[VA] 23 years in prison for wife of Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Bob Canosa (R.I.P.)

Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Bob Canosa was murdered by his estranged wife, Brenda - who says she didn't remember killing him. She drove to where he was staying, called him to have him come out, then started shooting him - chasing him down. He crawled inside, called police, and let them know it was her. He died in the hospital nine days later. Bob was a former Marine and had worked for the Culpeper County Sheriff's Department before Orange County. Brenda pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

...Brenda Canosa spoke tearfully, turning to apologize to her children and husband’s parents and sisters. “I know you hate me and I don’t blame you for that,” she said to Bob’s family. “We were married for over 25 years – I love Bob. I never once planned or thought to do this. I don’t remember. I am so sorry. I can’t believe this is happening”...

Pray for their kids, and families.

PREVIOUS POSTS:

• [VA] Orange County Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa shot multiple times and wife Brenda arrested
• [VA] Shot multiple times by wife, Investigator Canosa conscious - Colleagues being kept out of his room
• [VA] Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa has died after being shot multiple times by wife Brenda
• [VA] Investgator Canosa identified his wife as his killer. "The b*tch – she shot me in the back."

BRENDA CANOSA GETS 23 YEARS IN HUSBAND'S MURDER
Star Exponent
By: ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION
Published: September 15, 2011
[Excerpts] Former Madison County special education teacher Brenda Lee Canosa, 51, will spend 23 years in prison for murdering her estranged husband nearly two years ago... Following months of protracted hearings and mounting physical evidence from the commonwealth, the accused accepted an Alford Plea in June, pleading guilty to first-degree murder. She claimed to not remember shooting her husband, and originally pleaded not guilty. Bob and Brenda Canosa separated eight months prior to his death after more than 25 years of marriage. The impact of the separation on Mrs. Canosa was severe, the defense said, resulting in a suicide attempt, severe drug and alcohol abuse and a psychiatric detachment and disassociation to life. Judge Bouton said the defendant’s emotional stress, while a plausible explanation for her actions, was not justification... “This was not a spur-of-the-moment crime,” said Bouton, saying Mrs. Canosa sought out Mr. Canosa, shot him and killed him. It was not a case either in which she had suffered abuse over many years at the hands of her husband, the judge said, nor was she in any danger the day of the shooting... “We believe it was a cruel, cruel coldblooded murder,” [Orange County Commonwealth’s Attorney Diana] Wheeler said, recommending a 25-year sentence. She further documented “classic stalking behavior” prior to Bob Canosa’s murder when his wife broke into his residence, took pictures there and attached a GPS device to his vehicle. Attempts to reconcile proved unsuccessful, further driving a wedge between the two... Bob Canosa was a career law enforcement officer who at the time of his death was an investigator for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and had previously worked for the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office. He was active at the community level as an instructor in citizens’ law enforcement academies in Orange and Culpeper. He also loved Elvis, said his older sister, Chris Canosa. She described her brother as fearless, strong, protective and caring. “He was my protector,” Chris Canosa said. “I don’t have that anymore.” She said his death has devastated her parents... Caitlin Canosa, called by the defense, said she was placed in the middle of her parent’s separation, becoming like a parent to both of them. She testified that her mother attempted suicide in August of 2009, consuming alcohol and pills and writing a note to her children. Mrs. Canosa was taking Zoloft for depression, Ambien to help her sleep and Xanax for anxiety. She later took prescription painkillers. “I tried to wake her up. It was horrible,” Caitlin Canosa said. “I didn’t want anything to happen to her”... The experts said Canosa had disassociation disorder. “She was severely, mentally impaired at the time of the shooting,” said psychiatrist James Thompson. Added defense attorney John Zwerling, “The perfect storm of factors revealed Brenda Canosa’s vulnerabilities and she cracked. This was a new world for her and she just was not capable of dealing with it.” After the separation, she became “a functional basket case,” Zwerling said. Before the sentencing, Brenda Canosa spoke tearfully, turning to apologize to her children and husband’s parents and sisters. “I know you hate me and I don’t blame you for that,” she said to Bob’s family. “We were married for over 25 years – I love Bob. I never once planned or thought to do this. I don’t remember. I am so sorry. I can’t believe this is happening.” [Full article here]

