Southern California Man Found Guilty of Two Murders

bb42
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Jul 1, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
According to KNSD in San Diego, a 23-year-old man by the name of Tecumseh Colbert was found guilty on Thursday for murdering University City mortgage broker Robert Anthony McCamey as well as Ocean Beach liquor store clerk Richard Hammes in the later part of 2004. The jury of twelve which included six men and six women, had only been in deliberations for just seven days when they found Tecumseh Colbert guilty on two counts of first-degree murder as well as conspiracy to carjack and commit robbery. The penalty phase of this murder trial will start on July 5th where Tecumseh Colbert could receive the death penalty.

KNSD in San Diego said the murderous rampage began on October 29, 2004 when Colbert persuaded his 26-year-old girlfriend by the name of Tatiana Daniel to bait 32-year-old McCamey to come to the Meadowbrook Apartments in Bay Terraces where she was residing. McCamey had owed $8,000 in drug money to Colbert's friend by the name of Theron Peters. Colbert's plan was to carjack McCamey's Lincoln Navigator. After McCamey followed Daniel to her apartment and stepped out of his vehicle, Colbert approached McCamey and fired off five bullets into him using a .357 magnum.

Shortly after, a police officer who was patrolling the area heard gunshots and went to the Meadowbrook Apartments where he found the mortgage broker deceased on a sidewalk.

The second murder occurred less than two weeks later on November 10th. 45-year-old Hammes who was homeless at the time was doing a favor for store owner Saad Ewdish by filling in at the Prime Market Liquor Store in Ocean Beach for a short time. Colbert entered the store dressed completely in black which included a hooded sweatshirt and he wore a mask used in the horror film "Scream" in an attempt to commit a robbery while Theron Peters waited in the car. Surveillance video caught Colbert walking into the store holding up a gun and confronting Hammes behind the counter. Hammes refuses to give the gunmen any money and walks around the counter while Colbert backs up and reveals a second gun in his other hand. The two then step out of the sight of the surveillance video.

Hammes was shot one time in his chest and died a short time later at the hospital. Hammes had previously served in the Navy.

Police later arrested Colbert and Peters in connection with both shootings along with Daniel. Daniel cooperated with authorities and testified against Colbert. Peters reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in order to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison on June 22nd.

Sources:

KNSD 7/39, "Jury Convicts Man of Two Murders", http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/13589633/detail.html

Gene Cubbison for KNSD 7/39, "Murderous Crime Spree Could Bring Death Penalty", http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/13407693/detail.html?rss=dgo&psp=news

The Union Tribune, Dana Littlefield, "Deliberations under way in 2004 crime spree case", http://cfx.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070620/news_1m20colbert.html

KNSD 7/39, "Man Killed In Liquor Store Shooting Identified", http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3912893/detail.html

KNSD 7/39, "Police Arrest 2 For Clerk's Killing, Crime Spree", http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3926701/detail.html

KNSD 7/39, "Jury Deliberates Fate of Accused Killer", http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/13532689/detail.html

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  • Juror10 7/30/2007

    continuation from below -

    was not a "Scream" mask. One witness said he thought the mask looked like the mask from the movie "Scream" but the video from the store's security system shows that it was not. That same witness said he thought Colbert was a white man. In reality he is 1/2 black & 1/2 Native American.

    Colbert was originally arrested for an unrelated carjacking & kidnapping. While speaking with auto theft detectives, he started talking about how a friend of his committed both murders. When DNA was pulled from the gun that matched bullet fragments from both murders the connection was clear that Colbert's "friend" did not exist.

    FYI - we were not able to come to a unanimous decision in the penalty phase while deciding between life without parole & death.

    I apologize for any typo's but since the trial started May 29th it has been the biggest part of my life and I have not been able to say anything about it so I have been typing rather quickly.

  • Juror10 7/30/2007

    I was actually on this jury and went straight to the internet once everything was finalized. This is about the 10th story I have read and though there were some inconsistencies in other stories, this seems to be a collection of all of them. Just to set the record straight here -

    There were 8 men & 4 women in the deliberating jury, plus 4 women & 2 men as alternates. (Not a big deal, but I am just going through the story in order)

    The final verdicts in the guilt phase were guilty of one count of felony murder, one count of 1st degree murder, conspiracy for robbery & attempted robbery. This made true the special circumstances of multiple murder and murder during the commission of a felony. The jury was hung on conspiracy to commit carjacking, attempted robbery & attempted carjacking.

    Depending on who you believe McCamey owed Peters $9,000.00, $40,000.00, or $80,000.00. I am not sure where the $8,000 figure ever came from.

    The mask that Colbert was wearing in the liquor store

  • yorb24 7/1/2007

    I know so young and stupid. Glad you liked it though.

  • george chavez 7/1/2007

    what a waste of life. good story

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