Re: Jane Bashara Murder (thread #4)

[Darkman]

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office to make announcement in Jane Bashara murder case

Grosse Pointe Park mother was found dead in 2012

Published On: Apr 16 2013 01:53:09 PM EDT Updated On: Apr 16 2013 06:41:04 PM EDT

---- TEXT & VIDEO (2:08) ----

Major announcement coming Wednesday in Bashara murder case

DETROIT -
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office will hold a press conference Wednesday to make an announcement in the Jane Bashara murder case.

The press conference will be at 11 a.m.

Watch it live on ClickOnDetroit.com

Read more:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Wayne-County-Prosecutor-s-Office-to-make-announcement-in-Jane-Bashara-murder-case/-/1719314/19771752/-/wi1ufg/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Wayne County Prosecutor to make announcement in Bashara murder case on Wednesday

Posted: 04/16/2013


DETROIT (WXYZ) - Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has called a news conference for 11:00 am on Wednesday to make an announcement in the Jane Bashara murder case.

No details have been released on exactly what Worthy will be speaking about.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/wayne-county-prosecutor-to-make-announcement-in-bashara-murder-case-on-wednesday

[Darkman]

Wayne County prosecutor to discuss Bashara case

By Mitch Hotts and Jameson Cook

Posted: Tuesday, 04/16/13 02:19 pm
Updated: Tuesday, 04/16/13 04:03 pm

http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130416/NEWS01/130419619/wayne-county-prosecutor-to-discuss-bashara-case#full_story

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Prosecutor plans announcement in Jane Bashara case

Posted: Apr 16, 2013 3:28 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 16, 2013 3:28 PM CDT

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/21994678/prosecutor-plans-announcement-in-jane-bashara-case

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Prosecutor to Make Announcement in Jane Bashara Case

By John Hetzler, the author, April 16, 2013

http://grossepointe.patch.com/articles/prosecutor-to-make-announcement-in-jane-bashara-case

[Darkman]

April 16, 2013 at 7:35 pm

Prosecutor to make announcement in Bashara case Wednesday

By George Hunter, The Detroit News

Detroit — The question of whether Grosse Pointe Park businessman Bob Bashara will be charged in the slaying of his wife Jane may be answered Wednesday.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has scheduled an 11 a.m. press conference in her office Wednesday, "to make an announcement in the Jane Bashara homicide case," according to a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Mark Kriger, Bob Bashara's attorney, said Tuesday he hadn't heard whether his client would be charged.

"I haven't heard anything from prosecutors," Kriger said. "I'll have to talk to (Bashara) about this. I don't know if I'll be representing him for these charges, if there are any."

Jane Bashara's sister, Julie Engelbrecht Rowe, said Tuesday she also hadn't heard of any new developments in the case.

"This is the first I'm hearing of it; I'll have to make some phone calls to find out what's going on," she said.

...

Police officials told The Detroit News Bashara wanted his wife killed so he could set up a sex dungeon in a house not far from his Grosse Pointe Park home, where he would live with his girlfriend, Rachel Gillett, and a woman from Oregon he'd met on alt.com, a website that caters to S&M aficionados.

Bashara kept a sex dungeon in the basement of a bar he owned, the Hard Luck Lounge on Mack, near the Detroit-Grosse Pointe Park border.

While in jail awaiting charges, prosecutors said in a court filing that Bashara had a third woman who acted as his sex slave, "a new female, who is eagerly conducting his bidding," the filing said.

When Bashara was sentenced for solicitation in December, Rowe said the murder haunted her family.

"My sister Jane was one of the most decent people I have ever known," Rowe said. "At times, it's still unbelievable that she was brutally murdered."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130416/METRO01/304160428

[Darkman]

Wayne County Prosecutor expected to announce First Degree Murder charges in Bashara case

Posted: 04/16/2013
Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has called a news conference for 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday to make an announcement in the Jane Bashara murder case.

