11-year-old Katherine Gillespie -death investigation

[Heidi J.]

A death investigation at an Inverness home is now considered a murder case.


Shelby County Deputies believe the person responsible for the death of 11-year-old Katherine Gillespie is the man caring for the child, 35-year-old Ryan Russell.


The call came late Monday night, that's when deputies found the body Gillespie inside the Kerry Downs Road home.


Link (http://www.cbs42.com/news/local/20369634.html)

Update: Man charged in Monday night killing of 11-year-old
Posted by Jeremy Gray -- Birmingham News June 18, 2008 6:58 AM
A 35-year-old man has been charged with capital murder in the Monday night killing of an 11-year-old girl on Kerry Downs Road in Shelby County, the sheriff's office announced this morning.


Katherine Helen Gillespie, 11, of Shelby County, was found dead when deputies went to 5048 Kerry Downs Road at approximately 9:04 p.m. after a 911 call of an "unresponsive person."

The cause of death was not released.

Ryan Gerald Russell, 35, also from Shelby County was charged in Gillespie's death.

Link #2 (http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/06/man_charged_in_monday_night_ke.html)

COLUMBIANA, Ala.— NBC13 HD’s Jon Paepcke reports a Shelby County Sheriff’s Department news conference has just wrapped up regarding the murder of an 11-year-old girl.
Sheriff’s investigators say a family member called them Monday when he couldn’t reach Katherine Gillespie or her guardian Ryan Russell for three days.
An investigator entered their house and found Katherine dead that night.
Officers eventually discovered Russell passed out in a locked bathroom.
Paepcke reports investigators at this point do not see a connection between a hit-and-run accident that happened a few hours before Katherine’s body was discovered.
Family members in Boaz say Katherine was adopted.
Her adopted mother died, and she has been taken care of by her adopted grandmother and Russell, who is the girl’s adopted second cousin.
Family members say Katherine was shot in the head.
Investigators have not confirmed that detail.
Russell is being treated at Shelby Baptist hospital and will be taken to the Shelby County Jail when he’s released.
Watch for updates here on NBC13.com and later today at 4:30, 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 on NBC 13 HD News.

MSN (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25249605/)


I am still looking for more info on this case.. From what I have read in comments at news links, Ryan is Katherine's cousin. He adopted her because she only had her ill grandma to look after her. Her mom died last year. Sounds like there were some sort of car accident happened before she was killed..

What a beatiful little girl. So sad.:rose:

[Heidi J.]

Burchfield said Russell was involved in a hit-and-run accident about three hours before the 911 call. But he said authorities do not believe the two incidents are related.



Russell was renting the house from owners Jim and Linda Walker of Atlanta. The couple rents it out through a local rental agency. Linda Walker told the News that Russell had fallen behind on his rent and that they had started eviction proceedings against him.



Link (http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-36/1213827558179480.xml&storylist=alabamanews)



"He adopted the little girl- he was her last surviving relative. Her parents had died," says Little.



Link (http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2008-06-17-0033.html)

[Heidi J.]

Ugh.. she was shot in the head. (http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2008-06-18-0026.html)


:rose:

He is being charged with Capital Murder.. Does that mean premeditated or during the commishion of another crime? TIA!

[Heidi J.]

Article with their pictures (http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/06/shelby_county_da_11yearold_gir.html)

[Heidi J.]

Funeral arrangements made (http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2008-06-19-0018.html)


:rose:

Such a beautiful little girl, such an evil man..

[omsk99]

This is just beyond me, and it's beyond horrible. That poor, sweet little child. On one of the links posted above, there are comments from people who knew/know the family. They are all saying Katherine was not adopted, but her mother was artificially inseminated, so she never knew her father. Her mother, however, was adopted, so Russell and Katherine are not biologically related. Someone also said that Russell was messed up on drugs and alcohol, but her mother in her will stated that should anything happen to her, she wanted Russell to take care of Katherine (the grandmother is very old and ill, and the only other relative). All of this is just hearsay.

I just cannot fathom why this happened. He was found unconscious, so maybe he was high or drunk when it happened, no motive needed. I am sure he will get what he deserves, as he is being charged with a capital murder, because Katherine was under the age of 12.

Katherine This is just beyond me, and it's beyond horrible. That poor, sweet little child. On one of the links posted above, there are comments from people who knew/know the family. They are all saying Katherine was not adopted, but her mother was artificially inseminated, so she never knew her father. Her mother, however, was adopted, so Russell and Katherine are not biologically related. Someone also said that Russell was messed up on drugs and alcohol, but her mother in her will stated that should anything happen to her, she wanted Russell to take care of Katherine (the grandmother is very old and ill). All of this is just hearsay.

I just cannot fathom any motive he might have had. He was found unconscious, so maybe he was high or drunk when it happened, no motive needed.

