[PA] Police Chief Curran convicted for killing ex wife Tina - 1st degee murder

FORMER MILLERSTOWN POLICE CHIEF RICHARD C. CURRAN WAS CONVICTED TODAY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE 2005 SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS FORMER WIFE... THE VICTIM SUFFERED SEVEN WOUNDS TO THE NECK, CHEST, LEG AND FINGERS THAT RESULTED IN MASSIVE BLEEDING...

...INSTEAD OF TAKING MR. CURRAN INTO CUSTODY [AT A DOMESTIC DISPUTE EARLIER ON THE DAY OF THE SHOOTING, MOUNT CARMEL POLICE CHIEF BRIAN] SHUROCK ASKED MR. CURRAN FOR THE NAME OF HIS SUPERVISOR AT THE BERNVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN BERKS COUNTY AND LET HIM GO WITH A WARNING... [TINA'S BOYFRIEND, JESSE] JAMES [A LIEUTENANT AT THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT FRACKVILLE] SAID AT ONE POINT, CURRAN REPLIED, "'GO AHEAD AND ARREST ME. YOU HAVE NOTHING ON ME. I'M THE CHIEF OF POLICE'"... CURRAN TURNED TOWARD HIS FORMER WIFE AND SAID, "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY NOW. I'M GOING TO LOSE MY JOB." ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, MRS. CURRAN WAS GUNNED DOWN...

PREVIOUS ENTRIES:

• PA Tina Lucas Curran killed by Police Chief ex
• [PA] Police Chief Curran competent for wife-murder trial

EX-MILLERSTOWN CHIEF FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER OF FORMER WIFE
The Patriot-News
by JOHN BEAUGE
June 19, 2008
[Excerpts] Former Millerstown Police Chief Richard C. Curran was convicted today of first-degree murder in the 2005 shooting death of his former wife outside Shamokin Community Hospital. Jurors deliberated less than two hours today before returning a verdict on the murder count and on charges of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. After additional testimony that begins tomorrow, the jury will decide whether Curran will be sentenced to death or to life in prison without parole. Only the degree of guilt was an issue in the trial that began Monday because the defense conceded that Curran shot Tina Curran, 31, as she reported for work about 11 a.m. on Aug. 24, 2005... Curran fired 12 shots at Tina Curran, seven of which struck her. One of the prosecution witnesses, Kenneth Lauderman, testified that Curran, whom he described as a good friend, told him he thought about killing his former wife and her boyfriend... Curran, 34, of Shamokin, and his former wife argued at her Mount Carmel home the morning of the shooting over the amount he was paying in child support, witnesses said. Following the shooting, Curran drove to Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he was arrested attempting to enter Canada. Found in his vehicle at the border were two guns, 785 rounds of ammunition, bayonet, pepper spray and $2,626 in cash. One of the guns was the murder weapon, a .40-caliber Glock issued to Curran as the part-time police chief in Bernville, Berks County. Curran has been in custody without bail since his arrest. His trial was delayed several times due to competency issues. He spent time in state mental facilities and is receiving medication under a court order. Judge Robert B. Sacavage allowed the trial to proceed after Curran was declared competent but delusional... [Full article here]

OTHER EXCERPTS FROM RECENT NEWS:

HOMICIDE TRIAL UNDERWAY
WNEP.COM
By Jim Hamill
June 16, 2008
[Excerpts] ...You could barely make it out from a distance, but on his way into court in Sunbury Richard Curran told Newswatch 16 "we all live forever." "I'm left working with a client with a delusion that everybody lives forever, which the court's expert has found to be a delusion," said defense attorney Karl Rominger... [Full article here]

