Officer, Prisoner Testify Against Baumhammers

Baumhammers Trial: Day 4

A prisoner who was once in the cell next to Richard Baumhammers said Tuesday that the mass shooting suspect bragged about killing a black man and commented that Jewish women would not have sex with him. Shooting Spree

The Trial:
Day 4:Officer James Mann Testifies
Day 3:Sandip Patel Testifies

Attorneys Review Video Depisition
Survey: Can Baumhammers Be Tried Fairly In Allegheny County?
Plea Bargains Offered
Did He Research Alleged Victims?

Pre-Trial Stories:
Suspect Ruled Competent
Mourners Gather At Synagogue
Suspect Arraigned
Victim's Kin
Woman Has Close Call
Hear Baumhammers' Personal Ad

Rabbis Call For End To Violence
D.A. Says Note Could Reveal Hate Motive
Who Is Richard Baumhammers?

Baumhammers is accused of killing a black man, a Jewish woman and three others on April 28, 2000, in a 72-minute spree in Allegheny and Beaver counties. He is also accused of ethnic intimidation, Pennsylvania's version of a hate crime. After his arrest, Baumhammers was placed in a cell next to Bobby Joe Eakles, 45, of Beaver Falls, Pa., in part of the Beaver County Jail nicknamed the "glass cell" and reserved for mentally ill or troublesome prisoners. Eakles said that he had been advised in advance that his neighbor would be "complicated." Eakles testified that he asked Baumhammers how he was doing shortly after Baumhammers' arrival. Baumhammers responded, "I killed great," and uttered a racial slur describing blacks, Eakles said. Baumhammers later commented that Jewish women would never have sex with him and murmured, "Bleed, bleed," and, "Heil Hitler," to himself, Eakles said. "It was like he was doing riddles on me. He'd say, 'KKK,' just like that. I thought he was detoxing," Eakles said. Defense attorney William Difenderfer asked Eakles if he had learned about Baumhammer's alleged hatred of ethnic minorities from a newspaper article the Sunday after the shooting. "I didn't know it was Richard (Baumhammers) when I read it," Eakles testified. "I was in shock when I saw it was him." Eakles said that he and Baumhammers talked frequently until an argument two days after the shootings. Eakles pleaded no contest to 12 counts each of harassment and terroristic threats, and is being evaluated at Mayview State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, as he awaits sentencing. He said that the charges related to letters he sent to a doctor who treated his daughter before his daughter's death. Eakles, who said that he worked for 17 years in the "antiques business," said that he previously served three years in state prisons for a probation violation on a gun charge. He said that he has been taking an anti-depression drug. Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning ruled that Eakles was competent to testify. A police officer told jurors earlier in the day that when Baumhammers stepped from his vehicle, spent shells from a .357 Magnum spilled from his lap onto the driver's seat of the black Jeep Cherokee. Ambridge Police Officer James Mann testified Tuesday in the fourth day of the Baumhammers' trial that he was warned over his police radio that a mass shooting suspect was headed his way. The trial resumes at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday with two witnesses from France. They are offered by prosecutors because of past conflicts with Baumhammers. Doctors are set to testify Wednesday about Baumhammers' mental health. Baumhammers, 35, of Mount Lebanon, is accused of shooting six people, killing five, in a 90-minute racially motivated shooting spree. Mann said that he was waiting near the Ambridge Bridge when he pulled in front of Baumhammers' vehicle, then took cover behind his squad car's door with his weapon drawn. Mann said that he rushed the vehicle when Baumhammers reached to his right, ignoring an order to keep his hands in sight. "'I have to unbuckle my seat belt,' that's all he said," Mann said. "He had a smirk on his face -- it was almost like he was happy. I thought we had the wrong guy. He looked like you and me," Mann said. "Who would think somebody who had just murdered five people would be wearing a seat belt?" Manning also ruled on Tuesday morning that prosecutors can play 20 tape recorded conversations between a jailed Baumhammers and his parents, Andrejs and Inese Baumhammers, with whom he lived. Baumhammers Evidence

Defense attorneys William Difenderfer and James Wymard argued the taping violated Baumhammers' rights, and said Allegheny County Jail guards wrongly acted as a wing of the prosecutor's office by monitoring Baumhammers' conversations. But Manning agreed with Deputy Allegheny County District Attorney Edward Borkowski who argued that inmates are notified that calls will be taped, including by a recorded message that plays when they begin a phone call. During one call, Baumhammers parents even warned him that the calls were being recorded, Borkowski argued. Baumhammers is accused of killing his Jewish next door neighbor, Anita Gordon, 63; Anil Thakur, 31, an Indian man; two Asian men, Ji-Ye Sun, 34, of Churchill, and Thao Pham, 27, of Castle Shannon, at a Chinese restaurant; and Garry Lee, 22, a black man from Aliquippa, at a Beaver County karate school. Sandip Patel, 26, another Indian man, was wounded while working at the store where Thakur was killed and remains paralyzed Mann noted that Baumhammers appeared heavier and almost drowsy in court Tuesday than he did last year. Mann said that Baumhammers was alert and aware the day of his arrest -- but calm, which is consistent with other witnesses who testified to Baumhammers demeanor while he shot the victims and two synagogues. Defense attorney William Difenderfer said Baumhammers has gained weight and is more docile due to drugs he is taking to control a delusional disorder from which he suffers. Difenderfer admits Baumhammers shot the victims, but said he is innocent because the mental illness kept him from understanding right from wrong. Previous Stories: