VERY BAD NEWS! Brandon Miller accused of murder

catamaran · Post by **catamaran** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:57 pm

Not to point fingers, but that post smelled like an arrogant griz "photo poster" that just got booted from here

bobcatgrad2005 · Post by **bobcatgrad2005** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:55 pm

The saga continues:

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articl ... rances.txt

Former MSU athletes deny killing Wright

By TED SULLIVAN Chronicle Staff Writer

One after the other, John Lebrum and Branden Miller pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges that they had kidnapped and killed Jason Wright.

"How do you plea to count one, deliberate homicide?" District Judge Mike Salvagni asked the men, who appeared before him in separate afternoon hearings.

"Not guilty," they each responded.

"How do you plea to count two, aggravated kidnapping?" Salvagni asked them.

"Not guilty," they repeated.

"How do you plea to count three," tampering with evidence, Salvagni asked them.

"Not guilty," they said.

Former Montana State University athletes Lebrum and Miller, both 22, wore suit jackets, ties, collared shirts, slacks and dress shoes to appear in District Court. They wore handcuffs and ankle shackles beneath their clothing.

Lebrum and Miller both told the judge they understood the charges, their rights and that they could face the death penalty.

"Do you understand that?" Salvagni asked them.

"Yes, sir," they responded.

County officials had increased security in the courthouse for the hearings. A metal detector was set up outside the courtroom door and deputies searched bags and purses. Inside, 15 law-enforcement officers stood by, including two standing immediately behind the defendants, and a security camera recorded the hearings.

The courtroom was standing-room only, with Wright's family, the defendants' friends and family and a handful of attorneys and city police officers on hand to watch the proceedings.

Miller, a former basketball player, and Lebrum, a former football player, are accused of kidnapping Wright, 26 and an alleged cocaine dealer, playing a role in his death, destroying evidence and abandoning Wright's Chevrolet Tahoe in Belgrade on June 23.

Gallatin County sheriff's investigators have so far declined to disclose who shot Wright and what that person's motive might have been. Court records that may contain that information have been temporarily sealed pending an October hearing.

Lebrum and Miller were arrested and charged on June 29.

In court Tuesday, Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert asked the judge to continue holding both men in the county jail on $1 million bail.

Lebrum's defense attorney, Al Avignone, and Miller's defense attorney, Peter Ohman, didn't object, although they reserved the right to ask the judge to revisit the issue at a future date.

Many of the details about the crime, the investigation and the particular charges against the two men are in the sealed documents and unavailable to the public.

However, police have said that early in the morning of June 23, Lebrum asked Miller for a ride to Perkins Restaurant on West Main Street, where Wright was eating. The two men waited outside and when Wright left the restaurant, Lebrum hit him in the head, put him in his Tahoe and drove away.

Miller told police he then drove his own car home.

Ten hours later, Wright was found dead in MSU's agricultural field just west of Bozeman.

In the following days, police believe Lebrum and Miller wiped down Wright's Tahoe with bleach and ditched it in Belgrade and ditched a bunch of Wright's belongings in a Dumpster near MSU.

A District Court judge ruled Tuesday that the Bozeman Daily Chronicle can participate in a hearing on whether court records detailing the June 23 killing of Jason Wright should be open to the public.

District Judge Mike Salvagni ruled that the Chronicle's attorney will be allowed to argue in favor of opening sealed documents that are a key source of information about Wright's shooting death.

The newspaper's attorney will be able to ask witnesses questions, introduce evidence and argue that all court records related to the killing should open to the public.

Defense attorneys for Montana State University athletes Branden MIller and John Lebrum want the documents to remain sealed.

Salvagni said he must balance the public's right to know the details about the homicide with Miller and Lebrum's right to a fair trial.

"The issue is critical to the defendants' rights and it's critical to the public," Salvagni said in District Court.

Helena-based attorney Peter Michael Meloy filed a motion on the Chronicle's behalf this week after Salvagni temporarily sealed the papers pending a hearing on the matter.

That hearing has been set for Oct. 26.

The court records include the affadavits of probable cause, which detail the charges against the two men.

The defense attorneys claim that information contained in those APCs was obtained during an interview with Lebrum that his attorney, Al Avignone, was not allowed to attend and should therefore be sealed.

They further argue that releasing the records would prevent Lebrum and Miller from having a fair trial.

Lebrum and Miller are charged with deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence for their suspected roles in the shooting death of Wright west of Bozeman.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:02 pm

This was kind of a strange line towards the end:

"Defense attorneys for Montana State University athletes Branden MIller and John Lebrum want the documents to remain sealed."

WTF? Does that make me an "MSU student" if my name gets mentioned in a Chronicle article?

The stangest part is that both defendents had already been identified in detail earlier in the article ... you generally don't restate identifying comments like that again later in the article ... especially ones that aren't technically accurate and might appear to suggest that MSU is participating directly in the proceedings.

bobcatgrad2005 · Post by **bobcatgrad2005** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:15 pm

It's the Comical. I don't consider it a very sophisticated new source.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:53 pm

And while I am on a roll, the headline was misleading as well. The two pled "Not Guilty," they didn't "...assert innocence." There is a big difference, especially in this context.

DriftCat · Post by **DriftCat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:58 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote:This was kind of a strange line towards the end:

"Defense attorneys for Montana State University athletes Branden MIller and John Lebrum want the documents to remain sealed."

