Earlier story
2-27-2009 Michigan:
DETROIT -- The parents of a murdered River Rouge man are upset that a judge today blocked them and others from a hearing for a Plymouth Township teen who killed their son.
To the surprise of prosecutors, relatives and the media, Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce U. Morrow closed his court to hear a request for a new trial by Jean Pierre Orlewicz, 18, who was convicted last year of masterminding the stabbing, beheading and mutilation of Daniel Sorensen, 26, of River Rouge.
Jim Sorensen, Daniel Sorensen's father, said Morrow explained closing the courtroom by saying "constitutionality is not absolute."
"This young man murdered my son. I feel we should have been able to attend the hearing," Jim Sorensen said from the hallway outside of Morrow's courtroom.
"We don't get to be there to be a witness for our son."
Orlewicz wants a new trial, claiming he had inadequate lawyers and wasn't allowed to present testimony about his mental health. The case drew national attention when Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy described the slaying as a "thrill killing."
"The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is at a loss to understand why the Sorenson family, the public and the press were banned from the courtroom in the Orlewicz case today," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. "The court did not state a reason for taking this action. It is my firm belief that the court proceedings should be ... open and transparent."
Orlewicz's new attorney, Elizabeth Jacobs, said she sought the closure to discuss subjects that wouldn't be admitted if the judge granted a new trial.
"There is no sense tainting a jury," Jacobs said.
Jacobs praised Morrow for closing the hearing, which will be continued April 24. It was unclear if the hearing will be open to the public. Morrow did not return calls to explain his decision.
Orlewicz was sent to prison for life after a jury didn't buy his testimony that he killed Sorensen in self-defense. Another teen testified Orlewicz asked him to help prepare a garage in Livonia for the killing, and then helped dump Sorensen's torso in Northville Township and his head in the Rouge River. Alexander Letkemann, 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is serving 20 to 30 years in prison.
Jacobs said the sentencing judge, Annette Berry, should not hear today's request because of her comments at Orlewicz's sentencing in May.
"I have to say I am grateful the jury convicted you, sir... I am grateful that you are going away for the rest of your life because in my view, I believe you would have killed again," Berry said.
Jacobs claims Berry also improperly prevented the defense from presenting three expert witnesses who were expected to testify about Orlewicz's mental condition and prior psychiatric treatment.
The request for a new trial also claims Orlewicz received inadequate counsel from his previous legal team headed by James C. Thomas, who later defended former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Sorensen also said that prosecutors led him to believe that Orlewicz will claim self-defense as a reason to receive a new trial.
Sorensen said the self-defense claim is a bogus one, but he wants Orlewicz to exhaust every legal avenue available so that there are no excuses for him not to remain in prison.
"He would've had every chance he deserved," Sorensen said in hushed tones while flanked by his wife, Kim, and a Wayne County sheriff's deputy. "That is the way the system works." ..News Source.. by Santiago Esparza and Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
February 27, 2009
MI- Judge blocks parents of slain son, media from 'thrill kill' hearing
February 11, 2009
MI- Teen convicted in beheading gets hearing for new trial
2-11-2009 Michigan:
Plymouth Township teen convicted last year of luring a friend into a death trap where he stabbed, beheaded and burned the victim, will get a hearing later this month on his request for a new trial.
Jean Pierre Orlewicz, 18, claims mistakes were made by his lawyers and the judge who presided over the original trial where a jury found him guilty of premeditated murder and mutilation for the slaying of Daniel Sorenson, 26, of River Rouge.
It was a case that drew nationwide attention when Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy called the slaying a "thrill killing."
Orlewicz's new lawyer already has gotten the original judge, Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Berry, disqualified from hearing the appeal. Judge Bruce U. Morrow has set a Feb. 27 hearing on numerous complaints about the previous trial and sentencing to two life terms without parole for the single death.
At sentencing last May, Berry told Orlewicz, "I have to say I am grateful the jury convicted you, sir... I am grateful that you are going away for the rest of your life because in my view I believe you would have killed again."
In documents filed with the court, Orlewizc's new lawyer, Elizabeth Jacobs claims Berry also improperly prevented the defense from presenting three expert witnesses who were expected to testify about Orlewicz's mental condition and prior psychiatric treatment. Jacobs also claims Orlewicz received inadequate counsel from his previous legal team headed by James Thomas, who later defended former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Orlewicz testified at the trial that he killed Sorenson in self-defense. Another teen testified that Orlewicz asked him to help prepare a garage in Livonia for the killing, and then helped dump Sorenson's torso in Northville Township and his head in the Rouge River. Alexander Letkemann, 19, pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving 20 to 30 years in prison. ..News Source.. by Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
April 17, 2008
MI- Teen guilty in beheading, to get life without parole
4-17-2008 Michigan:
DETROIT -- First, they cried. Then the parents of a River Rouge man offered prayers for the family of a teenager who stabbed, beheaded and burned their son.