Worthy is expected to announce charges against Jane's husband Bob Bashara. He is expected to be charged with First Degree Murder, Felony Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Solicitation to Commit Murder.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/wayne-county-prosecutor-to-make-announcement-in-bashara-murder-case-on-wednesday?April172013

[Darkman]

Wayne County prosecutor to discuss Bashara case

By Mitch Hotts and Jameson Cook
mitch.hotts@macombdaily.com; @mhotts

Posted: Wednesday, 04/17/13 12:01 am
Updated: Wednesday, 04/17/13 07:33 am

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office on Tuesday would not comment on whether homicide charges will be filed against Bob Bashara.

“You’ll have to wait until the announcement,” assistant prosecutor Maria Miller said.

Nancy Bashara, mother of Bob Bashara, said Tuesday she knew about a “meeting” regarding the case but declined to comment because she said she doesn’t know anything else about it.

Read more: http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130417/NEWS01/130419619/wayne-county-prosecutor-to-discuss-bashara-case#full_story

[Darkman]

Local 4 Defenders: Bob Bashara may face murder charges in connection with wife's death

Grosse Pointe Park's Jane Bashara found dead in January 2012

Published On: Apr 17 2013 08:16:13 AM EDT


GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
The Local 4 Defenders have learned that charges are expected to be announced Wednesday against Bob Bashara in connection with his wife's 2012 death.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Watch it live on ClickOnDetroit.com.

Sources say Bashara could face between four and five counts -- ranging from first-degree murder to felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder or solicitation to commit murder.

Read more: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Local-4-Defenders-Bob-Bashara-may-face-murder-charges-in-connection-with-wife-s-death/-/1719314/19774476/-/w6ashx/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara, Mich. man accused of hiring handyman to kill wife, charged with first-degree murder

By Crimesider Staff

(CBS/AP) DETROIT - Bob Bashara, a Michigan man who admitted he plotted to murder a handyman charged with killing Bashara's wife, was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday.

...

Bashara was charged with murder, conspiracy and other charges. He is currently n prison in northern Michigan, serving a minimum sentence of 6.5 years for trying to have Gentz killed in the county jail last year.

Bashara quickly was identified by police as a person of interest, although he repeatedly denied any role in his wife's death. He attended a candlelight vigil in honor of Jane Bashara and told reporters last year that the killing was an "unconceivable tragedy."

"I am confident this concludes our investigation," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in announcing the charges.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57580073-504083/bob-bashara-mich-man-accused-of-hiring-handyman-to-kill-wife-charged-with-first-degree-murder/

[Darkman]

April 17, 2013 at 3:29 pm

Bob Bashara charged with first-degree murder in wife's death

By George Hunter, The Detroit News

---- TEXT & VIDEO (1:16) ----

Detroit — After a months-long investigation involving nearly 300 witnesses and more than 5,000 pages of documents, prosecutors on Wednesday announced first-degree murder charges against prominent Grosse Pointe Park businessman Bob Bashara in connection with last year's strangling death of his wife, Jane.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges Wednesday morning during a press conference. She was flanked by local, state and federal law enforcement officials.

Bashara allegedly hired Joseph Gentz, a handyman who worked for him, to kill her, Worthy said.

Worthy said the case took investigators to Iowa, Illinois, Florida, Oregon and Texas as well as Metro Detroit. She would not elaborate.

Bashara, 55, is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder, suborning of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.

"He was encouraging witnesses to lie under oath," Worthy said. "He encouraged witnesses to call in false tips, and tried to get a witness to leave the state so they could not be talked to."

Julie Rowe, Jane Bashara's sister, issued a statement Wednesday saying, "Jane's parents, siblings and children are pleased that the investigation into her murder has come to a conclusion."

Rowe also thanked several law enforcement agencies and the media "for respecting our family's privacy during what has undoubtedly been the most difficult time of our lives."

Bashara will likely be transferred next week from Manistee, where he is currently serving a prison sentence, to Detroit for his arraignment in 36th District Court.

