Landon May Murders 2 In Pennsylvania

Landon May was sentenced to death by the State of Pennsylvania for a double murder

According to court documents Landon May and accomplices would force their way into the home of Lucy and Terry Smith. Lucy Smith would be sexually assaulted before the pair were murdered and their home was robbed

Landon May would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

Landon May Photos

landon may pa

Landon May Now

Parole Number: 850DV
Age: 41
Date of Birth: 07/04/1982
Race/Ethnicity: WHITE
Height: 5′ 08″
Gender: MALE
Citizenship: USA
Complexion: LIGHT
Current Location: PHOENIX

Permanent Location: PHOENIX
Committing County: LANCASTER

Landon May Case

Judge Lawrence F. Stengel responded in detail to each of May’s complaints, concluding in a 52-page opinion that every step of May’s case — from his initial discussions with police to the final imposition of the death penalty — was handled legally and fairly.

May, 21, of Narvon, was convicted of killing Lucy and Terry Smith in their Ephrata townhouse in September 2001. He was also convicted of sexually assaulting Mrs. Smith before she died, plus a number of other crimes

When May was sentenced to death, he made history by joining his father, Freeman May, 55, on death row — the first father and son to be sentenced to death for separate murders in Pennsylvania.

In his post-conviction appeal, May’s new defense attorney, Christopher Lyden, raised numerous issues, including that Stengel was wrong to exclude the testimony of a defense-hired psychiatrist, Dr. Neil Blumberg.

The psychiatrist concluded Landon May was genetically predisposed to commit criminal acts. He came to the conclusion after reviewing Freeman May’s convictions for murder and sexual assault, and the case of Sidney May — Freeman’s father and Landon’s grandfather — who was convicted of sexually assaulting his daughters.

But Stengel noted that during the trial, he and attorneys for both sides agreed that Blumberg’s testimony was irrelevant because May had never met his grandfather, and he was 6 months old when his father, Freeman, was imprisoned

Dr. Blumberg’s attempt to relate Landon May’s actions to his family history was speculative at best and would have been misleading and distracting to the jury,” Stengel wrote.

Stengel also rejected Lyden’s points that the pictures of the murder scene were too graphic to be shown to the jury and that the prosecution gave credibility to other convicted criminals who testified against May.

“In this case, the evidence against May was overwhelming. May admitted to actively participating in the double murder in a signed statement to police. Specifically, he admitted to cutting the throats of Lucy and Terry Smith. Additionally, May’s semen was found in Lucy Smith’s mouth,” Stengel wrote.

“Any “error’ in reference to the testimony or credibility of (Steven) Estes or Navarro Perez was harmless,” the judge wrote.

As for the pictures, Stengel added: “Without these photographs, it would have been impossible for the jury to grasp fully the severity of the wounds inflicted upon these two people.”

Lyden’s attorney argued that May’s confession to police should never have been entered into evidence.

Stengel noted that detectives repeatedly explained to May, “in a complete, clear and legally sufficient manner,” his legal rights.

In fact, when police transcribed the statement into writing and May read it, Stengel wrote, “May noted that he left something out and several sentences were added in handwriting. May also corrected one grammatical error and then signed the statement.”

May received the death penalty, in part, because of the sexual assault on Mrs. Smith, a 51-year-old elementary school principal. Terry Smith, 49, was president of a small manufacturing company.

Michael Bourgeois — Mrs. Smith’s son and May’s co-defendant — received a sentence of life in prison for participating in the murder, as did the so-called mastermind of the murder plot, Drenea Rodriguez.

Prosecutors said Rodriguez feared the Smiths would separate her from Bourgeois, her 18-year-old live-in lover.

May is being housed at Graterford, the state’s largest, maximum-security prison facility, which is 31 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania houses its death-row inmates in two facilities, Graterford and Greene, in southwestern Pennsylvania. May’s father is being held at Greene.

Landon May’s case has only just started the appellate process. Death penalty cases are reviewed for years, and the case of his father, who was convicted in 1989, is still in the appeal process.

In addition, Landon May still faces a charge in Lancaster County Court in connection with the shooting of a bicyclist near Fivepointville.

As police investigated the Smith murder, they learned that May and his cohorts allegedly were involved in a series of unrelated crimes, including the attempted robbery//shooting of the bicyclist.

One of May’s friends, Steven Estes, 20, admitted to participating in the bicyclist’s shooting, but said he was driving the truck and May shot the man. May told police it was Estes who shot the man.

Estes is expected to testify against May when the shooting incident case goes to trial this fall.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/judge-rejects-landon-mays-genetic-claim/article_575a5a4a-d771-5184-b818-c6dc497b1231.html

Michael Bourgeois Murders Adopted Parents

Michael Bourgeois was a teen in Pennsylvania when he would murder his adopted parents

According to court documents Michael Bourgeois along with Landon May, Steven Estes and Drenea Rodriguez conspired to kill the couple. Michael and Landon would go to the home, tie up the couple and tortured them for hours

The female victim was shot, stabbed, had a television set dropped on her head and was finally suffocated. The male victim was shot, stabbed and strangled to death.

Michael Bourgeois and Landon May would be arrested and charged with double murder and robbery

Michael Bourgeois was sentenced to two life sentences without parole that was later reduced to eighty years

Landon May was sentenced to death.

Michael Bourgeois Photos

Michael Bourgeois

Michael Bourgeois FAQ

Where is Michael Bourgeois now

Michael Bourgeois is currently incarcerated at Mahanoy Prison

When is Michael Bourgeois release date

Michael Bourgeois current release date is not until he turns 97 years old

Michael Bourgeois Appeal

A Lancaster County man who was 17 when he participated in the torture-murders of his adoptive mother and stepfather had his 80-year-to-life prison sentence upheld Friday by a state appeals court.

The Superior Court panel rejected Michael Lee Bourgeois’ claim that county Judge David Ashworth didn’t fully consider his “distinct youthful attributes” when he resentenced Bourgeois in October 2017.

Bourgeois initially was sentenced to life in prison for the September 2001 slayings of Terry and Lucy Smith in the family’s home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. His co-defendant, Landon May, was convicted by a jury and receive two death sentences.

Bourgeois had to be resentenced because of a 2012 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that bans automatic life without parole sentences for juvenile killers.

In the state court opinion denying Bourgeois’ appeal, Judge Carolyn H. Nichols noted that prosecutors wanted Ashworth to resentence Bourgeois to 100 years-to-life behind bars. She rejected Bourgeois’ argument Ashworth imposed an illegal de facto life prison term.

Nichols cited Ashworth’s observation that each of the murders “was carried out in a dispassionate and calculated manner, each victim was tortured and mutilated, and each murder showed an exceptionally callous disregard for human suffering.”

A forensic pathologist concluded Terry Smith had been stabbed 47 times, his neck was slashed at least five times, he was shot five times and then was asphyxiated. Lucy Smith was cut 51 times, was shot in the head, was beaten with a hammer and was finally smothered, the pathologist concluded.

Terry Smith was the president of a local company. Lucy Smith was an elementary school principal.

Bourgeois turns 35 next week. In his failed appeal he complained that Ashworth’s sentence will prevent him from becoming eligible for parole until he’s 97. That, he said, is nearly 20 years past the average life expectancy for a man in Pennsylvania.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/04/80-year-to-life-prison-term-is-justified-for-teen-killer-who-tortured-and-murdered-his-parents-pa-court-rules.html