OTHER ARTICLES SINCE THE LAST POST

JUDGE TO ALLOW INSANITY DEFENSE IN CANOSA MURDER
Star Exponent
By: Allison Brophy Champion
Published: June 03, 2011
[Excerpts] Accused murderer Brenda Canosa reportedly does not remember leaving her home in Madison County the cold December morning in 2009 when her estranged husband, Bob Canosa, was shot down in the driveway of his residence in rural Unionville. Later that morning at her home in Rochelle, Mrs. Canosa told a state police agent that she and Mr. Canosa spoke on the phone the night before, and that he had threatened to kill her... Bob Canosa was a career law enforcement officer who worked under former Culpeper County Sheriff Lee Hart and at the time of the crime was an investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. He died nine days later from his wounds at the age of 55. Mrs. Canosa, 51, has been in jail in Orange since the shooting; she faces charges of first degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She was employed as a special education teacher at Madison Primary School at the time of the shooting... It was VSP Special Agent Alan Sullivan who testified Mrs. Canosa, on that morning, told him about a phone call with her husband the night before in which Bob Canosa reportedly said he would kill her before she would get everything, and that he asked her if she was going to shoot him... “She had a look of concern or disbelief when told about her husband,” he added... Present in the courtroom Friday was the Canosa’s son, Joseph, and a family friend who identified himself as an uncle, saying, “The whole thing is a tragedy”... [Full article here]

CANOSA GUILTY OF KILLING HUSBAND
Star Exponent
By: Allison Brophy Champion
Published: June 17, 2011
[Excerpts] Schoolteacher Brenda Lee Canosa, 51, of Madison, pleaded guilty in court Thursday to first-degree murder in the 2009 shooting death of her estranged husband Bob Canosa... Mrs. Canosa accepted an Alford Plea in doing so, meaning she did not admit the act, but felt the commonwealth had enough evidence to prove she willfully killed her husband... Per the plea agreement, Brenda Canosa faces a prison sentence of five years to 30 years and 10 months. Circuit Court Judge Daniel Bouton will hand down the sentence Sept. 15... “It was very hard to make this decision considering I don’t remember (shooting my husband),” Brenda Canosa told the judge, referencing “all the evidence” and “all the people that had been to my home and how sorry I am”... Earlier, the former special education teacher at Madison Primary School disclosed to the judge that she takes five different medications for depression, anxiety and migraines, including Zoloft... In lengthy remarks Thursday, Orange County Commonwealth’s Attorney Diana Wheeler detailed the grisly crime... Bob Canosa died nine days later at the age of 55... The defendant called her husband from outside his residence at 5:40 a.m. the morning of the shooting and told him to come outside, Wheeler said. When he did, Brenda Canosa said, “Sorry, Bob,” and began shooting. When he fell down, the defendant kicked her husband in the groin, Wheeler said, and when he got up, she chased him around vehicles in the parking lot, firing as she went, leaving a trail of blood on the gravel... The couple’s separation eight months before the murder was far from amicable... Mrs. Canosa ... called her husband 1,515 times on her cell phone... She called him another 632 times from her home phone. During the separation, Brenda Canosa also apparently mailed “anonymous” letters to various local officials in which she purported to be a concerned citizen raising concern “about the lax morals of Bob Canosa”... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder mental health female perp perpetrator multiple personality anxiety virginia state politics]

[VA] Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa has died after being shot multiple times by wife Brenda

Previous posts:

• [VA] Orange County Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa shot multiple times and wife Brenda arrested - ...In an official State Police release, it's reported Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, of Jack Shop Road in Rochelle, Virginia, has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of malicious wounding and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.... 
• [VA] Shot multiple times by wife, Investigator Canosa conscious - Colleagues being kept out of his room - ...A source close to the family said Bob Canosa underwent surgery Monday to repair his pancreas, and physicians have already operated on his aorta. He is also said to be responding to questions and is aware of what happened to him. Only a select number of visitors are allowed to see Bob Canosa, and hospital personnel are forbidding access to his room, even among his colleagues in the law enforcement...

