Here are some stories concerned with this case:
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=59629
Longo found guilty of killing kids
The jury takes only five hours to find him guilty in the murders of his two older children.
ANDREW KRAMER
The Associated Press
April 8, 2003
NEWPORT — Christian Longo, who already had admitted strangling to death his wife and youngest child and dumping their bodies into a coastal inlet, was convicted Monday of killing his two older children as well.
Relatives of Longo’s wife, MaryJane, were at the court and were jubilant after hearing the verdict.
“On behalf of MaryJane, Sadie, Zachery and Madison, we would like to say thank you. Thank you for holding Chris accountable, thank you for clearing MaryJane’s name,” Sally Clark, a sister of MaryJane, said outside the courtroom.
The lifeless bodies of MaryJane Longo and the three children were found in two coastal inlets in December 2001.
Facing a possible death penalty sentence, Longo had admitted to killing his wife and their 2-year-old daughter, Madison, at the Newport condominium where they had lived. But he contended during the trial that his wife had drowned their two older children — 4-year-old Zachery and Sadie, 3.
He claimed during testimony that he killed MaryJane and Madison in a fit of rage after returning from work to find she had killed the two others.
But the jury did not believe him, convicting him on Monday of four counts of aggravated murder — two counts for the deaths of each of the two older children. Under Oregon law, a murder suspect can be charged with additional counts if the victim is a child.
The jury took less than five hours to reach its verdict.
The 29-year-old Longo showed no emotion as the verdict was read. His mother, Joy, wept as Judge Robert Huckleberry spoke.
After the verdict, Penny Dupuie, one of MaryJane’s sisters, walked out of the courtroom, frantically dialing relatives on her cell phone and jumping up and down, elated.
Dupuie and sisters Jennifer Kegley, Sally Clark and sister-in-law Cathy Baker held snapshots of MaryJane while talking with reporters.
Longo’s mother, adoptive father, brother and sister-in-law declined to talk to reporters.
Huckleberry told the jury to return Wednesday for the beginning of the penalty phase.
An admitted con man, Longo moved his family to Oregon in August 2001, leaving behind a trail of bad checks and forgery charges stretching back to Michigan, where they had lived.
During the four-week trial, prosecutors described Longo as a cold-hearted man with a taste for fine wine and cars he could not afford who killed his family so he could enjoy a more uninhibited lifestyle.
Prosecutor Paulette Sanders told the jury in closing arguments last week that Longo’s version of his family’s death was yet another lie in a string of deceit.
“He lied and lied repeatedly — to his wife, to his parents, to the elders of his church, to his old friends, to his new friends here in Newport. He lied to the police. Now he’s lying to you,” she said.
Longo fled to Mexico where an FBI agent caught him three weeks later at a beach resort in Tulum. Longo had partied and snorkeled, and was involved romantically with a German tourist, according to testimony.
Longo’s court-appointed attorney, Steven Krasik, told jurors he understood if they didn’t believe his client. But Krasik said that police overlooked evidence that may have confirmed Longo’s story and said reasonable doubt exists.
Krasik said a surveillance video from a grocery store in Newport may have backed up a portion of Longo’s story but was accidentally recorded over.
The video may have shown MaryJane alive on Dec. 17, a day after prosecutors say she likely died, Krasik said.
http://www.koin.com/webnews/2003/20030408_longo.shtml
| Mary Jane's Sisters Elated Over Longo Conviction |
| Sentencing Begins Wednesday |
| NEWPORT, Ore. -- Christian Longo, who had already admitted strangling to death his wife and youngest child and dumping their bodies into a coastal inlet, was convicted Monday of killing his two older children as well. Relatives of Longo's wife, Mary Jane, were at the court and were jubilant after hearing the verdict. "On behalf of Mary Jane, Sadie, Zachery and Madison, we would like to say thank you. Thank you for holding Chris accountable, thank you for clearing Mary Jane's name," Sally Clark, a sister of Mary Jane, said outside the courtroom. The lifeless bodies of Mary Jane Longo and the three children were found in two coastal inlets in December 2001. Facing a possible death penalty sentence, Longo had admitted to killing his wife and their 2-year-old daughter, Madison, at the Newport condominium where they had been living. But he contended during the trial that his wife had drowned their two older children -- 4-year-old Zachery and 3-year-old Sadie. He claimed during testimony that he killed Mary Jane and Madison in a fit of rage after returning from work to find she had killed the two others. But the jury did not believe him, convicting him on Monday of four counts of aggravated murder -- two counts for the deaths of each of the two older children. Under Oregon law, a murder suspect can be charged with additional counts if the victim is a child. The jury took less than five hours to reach its verdict. The 29-year-old Longo showed no emotion as the verdict was read. His mother, Joy, wept as Judge Robert Huckleberry spoke. After the verdict, Penny Dupuie, one of MaryJane's sisters, walked out of the courtroom, frantically dialing relatives on her cell phones and jumping up and down, elated. Dupuie and sisters Jennifer Kegley, Sally Clark and sister-in-law Cathy Baker held snapshots of MaryJane while talking with reporters. Longo's mother, adoptive father, brother and sister-in-law declined to talk to reporters. Huckleberry told the jury to return Wednesday for the beginning of the penalty phase. An admitted con man, Longo moved his family to Oregon in August 2001, leaving behind a trail of bad checks and forgery charges stretching back to Michigan, where they had lived. During the four-week trial, prosecutors described Longo as a cold-hearted man with a taste for fine wine and cars he could not afford who killed his family so he could enjoy a more uninhibited lifestyle. Prosecutor Paulette Sanders told the jury in closing arguments last week that Longo's version of his family's death was yet another lie in a string of deceit. "He lied and lied repeatedly -- to his wife, to his parents, to the elders of his church, to his old friends, to his new friends here in Newport. He lied to the police. Now he's lying to you," she said. Longo fled to Mexico where an FBI agent caught him three weeks later at a beach resort in Tulum. Longo had partied and snorkeled, and was romantically involved with a German tourist, according to testimony. Longo's court-appointed attorney, Steven Krasik, told jurors he understood if they didn't believe his client. But Krasik said that police overlooked evidence that may have confirmed Longo's story and said reasonable doubt exists. Krasik said a surveillance video from a grocery store in Newport may have backed up a portion of Longo's story, but was accidentally recorded over. The video may have shown Mary Jane alive on Dec. 17, a day after prosecutors say she likely died, Krasik said. |