Gentz, a developmentally disabled handyman who worked for Bob Bashara, pleaded guilty in December to strangling Jane Bashara, 56, a marketing executive, in the garage of her Grosse Pointe Park home on Jan. 24, 2012. He said he dumped her Mercedes-Benz SUV in an east-side Detroit alley with her body inside.

At his plea hearing, Gentz told Wayne Circuit Judge Vonda Evans: "Bob Bashara offered me money to kill his wife. He threatened me if I didn't kill her. I killed Jane Bashara because Bob Bashara promised me money and threatened to kill me."

Gentz was convicted of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and is serving 17-28 years in the Macomb Correctional Facility.

As part of Gentz's plea deal, he will cooperate with prosecutors in Bashara's trial, Worthy said.

Although Gentz's conspiracy conviction meant prosecutors did not think he acted alone, a co-conspirator was never charged until Wednesday.

Bob Bashara pleaded guilty in October to trying to hire a furniture store owner to kill Gentz in jail while he was awaiting his murder trial. Bashara is serving a 6- to 20-year sentence in the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee. He is a former president of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club.

The murder made national headlines and had surprising twists. A few days after the killing, Gentz walked into Grosse Pointe Park Police headquarters to confess, only to be turned away twice before detectives finally interrogated him.

Police officials told The Detroit News that Bashara wanted his wife killed so he could set up a sex dungeon in a house not far from his Grosse Pointe Park home, where he would live with his girlfriend, Rachel Gillett, and a woman from Oregon he'd met on a website that caters to S&M aficionados.

When Bashara was sentenced for solicitation in December, Rowe said the murder haunted her family.

"My sister Jane was one of the most decent people I have ever known," Rowe said. "At times, it's still unbelievable that she was brutally murdered."

ghunter@detroitnews.com

(313) 222-2134

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130417/METRO01/304170418

[Darkman]

Murder charges announced against Bob Bashara in connection with wife's death

Bashara accused of encouraging witnesses to lie during investigation

Published On: Apr 17 2013 11:12:28 AM EDT | Updated On: Apr 17 2013 06:37:37 PM EDT

---- TEXT & VIDEO (2:08) ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
Bob Bashara has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with his wife's 2012 death.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday that Bashara is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder, perjury, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.

Worthy said the 55-year-old is accused of encouraging witnesses to lie under oath or call in false tips during the investigation into his wife's death.

"We're also alleging that he tried to get a witness or witnesses to leave the state so they could not be talked to," Worthy said.

Worthy said there are more than 300 witnesses and 5,000 pages of documentation in the case.

Wayne County Chief of Special Investigations Robert Moran and Lead assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Lindsey will prosecute the case.

On Jan. 24, 2012, Bob Bashara reported his wife missing.

The Grosse Pointe Park mother of two was found dead the next day in the back of her SUV in a Detroit alley.

Jane's family issues statement:

"Jane's parents, siblings and children are pleased that the investigation into her murder has come to a conclusion. We want to extent our heartfelt thanks to the Grosse Pointe Park police, Detroit police, Michigan State Police, Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and all other law enforcement agencies who have worked so tirelessly and with such dedication to ensure that those responsible for Jane's murder are brought to justice. We also want to thank all media outlets and journalists for respecting our family's privacy during what has undoubtedly been the most difficult time of our lives. We will not be making any other statements or giving any interviews at this time" -- Julie Rowe, Jane Bashara's sister.

The key players in the murder investigation:

Handyman Joseph Gentz is serving a 17-year sentence after admitting he strangled Jane Bashara at her home. He has said he acted on the orders of her husband.

Bashara is already serving a minimum sentence of 6½ years in prison for trying to have Gentz killed in jail.

