Around 8 a.m., the caretakers called 911. Isolation Ended by Murders of Nine, Buddhist Temple Now Locks Its Doors The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. On a sweltering August morning, a woman walked into a Buddhist temple near Phoenix and discovered the most horrific crime in Arizona history. It's not going to come from him this time. There was no other option for Kreamer. Garcia and Doody were 16 and 17, respectively, at the time of the murders. March 14, 2014, 5:13 PM UTC. Contact [emailprotected]. "Good luck to you.". Ajahnsurayat, an Abbott based out of the Buddhist Temple in Tucson, was one of more than a dozen abbots in Phoenix for the memorial service. So that's enough to convict him of felony murder. Mr. Thorson was cremated in nearby Willcox on April 26. Johnathan Doody gets 9 consecutive life sentences in 1991 temple murders. Nine Buddhist temp. In the third and last trial, Doody did not testify, but Garcia did, telling the jury that it was Doody's idea to rob the temple and ordered that no witnesses be left, and that it was Doody that fired the fatal shots. PHOENIX (AP) It was one of Arizona's most notorious murder cases: the executions of nine people, including six monks, at a suburban Phoenix Buddhist temple. "[9] The Sheriff's Office also put great credence in details the suspects confessed to, stating that they had information which only the perpetrators would know; it was later revealed that the interrogators poisoned this part of the so-called confessions by placing the suspects in a staged room, complete with crime scene photos and written reports, in the hopes of rattling the nerve of the suspects before the interrogations began which also fed so-called unknowable details to the suspects. The only thing they could do was to let go of the anger, and moveforward. 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The nightmare of the 1991 massacre at a Phoenix Buddhist temple resurfaced today after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of the triggerman in the slayings, Jonathan . His mother said it was the last time she saw Ms. McNally, who could not be reached for comment . Jonathan Doody, then 17, was found guilty in 1993 and sentenced to 281 years in prison. On Aug. 10, 1991, nine bodies were found face-down on the floor of the Wat Promkunaram Buddhist temple in Waddell, Ariz., west of Glendale, Ariz., near Luke Air Force Base. He has testified that Doody masterminded the robbery, ordered that no witnesses be left and fired each fatal shot. Doody was reconvicted on all counts in January. There is no other evidence. Doody was originally convicted in 1994, but the decision was thrown out because the U.S. appeals court said his confession was coerced. Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary "I don't want to lose sight of the victims in this case," Kreamer said. Episode 19: The Buddhist Temple Murders | Audio Length: 50:56 - Vurbl On the 25th anniversary of what's dubbed the worst mass murder in Arizona history, the Buddhist community held a special ceremony to honor the lives lost. The victims, including six Buddhist monks, two nuns and a novice were found lying face-down in a circle, each shot in the head, in the Wat Promkunaram Buddhist Temple near Phoenix. Physical evidence showed that the victims were all lined up face down and shot. In both retrials, because Doody's confession was off-limits, the case hinged on Garcia's testimony and whether the jury believed him. The loss of six monkswas a very personal one for Buddhists, who had a very close relationship with their monks. As of 2023[update], it is the deadliest mass shooting in Arizona history. "This senseless killing that took the lives of six monks, one novice monk, a Buddhist nun and a lay person continues to be in our minds," Arpaio said in a statement. Doody was originally convicted in 1994, but a U.S. appeals court threw out the decision in May 2011, saying it was based on a coerced confession, and a retrial was ordered. Johnathan Doody, 39, sat impassively as the court clerk read the verdicts: nine counts of first-degree murder, nine counts of armed robbery and single counts of burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. The shocking story went international, and in their haste and desire to solve the case, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies rounded up four men from Tucson and extracted false confessions from them. Doody was convicted of killing nine people at a West Valley Buddhist Temple in 1991. "Wicked Attraction" The Golden Buddha (TV Episode 2011) - IMDb See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. The Thailand-born man was also convicted of armed robbery and one count each of burglary and conspiracy by jurors, according to Maricopa County Superior Court. But Doody's case was thrown out by the 9th U.S. [22], It was also discovered that the investigation was beginning to focus on Doody and Garcia, following the discovery of the murder weapon. In January, at the end of his third trial for his role in Arizona's worst mass