CURRAN FLUBBED GETAWAY AT BORDER
Officer: 'He wasn't making eye contact"
Danville News, PA - The Daily Item
By Amanda Keister
Jun 17, 2008
[Excerpts] It was Richard C. Curran's strange behavior just hours after allegedly shooting to death his former wife that tipped off a Canadian border patrol officer that something was amiss... "He wasn't making eye contact with me," [Border patrol officer Tamara] Holmes said from the witness stand during the second day of testimony at Curran's homicide trial... When Curran attempted to cross the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, Holmes asked him a series of questions regarding his citizenship, residency, identification and destination. When prompted, Curran told Holmes he was a police officer... "I've dealt with police officers before and I've never had a police officer stare straight ahead." Curran told Holmes that he had one handgun under the driver's seat of his Ford Focus, but customs officials found much more. Inside Curran's car were two handguns, a bayonet and 785 rounds of ammunition. Also seized from Curran's car were a bulletproof vest, pepper spray, a gun holster, two empty duffle bags, [knives.] and $2,626 in cash... Geisinger Medical Center emergency room Dr. Timothy Vollmer said there was nothing he or his staff could do for Tina Curran when she arrived at the hospital the morning of Aug. 24, 2005; she already had lost too much blood from the seven gunshot wounds she suffered to her neck, chest, buttocks, leg and hand... "Had the accident happened outside our ER doors I don't think the outcome would have been different"... [Full article here]

CURRAN 'HATEFUL' TOWARD SLAIN WIFE
The News-Item
By Mark Gilger mark_g@newsitem.com
06/17/2008
[Excerpts] "Visibly shaken and terrified." That's how the boyfriend of murder victim Tina S. Curran described the emotional state of the 31-year-old Mount Carmel woman following an argument over child support with Richard C. Curran. That dispute occurred about an hour before the Shamokin man allegedly gunned down his estranged wife with a .40-caliber handgun outside Shamokin Area Community Hospital (SACH) on Aug. 24, 2005. Jesse James, a lieutenant at the State Correctional Institution at Frackville, testified that the 33-year-old Curran, of Shamokin, harassed his girlfriend, played mind games with her and displayed a very hateful attitude toward her... James, who knew Tina Curran for about 1½ years, said his girlfriend and the defendant had two daughters... Despite losing her right leg to cancer at a young age, James said Tina Curran led a very active life and was able to work full time at the hospital while wearing a prosthetic leg. He said the defendant often argued with Tina Curran about reducing child support payments and even asked him to intervene at times. James recalled hearing the defendant tell his girlfriend, "I'm going to keep taking you back to court until I get what I want." James, who resided on East Center Street in Mount Carmel at the time and is now of Coal Township, said he received a call from Tina Curran at about 9:45 a.m. Aug. 24, 2005, asking him to come to her home at 312 S. Maple St., because the defendant was at her residence and refused to leave. James said Curran wanted Tina Curran to go directly to the county courthouse to resolve payments regarding child support. On his way to her home, James said he stopped at Mount Carmel Police Station to request an officer to respond to the residence because he was "tired of dealing" with Curran. Following an argument, James said his girlfriend was very upset and "terrified" of Curran, whom she told not to come to her house anymore. James said at one point, Curran replied, "'Go ahead and arrest me. You have nothing on me. I'm the chief of police.'" The witness said his girlfriend then left for work. About an hour later, James said he was informed that Tina Curran had been shot... Corrine Klose, vice president of patient services at SACH, testified that she heard "yelling and pops, and then more yelling and more pops" at about 10:50 a.m. Aug. 24, 2005, while she was attending a meeting in the medical records department. Upon quickly exiting the physician's entrance to the hospital, Klose said she discovered Tina Curran lying unresponsive under a canopy at a loading dock area. Klose, who noted Curran's eyes were open, said she noticed gunshot wounds on the victim's neck, left upper torso, left leg and fingers. She said the victim had no pulse. "I'll never forget her blue eyes and the look on her face," Klose said... [Full article here]