RIP, little Katherine :rose:

[Belle Starr]

Katherine Helen Gillespie
GILLESPIE, KATHERINE HELEN, age 11, of Birmingham, formerly of Boaz, passed away June 16, 2008. Katherine was a gifted student at Oak Mountain Intermediate School. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Boaz, AL. Katherine was loved and adored by all who knew her. She will be remembered as a shining light who shared her joy for life with everyone she met. She was preceded in death by her mother, Jeannine Gillespie; grandfather, Morgan Gillespie; and uncle, Bobby Gillespie. She is survived by her grandmother, Helen Gillespie of Boaz, AL; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her loving caregivers were, Emily Webber and Rachel Adams of Birmingham; Susanna Russell of Panama City, FL; Steve and Carlyn Russell, Josie, Stevie and ***** Russell of Montgomery; and Ann Marie Burns of New Orleans, LA. Funeral service will be held at Boaz Carr Funeral Home on Friday, June 20, 2008 at 10 AM with interment in Hill Crest. Brother Wayne Scott officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday, June 19, 2008 from 5 - 8 PM. Boaz Carr Funeral Home directing.
Published in The Birmingham News on 6/19/2008.
:rose: May Katherine soar with the Angels

[omsk99]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25262844/

:rose:

[CHITCHAT]

Can't wait to get some answers on this one.
What would make a nice guy, pillar of the community shot an 11 yr old in the head? What went on there? How sad for this child...what unfair cards she was delt.

[Heidi J.]

Originally posted by CHITCHAT
Can't wait to get some answers on this one.
What would make a nice guy, pillar of the community shot an 11 yr old in the head? What went on there? How sad for this child...what unfair cards she was delt. [/*]

I agree. She is with her mom now :rose:

[hurricane999]

I became friends with her the day she died. She was in my group. She was so nice and caring. We played cards and stuff like that at camp. Then the next day she wasnt there. By thursday the whole camp knew

[Heidi J.]

I became friends with her the day she died. She was in my group. She was so nice and caring. We played cards and stuff like that at camp. Then the next day she wasnt there. By thursday the whole camp knew

I am so sorry to hear this. She sounds like she was a great little girl.

I have been looking for more links since you posted here.

[Annie143]

I read everything I could on this and it looks as though even into August 2009, no trial date was posted. I wonder why. I hope it isnt like the little girl killed in NC a few years ago and the trial wasnt until 2-3 years later.

I just wonder how this all came about. She was such a sweet, wonderfully intelligient young girl that held so much promise. And then to think that they found her stuffed head down in a garbage can. I hope he gets the death penalty.

[need2no]

I read everything I could on this and it looks as though even into August 2009, no trial date was posted. I wonder why. I hope it isnt like the little girl killed in NC a few years ago and the trial wasnt until 2-3 years later.

I just wonder how this all came about. She was such a sweet, wonderfully intelligient young girl that held so much promise. And then to think that they found her stuffed head down in a garbage can. I hope he gets the death penalty.

What a beautiful little girl. :crying:

Shelby County Chief Assistant District Attorney Bill Bostick said Thursday he could say only that the January session of the grand jury met and an indictment was returned. Bostick said it's too early to say when Russell may go to trial.
(posted Friday, January 23, 2009)

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/1232702154253910.xml&coll=2


PIC OF INMATE RUSSELL, quite a change from the link posted upthread by Heidi J:
http://www.shelbycountyalabama.com/shelbyso/inmatelisting/imageview.aspx?imgid=126251&iname=RUSSELL, RYAN GERALD

[Heidi J.]

I read everything I could on this and it looks as though even into August 2009, no trial date was posted. I wonder why. I hope it isnt like the little girl killed in NC a few years ago and the trial wasnt until 2-3 years later.

I just wonder how this all came about. She was such a sweet, wonderfully intelligient young girl that held so much promise. And then to think that they found her stuffed head down in a garbage can. I hope he gets the death penalty.

I know.. The only thing read in the new articles I found, was that it was confirmed, she was being sexually abused.
He must have snapped or something that day with the whole hit and run.. possibly figured she would tell on him..

I hope they fry him up and feed him to the gators!:cursing:

[Heidi J.]

What a beautiful little girl. :crying:

Shelby County Chief Assistant District Attorney Bill Bostick said Thursday he could say only that the January session of the grand jury met and an indictment was returned. Bostick said it's too early to say when Russell may go to trial.
(posted Friday, January 23, 2009)

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/1232702154253910.xml&coll=2


PIC OF INMATE RUSSELL, quite a change from the link posted upthread by Heidi J:
http://www.shelbycountyalabama.com/shelbyso/inmatelisting/imageview.aspx?imgid=126251&iname=RUSSELL, RYAN GERALD

I can't get the pic to come up.. I tried several ways too :sad:

How terrible for her friend to come here.. that broke my heart:crying:

[need2no]

I can't get the pic to come up.. I tried several ways too :sad:

How terrible for her friend to come here.. that broke my heart:crying:


:shrug: link works for me. Try this link, select 'R' and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Ryan Gerald Russell, this will take you to his pic.

http://www.shelbycountyalabama.com/shelbyso/inmatelisting/Default.aspx


ITA, sad indeed.

[Annie143]

It is just so sad to me that this child had no one but that pervert who took advantage of her. I hope he frys, long and slow. He looks like a jerk.

[CHITCHAT]

I dont understand why these things happen...this poor child looses her mother in a car accident. then gets sent to live with this perv who takes advantage every chance he got. what did she do to deserve this? I just dont understand this. how could this happen? who will protect the children? there is no one. not man or God, no one seems to be able to protect children, babies. It is so heart breaking to bring them into this world to beat, starve and torture them...and sexualy exploit them...why? why have kids? it happens over and over again. It just makes me wana cry.