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Murder-charges-announced-against-Bob-Bashara-in-connection-with-wife-s-death/-/1719314/19783872/-/49ak6f/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Wayne County Prosecutor charges Bob Bashara with First Degree Murder in wife's death

Posted: 04/16/2013
Last Updated: 12 hours and 19 minutes ago

---- TEXT & 2 VIDEOs ---- (including complete Press Conference by the Prosecutor)

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Former Grosse Pointe businessman and Rotary Club president Bob Bashara is now facing murder charges in the death of his wife Jane.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, flanked by other law enforcement officials, made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday.

Bashara was charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, suborning of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and Obstruction of justice.

It was one year and three months ago that Jane Bashara’s body was found inside her SUV in an alley on Detroit's east side.

So what’s taken so long?

Worthy says it’s a complicated case that stretched across several states and included three hundred witnesses and five thousand documents.

"We are living in a TV kind of era when you thing everything is wrapped up in 44 minutes. And that's just not the way it happens," Worthy said.

The prosecutor also revealed that Bashara himself delayed their investigation and that resulted in some of the charges.

"We are alleging that he encouraged witnesses to call in false tips. We are alleging that he tried to get a witness or witnesses to leave the state so they could not be talked to. And we are alleging that he was, again, encouraging witnesses to lie to us during the pendency of this investigation," Worthy told reporters.

A source close to the case tells the 7 Action News Investigators Bashara's former mistress, Rachael Gillett was the witness he allegedly pressured to move out of state and the witness intimidation charge involves her and handyman Joe Gentz.

Gentz admitted to killing Jane Bashara under Bob Bashara’s direction and is serving seventeen to twenty eight years in prison, with an agreement to testify against Bashara.

Some legal observers say Gentz credibility will be a problem because he has a low I-Q and gave different accounts of what happened to police.

Worthy says she doesn't consider Gentz a star witness.

"He's a strong witness for us. He's a credible witness we think for us but certainly all of the witnesses in the case make up the case together," said Worthy.

Worthy refuses to talk about any details of their case and the court file has been sealed making it off limits to reporters.

Bashara is expected to be brought to Detroit next week for arraignment. Bob Bashara is currently serving a prison sentence for trying to hire a hit man to kill Gentz.

Source: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/wayne-county-prosecutor-to-make-announcement-in-bashara-murder-case-on-wednesday

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara Charged With Murder In Detroit Strangling Death Of Wife, Jane Bashara

By ED WHITE 04/17/13 09:13 PM ET EDT

---- includes VIDEO (2:34) ----

DETROIT -- A man accused of forcing a handyman to strangle his wife was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday, 15 months after the discovery of her body in a Detroit alley stirred fear that she was a victim of a random abduction from a comfortable suburb.

The charges against Robert Bashara were not unexpected. Nonetheless, it was another extraordinary turn in the death of Jane Bashara, a 56-year-old marketing executive from Grosse Pointe Park.

"I don't know if I'd use the word strange," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said when asked to sum up the investigation. "I would use the word different, and certainly a case that has a lot of tentacles."

Worthy declined to discuss a motive or many other details but said Gentz would be a "strong and credible witness."

"He's not the only witness. We have many, many others. I would never call one person a star witness. I never do that," she said.

More at the Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/bob-bashara-charged-murder-detroit_n_3105331.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara charged with first-degree murder in Jane Bashara's slaying

9:04 PM, April 17, 2013

By Gina Damron and Elisha Anderson
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

A new chapter has opened in a murder mystery that has captivated metro Detroit for more than a year with scandalous tales of mistresses, hit men and, now, allegations of witness tampering.

Grosse Pointe Park businessman Bob Bashara has long been identified as a person of interest in his wife’s slaying and was charged Wednesday in her death. He also is accused of intimidating witnesses, encouraging witnesses to lie under oath, encouraging people to call in fake tips and trying to have one witness leave the state, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

Jane Bashara was found strangled in January 2012 and left in her SUV, which was dumped in an alley on Detroit’s east side.

