Monday, October 23, 2017

Something’s Rotten in Tennessee: Prosecutor Shows No Interest in Trying Papa John’s Murder Case, Despite Shooter’s Confession and Videotape of Crime

 

War crime victim Gordon Schaffer, 22, was murdered by Darious Fitzpatrick on October 20, 2014
 

By David in TN
Monday, October 23, 2017 at 5:24:00 P.M. EDT

A week ago (October 16) I went by the Columbia, Tennessee courthouse to check on the trial of Darious Fitzpatrick for the murder of Gordon Schaffer, who was the night clerk at a Papa John’s. Fitzpatrick and two others committed armed robbery. Fitzpatrick shot Schaffer dead. It was caught on surveillance camera.

At a hearing I attended (the Judge asked me "What is your business?") for this case in March, it was announced the trial would commence on June 28. A month or so later, the date was pushed back to October 16.

When I went by the Circuit Court Clerk's office on that date, I was told the case had been "continued." When I asked what the new date for jury selection was, the answer was "There is no date at the present time."
 

[Previously, at WEJB/NSU, on this racist atrocity:

“War Crime Follow-Up: The Papa John’s Murder in Columbia, Tennessee”;

“Juveniles Tried as Adults for Murder Not Unusual in Maury County, TN”;

“Exclusive Update on the Papa John’s Murder of Gordon Schaeffer”;

“Papa John's CEO Attends Funeral of Employee Shot Dead by Robbers While Working at the Popular Pizza Chain - and Pays for his Service and Medical Expenses”;

WEJB/NSU Exclusive: Update on the Papa John’s Murder of Gordon Schaffer; are Tennessee Officials Dragging Their Feet, in Order to Quietly Thwart Justice, in the Case of Suspect Darious Fitzpatrick?” [Racist, black court worker];

“Update on the Racist, ‘Papa John’s’ Murder of Gordon Schaffer”;

“The Hate Crime ‘Papa John’s’ Murder of Gordon Schaffer: A Status Update”;

“Third Suspect Arrested in 2014 Papa John’s Murder Racist Hate Crime”;

“Things are Moving (Finally!) in the Racist Papa John’s Murder of White Counter Clerk, Gordon Shaffer (Update)”;

“Remember the Papa John’s Murder of Gordon Schaffer in Columbia, Tennessee? WEJB/NSU’s David in TN is Still on the Case! (Update)”;

“Judge to Observer in Empty Courtroom: ‘Do you have any business?’: Racist MSM Continue to Maintain News Blackout of the Hate Crime Murder of Papa John’s Clerk Gordon Schaffer, but WEJB/NSU’s Heroic David in TN Continues to Bear Witness!”;

“Delay, Delay, Delay: Doesn’t Anyone Care Any More about Serving Justice? (The Papa John’s Murder)”;

“Shhh! ‘The reason behind the [five black-on-white serial] killings remains a mystery’—‘Comments have been disabled for this story’”; and

“Kansas City, MO, and Columbia, TN: Of Racial Murders and News Blackouts.”




War criminal Darious Fitzpatrick, though only 17 at the time of the war crime in 2014, was already a violent career criminal with several felony convictions as a juvenile; his example is spurring calls for juvenile justice reform in Tennessee. I did not refer to Fitzpatrick as a "suspected war criminal," because he has confessed that he shot to kill Gordon Schaffer, even though it took him several shots to hit his victim.
 

1 comment:

David In TN said...

On Monday of this week (November 13) I went by the Columbia, Tennessee Circuit Court Clerk's office to see if they had a trial date after the latest continuance, of which there have been a half dozen.

"Yes," I was told, "The trial date is April 9." I didn't ask why there have been so many "continuances." It would be worth knowing, in my opinion.