Emotions overflowed Wednesday when a jury of eight men and four women convicted Jean Pierre "JP" Orlewicz, 18, of Plymouth Township of first-degree premeditated murder and other felonies in the gruesome case that catapulted into the national media when Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy labeled it a "thrill killing."
But when the parents of victim Daniel Sorensen regrouped, they offered nothing but love for the parents of the killer.
"We lost a son, but for the rest of his life, the Orlewiczes have lost the companionship of their son, too," said Kimberly Sorensen, the victim's mother, who lives in Westland. "We hope the community remembers them in their prayers, too."
Testimony in the trial that began April 7 painted a graphic, bloody and disturbing portrait of several suburban teens who knew for days that Orlewicz wanted to kill Sorensen, 26, but did nothing to prevent the ambush. Two even helped move the headless torso.
Orlewicz's sentencing on two murder charges and mutilation of a corpse is May 12. By law, he will get life in prison without parole.
When the verdict was returned, neither he nor his family cried. The former Canton High School student looked sadly at jurors.
He cast a glance at his parents only twice before deputies led him from Wayne Circuit Judge Annette J. Berry's courtroom back to jail.
His family and attorneys left without comment.
"I've never seen someone as manipulative as this. His behavior was remorseless," said Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Moran.
Moran said members of the jury didn't want to talk after the verdict, even with him, and were allowed to slip out of the fourth-floor courtroom by using a secured prisoner elevator. One juror who later waited for a ride in front of the courthouse declined to speak.
The Sorensens -- whose son was portrayed by the defense as a Mafia wannabe and shakedown artist who intimidated and preyed on younger teens -- said the verdict provided some closure.
"It can't make it right, but this is as close as it's going to get," said Alice Edwards of Livonia, a close family friend who attended every day of the trial.
"I don't know how they did it," Edwards said of the Sorensens. "I don't know how they made it through the trial every day. They have such deep resources, their faith that believes families will be together in the future."
Orlewicz admitted while testifying Monday that he stabbed Sorensen 13 times on Nov. 7, cut off his head with a hacksaw and used a blowtorch to try to obliterate the man's fingerprints. He said Sorensen pulled a gun and threatened to kill him when a scheme they devised to extort money from another teen went bad.
Orlewicz testified that he feared Sorensen. But others -- including star eyewitness Alex Letkemann, 18, of Westland -- said he talked openly about wanting to kill the man. Letkemann pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on the eve of a trial. He had faced first-degree murder charges, but prosecutors will recommend 20-30 years when he is sentenced next week by Berry.
"He wanted to come forward and tell the truth," Moran said about Letkemann's vital testimony. "It's almost as though by doing this he absolved himself of the horrible thing he saw."
Kimberly Sorensen said she and her husband told Letkemann's parents, Peter and Diane Letkemann, how grateful they were for his testimony, even though his description from the witness stand of their son's final moments was painful.
"We've been told that Alex feels remorse," Kimberly Sorensen said.
Immunity from prosecution was granted to another teen who testified about being called by Orlewicz to the murder scene to help move the body of the victim, who weighed 255 pounds. And Moran said the law didn't provide a way to charge another teen who didn't tell authorities until days before the trial that he acted as a lookout on the first day the slaying was supposed to take place and backed out of participating the day of the murder.
The motive in the case remains a mystery. The only clue witnesses offered was that Sorensen was in debt $400 to the well-to-do Orlewicz, whose family owns a manufacturing company.
"The biggest irony of all was he looked up at JP Orlewicz as a little cousin," said James Sorensen. "He would have done anything for JP, some not as smart as he should have. Everybody has warts."
Orlewicz insisted he killed Sorensen in self-defense when the older man pulled a gun during a shakedown attempt of another teenager.
Orlewicz described a life and death struggle, where he stabbed the much larger man while being "tossed like a rag doll." When Sorensen lay dead, Orlewicz said he panicked and tried to hide the man's identity because he believed Sorensen had associates in the mob who would seek revenge.
Sorensen had a self-promoted reputation as a gangster-like enforcer, which made him the perfect partner in a plot to frighten another teen out of money, according to Orlewicz.
But Letkemann said the extortion plot was a ruse to lure Sorensen into Orlewicz's grandfather's Canton Township garage, where a tarp had been spread on the floor, with knives, a hacksaw and cleaning supplies at the ready.
Letkemann said Orlewicz jumped Sorensen from behind and stabbed him and slit his throat, as planned. Letkemann helped clean up the garage, move the body to an empty lot in Northville Township and dump the head in the Rouge River at the Helm's Haven picnic area of Hines Park in Dearborn Heights.
In exchange, Orlewicz forgave a $100 debt, said Letkemann, who led officers to the spot where they found the head.
