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Poole guilty of second-degree murder
A jury on Friday convicted Anthony James Poole of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a murder.
The charges stemmed from the shooting deaths of Poole's father-in-law and brother-in-law in Goldvein last September. The shootings occurred after an argument over a remote control for a television set.
Before the sentencing, several people, including Poole's mother, testified that Poole was a good man who was deeply sorry for what he'd done. Poole's attorney, Mark Williams, asked the panel to “show some mercy.”
“You've heard what kind of person Anthony Poole is. If he could have those split seconds back [or] if he could have looked into the future to see how this would have devastated his family, this probably wouldn't have happened,” Williams said. “He accepts he is going to prison; he has to. I ask you to show some mercy and not to make this the last chapter of his life.”
However, the panel did not heed the plea. Instead, the jury sentenced Poole, who is now 42, to 78 years in prison.
A formal sentencing hearing is now scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 24 in Fauquier County Circuit Court.
“We are disappointed with the length of the sentence but we are satisfied with [the finding of second-degree murder] so we have mixed feelings right now,” Williams said after the trial. “This is a tragedy [for everyone involved]. Anthony is a good man who just snapped — and now he will have to pay for it for the rest of his life.”
In contrast, Commonwealth's Attorney Jonathan Lynn said he thought the length of the sentence “reflected the gravity” of the crime.
Lynn also said he felt enough evidence had been presented to show that Poole had formed a specific intent to kill before the shootings. In other words, he felt there was enough evidence for the jury to find Poole guilty of first-degree murder.
Too much to take...
In his closing argument on Thursday, Williams maintained that the argument over the remote was the catalyst, other factors caused Poole to “snap.” For one thing, there was growing resentment between people who had been “living on top of each other day after day” for years, Williams said.
Poole, his wife Renita, their two children and Renita's father, Richard Eugene Hawkins Sr., all lived in the same tiny, dilapidated house with no indoor plumbing and no running water. No one had any privacy, Williams said.
“The [living] conditions have something to do with this case,” the attorney maintained. “The two kids were sharing one room with no door between their room and their parents' room.”
Even though the family was in the process of getting a new house from Fauquier Habitat for Humanity (see sidebar), Williams said that having to come home from work and live in those conditions, coupled with constantly being told to “pack his [things] and leave” if he was unhappy became too much for Poole to take.
Poole, who testified on his own behalf, said he often felt disrespected and ostracized by his father-in-law, Robert Eugene “Gene” Hawkins Sr., and his brother-in-law, Robert Eugene “Buck” Hawkins Jr. Poole said Gene would often interfere when he tried to discipline his son. He added that Buck — who lived in a one-room apartment in an outbuilding on the Blackwells Mill Road property where the shootings occurred — resented him for living with Renita and her father.
“We were not close,” Poole testified about his relationship with Buck. “There were a few little incidents here and there, and they got worse over the years.”
Poole's sister, Aretha Yvette Ashton, also testified that Poole often “felt like an outsider in his own home.”
The confession...
Detective Charles Bopp of the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office was among nine people who testified for the prosecution.
Bopp interviewed Poole twice after the shootings and recorded both conversations. The jury viewed transcripts and heard the recordings in which detailed the events of the day in question.
In the second interview, Poole said he'd gone to work that day and returned home early enough to go to a neighbor's house, borrow a lawn mower and mow his lawn.
Once he'd finished mowing the lawn, he returned the riding mower and went back home, where the argument with his brother-in-law occurred.
In addition to arguing over the remote control, Poole said he and Buck argued over money that Buck allegedly owed Poole's son.
Poole said Gene became involved in the argument and that Gene repeatedly told him that if he was unhappy he could leave.
Poole admitted he got his shotgun from his bedroom, loaded it, turned and shot Buck, who was still on the couch. Even though he said he never actually saw a gun, Poole maintained that Gene had one. He said he thought Gene — who had gone in and out of his bedroom twice during the argument — was going to get a pistol, so he shot him twice.
Poole said he tried to call 911, but the call did not go through. He said he then went to a neighbor's house to get them to call a rescue squad, but no one was home.
Finally, he said he left the scene and went to his mother's house on Tacketts Mill Road in Stafford. He said he called her while en route and told her what he'd done. He said he also asked her to call the Stafford County Sheriff's Department and let them know he was on his way.
His mother, Helen Johnson, confirmed that's what happened while testifying on Thursday.
“He told me that he'd shot Buck and Gene. I just lost it,” she said.
The analysis...
Dr. Dwight Colley, a forensic clinical psychologist, evaluated Poole after he was arrested. Colley said Poole did not meet the standards for insanity at the time of the offense. However, he said Poole had a “significant number” of emotional issues, including anxiety and depression.
“His ability to ponder the consequences of his actions was impaired — but not to the point of insanity,” Colley said. “His decision-making ability was not what it should have been.”
Based on the evaluation, Colley concluded that Poole would not be a danger to the community in the future.
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com
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