The multi-agency investigation into her death was far-reaching, Worthy said, with 5,000 pages of documents and nearly 300 witnesses. It stretched into multiple states, including Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Oregon and Texas. The investigation already has led to the confession of purported hit man Joseph Gentz, who said Bob Bashara offered him money to kill his wife, and resulted in prison time for Bashara, who is accused of trying to have Gentz killed before he could testify.

Worthy said the case “has a lot of tentacles.”

Prosecutors expect to give a date for Bashara’s arraignment in 36th District Court in Detroit next week on several charges, including first-degree murder, according to the prosecutor’s office.

“He was always a person of interest,” Worthy said.

Despite the allegations, Bashara has maintained that he had nothing to do with his wife’s killing. If he’s convicted on the murder charge, he faces life in prison.

Few details about the case were released Wednesday, including whether there was DNA evidence or what the motive may have been. Court documents have been sealed, a court official said.

But throughout the investigation, details have emerged.

After his wife’s death, Bashara’s personal life — which purportedly included a mistress and a sex dungeon in the basement of a commercial property — came to light.

At a September hearing over Bashara’s bond, a prosecutor said Bashara had, at one point, sent someone to threaten one of his tenants if the tenant talked to police about him. Bashara is also accused of sending an unidentified woman to contact his former mistress, who filed a personal protection order against him. The unidentified woman, a prosecutor said during the September hearing, was from out of state and knew Bashara from a bondage and sadomasochism website.

Bashara, whose family members could not be reached for comment, was notified Wednesday of the charges against him, his attorney, Mark Kriger, said.

“It’s been my practice, and it continues to be my practice, not to comment on pending cases,” Kriger said, “but Bob Bashara has steadfastly maintained, and continues to maintain, he had nothing to do with the death of his wife.”

In addition to first-degree murder, Bashara is being charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, suborning of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.

Bashara is in a Manistee prison, serving about 6 1/2-20 years for trying to hire a hit man to kill Gentz, who was sentenced in February to serve 17-28 years in prison for Jane Bashara’s death.

Bob Bashara pleaded guilty in October to solicitation to commit murder, admitting that he tried to pay local furniture store owner Steve Tibaudo to find someone to kill Gentz, his former handyman who walked into the Grosse Pointe Park Department of Public Safety and confessed to killing Jane Bashara shortly after her death.

Tibaudo wore a wire for police during his conversations with Bob Bashara and testified in July that Bashara paid him $2,000 toward the $20,000 price of the hit.

When reached Wednesday, Tibaudo declined to comment on the charges against Bashara.

Worthy said she believes Gentz — who court records show has a below-average IQ but who was deemed mentally competent to stand trial — will be a solid witness.

“We feel he’s going to be a very strong witness for us,” she said.

At the news conference Wednesday, which lasted nearly 18 minutes, Worthy was flanked by assistant county prosecutors and law enforcement officials from multiple agencies, including the Grosse Pointe Park police, Detroit police, Michigan State Police and the FBI.

Worthy said the case took more than a year to investigate because of its complexity.

“It is always best and most efficient to do the work that needs to be done on a case before it is charged, even if we know early on the direction a case is going to take,” she said.

Worthy said Jane Bashara’s family was notified of the charges against Bob Bashara on Wednesday. She declined to discuss their reaction.

The family released a statement Wednesday after the announcement:

“Jane’s parents, siblings and children are pleased that the investigation into her murder has come to a conclusion,” the statement reads. “We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Grosse Pointe Park police, Detroit police, Michigan State Police, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and all other law enforcement agencies who have worked so tirelessly and with such dedication to ensure that those responsible for Jane’s murder are brought to justice.”

Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20130417/NEWS/304170108/Kym-Worthy-Bob-Bashara-Jane-Bashara-charges

[Darkman]

Grosse Pointe Park's Bob Bashara Charged with first-degree murder in killing of Grosse Pointe Park wife

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charges Bob Bashara

By Gus Burns | fburns@mlive.com | on April 17, 2013 at 11:18 AM, updated April 17, 2013 at 2:53 PM

The charge carries a mandatory life sentence in Michigan.

“We do not operate by the media worthiness of a case,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, explaining why it took a year and three months for 55-year-old Bob Bashara to be charged.

Worthy said everything will come out in the preliminary examination and wouldn’t discuss whether there is DNA evidence or how Jane Bashara’s family responded to the news.

She would not discuss motive and called it a “different” case based on the size and scope of the investigation.

“I’m going to keep my opinions about him to myself,” said Worthy when asked about her interpretation of Bashara’s character. “He was always a person of interest.”

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2013/04/breaking_bob_bashara_charged_w.html

View the Slideshow from the presser: http://photos.mlive.com/5628/gallery/wayne_county_prosecutor_kym_worthy_charges_bob_bashara/index.html

[Darkman]

Grosse Pointe Businessman Bob Bashara Charged in Murder Of Wife Jane

Allan Lengel | allan@deadlinedetroit.com | April 17th, 2013, 7:47 AM

The big question is: What took so long?

Read at the Source: http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/4534/not_for_publication_big_bob_bashara_charged_in_wife_s_murder

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Michigan man charged with first-degree murder for 'forcing a handyman to strangle and kill his wife'

By Associated Press Reporter

PUBLISHED: 04:10 GMT, 18 April 2013 | UPDATED: 04:10 GMT, 18 April 2013


Charged: Robert Bashara (left) has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Jane Bashara (right)

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, surrounded by prosecutors and law enforcement officers, announces the charges against Bashara

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2310864/Robert-Bashara-Michigan-man-charged-degree-murder-forcing-handyman-strangle-kill-wife.html
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[Darkman]

Prosecutor charges Bashara with first-degree murder

By Jameson Cook
Jamie.Cook@macombdaily.com; @jamesoncook

Posted: Wednesday, 04/17/13 11:59 am
Updated: Wednesday, 04/17/13 01:15 pm


Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy has charged Bob Bashara, of Grosse Pointe Park in connection with the homicide of his wife Jane Bashara . The Macomb Daily / David Dalton

More than 14 months after his wife, Jane, was killed, Robert “Bob” Bashara was charged Wednesday with first-degree, premeditated murder for her death.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, surrounded by law enforcement officials and a media throng, announced the long-awaited charges in a press conference in her offices on the 12th floor of the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit.

Bashara, 55, who is in prison for trying to have a key witness in the case killed, is expected to be formally arraigned next week in 36th District Court in Detroit.

In addition to first-degree murder, punishable by life in prison without parole, he is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, subverting of perjury during a capital trial, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.

Read more: http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130417/NEWS01/130419583/prosecutor-charges-bashara-with-first-degree-murder-#full_story

[Darkman]

Bashara Charged with First Degree Murder

By Kurt Deffenbaugh

April 17, 2013 | Updated Apr 17, 2013 at 10:34 PM EDT

Read at the Source: http://www.tv20detroit.com/news/Bashara-Charged-with-First-Degree-Murder-203444741.html

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Worthy throws the book at Bashara for wife's murder

April 17, 2013 | By: Robert Brignall

Read at the Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/worthy-throws-the-book-at-bashara-for-wife-s-murder

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Worthy Announces Murder Charge for Bob Bashara

By Sara Eaton Martin, the author, April 17, 2013

The charges include:

• first degree murder
• conspiracy to commit first degree murder
• solicitation to commit murder
• suborning of perjury during a capital trial
• witness intimidation
• obstruction of justice

Read at the Source: http://grossepointe.patch.com/articles/worthy-announces-murder-charge-on-bashara

[Darkman]

Bashara Charged with Murder, Conspiracy

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced five charges early Wednesday against Bob Bashara in the strangulation death of his wife, Jane Bashara, whose body was found in the back of an SUV in Detroit.

