News of Doom 2.0

Zarate's lawyer wants Randolph murder trial moved out of Morris County:

The lawyer for accused killed and mutilator Jonathan Zarate wants the trial moved out of Morris County. Defense lawyer, and another comedian, Richard S. Mazawey, wants the trial move because of alleged anti-Hispanic sentiment in the county along with pre-trial publicity.

I wouldn't call it anti-Hispanic sentiment. I'd call it anti-scumbag who killed 16-year-old Jennifer Parks, dismembered her body and tried to dump it in the Passaic River sentiment.

Just another act of desperation and another delay from another lawyer who knows that Zarate is a lost cause.

It's been 3-years already since Jennifer's death. Justice has long been overdue.

Nod of Doom to Keb.

Accused killer may have been in drug stupor, attorney says:
The last time I posted anything about accused killer Jonathan Zarate I thought the judge had denied his attorney's request for toxicology reports. Zarate's attorney is claiming that Zarate was in a marijuana laced with PCP stupor when he brutally beat, stabbed, dismembered, hid the body, then tried to dump the remains of 16-year-old Jennifer Parks into the Passaic River. A reader corrected me and said the judge had in fact approved the request for a toxicology report. Now Zarate's attorney is requesting two bags of marijuana and blood from his client to be analyzed by a lab.

Mazawey said he was merely seeking the scientific data to bolster a February finding by forensic psychiatrist Diana Riccoli that Zarate's diminished mental capacity may be the result of several years of continued use of marijuana laced with PCP and alcohol. The abuse could have contributed to a "state of de-realization" that would have permitted Zarate to detach himself mentally from his actions and precluded him from giving informed consent before talking to authorities.

So basically all this delay is to try and get Zarate's confession to be ruled inadmissible. I think the fact that Zarate tried so meticulously to cover up his crime by enlisting the aid of others shows that Zarate has no mental defect. Unless you want to count being a murderous bastard.

Randolph killing defense: It was the drugs talking:
It's been almost three years since Jonathan Zarate murdered 16-year-old Jennifer Parks, dismembered her body, and tried to dump her in the Passaic River. Almost three years and the case still hasn't gone to trial. Mostly because of Zarate's defense either stalling or being completely unprepared. Now they've tried to delay it even more by attempting to consult with a toxicologist. Why is that you may ask. Well. now almost three years later Zarate is trying to claim that there's no way he could have confessed to police willingly because he was high on weed laced with PCP.

Instead, defense attorney Richard S. Mazawey said in court Tuesday that a psychiatrist he plans to use in the case wants to consult with a toxicologist he just hired. Mazawey said his expectation is that the toxicologist would opine that Zarate couldn't knowingly waive his legal right to remain silent because of the effects of "marijuana laced with PCP lingering in his system."

Thankfully the judge denied the request.

Today a hearing will be held to determine if Zarate's confession will be admissible.

Nod of Doom to Keb.

Prosecutor: Accused Randolph killer not impaired:
Morris County, NJ assistant prosecutor Robert Lane told a judge Tuesday that accused killer Jonathan Zarate bragged to other inmates that he wasn't mentally diminished when he killed and dismembered his 16-year-old neighbor Jennifer Parks. This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one.

It seems that Zarate has a new lawyer as well. Richard S. Mazawey replaces Anthony Fusco as Zarate's attorney. No reason was given why Fusco is no longer his attorney. Mazawey plans to use the same diminished capacity defense that Fusco was pursuing.

Report: Accused killer of Randolph teen had mental defect:
Instead of going for an insanity defense the attorney for accused killer Jonathan Zarate is now going for a diminished capacity defense. Here's the difference...

A defendant deemed to be insane at the time of a crime in New Jersey cannot be held criminally responsible. A person found guilty of committing a murder, but found to have diminished capacity, or a mental defect or impairment, is merely convicted of a lesser offense than murder.

For those of you new to the site then 18-year-old Jonathan Zarate killed his 16-year-old neighbor Jennifer Parks, dismembered her body, then hid her body for 24 hours, and then tried to dump her body into the Passaic River.

Basically this kind of defense admits guilt but tries to get a reduced sentence other than a murder sentence.

The prosecution however subscribes to the common sense theory...

Office Executive Assistant Prosecutor Robert Lane said the report will be reviewed over the next week to see if the office wants to hire its own expert. But Lane told Judge Salem Vincent Ahto that Jonathan Zarate's mind appeared clear when he scrubbed up the crime scene, cut off the girl's legs to cram her body into a steamer trunk and tried to toss the trunk over a bridge into the Passaic River.

