Iowa City trio murdered Illinois couple in 2006; Last sentenced serving time for UI Libraries child porn

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - The last of three people convicted in the 2006 killing of a Champaign couple has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Fifty-two-year-old Russell Lee Pitcher pleaded guilty to murder Wednesday in the deaths of Sue and Jerry Haigh as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Pitcher was in prison in Iowa for sexual exploitation of a minor when he was charged in the murders last year.

Autopsies found 58-year-old Jerry Haigh was stabbed to death and 66-year-old Sue Haigh died from blows to the head.

Kenneth Sean Kelly is serving 50 years for murder in Jerry Haigh's death, while Crystal Myrick is serving a life sentence for convictions in both deaths.

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Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

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More from The News-Gazette (Feb. 17. 2010)

At Myrick's trial, Pitcher testified that all three of them went to the Haigh home on July 1, intent on robbing the couple of cash and valuables. They had traveled to Champaign from

At Myrick's trial, Pitcher testified that all three of them went to the Haigh home on July 1, intent on robbing the couple of cash and valuables. They had traveled to Champaign from Iowa City, where they had been living. ...

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Additional from The News-Gazette (Oct. 31, 2009)

(Kenneth Shawn) Kelly testified that he met Myrick, 32, in 1999, and that they have a son, now 9, in common. They were living in Iowa City, Iowa, with Myrick's uncle and co-defendant, Russell Pitcher, 52, at the apartment of another man, when they decided to make a trip to Champaign in July 2006 to see the Haighs. ...

(Kenneth Shawn) Kelly testified that he met Myrick, 32, in 1999, and that they have a son, now 9, in common. They were living in Iowa City, Iowa, with Myrick's uncle and co-defendant, Russell Pitcher, 52, at the apartment of another man, when they decided to make a trip to Champaign in July 2006 to see the Haighs. ...

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Best Iowa City details, plus before and after the murder, in this News-Gazette article (Oct. 27, 2009)

Testifying after Shackelford was David Stratton, an Iowa City, Iowa, man who let the homeless Kelly move in with him in the summer of 2006. He'd known Kelly about a year. Not long after, Stratton said he also allowed Myrick, who had a child with Kelly, and their child, to move in. And shortly after that, he let Pitcher, whom Myrick described as her uncle, move in. ...

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Also, from most recent News-Gazette article:

Because of Pitcher's willingness to testify at Myrick's trial – he admitted he twice cut Mr. Haigh's throat – Lozar offered him the plea to 30 years. He will have to serve 100 percent of that sentence after he completes the sentence he's serving for sexual exploitation of a minor in Iowa, which should conclude in November. ...

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Iowa Department of Corrections record for Russell Lee Pitcher

The following is public information pursuant to Section 904.601(1)Iowa Code(1999). While the information is believed to be accurate, the Iowa Department of Corrections makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of the information provided. Information is updated on a weekly basis, but may change quickly. Finally, due to issues relating to the conversion of existing data, the latest or most complete information may not always be available.

Name

Russell Lee Pitcher

Offender Number

6783909

Sex

M

Birth Date

06/25/1957

Age

52

Location

Anamosa State Penitentiary

Offense

Sexual Exploit. of Minor/2nd Off.-10 Yr. Special Sentence

County Of Commitment

Johnson

Commitment Date

01/23/2007

Duration

5 Years

TDD/SDD *

11/03/2010

* TDD = Tentative Discharge Date

* SDD = Supervision Discharge Date

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR NOTIFICATION ON ANY CHANGES TO THIS OFFENDER'S CUSTODY STATUS

Supervision Status

Offense Class

County of Commitment

End Date

Prison

D Felony

Johnson

The following is public information pursuant to Section 904.601(1)Iowa Code(1999). While the information is believed to be accurate, the Iowa Department of Corrections makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of the information provided. Information is updated on a weekly basis, but may change quickly. Finally, due to issues relating to the conversion of existing data, the latest or most complete information may not always be available.