murder, Doody was found guilty of nine counts of first-degree murder, nine counts of armed robbery and one count each of burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. [20] A homicide chief for Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at the time said the interrogators hammered on the suspects until their will was broken, and that "after a while, they were willing to say anything. No one spoke on his behalf, though his father, Brian Doody, told The Arizona Republic that Doody was disappointed about the conviction because he still proclaims his innocence. Doodymaintained his innocence during all three of his trials. [9], Three of the four people, some having been kept awake for more than 30 hours and all interrogated for long periods one for 13 hours straight by shifts of well rested Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies, confessed in writing following the interrogation. He testified that the murder spree was Doodys idea, in an effort to steal from the monks. On Friday, he sat quietly at the defense table, dressed in jailhouse stripes. Johnathan A. Doody, enters the court of Maricopa County Superior Court Joseph Kreamer on Friday, March 14, 2014 in Phoenix, Ariz. Doody, convicted of killing nine people, including six monks, during a robbery at a Buddhist temple in metro Phoenix was sentenced Friday to 249 years in prison. [7][10] The fourth suspect maintained his innocence through two extensive rounds of interrogation and was later released, after investigators finally looked into his alibi and found video evidence showing him working at a dog racing operation hundreds of miles away at the time of the murder. But they only found him guilty of felony murder, not of premeditated murder. In total 17 shots were fired, and all hit their target. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, 3-alarm fire in Phoenix near 40th Street and McDowell Road; power outages. Gary Stuart: There wasn't much of a language, he was fluent in English, but he was a Thai speaker. He went back to trial last August. They brought a 20-gauge shotgun from Garcia's house and borrowed the .22 rifle and knocked at the temple door. Man convicted of killing nine people at Buddhist temple sentenced to 249 years. Ted Simons: We talked about your book last time you were on the program, mostly about the Tucson four originally confessing to the crime and had absolutely nothing to do with it. But they grew quiet and somber as they joined the prayers and chants in Thai and Vietnamese, holding their hands in front of their chests. 1991 Buddhist temple massacre Murdered: Nine people six Buddhist monks, a nun and two students When: Aug. 10, 1991 Where: Wat Promkunaram Temple in Waddell The story: Nine victims were. No one knows. They were "the farthest away from anyone being a murder victim," Kreamer said. [14] According to Garcia, he and Doody went with the .22-caliber rifle and his 20-gauge shotgun to the temple and robbed it of approximately $2,600 and some A/V equipment. Buddhist Temple Massacre BY Katherine Ramsland Tweet Share The Crime Scene Bodies arranged at the crime scene In the living room, near a couch, lay all nine temple residents in their saffron robes. Doody was questioned by investigators and after 12 hours admitted his involvement. The investigators, despite little evidence that placed McGraw or the others anywhere near the crime scene at the time of the crime, deemed McGraw a reliable witness because they believed he was hospitalized as a psychiatric patient only out of suicidal guilt over the killings. Investigators stumbled on Doody and Garcia almost by accident one of their friends was stopped and found with one of the murder weapons. Heimplicated16-year-oldAllesandro"Alex"Garciaand17-year-oldJonathanDoody. Four men from Tucson were originally arrested for the killings after an interrogation by sheriffs deputies resulted in their confessions. If you read the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' opinion, they start on the first page of their opinion -- it's a long opinion, 106 pages -- they start with what happened in Tucson. Garcia pleaded guilty in 1993 in exchange for his testimony to avoid the death penalty, which could still be imposed on minors then. Gary Stuart: Thanks Ted. A man who robbed and shot to death nine people, including Buddhist monks and family members, in an Arizona temple was sentenced to 239 years in prison Friday, Maricopa . "Mr. Doody wants the court to know that he is innocent of these crimes," his defense attorney, Maria Schaffer, said as she addressed Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kreamer at Doody's sentencing Friday. They brought a 20-gauge shotgun from Garcia's house and borrowed the .22-caliber rifle and knocked at the temple door. There was this long exhaustive time period where his will was overborne. Man sentenced to 249 years for 1991 temple slaying - Yahoo News Ajury found him guiltyof nine counts of first-degree murder, nine counts of armed robbery and one count each of burglary and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Johnathan Doody . Share. Ted Simons: And eventually we had four suspects that you wrote about in details in your book who had coerced confessions. Garcia said Doody was the mastermind of the plan to rob the temple. It wasnt a shock to us. So they had a very different court process. Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Murderous Minors: 36: Coerced- The Buddhist Temple Murders (Alex Arizona mass murderer gets 9 life sentences - USA TODAY When you hear about this confession under these circumstances, surprise you at all? Doody was questioned for 12 hours in October 1991 and admitted that he was involved with killing six monks, one novice, one nun and a temple boy. Tweet Email Old Time Crime: Two teenagers held responsible for a mass murder that caused international outrage Man convicted of killing nine people at Buddhist temple sentenced to 249. Arizona Republic reporter Michael Kiefer and columnist EJ Montini discuss Johnathan Doody being sentenced to 9 consecutive life sentences for the 1991 Temple Murders, the worst mass murder in Arizona history. On Sunday morning, monks led the group in prayer and song. A teen-ager was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison for the 1991 murders of six monks and three other people at a Buddhist temple. Doody was sentenced to 281 years in prison. Guilty verdict reached in Buddhist temple massacre - USA TODAY Before he started he admitted physically being at the scene of the crime. Maria Schaffer, one of Doodys attorneys, told the court she will appeal. PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona man convicted of the execution-style killings of six Buddhist monks and three others at a temple near Phoenix more than two decades ago was sentenced on Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison. Thanks for joining us. Man convicted in Arizona Buddhist temple slayings - Yahoo News "The Charleston shooting is the largest mass shooting in a house of worship since 1991", "27 years later, Waddell Buddhist temple commemorates victims of 1991 temple massacre", "Jurors find Johnathan Doody guilty in Buddhist temple massacre", "Judge declares mistrial in temple killings retrial of Johnathan Doody", "Teen-ager convicted in Buddhist temple massacre", "Old Time Crime: Two teenagers held responsible for a mass murder that caused international outrage", "Johnathan Doody who killed nine people, including six monks and a nun at a Phoenix temple gets 249 years in prison", "Valley Buddhist temple massacre has had lasting impact", "Youth Pleads Guilty to Buddhist Massacre: Murder: He agrees to testify against accomplice in deal that spares him the death penalty. By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona man convicted of the execution-style killings of six Buddhist monks and three others at a temple near Phoenix more than two decades ago was sentenced on Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison. So that's a big problem for the prosecutor. On August 10, 1991, 16 year old Alex Garcia and 17 year old Jonathan Doody perpetrated the largest mass murder in Arizona, to date, murdering 6 Buddhist monks, 1 Buddhist nun and 2 other temple residents at the Wat Promkunaram Temple outside Phoenix. That was the crime. 9 Buddhists murdered in Temple 25 years ago - ABC15 Arizona He has since received apresidential pardon. Doody and a high school friend, 16-year-old Alessandro "Alex" Garcia, later came under suspicion when a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle owned by a friend was found during an unrelated vehicle search and identified as the murder weapon. Gary Stuart: That's one of the biggest questions to be answered. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. He was exhausted at the time. Kreamer had no choice but to send Doody to prison for the rest of his life. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to reconsider a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that threw out Doody's confession because his Miranda rights were not properly read. On Aug. 10, 1991, nine people were found shot to death at the Wat Promkunaram Buddhist temple in Waddell: the temple's abbot, Pairuch Kanthong; the five monks, Surichai Anuttaro, Boochuay Chaiyarach, Chalerm Chantapim, Siang Ginggaeo and Somsak Sopha; a nun, Foy Sripanpasert; her nephew, Matthew Miller, who was a novice monk; and a temple employee, Chirasak Chirapong. Arizona PBS is a member-supported service of Arizona State University. The Thailand-born Doody faces a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced on March 14 for the crimes, which became known as the "temple murders" in a case that has drawn attention to police tactics used to solicit confessions. "Forensic Files" The Buddhist Monk Murders (TV Episode 2001) - IMDb Guilty verdict in Buddhist temple massacre. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Arizona man convicted of murder in nine Buddhist temple deaths They ransacked the temple's adjoining living quarters while holding the residents at gunpoint. Gary Stuart: Well, there are some housekeeping details. Garcia pleaded guilty in 1993 to avoid the death penalty,[16] and was sentenced to 271 years in prison. The nine victims were all members of the temple: the high priest, Pairuch Kanthong; five monks, Boochuay Chaiyarach, Surichai Anuttaro, Chalerm Chantapim, Siang Ginggaeo and Somsak Sopha; a nun, Foy Sripanpiaserf; a novice monk, Matthew Miller; and a temple worker, Chirasak Chirapong. murdered at the Buddhist Temple in Waddell. From my perspective, there can be no other sentence, Judge Joseph Kreamer said in handing down his decision. All of those sentences run concurrently, that is, at the same time, but after the life sentences are completed. We still believe in his innocence.. Good to have you on the show, good to see you again. Good to see again. It began by giving him his Miranda rights, but explaining them and minimizing them. Today, 25 years later, the monks of the WatPromkunaramTemple continue their mission, "to provide a suitable, safe and peaceful environment for the practice and study of Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhism for both education and spiritual growth in the United States.". If the jury believes that, if they believe that came out of his mouth, they listened to it with headphones and read his transcript. Gary Stuart: They looked very carefully at Doody's confession. That doesn't sound like much of a confession. Once that was out of the way, we did have two folks who wound up convicted of the crime, including Jonathan Doody. We havent recovered from the verdict. Alessandro "Alex" Garcia, 16 at the time of the murder, pleaded guilty in 1993 to avoid death row. After 22 years and three trials, Johnathan Doody. Mysterious Buddhist Retreat in the Desert Ends in a Grisly Death Doody, who did not testify during his last trial, also did not speak during the sentencing. March 14, 2014 12 AM PT. Ted Simons: Was there a language problem involved? Simply put, nine human beings stood in the way of the defendant and his dream car. Johnathan Doody gets 9 consecutive life sentences in 1991 temple murders Garcia, who was the key witness for the prosecution at Doodys latest trial, pleaded guilty to the murders and an unrelated homicide and was sentenced to 271 years in prison in 1993. Defense attorney Maria Schaffer called Garcia a cunning manipulator, saying there would be no case without his testimony. Report: Investigators Recommend Freeing Four Temple Slaying Suspects Add to Playlist. Two men were imprisoned for life in the 1991 killings, closing a brutal chapter in the state's history. "In Buddhism we teach love and kindness,we teach forgiveness.". The gun was in the friend's car. The third trial began in December. [3] The victims were all linked to the temple and either Thais or of Thai descent: Pairuch Kanthong, the abbot; five monks, Surichai Anuttaro, Boochuay Chaiyarach, Chalerm Chantapim, Siang Ginggaeo, and Somsak Sopha; a nun, Foy Sripanpasert; her nephew, Matthew Miller, who was a novice monk; and a temple employee, Chirasak Chirapong. On the 25th anniversary of what's dubbed the worst mass murder in Arizona history, the Buddhist community held a special ceremony to honor the lives lost. PHOENIX (AP) A man convicted of killing nine people, including six monks, during a robbery at a Buddhist temple in metro Phoenix was sentenced Friday to 249 years in prison, marking the end. [2], The shooting happened at the Wat Promkunaram Buddhist temple during the early hours of August 10. After theseinterviewsessions all four confessed in writing, but the next day after meeting with their parents and attorneys, all four recanted their confessions and professed their innocence. According to Garcia, who pleaded guilty and escaped the death penalty (which was still being imposed on juveniles in 1991) in exchange for his testimony against Doody, he and Doody put on their high-school ROTC uniforms and boots that they thought would disguise their footprints. Doody went back to trial last August, but in October, the jury reached an impasse and the judge declared a mistrial. [4] Their bodies were found later the same day[5][6] by a cook who entered the temple. In an unrelated search of a vehicle in the area, a Merlin Model 60, .22 caliber rifle was found. Slayings in Phoenix temple had been well-planned", "On the 25th anniversary of infamous Buddhist temple murders, community honors victims", "Arizona man gets nine life terms for Buddhist temple murders", "Montini: Arpaio tweets a reminder about how a mass murder made him sheriff", "Arizona Murder Probes Put Wrong Men Behind Bars: Crime: Experts say the interrogation techniques used show how the innocent can be pushed into confessions", "Penzone wins Maricopa County Sheriff race; Arpaio loses bid for 7th term", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waddell_Buddhist_temple_shooting&oldid=1161577739, Attacks on buildings and structures in the United States, Attacks on religious buildings and structures in the United States, Massacres in religious buildings and structures, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 23 June 2023, at 16:55. To this day, the massacre at Wat Promkunaram Buddhist temple remainsArizona's deadliest mass shooting. He simply did not participate, that's his whole confession. The commemoration comes four years after a judge sentenced Jonathan Doodyto nine consecutive life sentences. [17] Johnathan Doody was imprisoned at the Arizona State Prison Complex Florence. The case goes physically back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals prepares new documents and send it down to the U.S. District Court here in Arizona. It was one of Arizona's most notorious murder cases: the executions of nine people, including six monks, at a suburban Phoenix Buddhist temple. 