The only mental defect Zarate has is that he's a raving psychopath.

The judge wants the trial to start on April 17th but Zarate's attorney, Anthony Fusco, said he won't be ready. How much more time does he need? It's been almost 3 years since Jennifer Parks' death. Get on with it already. Doesn't the victim's family have the right to a speedy trial too?

Nod of Doom to Keb.

Slain Randolph girl's mom pushes for death penalty:
The mother of Jennifer Parks, Laurie Parks, is calling on prosecutors to push for the death penalty in the murder of her daughter...

"I feel if you take a life, you give a life," she said. She said her grief has been overwhelming some days, for herself and Jennifer's father, David, and that she hopes to start counseling soon. She hasn't been ready so far for therapy, she said.

"I'm not doing good right now. It's very hard," she said.

Can you blame her? Considering her daughter was killed and dismembered by Jonathan Zarate.

Prosecutors have not yet stated whether or not they will pursue the death penalty. While New Jersey does have the death penalty it's rarely used.

We also have news out of the Zarate camp...

Slay case leaves kin wondering:
The relatives of Jonathan Zarate are saying they knew that he had problems. As a matter of fact he was supposed to have been sent to his aunt in California who is a psychiatrist. He was supposed to go on August 2nd but he killed Jennifer Parks on July 30th. Still no motive given but the article uses this as a turning point in Zarate's life...

He changed from a happy youngster to an angry kid during the breakup of his parents, according to his mother, Flora Mari, who spoke through Fusco. The couple split when he was 8 and divorced when he was 11, according to court records.

Even years later, Zarate spoke about the divorce all the time, according to Moises Mari, a stepbrother who lives in Newport News, Va.

So he was down about his parents' divorce. Boo freakin' hoo. I don't care if his parents beat him with barbed wire it's still no excuse to choke, bludgeon, stab, and dismember a 16-year-old girl. If this is what the defense will be basing their insanity defense on then they have their work cut out for them. Then again this is New Jersey. So we'll just have to wait and see.

Randolph students to honor slain classmate:
Classmates of Jennifer Parks from Randolph High School in New Jersey are honoring her by creating two scholarships in her name. If you haven't been following 16-year-old Jennifer Parks was "allegedly" bludgeoned, stabbed and dismembered by her next door neighbor Jonathan Zarate.

Students hope to raise enough money to provide two $500 scholarships in Ms. Parks' name, but the idea of buying books for the school library would be a special tribute to their classmate.

I've been keeping in contact with Jen' mom. She really liked the idea of buying new books because Jen liked to read a lot. We would put her name in the front of each book as a memorial.

Does this sound like someone who some people think deserved what she got?

If you're in or near the Randolph, NJ area why not throw a couple of bucks their way.

DNA taken from teens in girl's death:
This is an update in the case of Jonathan Zarate. He's the scumbag who allegedly bludgeoned, stabbed, killed, and dismembered, 16-year-old Jennifer Parks. The last time we heard his lawyer was planning an insanity defense. At that time a few people left comments stating that Zarate's younger brother did it and that Zarate was covering for him. Well Zarate's brother, only identified as "J.Z.", and the other teenage accomplice, identified as "V.B.", have claimed that they had nothing to do with the killing. Meanwhile Morris County investigators have obtained DNA samples from the two. If their DNA is found on Jennifer Parks' body then the charges could be upgraded. Right now they're only charged with illegally disposing of human remains.

The other day I told you about the case of Jonathan Zarate who killed and dismembered 16-year-old Jennifer Parks, then hid her body in the back of his dad's jeep for a day. Well now the defense attorney says that he might be going for an insanity defense. That seems to be all the rage lately.

"From what I've heard, he was in an uncontrolled rage," Fusco told The New York Times. "There was nothing going on that you can point to and say they were fighting or something happened between the two of them."

That's just more reason to lock him up. Better yet, stuff his ass into a steamer trunk then dump him into the Hudson in February.

He's not insane. He carried out a very precise and well thought out crime. Sadistic psychopath? Yes. Insane? Hardly.

New Jersey

Invited her to watch TV, then stuffed cut-up body in trunk:
Reason to Blow Up The World: The fact that this scumbag, Jonathan A. Zarate, invited the victim over to his house then stabbed her, dismembered her body, stashed in a steamer trunk, then left the trunk in his dad's jeep for a day while a freaking birthday party was being held at the house. Too bad New Jersey is unlikely to execute. This guy was made for the death sentence.

My condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jennifer Parks.

TOF to Jade.