RICHARD C. CURRAN DID IT, ATTORNEY SAYS
Danville News, PA - The Daily Item
By Marcia Moore
Jun 17, 2008
[Excerpts] ...Tina's boyfriend Jesse] James described Curran as "hateful" toward Mrs. Curran, frequently harassing and calling her degrading and vulgar names, sometimes in front of the children. Mrs. Curran was visibly frightened by her former husband's demands to lower child support the morning of her killing, James said. [Northumberland County District Attorney Tony]Rosini said [Mount Carmel Chief of Police Brian] Shurock asked Curran who his supervisor in Bernville was and said he planned to report his behavior. The prosecutor said CURRAN TURNED TOWARD HIS FORMER WIFE AND SAID, "I hope you're happy now. I'm going to lose my job." ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, MRS. CURRAN WAS GUNNED DOWN... [Full article here]

CURRAN TALKED TWICE OF KILLING EX-WIFE, FRIEND SAYS
News Item, PA - Jun 17, 2008
BY MARK GILGER mark_g@newsitem.com
06/18/2008
[Excerpts] A longtime friend of accused murderer Richard C. Curran testified Tuesday that the 33-year-old Shamokin man twice expressed feelings about shooting his estranged wife prior to allegedly gunning her down... Kenneth Lauderman, 42, of Coal Township, who has known Curran since 1984, said his friend told him in late July 2005 that he had feelings about shooting Tina... and also expressed those same sentiments on Aug. 22, 2005, two days before he allegedly killed her... BUT LAUDERMAN SAID CURRAN TOLD HIM ON BOTH OCCASIONS THAT HE WOULD NEVER FOLLOW THROUGH ON HIS FEELINGS TO KILL HIS ESTRANGED WIFE. On the day of the shooting, Lauderman said Curran left two telephone messages for him that he received in the afternoon. In the second message, Lauderman said Curran stated, "I love you like a brother. Take care of my two girls"... Tara Fulmer, a caseworker with the Northumberland County Domestic Relations Office, testified about the history of child support payments the defendant was ordered to pay Tina Curran for their two children. Fulmer said Richard Curran attempted to have the payments reduced various times and constantly complained about having to make payments because of his unstable employment status. At the time of his estranged wife's murder, Richard Curran owed $3,176.71 in child support... Annette Gurba, first deputy prothonotary in Northumberland County, said Richard and Tina Curran separated April 14, 2002, and divorced Jan. 27, 2004... Tina Curran was awarded primary physical custody of their two daughters, while Richard Curran was granted partial custody that included having his children every other weekend... Rosini plans to seek the death penalty for Curran if he is found guilty of first-degree murder. [Full article here]

CURRAN'S FATE WITH 12 JURORS
PANEL MUST DECIDE ON MURDER IN FIRST OR THIRD DEGREE
Danville News, PA - The Daily Item
By Wayne Laepple
June 19, 2008
[Excerpts] ...Throughout [Northumberland County District Attorney Tony] Rosini's closing argument, Curran watched him intently, a slight smile on his lips. "Curran's attitude goes toward his motive," Rosini said. "He drove with the gun, he got out of the car with the gun, he walked down the ramp toward Tina and he shot her 12 times. "Judge him on the facts and use your common sense. When somebody shoots somebody 12 times, that's first-degree murder"... A "through and through" wound on her neck -- where a bullet fired at closer range than the others, severed both the carotid artery and jugular vein -- would almost certainly have killed her, [Samuel Land, the forensic pathologist] said. He also observed "stippling" or damage to the skin, caused by lead and gunpowder particles. He said this indicated that shot was fired from a distance of fewer than 4 feet. None of the other wounds showed similar damage. Another shot entered her back and struck several vital organs before it exited from her chest, which would probably have caused her death, Land said. [Full article here]

...A LONGTIME FRIEND OF ACCUSED MURDERER RICHARD C. CURRAN TESTIFIED TUESDAY THAT THE 33-YEAR-OLD SHAMOKIN MAN TWICE EXPRESSED FEELINGS ABOUT SHOOTING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE PRIOR TO ALLEGEDLY GUNNING HER DOWN... CURRAN TOLD HIM ON BOTH OCCASIONS THAT HE WOULD NEVER FOLLOW THROUGH ON HIS FEELINGS TO KILL HIS ESTRANGED WIFE...