WTF? Does that make me an "MSU student" if my name gets mentioned in a Chronicle article?

The stangest part is that both defendents had already been identified in detail earlier in the article ... you generally don't restate identifying comments like that again later in the article ... especially ones that aren't technically accurate and might appear to suggest that MSU is participating directly in the proceedings.

Not only that but arent both of them former athletes that have both been kicked off of their respective teams one of which was booted in 2003?

If anything it should say FORMER but the comical makes it sound like they were still a part of MSU athletics.

profisme · Post by **profisme** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:56 pm

If for no other reason than to keep the Chronicle from improperly reporting this story any further, I would plead with the judge to not open the records to the public. The Chronicle has done a shotty job of it thus far and there is no indication that they will do any better. Slanted and half-true reporting is how people start rumors and good peoples' names get smeared for no reason. Yes Brandon and John are on trial for murder but as far as the rest of it goes, I'm not in favor of supporting the freedom of the press if the press can't report in an accurate and decent manner.

Hello Kitty · Post by **Hello Kitty** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:26 pm

bobcatgrad2005 wrote:It's the Comical. I don't consider it a very sophisticated new source.

I agree.

The Chronical wrote:

" ditched it in Belgrade and ditched a bunch of Wright's belongings "

Does that sounds like a 7th grade report or what? I have a bunch more things to add but I will restrain myself

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:35 pm

Hello Kitty wrote:
bobcatgrad2005 wrote:It's the Comical. I don't consider it a very sophisticated new source.
I agree.

The Chronical wrote:

" ditched it in Belgrade and ditched a bunch of Wright's belongings "

Does that sounds like a 7th grade report or what? I have a bunch more things to add but I will restrain myself

I missed that line when I zipped through it ... wow, that is, umm, interesting writing.

crazycat · Post by **crazycat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 3:58 pm

I agree. This is one poorly written piece. It's as if no one proof read it. The line BAC points out is just basic writing 101. You use a persons full name once, then just the last name the rest of the way. You also don't need to mention that they're former MSU student athletes more than once. Then the biggie of calling them MSU student athletes after saying they are former athletes. If this was the first time I'd heard of this I'd be wondering which is it...current or former?

Anyhooooo........ the big piece of information is that the public, including the University, probably won't get any more information for quite some time. The way this has developed so far I'd guess it comes out right before a home football game.

That means the good people of MSU (alums, staff, students) have to sweat it out until then not knowing definitively whether or not anyone else has been implicated. My guess is no one else is, since there haven't been any arrests in connection with this crime. In most cases like this that occurs within a few days of the initial arrests.

Ponycat · Post by **Ponycat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:03 pm

What's everyone elses take.
I don't think they should release to documents even though I am very interested.

Grizlaw · Post by **Grizlaw** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:06 pm

Hello Kitty wrote:I agree.

The Chronical wrote:

" ditched it in Belgrade and ditched a bunch of Wright's belongings "

Does that sounds like a 7th grade report or what? I have a bunch more things to add but I will restrain myself

That's awesome.

The sad part is, if you look at that whole sentence, it's even more amateur:

In the following days, police believe Lebrum and Miller wiped down Wright's Tahoe with bleach and ditched it in Belgrade and ditched a bunch of Wright's belongings in a Dumpster near MSU.

Have these people ever heard of a comma? Also, I assume that what the writer meant was that they gave Wright's belongings to a person whose first name is "Dumpster"; otherwise, I'm curious to know why they capitalized "Dumpster."

bobcatgrad2005 · Post by **bobcatgrad2005** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:33 pm

Is Dumpster a brand? Like people say " I need a Kleenex," when they really mean they just need a tissue?

Proper noun, is that what that's called?

The Comical wouldn't want to misrepresent something...

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:42 pm

Does the Chronical have an editor?

Grizlaw · Post by **Grizlaw** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:44 pm

bobcatgrad2005 wrote:Is Dumpster a brand? Like people say " I need a Kleenex," when they really mean they just need a tissue?

I like that. That's actually better than my "person named Dumpster" explanation.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go finish my work, so I can go meet up with some friends for a Beer.

--GL

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:04 pm

CARDIAC_CATS wrote:Does the Chronical have an editor?

Yes (in name only). You can read his name every day on page 2.

urcrackinmeup · Post by **urcrackinmeup** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:12 pm

[Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go finish my work, so I can go meet up with some friends for a Beer.

--GL[/quote]

That's the generic brand of beer that's named Beer, right?

Very classy GL.

catBBfan · Post by **catBBfan** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:51 pm

There is a reason why this paper is called the Comical

whitetrashgriz · Post by **whitetrashgriz** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:51 am

what's worse about this whole thing. is a person who works for this paper, feels the need to constantly bring up this board, or "message boards" if not this one, and make fun of us. like his last column about the crystal ball, and he insisted to comment about what the people on the message boards thought. it's like when my highschool let the special-ed kids help us with our school paper, and they'd make fun of other people! no knock on the handicap. it's like the girl who thinks that she's way hotter than she is...eventually you like to tell her she's ugly, and needs to stop with the attitude! eventually, i'd like to see you-know-who, stop pretending he's a writer, and even if he was, have him take a good long look at who he's writing for. he's the hottest chick in a prison beauty pagent.

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:58 am

Open the records. Just to avoid the cover up being sought by the good people at Montana State University. Plus, I want to know who was buying the dope.