The jurors also heard testimony from friends of Orlewicz, who said he talked about planning perfect crimes, including robberies and murders. Some said he talked about wanting to kill Sorensen.
The jury asked for several exhibits and clarifications from Berry throughout deliberations. At one point, an aunt of Orlewicz said the family was encouraged that the length of deliberations might mean acquittal.
But Moran said the length only showed the jury carefully reviewed the facts because of the "seriousness of the case." ..more.. by Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
April 16, 2008
MI- Thrill Kill Suspect Guilty, All Charges
4-16-2008 Michigan:
Jurors have convicted an 18-year-old from Plymouth on charges of 1st degree murder in the killing of a 26-year-old, then beheading him and torching the body.
Jean Orlewicz of Plymouth was also convicted of mutilating the body of Daniel Sorensen of River Rouge. Conviction carries life in prison without parole.
Defense lawyer James Thomas told the Wayne County Circuit Court jury Tuesday the teen killed the much-larger Sorensen in self-defense and mutilated the body because he feared reprisal by organized crime figures.
Prosecutor Robert Moran says Orlewicz carefully planned the killing as shown by the 13 knife blows used to kill Sorensen. ..more.. by WXYZ.com
April 12, 2008
MI- Where are the tears in 'thrill kill' testimony?
4-12-2008 Michigan:
The trial of Jean Pierre Orlewicz, now 18, is only about one kid -- a Plymouth teenager standing trial for allegedly committing a particularly gruesome and inexplicable killing.
The well-off kid who plans "the perfect murder" was pioneered in 1924 by Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold -- Chicago boys who summered in Charlevoix and killed a 14-year-old acquaintance largely, it turned out, for the challenge of getting away with it.
Their story has captivated people over the years, in books, film ("Compulsion") and a Broadway play, because rich, accomplished and clever boys who kill for fun are just so hard to figure.
To most of us, murder seems to require a motive, or at least a root cause. Adolescent angst, or too many viewings of "Pulp Fiction," don't.
But what's so unsettling and repellent about the murder of Daniel Sorensen is the matter-of-factness of the testimony from suburban high school students.
'That's messed up'
Orlewicz and Alexander Letkemann, who confessed to being his accomplice, inspire some wonder, mostly because this story isn't nearly as unusual and shocking as the 1924 story was.
This is testimony in a no-tears formula. Levi Webb, of Westland, testified that Orlewicz shared his murderous fantasies with him. Did he believe him at the time?
"He said, 'Yeah. I just wish I could get away with it,'" was Webb's testimony, according to Detroit News reporter Doug Guthrie.
Webb's response? "I said, 'That's messed up' and walked away."
It was messed up, sure, but six months after Sorensen's life ended with a stabbing from behind, and a hacksaw to the head, I'd feel more comfortable if these teenagers could express some indication of being human -- complete with heart and soul -- to the jurors.
Detached and disengaged
Webb wasn't the hero that day: He didn't intervene, call the crisis center, or -- apparently -- even tell his mother about the teen who allegedly wanted to kill people.
Instead, these youths seem so detached, so disengaged from reality, that they're looking for credit for what they didn't do: actively participate in the slaying.
And Orlewicz, through the testimony of his high school friends, wasn't shy about expressing his criminal aspirations.
This was a killing that required a knife, a hacksaw and a blowtorch. No part of the "plan" went perfectly, and the testimony was so gruesome that jurors couldn't contain their horror.
In "Pulp Fiction," the Harvey Keitel character is a professional who knows how to efficiently remove blood from a car. "I'm Winston Wolfe, I solve problems," was his glib laugh line.
Funny in fiction. But in real life you wish for more tears. ..more.. by Laura Berman at (248) 647-7221 or lberman@detnews.com.
April 3, 2008
MI- Westland teen to testify against friend in 'thrill killing'
4-2-2008 Michigan:
CANTON TOWNSHIP -- One of two teens accused of beheading and burning a man in what Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy described as a "thrill killing" has received a plea deal to testify against the other when trial starts next week.
Alexander Letkemann, 18, of Westland, can escape the possibility of life in prison without parole in exchange for testifying against Jean Pierre Orlewicz, 18, of Plymouth Township, according to court documents.
Letkemann pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder, disinterment and mutilation of a corpse for the Nov. 7, 2007, slaying of Daniel Sorensen, 26, of River Rouge.
In exchange, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 20-30 years and dismissal of first-degree and felony murder charges when Letkemann is sentenced on April 23, court papers show.
Orlewicz is scheduled to stand trial Monday in Wayne County Circuit Court, facing the tougher charge alone. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.
Much of the case is based on Letkemann's confession to police.
He told investigators Orlewicz planned and executed the killing in his grandfather's Canton Township garage. Orlewicz lured Sorensen into a death trap, stabbed the large man, slit his throat, sawed off his head and burned his fingers with a blowtorch to obliterate fingerprints, according to Letkemann.
