Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
44-year-old Stevie Walker is on Trial in Suffolk Superior Court for the November 4, 2005 stabbing murder of Galina Kotik, a 65-year-old Russian grandmother, inside her Fenway apartment building in Boston.
Walker had been smoking crack cocaine for up to 24 hours before he went to Kotik’s building to visit an acquaintance and figure out a plan to rob her so he could get more drugs.
A witness for the prosecution testified on Tuesday about how Kotik’s dying cries could be heard. Valentina Tsodikovich says she saw a man with blood on his clothes flee the murder scene.
Kotik was a nursing assistant. Prosecutors say that she pulled out one of the Walker’s dreadlocks and scratched his face during the attack. They say that Walker smashed in the elderly woman’s head with an ashtray and stabbed her nearly two dozen times.
Walker’s defense attorney admits that his client did kill Kotik. However, he is asking the jury to consider convicting Walker of a lesser charge than first-degree murder.
Walker has a personality disorder and does not remember killing Kotik. After the attack, he fled to a parking garage in the area and got trapped in a storage closet for approximately 40 hours. He escaped through a window and went to a police station where he fell asleep. He was arrested there.
Defense acknowledges violence of killer, Boston.com, December 11, 2007
Gruesome testimony in trial of man charged with murder of elderly woman, Boston Herald.com, December 11, 2007
Related Web Resources:
Legal Definition of First-Degree Murder, Lectlaw.com
If you are convicted for first-degree murder in Massachusetts, the maximum sentence you could receive is life in prison without parole. This is why it is so important that you hire an experienced Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer to represent you.
If all evidence of guilt for a murder points to you, a very good criminal defense attorney can determine whether it is possible to convince a jury that you should be convicted of a lesser murder charge. Even if you receive the maximum sentence for a second-degree murder conviction, you will still be eligible for parole after 15 years.
Other lesser murder convictions including voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter (both come with maximum sentences of 20 years in prison-unless explosive devices are involved), and motor vehicle homicide (a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison).
In Massachusetts, the personal injury law firm of Altman & Altman LLP represents clients who have been charged with murder and other violent crimes. Please contact Altman & Altman LLP to schedule your free consultation.
Our criminal defense attorneys are known for our experience and ability to provide a solid and strategic defense to work towards the best outcome for your case. We represent clients in all areas of criminal law in all Massachusetts cities, including Allston, Fall River, Boston, Quincy, and Winchester.