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Background about Russell L. Pitcher from Gazette archives:

THE GAZETTE09/09/2006The GazetteIOWA CITY - A Coralville man faces sexual exploitation charges after a University of Iowa police officer saw the man watching child pornography on a computer in the UI Main Library, police said in court records.Russell L. Pitcher, 49, of 409 Sixth Ave., Apt. 1, faces a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor in connection with the Aug. 23 incident. The charge, a Class D felony, is punishable by up to five years in prison.UI Police Officer Alton Poole said he saw Pitcher sitting at a second-floor computer with video disks that contained child pornography, a criminal complaint states. Pitcher previously pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Bloomington, Ind., in 2001, the complaint states.Pitcher also is accused of having marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his possession when UI police arrested him Thursday night.His niece, Crystal D. Myrick, 29, is accused of neglect or abandonment of a dependent for allowing Pitcher to live and share a bedroom with her 6-year-old son, a criminal complaint states. Myrick faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.Both were in the Johnson County Jail Friday in lieu of $10,000 cash bails.~~THE GAZETTE01/20/2007Police found man watching child porn at UI Main LibraryIOWA CITY - A man accused of watching child pornography on a University of Iowa Main Library computer in August was sentenced Friday to five years in prison.Russell L. Pitcher, 49, formerly of 409 Sixth Ave., Apt. 1, in Coralville, will face a 10-year term of special parole once his prison sentence is completed. He was also fined $750 by Judge Denver Dillard during a Johnson County District Court sentencing hearing.Pitcher declined an opportunity to speak during the hearing. He pleaded guilty to second-offense sexual exploitation of a minor last month.A UI police officer reported seeing Pitcher, who had been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor in Monroe County, Ind., in 2002, watching the child pornography on a second-floor computer at the library on Aug. 23.Pitcher also was sentenced to 30 days in jail for having marijuana when UI police arrested him. He was given credit for 30 days served and fined an additional $315. A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed.Pitcher's niece, Crystal D. Myrick, 29, also faces a charge of neglect or abandonment of a dependent for letting Pitcher share a bedroom with her 6-year-old son at the former Coralville address he and Myrick shared.Myrick, who faces up to 10 years, failed to appear at her arraignment in November and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.~~THE GAZETTE06/02/2007UI police officer tapes interactions in the field[excerpt]

THE GAZETTE

09/09/2006

Child porn charge filed in UI case

The Gazette

IOWA CITY - A Coralville man faces sexual exploitation charges after a University of Iowa police officer saw the man watching child pornography on a computer in the UI Main Library, police said in court records.

Russell L. Pitcher, 49, of 409 Sixth Ave., Apt. 1, faces a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor in connection with the Aug. 23 incident. The charge, a Class D felony, is punishable by up to five years in prison.

UI Police Officer Alton Poole said he saw Pitcher sitting at a second-floor computer with video disks that contained child pornography, a criminal complaint states. Pitcher previously pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Bloomington, Ind., in 2001, the complaint states.

Pitcher also is accused of having marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his possession when UI police arrested him Thursday night.

His niece, Crystal D. Myrick, 29, is accused of neglect or abandonment of a dependent for allowing Pitcher to live and share a bedroom with her 6-year-old son, a criminal complaint states. Myrick faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Both were in the Johnson County Jail Friday in lieu of $10,000 cash bails.

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THE GAZETTE

01/20/2007

Child porn charge nets 5 years in prison

Police found man watching child porn at UI Main Library

IOWA CITY - A man accused of watching child pornography on a University of Iowa Main Library computer in August was sentenced Friday to five years in prison.

Russell L. Pitcher, 49, formerly of 409 Sixth Ave., Apt. 1, in Coralville, will face a 10-year term of special parole once his prison sentence is completed. He was also fined $750 by Judge Denver Dillard during a Johnson County District Court sentencing hearing.

Pitcher declined an opportunity to speak during the hearing. He pleaded guilty to second-offense sexual exploitation of a minor last month.

A UI police officer reported seeing Pitcher, who had been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor in Monroe County, Ind., in 2002, watching the child pornography on a second-floor computer at the library on Aug. 23.

Pitcher also was sentenced to 30 days in jail for having marijuana when UI police arrested him. He was given credit for 30 days served and fined an additional $315. A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed.

Pitcher's niece, Crystal D. Myrick, 29, also faces a charge of neglect or abandonment of a dependent for letting Pitcher share a bedroom with her 6-year-old son at the former Coralville address he and Myrick shared.

Myrick, who faces up to 10 years, failed to appear at her arraignment in November and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

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THE GAZETTE

06/02/2007

Armed with a camera

UI police officer tapes interactions in the field

[excerpt]

Last August, (University of Iowa Public Safety Officer Alton) Poole responded to a report of a man looking at child pornography at the main library. He taped his approach and says he caught Russell Pitcher, 49, formerly of 409 Sixth Ave., Apt. 1, in Coralville, looking at porn.Pitcher pleaded guilty in December and was sentenced in January to five years in prison.Poole says the case went so smoothly, in part, because of the videotape."Two defense attorneys dropped the case entirely," he said.

Poole says the case went so smoothly, in part, because of the videotape.

"Two defense attorneys dropped the case entirely," he said.

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