BEEN TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THE MAN IS GUILTY.
It’s amazing how many death row inmates and people in prison for most of their lives are getting out based on DNA. With Jennings he went to jail and where was the DNA. All circumstantial. Right Sincere, justice.
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dbeardw says...
Jennings got a taste of a good ole home town lynching.
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Larry Grover says...
Actually I remember when theIr insurance company made the city settle it. I found it odd that, while Rex was bragging about kicking the citys ass, he also had the actual settlement amount sealed.
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mattkeltner says...
Is it just me or did the language in this article sound like it was pulled directly from an archived manuscript of the Spanish Inquisition?
All of the comments in the courtroom about “burning in hell”, “the ten commandments”, “God this — and God that”. You would think we were in Salem during the Colonial Period!
I heard a rumor that the O’Keefe family were part of Lancaster Baptist, which makes sense now. They also sued the city of Palmdale for millions…and that money went where? (read between the lines, people). Paul Chappell can probably thank the City of Palmdale and it’s insurance company for their hefty contribution.
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Randy Hall says...
All it cost the O’Keefe’s is a daughter. Some here would call that nothing. I’m glad a price is being paid finally.
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Cagy Wolf says...
As usual DBW has it wrong, but to her killing a woman must be ok. DBW works for Rex and never stopped. She is paid to be here acting the fool.
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mattkeltner says...
Randy,
Let’s hope you’re right in that Jennings is, without a doubt, guilty. Let’s hope that it was him and not one of the shady people Michelle had in her life. God only knows who the real murderer is.
But, let’s hope, for the sake of yourself, Rex and everyone who has gone after him that you’re all right because judgement and karma will be harsh on anyone who punishes an innocent man to that extent.
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Randy Hall says...
To be fair MK, I never “went after” Raymond Jennings.
Our justice system isn’t perfect but neither is our world. Sometimes we make errors. We tried Jennings 3 times to make sure there were no errors. If any case had the proper outcome this one did. Out of 36 people that viewed the evidence I think it was 34 that thought Jennings guilty!
We can second guess till the cows come home or trust the judgment of our peers and it wasn’t just 12 it was 34 people thought him deserving of prison.
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mattkeltner says...
In a previous blog a couple of years ago, Randy, you had mentioned that a friend of yours at the Sheriff’s department had “assured” you that Jennings would be found guilty and you seemed to be a bit jubilant at the time. I remember that blog well.
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Randy Hall says...
MK, I was happy the killer was caught. That isn’t “going after” someone.
I’m happy today because justice is finally being served. I’m like you I hope it is the right guy but sometimes we must have faith in our fellow man no matter how hard that is.
We trust our fellow man to know how to spend our money so why not them in…oops I see what you mean. We simply can’t be trusted. Maybe we all need to go to jail!
Course some would say we are already there and the IRS is our jailer.
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mattkeltner says...
The interesting aspect of all of this, for me, is that this family supposedly were members in good standing with Paul Chappell.
Why did Michelle slip through the cracks? Why did she seek out shady people and were the rumors of her and friends using fake IDs to enter Los Angeles nightclubs true? You almost wonder if she was pushed to the brink of rebellious insanity by the arduous doctrines that were imposed on her? If her parents saw these things occurring, why didn’t they take her to a psychologist? Were they likely discouraged by Paul Chappell and the leadership from doing so? It really makes you wonder…
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Randy Hall says...
If they were members of no church or wiccans I don’t think that is a part of the story. Jennings killed their kid that’s the sad story.
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mattkeltner says...
Would you be willing to stake your own life on that, Randy? I don’t think you would. The doctrines one adheres to have a large impact on how they view their children and how to best get help for them. It’s not hard at all to imagine a Lancaster Baptist official, or Chappell himself, railing against the “evils” of “secular psychology” and calling it “Satanic”. Meanwhile, a girl slips through the cracks and is not channeling her teenage angst in a proper way. It’s a textbook case, really.
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Randy Hall says...
MK, I’m raising teens, there is always going to be angst. Now do good morals and standards mean good kids. Sadly no.
There is faith and hope to fall back on. Nothing is certain and there is always risk. That is our lot in life.
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mattkeltner says...
Randy,
If you loved one of your teens, would you not do whatever you could, including psychological intervention?
Would you let an official at your church convince you that psychology was “Satanic” and that it would corrupt your child and your family and make them less solely dependent on the doctrines of the church? I look at Michelle like someone who was drowning and didn’t get the life raft she needed because it was likely discouraged. The language used in the latest court proceedings only reinforces my feelings on this. “Hellfire…”, “burning…”, “ten commandments”, “sin…”, “the Bible says…” sound like something straight out of one of Chappell’s incindiary sermons.
If this is what Michelle heard as a teen, it’s no wonder she went off of the deep end. I imagine (and judging by her grades) she was probably a very bright girl who felt her intelligence was “sinful” and therefor, chose a “sinful” path to follow and probably thought to herself, “what the hell? I’m going to end up there anyways so I might as well live my life like it right now…”. Without psychological intervention, she would get worse.
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Randy Hall says...
MK, you are assuming a lot with that last statement.
A parent does what they have to do to help their kid. Tough love, a new car, pay for college anything they can.
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dbeardw says...
Larry Grover, people talk. Women talk to their friends and in hair saloons the gossip and reveal things that bother them. Take it from me, it that settlement was unsealed and people knew who got what — people would not be very happy. Let’s just say, a family member was upset because that family member felt Rex got the LION’S SHARE of the money. Am I wrong? Am I right?
Let’s just say there are no secrets, sealed or unsealed. PEOPLE involved in a case TALK.
By the way, get a copy of Rex’s law office contract. Is there anything you don’t get charged for except for maybe your bra and panties (smile) and after that look at his cut. You can really figure out who got what and the LION ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME OUT ON TOP AND ROAR! I’m telling you, look at the interest on any money the firm puts out for you.
I don’t care what other law firms may do, we’re talking about a man of the people.
If you really want to know what service means, talk to Liz Smith, a former client and the one who helped him win his office last time. Now that is an interesting story. Someone works hard to get you in with the soccer families and the Eastside High School teachers and talk to her about what happened to her and how she was treated.
Makes you wonder — where’s all the love?
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dbeardw says...
Cagy Wolf says I’m a Rex operative.
Excuse me while both Rex and I vomit. No my soul is under my control and I am a discipline of Jesus. That sums it up.
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dbeardw says...
I know CG is probably jealous, wishing that Rex would employ him as an operative. But what can CW do? Curse, have a temper tantrum, get upset, send me nasty ‘leave me alone’ pm’s. That’s about it. What can Wreck’s parrisites do with any skills like that?
They already have Randy on that task.
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newstoday says...
Jennings to serve 40 before parole
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