M
M. Howard
Guest
by Karen Hucks; The News Tribune
Last updated: September 21st, 2006 02:49 PM (PDT)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6109582p-5353270c.html
Ulysses Handy III walked into court smirking Wednesday morning and held the pose as he proclaimed himself "guilty as charged" of three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.
He smiled.
He laughed when family members of his victims said they hoped he'd be killed in prison.
And he told them, "Pain is part of life. Deal with it. Get over it."
Handy, 24, took advantage of a plea bargain Wednesday that let him escape a potential death sentence. Prosecutor Gerry Horne said he wouldn't seek execution if Handy admitted killing Darren Christian, Daniel Varo and Lindy Cochran in a central Tacoma bungalow Feb. 7.
That left Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson only one option for Handy - life in prison without the possibility of release.
Handy told Cuthbertson he wasn't asking for sympathy because he didn't have any to offer.
"I feel there's two types of people in this world - us and them, predators and prey," Handy said. "I'm damn sure not prey."
Relatives of the three victims tearfully tried to describe what Handy had done to them - and what they hoped would happen to him in return.
"Part of the thing that's going to keep me going the rest of my life is that somebody on the inside is going to get their hands on him and choke the life out of him," said Richard Frost, Cochran's great-uncle.
Handy laughed at that, prompting the packed second-floor courtroom to erupt as people shouted at Handy and Handy's friends shouted back.
Cuthbertson banged his gavel and threatened to make people leave the room. Later, deputies detained two men for trying to intimidate the victims' families.
'He'll have to answer to this'
Other family members took their turns speaking to the court - and to Handy.
"Nobody can put into words what he's taken from the families," said Christian's brother, Chris Jones. "He can smile about it, and that's fine, but everything comes full circle. And in one way or another, he'll have to answer to this, other than in this courtroom."
Varo's mother, Debra Martsching, said she knows that goodness prevails, and that there are only a few evil people in the world.
"I don't have room in my life and my heart for someone like him," she said.
Cochran's father, Brian Cochran, talked about his daughter, who'd just turned 21.
"I don't care what happens to him," Brian Cochran said, crying. "No matter what, we'll never have our children back."
Varo's stepfather, Ernie Martsching, said he met Varo when he was 4, and loved him like his own son.
And Ashley Foley, Varo's girlfriend, said she'd lost her best friend.
Handy, whose friends call him Moonie, knew Varo, 22, and Christian, 28. Cochran, 21, just happened to be visiting.
Charging papers say Handy drove to the house with three friends early on Feb. 7, but went inside alone and killed Varo, Christian and Cochran as others stood watch.
Handy, who said pain had been the only constant in his life, only hinted in court about why he'd killed the three.
"I know why I did what I did," he said. "It wasn't over no money. It wasn't over a jacket.
"And it ain't no secret who or what I am," he continued. "I never covered that up, never tried to ... I shoot people, kill people, all that other good stuff, only when I'm provoked. Vengeance, karma, whatever you want to call it. People cross me, I did what I did. And that's not going to change."
'PRISON TOOK THAT AWAY'
Handy blamed his inability to feel anything on the eight years he spent in prison for hitting a man over the head with a baseball bat.
"I went into prison a kid," Handy said. "Whatever love or compassion or mercy or sympathy I had, prison took that away from me. Anything I was died a long time ago."
In addition to the murders, Handy pleaded guilty to robbing the victims. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated first-degree assault for shooting a man in the stomach last Oct. 21; to another first-degree assault for shooting a man who beeped his car horn at him Jan. 8; and to unlawfully possessing guns.
Prosecutors dismissed a child molestation charge in which Handy was accused of giving a young girl herpes. They also dismissed a charge of first-degree rendering criminal assistance against Handy's fianc
Last updated: September 21st, 2006 02:49 PM (PDT)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/6109582p-5353270c.html
Ulysses Handy III walked into court smirking Wednesday morning and held the pose as he proclaimed himself "guilty as charged" of three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.
He smiled.
He laughed when family members of his victims said they hoped he'd be killed in prison.
And he told them, "Pain is part of life. Deal with it. Get over it."
Handy, 24, took advantage of a plea bargain Wednesday that let him escape a potential death sentence. Prosecutor Gerry Horne said he wouldn't seek execution if Handy admitted killing Darren Christian, Daniel Varo and Lindy Cochran in a central Tacoma bungalow Feb. 7.
That left Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson only one option for Handy - life in prison without the possibility of release.
Handy told Cuthbertson he wasn't asking for sympathy because he didn't have any to offer.
"I feel there's two types of people in this world - us and them, predators and prey," Handy said. "I'm damn sure not prey."
Relatives of the three victims tearfully tried to describe what Handy had done to them - and what they hoped would happen to him in return.
"Part of the thing that's going to keep me going the rest of my life is that somebody on the inside is going to get their hands on him and choke the life out of him," said Richard Frost, Cochran's great-uncle.
Handy laughed at that, prompting the packed second-floor courtroom to erupt as people shouted at Handy and Handy's friends shouted back.
Cuthbertson banged his gavel and threatened to make people leave the room. Later, deputies detained two men for trying to intimidate the victims' families.
'He'll have to answer to this'
Other family members took their turns speaking to the court - and to Handy.
"Nobody can put into words what he's taken from the families," said Christian's brother, Chris Jones. "He can smile about it, and that's fine, but everything comes full circle. And in one way or another, he'll have to answer to this, other than in this courtroom."
Varo's mother, Debra Martsching, said she knows that goodness prevails, and that there are only a few evil people in the world.
"I don't have room in my life and my heart for someone like him," she said.
Cochran's father, Brian Cochran, talked about his daughter, who'd just turned 21.
"I don't care what happens to him," Brian Cochran said, crying. "No matter what, we'll never have our children back."
Varo's stepfather, Ernie Martsching, said he met Varo when he was 4, and loved him like his own son.
And Ashley Foley, Varo's girlfriend, said she'd lost her best friend.
Handy, whose friends call him Moonie, knew Varo, 22, and Christian, 28. Cochran, 21, just happened to be visiting.
Charging papers say Handy drove to the house with three friends early on Feb. 7, but went inside alone and killed Varo, Christian and Cochran as others stood watch.
Handy, who said pain had been the only constant in his life, only hinted in court about why he'd killed the three.
"I know why I did what I did," he said. "It wasn't over no money. It wasn't over a jacket.
"And it ain't no secret who or what I am," he continued. "I never covered that up, never tried to ... I shoot people, kill people, all that other good stuff, only when I'm provoked. Vengeance, karma, whatever you want to call it. People cross me, I did what I did. And that's not going to change."
'PRISON TOOK THAT AWAY'
Handy blamed his inability to feel anything on the eight years he spent in prison for hitting a man over the head with a baseball bat.
"I went into prison a kid," Handy said. "Whatever love or compassion or mercy or sympathy I had, prison took that away from me. Anything I was died a long time ago."
In addition to the murders, Handy pleaded guilty to robbing the victims. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated first-degree assault for shooting a man in the stomach last Oct. 21; to another first-degree assault for shooting a man who beeped his car horn at him Jan. 8; and to unlawfully possessing guns.
Prosecutors dismissed a child molestation charge in which Handy was accused of giving a young girl herpes. They also dismissed a charge of first-degree rendering criminal assistance against Handy's fianc