ORANGE LAWMAN DIES FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS
Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator Bob Canosa died Sunday afternoon at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
Culpeper Star Exponent
Rhonda Simmons
Published: December 20, 2009
Updated: December 21, 2009
[Excerpts] Bob Canosa, a veteran investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, died Sunday afternoon at the University of Virginia Medical Center, succumbing to complications from multiple gunshot wounds he suffered nine days ago, according to the Virginia State Police. He was 55. VSP spokesman Sgt. Les Tyler said Special Agent M.L. Jones has charged Canosa’s estranged wife, Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, with first-degree murder. Brenda Canosa, who is being held at Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange, also faces felony charges of malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of a felony... Orange County Sheriff’s Office is not releasing a transcript of the emergency call, saying it could jeopardize the case. Bob Canosa’s death comes on the heels of what could have been viewed as promising news in his recovery. Last week, a source close to the family said the victim had undergone surgery to repair his pancreas and aorta. He was also reported to be responding to questions and was aware of what happened to him... Bob Canosa coordinated Orange County’s citizens law enforcement academy, a function he also performed while at the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office in the mid-2000s. He started his law enforcement career in Culpeper in the early 1970s before moving to the town of Orange Police Department. After retiring from a lengthy tenure of police service in Suffolk, N.Y., he was brought to Culpeper to work on a part-time basis in 2004 by former Sheriff H. Lee Hart. He took the job in Orange in August 2007, shortly before Jim Branch was elected Culpeper’s sheriff. [Full article here]

NO BAIL FOR WIFE IN SLAYING OF DEPUTY
Wife of slain Orange sheriff's investigator still being held with no bail on murder charges in his death
The Free Lance-Star
Robin Knepper
Date published: 12/22/2009
[Excerpts] The estranged wife of a slain Orange County sheriff's investigator will stay in jail for the foreseeable future while waiting to face charges in his death. Bob Canosa, 55, died Sunday morning as a result of multiple gunshot wounds he received Dec. 11.... Brenda Lee Canosa, who lives in Rochelle in Madison County, has now been charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Previous charges of attempted murder and malicious wounding have been dropped... Canosa underwent multiple surgeries for his wounds at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. According to Chief Deputy Tim Murphy, Canosa was moved from the intensive-care unit last Wednesday and "was getting remarkably stronger every day." Murphy said he was told that Canosa "developed an infection, but someone also said he got a blood clot in his lung." Canosa was returned to the intensive-care unit, where he died late Sunday morning. Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, was scheduled to appear in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court yesterday afternoon, but snow from the weekend storm kept her attorney, Dana Slater, from making it to court. Nevertheless, J&DR Judge Frank Somerville heard from Slater by telephone and as a result Canosa's status was not changed. Bail has not been sought and Canosa continues to be held in Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange. A preliminary hearing will be held in J&DR court Feb. 8 to determine probable cause for an indictment in Orange County Circuit Court... [Full article here]

COMRADES REMEMBER FALLEN DEPUTY AS SNOW POSTPONES ORANGE HEARING
Charlottesville Daily
Published: December 22, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Judge Frank Sommerville denied her request for bail last week. The Orange County clerk added that Brenda Canosa’s lawyer, Charlottesville’s Dana Slater, could request another bond hearing before the next court appearance. Brenda Canosa is being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange. Meanwhile, the local tight-knit law-enforcement community is mourning the death of one of its own. Canosa, 55, was an investigator with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office before transferring to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 2007. He died Sunday afternoon at the University of Virginia Medical Center from complications from the multiple gunshot wounds he suffered Dec. 11. Bernie Feaganes III, a Prince William County deputy who worked closely with Canosa on developing the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy in Culpeper, said he was shocked by the reported shooting and his friend’s death. “It was like a punch in the stomach,” said Feaganes, who also left Culpeper County’s Sheriff’s Office in 2007. “I guess I let my guard down when I heard reports of him sitting up and talking last week.” Canosa reportedly had undergone surgery to repair his pancreas and aorta. It was also reported that he was conscious and responding to questions. Feaganes, who still lives in Culpeper, said he and Canosa remained friends even after both men left their law enforcement jobs in Culpeper. “Bob and I were really close, even up to the end,” Feaganes added. “Bob was one of the finest men I’ve ever known. He was one of those people who treated everybody the same.” Feaganes said a 10-minute trip to Walmart with Canosa to gather supplies for the academy would last an hour. “He spoke to everyone... That was the type of person he was”... Culpeper County Sheriff Jim Branch, who also worked with Canosa under former Sheriff H. Lee Hart, shared his condolences Monday. “We have been dealing with the shock of Bob’s being shot and intently following his recovery progress. His untimely death saddens us in the law enforcement community... We will miss his outgoing, pleasant personality as well as his expertise as an officer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to those whose lives he touched. He will be missed and fondly remembered.” Phone calls and e-mails to Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos were not returned as of press time... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner abuse law enforcement public safety fatal fatalities murder female virgina state shot shooting robert canosa]

