Dad pleads guilty to murdering mom; left two daughters in the home with the body (Porirua, New Zealand)

Dad JOSEPH OGLE has pleaded guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, the mother of their 2-year-old and 14-month-old daughters, and a 16-year-old girl who was in the home. Both women were beaten with a baseball bat and left to die with the two young children still in the home. Dad has also pleaded guilty to violating the protection order that Mom took out in 2007. Dad has a whopping 42 previous convictions for crimes including breaches of orders of protection, assault, and burgary. So why was this guy even walking around? They should have thrown away the key on him long ago.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2824359/Red-flag-before-Porirua-murders

'Red flag' before Porirua murders
By MATT CALMAN - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 02/09/2009

Two lives could have been saved if Joseph Ogle's earlier attempts to strangle his partner had been reported, police say.

Ogle, 28, pleaded guilty to murdering Joelene Rangimaria Edmonds, 21, and Jashana Maree Robinson, 16, in Porirua District Court yesterday. Members of the victims' families sobbed quietly in the public gallery.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a protection order taken out by Ms Edmonds in 2007.
Detective Inspector Shane Cotter, of Porirua, who headed the investigation, said attempted strangulation was a common "red flag" to a family violence murder.

"There was a protection order in place here and there was violence that wasn't reported to the police. Had it been reported to us ... we would have taken action in regards to that and it may have prevented [these murders] from occurring, but that's not to put any blame on the family whatsoever."

Court records show Ms Edmonds briefly reconciled with Ogle when he was freed from Rimutaka Prison in May but ended the four-year relationship after he tried to strangle her in June.

The assault was not reported to police and Ogle murdered her nine days later.

The victims' families did not want to comment outside court yesterday, but a police spokesman said they were relieved they had been spared a trial.

"Family were obviously very emotional when they heard what had happened to their beloveds. There were tears."

Ms Edmonds' cousin, Deidre Edwards, told The Dominion Post she was pleased Ogle had admitted to the murders.

Ogle had told a family member he had been having nightmares in prison and that "Joelene comes and sees me every night", she said.

Ms Edwards said that after the June assault her cousin had fled to Women's Refuge. "All she got out of her mouth was, "My kids" and he [Ogle] let go. She was so scared."

A week before her death, Ms Edmonds went to live with her father, Tama Edmonds, in Whangamata but returned to her home in Porirua because her children had trouble settling.
Justice Ministry figures show nearly 2300 final protection orders were granted by the Family Court in 2008.

Ministry spokesman Tony Fisher said all protection orders stipulated that the offender could not have any contact with the applicant or their children, unless an agreement was in place between the parties.

The protection order taken out by Ms Edmonds did not prevent Ogle from living with her at the Porirua house.

"The applicant is not required to advise the Family Court if they agree to live with the respondent."

Ogle had failed to attend any of the counselling sessions required by the protection order.

A summary of facts revealed Ogle beat the two women to the brink of death with a baseball bat on June 26 and left them to die.

His two daughters with Ms Edmonds, two-year-old Vanesti and 14-month-old Iezha, were left inside the house with the bodies.

While Ogle was in prison Ms Edmonds had told him she had started another relationship.

After he was freed, Ogle told associates he wanted to kill Ms Edmonds and the man, even though the relationship with the man had ended.

Ogle had 42 previous convictions, including breaches of his protection order, burglaries, assaults on females and assaults on police.

Judge Jan Kelly remanded him in custody. He will be sentenced in the High Court at Wellington on October 16.

A CALCULATED CRIME

When double murderer Joseph Ogle left his house in Tawa, he had a baseball bat hidden under his clothing and was expecting to find his former partner in bed with another man.

He left on foot at 6.30am on June 26 taking with him a "Louisville" aluminium baseball bat and walked for more than an hour to reach Joelene Edmonds' house in Morere St, Titahi Bay.

He arrived at the house at 7.50am and entered through an unlocked wash-house door, past empty cans and bottles from a party the night before. He found Ms Edmonds in bed.

She was not with the man whom she had had a relationship with while Ogle was in prison. She was alone. He hit her once in her head with the baseball bat.

He then went to Jashana Robinson's bedroom and said: "Joelene wants you. She's not feeling well."

Once the 16-year-old girl was in the room, with her back turned to him, Ogle hit her on the head with the bat, causing her to fall to the floor.

He then rained several blows to the heads of both women, causing blood to spatter up the walls despite pleas to stop from Ms Edmonds.

He could hear his victims groaning and later told police he knew they would die from their injuries.

A pathologist said they would have survived minutes rather than hours.

He left the house through the front door and disposed of the bat in vegetation at Onepoto Park.

When he returned to the house with associates about 10.50am, he reacted as if he had no knowledge of what had happened as if he had discovered the bodies.

He hugged Ms Edmonds' body saying: "What's happened? Who's done this? Who's done this?"

He made the 111 call to tell ambulance officers "his family was dead" and initially denied any involvement in the deaths to police.

Ms Edmonds' and Ogle's two daughters then aged two and 12 months were taken from the house. Ogle had left them alone with the bodies.

About 10pm, Ogle confessed the murders to police. He told officers he killed Miss Robinson because he did not want to leave a witness.