By Sara Eaton Martin, the author, April 17, 2013

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announces charges against Bob Bashara in the January 2012 strangulation death of Jane E. Bashara, his wife, during a press conference Wednesday April 17, 2013. Standing near her side is Grosse Pointe Park Director of Public Safety David Hiller. Credit Sara Eaton Martin


from Photo Gallery at the Source:

Spoiler:

Bob Bashara will be arriagned on several charges next week in the strangulation death of his wife Jane Bashara following an investigation spanning multiple states and nearly 300 witnesses.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced several charges early Wednesday against Bashara. She was surrounded by more than a dozen people from various agencies who helped in the investigation and without, Worthy said, charges never would have resulted.

The charges include:

• first degree murder
• conspiracy to commit first degree murder
• solicitation to commit murder
• suborning of perjury during a capital trial
• witness intimidation
• obstruction of justice

Bashara is currently serving a prison sentence on a second, related case involving his former handyman, Joe Gentz, whom he tried to have killed while in jail to prevent him from testifying. Bashara is currently being housed in Manistee in Oaks Correctional Facility.

He will be brought from prison to Wayne County's 36th District Court next week to make his first appearance on the charges announced Wednesday.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the case took one year and three months to file charges because of its complexity. The investigation spanned seven states, including Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois, Florida, Oregon and Texas, she said.

It also involves nearly 300 witnesses, many computers and cell phones, all of which were forensically analyzed, and a variety of tips that were tracked down by investigators. Additionally, Worthy said there were more than 5,000 pages of documents that had to be reviewed during the investigation.

Worthy described Gentz as a "strong witness" but not the only witness. She said there are many witnesses. Gentz agreed to testify against others if additional charges came forth as part of his plea agreement in his own case. He turned himself into police in the days after Jane's body was found, saying her husband hired him to kill her for money. He is serving a 17 to 28 year prison sentence.

The investigation began in January 2012 when Jane Bashara's body was found in the back of her SUV in a Detroit residential alley near 7 Mile and Hoover, which is approximately 20 minutes north/northwest of her home in Grosse Pointe Park.

Bob Bashara was named a "person of interest" in the days after her body was found and as the investigation evolved, Gentz was charged with murder and conspiracy in March 2012. Then, three months later on the five month anniversary of Jane's death, Bob Bashara was arrested outside a prominent Grosse Pointe Park restaurant for hiring a hitman to kill Gentz while he was housed in jail awaiting trial and going through psychological evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial.

Jane Bashara was a marketing executive who volunteered much of her free time in the community. The couple was well known within the Pointes and were recognized several years ago by the Grosse Pointe Public School board for dedication to volunteering. Her violent death was unsettling to a small community where everyone knows each other.

Bashara faces mandatory life in prison on the first degree murder charge; up to life on each the conspiracy, solicitation and suborning counts; 15 years for witness intimidation; and five years for obstruction of justice.

Worthy provided general examples during the 20 minute press conference in her office Wednesday. Among them, she said, Bashara tried to get at least one witness to move out of state so investigators could not talk to him or her.

She declined to answer specific questions about where the crime happened, whether any DNA evidence is part of the case and Bob Bashara's motive to kill his wife.

Worthy was surrounded by more than a dozen individuals Wednesday whom without she said the charges never would have happened. Worthy had each person introduce themselves and identify the agency with which they are associated. Among the group were representatives of the Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department, Michigan State Poice, FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Detroit Police and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Additionally, Worthy said the investigation involved other law enforcement agencies including Chicago, the Cook County Prosecutor's Office, Livonia and Roseville police departments, Fort Lauderdale Police, the Michigan Department of Corrections and one publication, the Lexington Post.

In discussing the length of time it took to file charges, Worthy said waiting until all of the information is in order is the more responsible and efficient way to handle such cases. It prevents time delays during the actual prosecution and trial phase of the case, which is a waste of time and money for everyone, including witnesses.

Source: http://grossepointe.patch.com/articles/bobbasharachargedwithmurder

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