[VA] Orange County Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa shot multiple times and wife Brenda arrested

 Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigator Robert V. Canosa

Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos: "...Y’all keep him in your prayers”

...In an official State Police release, it's reported Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, of Jack Shop Road in Rochelle, Virginia, has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of malicious wounding and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony....

...Bob Canosa himself made the 911 call for help... Canosa was shot with a small-caliber rifle and that he sustained injuries to his aorta, pancreas and an artery that attaches to the liver... “We’re being told he did well through the night,” said Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos... Though his injuries are considered life threatening, he is still listed in stable condition...

SHOOTING IN ORANGE COUNTY
nbc29.com
Reported by Tracy Clemons
Dec 11, 2009
[Excerpts] Both the Sheriff's Office and State Police are on the scene of a home on Marquis Road in Unionville where they have confirmed the shooting of an investigator in the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Bob Canosa was shot several times Friday morning and was flown to the the University of Virginia Medical Center with life threatening injuries, sources close to the family say. Canosa, who formerly worked as the head internal affairs investigator at the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office, was shot around 6 a.m. at his residence in Orange County... Police are not commenting on Canosa's wife Brenda as a suspect at this time. Bob and Brenda Canosa, who owned a farm in Madison County, had been separated for several months... [Full article here]

Video: [VA] Orange County Sheriff's Investigator Canosa shot by wife Brenda(1)


PRESS RELEASE FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE
[Excerpt] ...When deputies arrived, they discovered the victim to be one of their detectives. The victim was flown to UVA Hospitals in Charlottesville. His injuries are considered life threatening. Upon learning that the incident involved one of its members, the Orange County Sheriff's Office requested the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Culpeper Field Office to take over the investigation... [Full article here]

Video: [VA] Orange Co. Sheriff's Investigator Canosa shot, wounded


ORANGE COUNTY INVESTIGATOR SHOT, WOUNDS CONSIDERED LIFE-THREATENING
Investigator Bob Canosa, shown here in January 2007 leading convicted killer Ricky Javon Gray into court in Culpeper County, was shot multiple times this morning by his wife in Orange County, according to sources close to the investigation.
Culpeper Star Exponent
December 11, 2009
[Excerpts] An investigator in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was shot several times this morning by his wife and is hospitalized at the University of Virginia Medical Center... According to the sources, who wished to remain anonymous, Canosa was shot by his wife, Brenda Canosa, with a small-caliber rifle. The reason for the shooting is unclear. Brenda Canosa is in custody in Madison County... Bob Canosa was living in a home on a farm owned by Tim Murphy, chief deputy for the OCSO who runs a canine training service on the property. Bob Canosa coordinates Orange County’s citizens law enforcement academy and also did the same while he was working in Culpeper County. After retiring from police work in Suffolk, N.Y., he was brought to Culpeper to work on a part-time basis in 2004 by former Sheriff H. Lee Hart. Bob Canosa took the job in Orange in 2007, shortly before the sheriff’s election. Updated at 2:38 p.m. with information on the officer’s condition. [Full article here]

Video: [VA] Wife of Sheriff's Investigator Canosa Arrested & Charged for Shooting Him