50:56. Play Audio. Then, by accident, they stumbled upon one of Doody's friends, specifically the one from whom Doody and his best friend, Alessandro "Alex" Garcia, had borrowed the murder weapon, a .22 caliber rifle. Saturday, more than 100 monks and community members gathered at the temple. Arizona man convicted of murder in nine Buddhist temple deaths Teen's Conviction in|Temple Murders Reversed - Courthouse News Service "You are now remanded to the Department of Corrections," Kreamer said. They remind the readers of the opinion that the same team of investigators that took these false confessions and coerced them also took these purportedly true confessions and coerced at least one of those. The third trial began in December. So that's a big giant question as to whether or not the retrial will be successful. Arpaio said it brought back some tough memories. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was the agency that investigated the 1991 crime. PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona man was convicted on Thursday of the execution-style killings of nine people, including six monks, at a Buddhist temple near Phoenix in 1991, in what remains the . 1991 Temple Killer Sentenced to 249 Years in Prison - NBC News Then, according to Garcia, Doody shot them all in the head with the .22, and he discharged four shotgun rounds into the bodies. [9], Doody's conviction was overturned in 2008 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and again in 2011. Ted Simons: Doody was the one who was tried? Doody's second trial ended in October 2013 with a deadlocked jury. "For the Buddhist community their relationship with their monk (is) very, very close. They will make a decision about whether or not to retry Jonathan Doody. Teen-Ager Gets Life in Arizona Temple Murders - Los Angeles Times A county attorneys spokesman declined comment on the sentence. Because of the forced confession, Doody's conviction was overturned in 2008 and again in 2011 by the 9th U.S. Doody and Garcia were taken to a hotel and interrogated until they confessed. PHOENIX (REUTERS) - An Arizona man convicted of the execution-style killings of six Buddhist monks and three others at a temple near Phoenix over two decades ago was sentenced on Friday to spend . Take a trip back to the early 90's with your hosts as we travel to the small town of Waddell, AZ as we cover the Buddhist Temple Massacre that happened at the Wat Primkunaram, Thai Buddhist Temple. "Today's verdict confirms that the passage of time has not obscured the guilt of this defendant, nor has it diminished our commitment to seek justice for the nine innocent victims whose lives were senselessly taken," Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said following the verdict. Gary Stuart: -- there's no forensic evidence of any kind to place him at the crime scene. He admitted that he was there, that there were several others there, none from Tucson, and all from the west side of town. IE 11 is not supported. [7], The victims were shot in the back of the head and placed face down in a circle. The 'Tucson four' as they became known were arrested and questioned by investigators from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for hours. Oneinterrogation lasted nearly thirteen hours. Kreamer also read aloud the names of the nine people the then-high school student was convicted of murdering in Waddell, Arizona. [5], The third trial concluded in January 2014 and found Doody guilty on all counts, including the nine murders. Six monks and three others were found arranged in a circle, each with a single gunshot wound to the head in the 1991 massacre. They came back with this decision, and they said, all right, you've looked twice, we're not going to look at it again. According to Garcia, he and Doody put on their high-school ROTC uniforms and boots, which they thought would disguise their footprints. In 2014, he was again found guilty and sentenced to nine life sentences in prison. 555 North Central Avenue, Suite 500 Doody was not eligible for the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the killings at the Wat Promkunaram temple, where the bodies of six monks, a novice, a nun and a temple boy were discovered on August 10, 1991, in a circle, face down, each with a single gunshot to the head.
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