Yo-Yo did catch up with me later. He had formerly been sentenced to death by the state of New Jersey on May 6, 1995, for his part in the fatal shooting of Franklin Township police sergeant Ippolito Gonzalez. My friends? [2], Robert Ronald Simon was born on September 4, 1951, in Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The most highly publicized case heard in Lavelle's courtroom was the 1982 trial of Robert "Mudman" Simon, a founding member of the Philadelphia-based Warlocks motorcycle gang. Grateful Dead tunes held a steady rhythm as the county prosecutor, Sean Dalton, praised his assistant's quick wit and sharp mind - the skills that over nearly three decades helped Sand put away criminals such as cop killer Robert "Mudman" Simon. Asbury Park, New Jersey. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jerseys death row has died in prison. Simon stated that he shot Gonzalez because he didnt want to go back the prison. Stopping to help, he finds that the driver, Michael Ballard, is aliveand drenched in blood. A dozen years later, and 11 weeks to the day after his parole, Simon was back in jail _ this time on charges he shot and killed a New Jersey police officer during a traffic stop. Delivery truck drivers and out of towners constantly became lost. There were also large center hall stone homes with Lincolns, Cadillacs and Mercedes in the driveways, with colorful gardens and in-ground pools. "Prison is a violent place," he said. Simon was . The pest control contractor had come that morning to eradicate the roaches in their cages. Deadhead walking: Glouco prosecutor steps down Smart money was on the latter. He didnt stay very long. Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, was the first to meet such an end since the moratorium on capital punishment in the United States was lifted 23 years ago. Harris had a history of attacking guards and prisoners. No, no and no. Gonzalez's radio request for backup. They have to have some nice side to appeal to people. The Mud Man is an enemy in the Castlevania series. So what? Mud said as he lighted a cigarette. Get up and fight, flower girl!, I was rescued by the timely arrival of a neighbor, Mr. Carr, walking his poodle Trixie. Such is the life of the 1%. All rights reserved, Police Asking for Public Assistance Finding Person Who Set Fire in Wilmington, Couple on Hawaii Honeymoon Says Snorkeling Tour Group Abandoned Them in the Ocean, Three Men Shot and Killed in Separate Shootings in Philly, Check Your Change! Robert "Mudman" Simon was sentenced to death forthe fatal shooting of Franklin Township police Sgt. He had a sick sense of humor, Davis said. He spotted meeven there behind the protectively raised Daily Newsand smiled. About 15 Warlocks live in Williamstown, and about the same number live in Pennsylvanias Delaware County, where the club was founded in the late 60s. Ippolito Gonzalez. Throughout his youth, Simon was a member of an Upper Darby street gang known as the Warlords. [21] Evidence collected from the car confirmed that the two gang members were, in fact, the ones who had robbed Environmental Heating building. There were also outlaw bikers, drug dealers, meth freaks, gamblers, loansharks, burglars and mob guys, as well as businessmen, cops and politicians with some very creative ideas regarding money, law and ethics. Bobby Simon was seated on top of the horizontal ice cream freezer. Gonzalez exited his patrol cruiser and proceeded to question the vehicle's occupants. Sludgeman, like Simon, is a likeable and funny guy who happens to kill people without getting too bent out of shape over it. 'If even only half of it is true, Graterford is in sad shape in terms of its management and lack of professional responsibility.' It's a real shame, but a certain amount of blame falls on his shoulders," Sand said of Staples when asked about his feelings regarding the man. Defendant Robert Simon was permitted to play a cat-and-mouse game with the court that undermined the court's independent obligation to determine if the plea was voluntary. Mud went to bash his opponent, but lost his footing. A jury acquitted Harris of Simon's death, saying he acted in self-defense. ', Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. Simon stood accused of murdering his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg of Drexel Hill, and dumping her body in a water-filled coal mine pit near Hazleton, where it was . Simon, a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Warlocks motorcycle gang, was convicted in 1974 for the murder of his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg, a 19-year-old stenographer. Murder Conviction Appeal Is Denied by High Court The three guys were there with her. [4][5] Being a member of the gang was such a substantial part of Simon's life to the point where he would even tout his religion as "Warlock". Simon took a .45 caliber handgun that belonged to his wingman. Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, was the first to meet such an end since the moratorium on capital punishment in the United States was lifted 23 years ago. Clipped by. And Camisa worked the halls when Robert "Mudman" Simon - yet another name on his long list of undesirable connections - was housed at his facility. In 1983, Nauss managed to escape from Graterford Prison in a cabinet created in the woodworking shop. Tell you what, he added, slapping me on the back. You could have a couple of beers and a few laughs with him and escape unscathed. INMATE INFORMATION In that time the two were together, Simon couldn't get a job, ran out of unemployment benefits and was otherwise having no luck at acclimating to life beyond bars, according to Staples' letter. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. In 1999 death row inmate Robert "Mudman" Simon, who was convicted of killing a police officer, died during a fight. Simon, originally from Darby and believed to be one of the founders of the Warlocks, had been released from prison after serving more than 12 years for the shooting murder of his young girlfriend after . There are other OMC FB pages, which just seems crazy to me because nothing seems less OMC than FB, except maybe Christmas or quilting. People, even the worst people, are more complex than that. March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. But John Cunningham, vice-president of the corrections officers' union, said guards could not react immediately because the rules prevented them from entering the caged recreation area without riot gear. The Mudman became a national cause clbre, a 250-pound symbol of everything that was wrong with Americas criminal justice system. Dealing with structured environments was never Simons forte. I gave it a few minutes, and then looked out the window. We use people. All rights reserved (About Us). He started in my direction, with obvious enthusiasm. He told of guards skimming money from inmate payrolls and operating a black market for drugs, food and cigarettes that reached outside prison walls. He was rumored to be both deranged and dangerous. My mom? He shoved me hard, knocking me onto the grass. Simon entered Graterford . People rarely got very far once Mudman Simon stepped into their path. But he froze suddenly, looking behind me. Neither the judge in Simons murder case, John Lavelle, nor a trooper who knew him years ago expressed surprise. The first bullet passed through the side of his neck, knocking the officer to the ground. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot. People like Simon were feared for good reason. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez of Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey pulled over Warlocks members Robert "Mudman" Simon and Charles "Shovel" Staples on a traffic stop moments after the two had committed a commercial burglary. They clashed in the New Jersey state prison's recreation area where inmates can play chess and select books from a library. In sometimes emotionally charged testimony, Brown claimed guards at Camp Hill state prison, where he was transferred for his appearance before the committee, threatened to kill him if he went public with his claims. The property was owned by Marianne Mihalick, who lived with her daughter right across from Simon's trailer home at 3944 South Black Horse Pike. Simon was paroled despite the assessment of his trial judge, Carbon County Judge John Lavelle, who described Simon as 'one of the most dangerous individuals' who ever appeared before him and said 'it would only be a matter of time before (Simon) would kill again. You could hear something break. Death Row Inmate Said to Beat and Kick Another to Death in New Jersey This case tragically arose on the night of May 6, 1995 when Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez, a Franklin Township, NJ police officer, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop by one Robert "Mudman" Simon, a longtime member of the "Warlocks" motorcycle gang and a recent parolee from the Pennsylvania prison system. Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania) - Wikipedia The major difference being that when things soured, Simon would literally shoot you in the head rather than figuratively stab you in the back. A rich fantasy life wasnt required in order to imagine whom he planned to take his irritation out on, given half the chance. 'If what you said is true, there must be some serious charges and changes in the Department of Corrections,' Greenleaf said. The former was out on parole in 1995 after spending more than a decade behind bars in Pennsylvania. At one point, he turned around and glared at me in the nearly empty courtroom, even though he didn't know me from Adam. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who . The club is most prominent in and has significant territory in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Delaware County, South Jersey, and Wilmington, though they also have a heavy presence . We were just practicing our blocking techniques for football season.. While on death row, Simon was stomped to death by Ambrose Harris. Earl Hamner had the gentle folk of the Blue Ridge. If you messed with the people he cared about, you got hurt but on the most part, fighting wasnt something that came natural to him. "Simon"), isa health care ( provider and is the Plaintiff in the trial court and the Appellant in the District Court of Appeal. [7][3], On May 6, 1995, Robert Simon along with the vice president of the Warlocks' South Jersey chapter, Charles "Shovel" Staples, were both sitting in a car in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey when they were pulled over by 15-year Franklin Township police veteran Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez as part of a routine traffic stop. ", More: 'They shot Lee!' People v. Jenkins, 421 N.Y.S.2d 934, 935 (N.Y. App. In Mudmans case, appropriately, that injury was a bit more substantial than a blown ACL. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, the fatal shooting of Franklin Township police Sgt. [10] John Lavelle, the Judge who handled Simon's trial, stated that dozens of Warlocks bikers would circle the courthouse on their motorcycles each day in during 1995 in an attempt to intimidate the jurors quite possibly the reason behind his conviction for second-degree murder instead of first-degree murder. He was cracking his knuckles. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. Bobby and the boyfriend stepped out to grab some beer and the three perverts he left her with killed her. 0:00. Of course, none of us. [7], Sgt. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert Mudman Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. Ippolito Gonzalez, 40 (Franklin Township police) Method of murder:. On May 6, 1995 Police Sgt. He stared at it, puzzled. "I think Robert Simon would rather have died on the floor fighting than take his lethal injection," said John Call, his former lawyer. They are active throughout the Delaware Valley, including South Jersey and Wilmington, with Delco and Philly being their main stomping grounds. Language. What most people dont know or chose not to believe is that Bobby didnt kill that girl. The most highly publicized case heard in Lavelle's courtroom was the 1982 trial of Robert "Mudman" Simon, a founding member of the Philadelphia-based Warlocks motorcycle gang. Man who killed artist, inmate dies in New Jersey prison | AP News Very noble and upright of them. Man Kills Girlfriend Who Didn't Perform 'Womanly Duties - DNAinfo Mudman said that he had killed the cop because he didnt want to go back to prison. The Judiciary Committee is investigating how Simon, a member of the Warlocks motorcycle gang, was able to win parole and move to Williamstown, N.J., a community known for Warlocks activity. Yo grabbed the book from my hand. One of the most infamous Warlocks is Robert "Mudman" Simon, who gained national attention in May for shooting a South Jersey policeman 11 weeks after Simon's parole on a murder charge. A LONG WAY FROM WALTON'S MOUNTAIN - Ed McGinnis He was acquitted. The county political boss lived nearby, as did the avuncular anchorman of Philadelphias top-rated TV newscast and a once-famous 50s rock and roller. [5][21], According to some reports, Simon had a reputation for taunting fellow inmates at New Jersey State Prison, and apparently selected a convict named Ambrose Harris who had been on death row for kidnapping and killing 22-year-old artist Kristin Huggins. A bucolic creek. Robert Simon (biker) - Wikiwand Founded in 1967, the Warlocks are self-described as a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club and are designated as a violent criminal organization by law enforcement. As a teenager and in my early 20s, I wasnt any angel. Officials did not release a cause of death. Required fields are marked *. It proved unsuccessful and he ended up back in the slammer. Simon, 43, and another Warlocks member are charged with killing Franklin Township police Sgt. "There's still a criminal element that's involved with motorcycle gangs. Harris life was spared when New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007. He slid off the ice cream freezer, sauntering over to me. [7] At one point, Simon had a spider-web tattooed onto his elbow, which was rumored to signify he had murdered someone. The Warlocks terrorized people in the 70s with hundreds of members, according to former Pennsylvania trooper William Davis. Ippolito Gonzalez of the Franklin . His release from the Pennsylvania corrections system _ straight to the Williamstown, N.J., enclave of his gang, the Warlocks _ has angered authorities in both states. Other lasting effects, real or perceived, still resonate to those who were there and helped bring about justice. A brief, ill-advised interest in botany led, thorough a curious combination of circumstances, to my initial encounter with The Mudman. [17], Simon was paroled in February 1995, having served a total of 12-and-a-half-years of prison time. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A 19th Century mansion on a wooded tract owned by two wealthy eccentric spinster sisters. Due to a lack of communication between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he recalled a lack of awareness regarding Simon's arrival to a Gloucester County address. Its a shame that there arent more like him. [6] He was said to have held the club title of "enforcer", and was utilized by his fellow Warlock co-founders to intimidate the club's rivals. Hed only been out three months so I can see why he wouldnt want to go back to prison. Robert (Mudman) Simon, who had a reputation for taunting fellow inmates at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, apparently singled out Ambrose (Squirt Boy) Harris as his next target. He spat his gum out on the sidewalk. He said it was Bobby and when Bobby went to court, he took the hit because he wasnt going to tell them who really did it, cause thats what bros did for one another. I was perusing a field guide to American flora, attempting to determine which wildflowers were which. Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, was killed by Ambrose Harris, 46, in the recreation area of death row at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, officials said. Simon shot Gonzales twice, in the head and neck, killing him instantly. was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop by one Robert "Mudman" Simon, a longtime member of the "Warlocks" motorcycle gang and a recent parolee from the Pennsylvania prison system. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jersey's death row has died in prison. Like the other 1% gangs, the Warlocks murder, deal drugs, rob, and bat the crap about of people, among other activities. Simon strolled out of the store, chewing gum. [13] Furthermore, Simon's trailer home residence was only a few feet from a bar known to be frequented by Warlocks bikers. Police say Simon shot Duzenberg in the head when she refused to have group sex with gang members. Harris was sentenced to death and sent to prison in 1994 for kidnapping, raping and killing 22-year-old Kristin Huggins. In any case, you work with what youve got, your own personal deep well, or strip mine, of source material. The reporters were much better off remaining at a safe distance, like visitors to the lions den at the Philadelphia Zoo. Thousands of police officers from around the Northeast attended Gonzalezs funeral Thursday in Vineland, N.J. But it did provide rich training ground and source material for storytellinga certain kind of storytellingnonetheless. He was later a Golden Gloves amateur boxing champ. His criminal wrongdoings reportedly began as early as age 8. Im gonna tell! In that neighborhood, one didnt necessarily want to cultivate a reputation as a guy that stood around on grassy knolls looking through books about flowers. Ambrose Harris, 68, died Tuesday at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, the state Department of Corrections said. In a hand-written letter dated March 17, Staples called the shooting "tragic.". Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez. On May 6th, less than three months after being released from prison, Simon, along with another Warlock, Charles "Shovel" Staples, was pulled over in Gloucester County, NJ, by Police Sgt. Ambrose Harris, 68, died Tuesday at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, the state Department of Corrections said. The Mudman was beefy, scraggly-bearded and ponytailed, with an ever-present smile and small, deep-set blue eyes with a lunatic gleam. Prison has seen famous, infamous enter its gates Warlocks Vs Outlaws at Outlaw While on Death Row, Harris attacked and killed another Death Row inmate, Robert "Mudman" Simon, a beefy, scraggly long-haired and long-bearded 48-year-old outlaw biker, with several previous murder convictions. Simon was a motorcycle gang member who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. It was a community of quirky demographics and zoning apparently born of midnight handshakes and envelopes plump with cash. They went up the mountains to another chapters clubhouse to see one of the guys staying up there whom the girl was seeing. A request to interview Staples at South Woods State Prison, in Bridgeton where he is being held, was declined by the state Department of Corrections and a set of questions mailed to him was not answered. A dozen years later, and 11 weeks to the day after his parole, Simon was back in jail _ this time on charges he shot and killed a New Jersey police officer during . He was then . Inmate hopes for freedom were now nearly dashed . Shit, who aint? 'They said, 'If you get any of our friends in trouble, you don't have to worry about going back to Huntington.'' Notorious Killer Is Slain in Prison in New Jersey Did They Ever Find The Bodies Of Megan And Amy? On a Saturday when the Delaware County Daily Times' regular courthouse reporter was off, I had to cover Nauss' trial. Simon shot Gonzalez twice, in the head and neck, and Gonzalez died instantly. When asked what happened, the man answers: "I just killed everybody."OUT OF HIS MINDNot far from the accident, police make a gruesome discovery in the home of Michael's . Following a lengthy series of felonies and several prison stints, Mudman Simon was convicted of murdering a local girl who had disrespected him at a party. If a girl was getting pushed on, he stopped it. English. At an eventual point during the chase, Staples managed to lose control over the car and crashed it into a guardrail. Get lost.. Police had insufficient evidence to nail gang members for the marsh murders, but they did successfully make a case against another Warlock , Robert Nauss, who may have disposed of a body in the marsh. He was suspected of involvement in several other murders. Operating at the time out of what's now a bank in Newfield, Hogan said his force wire-tapped the Warlocks' phones and raided their headquarters a few times. 'Get up, you know I love you': Chilling words of Warlocks biker gang Suspiciously, it is known that one of the club's members began to make arrangements for Simon's living arrangements even before Simon's parole was approved. Simon was a motorcycle gang member who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. [15] Despite this, he was classified as merely a "low risk" on parole assessment documents. Judge John Patrick Lavelle Memorial, LifeStory - LifePosts The only thing Bobby was guilty of was helping them to dispose of the body. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez of Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey pulled over Warlocks members Robert "Mudman" Simon and Charles Staples on a traffic stop moments after the two had committed a commercial burglary. Martini watched as a fellow death-row inmate, Ambrose Harris, fatally beat Simon, stomping his head so hard he crushed Simon's skull. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania) - Wikiwand No executions have been carried out because of legal appeals and a tradition of liberalism in the state's supreme court. Staples, an honorably discharged member of the U.S. Air Force with a nearly clean criminal record, was convicted on a felony murder charge for participating in an applicable felony which involves the death of a person. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. A country club. A. Charles Peruto Jr., the lawyer who represented Simon before the board, said New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, should bear the responsibility for allowing him to settle so close to his buddy Staples. I might as well have been a child molester. With approval from the New Jersey parole board, he settled at Black Horse RV Trailer Park in Williamstown, New Jersey when released. They described him as one of the worst sociopaths they had ever encountered. Give em to your mom. It was a warm, sunny spring afternoon. That was in 1999, 18 years after being convicted of murder, four years after murdering Gonzalez. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident, At least 5 dead following year's first severe spring weather outbreak, Pennsylvania woman missing for more than 30 years found in Puerto Rico, 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'True Romance' actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61, Russia's Lavrov laughed at after saying West started war in Ukraine. Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lisa accepted Robert 'Mudman' Simon's guilty plea to the murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. According to police informants, her body was buried in Tinicum Marsh. Brown was among five Pennsylvania inmates expected to testify at the hearing in Harrisburg.