UPDATE: INVESTIGATOR SHOT BY WIFE IN SERIOUS CONDITION
Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: December 11, 2009
[Excerpts] UNIONVILLE — An investigator [Bob Canosa] in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was shot several times this morning by his wife and is in serious condition at the University of Virginia Medical Center... A press conference was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office... Bob Canosa coordinates Orange County’s citizens law enforcement academy and also did the same while he was working in Culpeper County in the mid-2000s. He started his law enforcement career in Culpeper in the early 1970s before moving to the town of Orange Police Department. After retiring from a lengthy tenure of police service in Suffolk, N.Y., he was brought to Culpeper to work on a part-time basis in 2004 by former Sheriff H. Lee Hart... Brenda Canosa worked for Madison County Public Schools as a special education teacher. They have two children in their early 20s. Corey Byers, spokeswoman for the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office, said, “At this time it is too early to make a statement on the shooting in Orange County. We cannot say for sure who the victim is in this case and we too are waiting to hear from the Virginia State Police regarding the details of the investigation. At this time the victim, and all those involved, certainly have the thoughts and prayers of Sheriff Jim Branch and the CCSO staff”... [Full article here]

ARREST MADE IN ORANGE COUNTY SHOOTING
nbc29.com
Posted: Dec 11, 2009
[Excerpts] Virginia State Police report an arrest has been made in connection with the shooting of an Orange County man. In an official State Police release, it's reported Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, of Jack Shop Road in Rochelle, Virginia, has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of malicious wounding and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Virginia State Police took Ms. Canosa into custody Friday night at her residence without incident. She was taken to the Central Virginia Regional Jail. At 6:08 a.m. Friday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a call about a shooting that had occurred in the 13000 block of Marquis Road in the Unionville community. When deputies arrived, they discovered the victim to be Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigator Robert V. Canosa, 55. Canosa, who was shot multiple times... Though his injuries are considered life threatening, he is still listed in stable condition... [Full article here]

WIFE CHARGED IN ORANGE DEPUTY’S SHOOTING
Charlottesville Daily Progress / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: December 12, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Brenda Canosa was arrested without incident... Information on bond was unavailable at press time... According to sources who asked not to be identified, Canosa called 911 to report he had been shot. The sources said the shooter used a small-caliber rifle and that bullets struck Canosa’s aorta, pancreas and an artery that attaches to the liver... Around noon Friday, investigators seemed to be focusing on what appeared to be a detached garage or workshop on Murphy’s property. A state police evidence collection vehicle was parked in front of the building, and yellow crime scene taped blocked the area. Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos said Friday afternoon that Bob Canosa was in UVa’s intensive care unit. “Hopefully he’ll be doing better,” Amos said, “but he’s not out of the woods now by any means. Being a Marine, I think that helped him through the day. He’s strong, he’s a strong man.” Amos paused to maintain his composure. “As we tried talking to him, he would respond when we asked him to respond, and I think that had lot to do with him being a Marine... Y’all keep him in your prayers”... [Full article here or here]

ESTRANGED WIFE CHARGED IN SHOOTING OF ORANGE INVESTIGATOR
Virginia State Police have arrested and charged the estranged wife of an off-duty Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator who received multiple gunshot wounds at his residence Friday morning.
The Free Lance-Star - Robin Knepper
By Robin Knepper
Date published: 12/12/2009
[Excerpt] ...As of Saturday afternoon he is listed in stable condition, according to Tyler. “We’re being told he did well through the night,” said Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos. “He’s been kept sedated but they woke him up today and he did fine. He’s expected to have surgery on Sunday or Monday.” The Canosas have been separated since March, according to Amos... [Full article here]

ORANGE COUNTY INVESTIGATOR SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES
Culpeper Hot Spot A voice for the Community
12 Dec 09
[Excerpt] ...The owner of Marshall Farms Corner, Deanne Marshall, says she has known Investigator Canosa for about two years, and says Canosa comes to her store almost every morning to have breakfast. Marshall found it unusual when he didn’t show up Friday morning. “I didn’t see him this morning and thought maybe he was on a case or something. He’s a pretty good friend of mine so yeah, just very, very shocking,” said Marshall... [Full article here]

NO MOTIVE DISCLOSED FOR SHOOTING OF ORANGE LAWMAN
By Nate Delesline III
Published: December 13, 2009
Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator Bob Canosa remained hospitalized Saturday, a day after State Police say his estranged wife shot him several times at a Unionville area home early Friday morning... Bob Canosa, 55, is a veteran law enforcement officer and military veteran... Sources close to the family who asked not to be identified told the Star-Exponent on Friday that the couple had recently separated and that Bob Canosa himself made the 911 call for help. They also said that Canosa was shot with a small-caliber rifle and that he sustained injuries to his aorta, pancreas and an artery that attaches to the liver... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner abuse law enforcement public safety lethal female virgina state shot shooting]

[VA] Shot multiple times by wife, Investigator Canosa conscious - Colleagues being kept out of his room

...A source close to the family said Bob Canosa underwent surgery Monday to repair his pancreas, and physicians have already operated on his aorta. He is also said to be responding to questions and is aware of what happened to him. Only a select number of visitors are allowed to see Bob Canosa, and hospital personnel are forbidding access to his room, even among his colleagues in the law enforcement... 

Previous post:
[VA] Orange County Sheriff's Investigator Bob Canosa shot multiple times and wife Brenda arrested - ...In an official State Police release, it's reported Brenda Lee Canosa, 49, of Jack Shop Road in Rochelle, Virginia, has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of malicious wounding and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony....

BRENDA LEE CANOSA DENIED BOND
nbc29.com
Reported by Tracy Clemons tclemons@nbc29.com
Posted: Dec 14, 2009 1:01 PM PST
Updated: Dec 14, 2009 1:01 PM PST
[Excerpts] The woman [Brenda Lee Canosa] accused of shooting her estranged husband in Orange County last week has been denied bond... Bob Canosa is listed in critical condition at UVA Medical Center. Brenda Canosa will have another court appearance December 16th. [Full article here]

OC JUDGE DENIES BOND TO WIFE CHARGED IN LAWMAN’S SHOOTING
Star-Exponent
Published: December 14, 2009
Updated: December 14, 2009
[Excerpts] Orange County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Frank Sommerville denied bond this morning to the woman accused of shooting her estranged husband, a longtime local lawman, early Friday. Brenda Canosa, 49, is being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange in connection with the shooting in Unionville of Orange County Sheriff’s Investigator Bob Canosa, 55. She was arrested without incident at her home in Madison County Friday night and faces charges of attempted first degree murder, malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Monday morning, Judge Sommerville scheduled another hearing for Wednesday... [Full article here]

ORANGE COPS MUM ON FOIA REQUESTS IN CANOSA SHOOTING
Brenda Canosa, 49, faces charges of shooting her husband, Orange County sheriff’s investigator Bob Canosa, at his home Friday.
Star-Exponent
Rhonda Simmons,
Published: December 14, 2009
Updated: December 15, 2009
[Excerpts] Law enforcement authorities in Orange County remain tight-lipped about a high-profile attempted murder case, refusing to release additional information in connection to Friday’s shooting of a veteran police investigator. After repeated requests by the Star-Exponent for a booking photo of suspect Brenda Canosa, jail officials said they won’t release it because it’s considered an internal record and part of the inmate’s personal file... In response to the Star-Exponent’s Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of the 911 call reporting the shooting, Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos said via e-mail Monday that “releasing this information could jeopardize the ongoing investigation or prosecution of this case.” Bob Canosa, 55, who formerly worked as an investigator for the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office until transferring to Orange County in 2007, was shot with a small-caliber rifle, according to sources familiar with the case. He was listed in critical condition Monday, according to a spokeswoman with the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. A source close to the family said Bob Canosa underwent surgery Monday to repair his pancreas, and physicians have already operated on his aorta. He is also said to be responding to questions and is aware of what happened to him. Only a select number of visitors are allowed to see Bob Canosa, and hospital personnel are forbidding access to his room, even among his colleagues in the law enforcement community... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner abuse law enforcement public safety lethal female virgina state shot shooting]

[VA] Investgator Canosa identified his wife as his killer. "The b*tch – she shot me in the back."

An Orange County sheriff's deputy [Investigator Bob Canosa] killed in December identified his estranged wife [Brenda] as the shooter as he lay mortally wounded... "I asked him who shot him, and his wording was, 'The bitch – she shot me in the back'"... [Brenda] called her estranged husband from her car... When the 55-year-old investigator came outside, he was shot five times...

Previous posts HERE

JUDGE HEARS DETAILS IN SHOOTING DEATH OF ORANGE INVESTIGATOR
Charlottesville Daily Progress
By Allison Brophy
Published: March 1, 2010
Updated: March 2, 2010
[Excerpts] A juvenile and domestic relations judge certified the killing case of an Orange County sheriff’s investigator to the grand jury Monday night, listening to testimony from eight members of local and state law enforcement regarding the Dec. 11 shooting of Unionville resident Bob Canosa. Canosa’s estranged wife, Madison County resident and special education teacher Brenda Canosa, 49, faces charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Mr. Canosa, a career law enforcement professional who also worked as an investigator under former Culpeper County Sheriff Lee Hart, died Dec. 20 at the University of Virginia Medical Center from multiple gunshot wounds. He was 55... “There is evidence of an actual murder,” said Orange County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge Frank W. Somerville at the close of the 2 1/2-hour preliminary hearing Monday night, saying the court would continue to hold Mrs. Canosa without bail in the Central Virginia Regional Jail, a couple of miles from the courthouse on U.S. 15... [Orange County Deputy Seth] Boyd testified Monday that he kicked open the locked door to Mr. Canosa’s residence to find him on his back in bed, bleeding profusely from numerous gunshot wounds to his shoulder, abdomen, throat, chest and back... “I asked him who shot him, and his wording was, ‘The bitch – she shot me in the back.’ I asked him, ‘Who shot you?’ and he said, ‘My wife’”...[Commonwealth's Attorney Diana] Wheeler, in presenting her evidence, said Mrs. Canosa emptied a nine-shot revolver, striking her husband five times... Mrs. Canosa called Mr. Canosa on his cell phone on the morning of the pre-dawn shooting... Orange County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Moore, in his closing remarks, said the test later showed that Mrs. Canosa had gunshot residue on her hands. In defense of Mrs. Canosa, Charlottesville lawyer Dana Slater and Alexandria lawyer Chris Leibig questioned ... [Full article here]

DEPUTY NAMED WIFE AS KILLER
Mortally wounded Orange deputy identified wife as killer, witnesses say
Fredericksburg.com
Robin Knepper
Date published: 3/3/2010
An Orange County sheriff's deputy killed in December identified his estranged wife as the shooter as he lay mortally wounded, according to court testimony... After hearing the testimony, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Frank Somerville certified charges against Brenda Canosa and sent the case to a grand jury, which will be impaneled March 22 in Circuit Court. It will consider indicting her on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Brenda Canosa, 49, was denied bond last week... According to testimony, at approximately 5:30 a.m. Dec. 11, she called her estranged husband from her car, which was parked outside the Unionville building where he was staying. When the 55-year-old investigator came outside, he was shot five times... Chief Deputy Tim Murphy, who owned the canine-training facility where Canosa was staying, described how he had found his friend and colleague lying on a bed in an apartment in the building, bleeding from five gunshot wounds. "He was in a great deal of pain and getting gray and weaker by the moment," Murphy said. "I talked to him, trying to keep him awake and calm." But by the time the rescue squad ambulance met the University of Virginia helicopter that landed at Unionville Elementary School, EMS personnel told Murphy to talk to Canosa quickly. "I said, 'Bob, you're dying. Who did this to you?'" Murphy testified. "He said Brenda did. He said she had called him from the driveway and told him to come outside. When I asked him what happened next, he pointed to the bloody hole in his chest... I was down on my knees with his head between my hands. I had my ear over his mouth. It was loud, and he was weak"... The defendant arrived in court Monday night dressed in a gray-striped prison uniform. She smiled and waved with handcuffed hands at friends and family, mouthing "I love you" to her adult children.... [Full article here]
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