He claims he was there only to help clean up and dump the headless torso in an empty lot in Northville Township near Maybury State Park in exchange for forgiveness of a $100 debt. Letkemann also led police to a spot in Hines Park in Dearborn Heights where he said Orlewicz tossed the head into the Rouge River.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller said she couldn't comment today on any deals, citing a gag order from Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Jurkiewicz Berry.
Letkemann's lawyer Raymond Cassar was unavailable, according to his office.
Orlewicz lawyers have complained it will be difficult to select an impartial jury considering the nationwide coverage the crime received.
The judge issued two orders on Monday that narrowed defense options for Orlewicz's lawyers, barring their plans to introduce testimony about their client's alleged psychological disorders and evidence about the criminal past of Sorensen.
Orlewicz's lawyers indicated they may claim Orlewicz acted in self-defense. ..more.. by Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
February 23, 2008
MI- Beheading case's gag order challenged
Judge strikes down attempts to quash evidence in beheading case
2-23-2008 Michigan:
Judge lets prosecutor call slaying a 'thrill killing,' but says evidence must back it up.
DETROIT -- Lawyers and cops already are barred from speaking publicly about the grisly case of two suburban teen pals accused of beheading a bouncer for fun, but efforts failed Friday to tighten the gag by prohibiting prosecutors from referring to the slaying as a "thrill killing."
Defense attorneys for Jean Pierre Orlewicz, 17, of Plymouth Township, attempted to defuse the already emotional case by having such inflammatory language barred in the trial, but Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Berry ruled that prosecutors and defense attorneys can use whatever language is appropriate to make their cases. She warned both sides to be ready to back up their claims with evidence or risk losing jurors.
"Are you going to base it on that emotion or on evidence?" she asked. "You can argue what you want to argue as long as you back it up."
Orlewicz and Alexander Letkemann, 18, of Westland are charged in the Nov. 7 stabbing, burning and beheading of Daniel Sorenson, 26, of River Rouge, whose torso was found in Northville Township and head in the Rouge River.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy labeled the case a "thrill kill" when announcing charges against the two. Despite objections from defense attorneys, prosecutors have offered no motive to the contrary thus far. In fact, Letkemann's confession to police alleged he still doesn't know why Orlewicz wanted Sorenson dead.
It's been a tough seven days for both jailed teens. Last week, attorneys for Letkemann failed to persuade Berry to bar his statements to police that accused Orlewicz of masterminding the ambush in his grandfather's Canton Township garage. The confession, made over a few days to police, painted Letkemann as a reluctant witness and accomplice who cleaned up after the killing and helped dump the body to satisfy a $100 debt.
Friday, Berry denied a host of motions from defense attorneys, including ones asking her to exclude evidence found in the search of the grandfather's house. Berry did say that Sorenson will be referred to as an alleged victim during court proceedings.
Defense attorney Joseph Niskar told Berry a store clerk who identified Orlewicz as the person who bought some of the items prosecutors allege were used in the cleanup after the slaying was unreliable.
"She said he looked like, looked closest and was familiar looking to the person she saw," Niskar said.
"We don't believe the identification is reliable." ..more.. by Santiago Esparza at (313) 222-2127.
February 22, 2008
Judge strikes down attempts to quash evidence in beheading case
Prosecutor: 'Thrill kill' led teens to murder, decapitate man
2-22-2008 Michigan:
DETROIT -- Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Annette Berry today shot down several motions by attorneys for Jean Pierre Orlewicz, who is accused of helping to burn, kill and behead a man.
Orlewicz, a 17-year-old Plymouth Township resident, and Alexander Letkemann, an 18-year-old Westland resident, are charged with the Nov. 7 slaying of Daniel Sorenson, 26, of River Rouge.
Sorenson was burned and beheaded in a case that has drawn national attention.
Orlewicz' defense attorneys asked Berry to not admit searches and evidence seized at the Canton Township home of Orlewicz' grandfather in the upcoming trial.
They also asked Berry to ban Wayne County prosecutors from referring to Sorenson as a victim or from using terms like "horrific" or "thrill kill" to describe the slaying.
Berry ruled that Sorenson will be referred to as an alleged victim. She also ruled the prosecution and defense can use whatever language is appropriate to make their cases, but should be ready to back up statements with evidence or risk losing juries.
"Are you going to base it on that emotion or on evidence?" she asked. "You can argue what you want to argue as long as you back it up."
Defense attorneys felt that witness identification of Orlewicz was unreliable. The attorneys said police telling at least one witness that a suspect in the slaying was going to be in a lineup prejudiced the process. Berry ruled the identification was admissible.
Letkemann told Berry last week that his constitutional rights were violated when police tricked him into making a detailed statement about the slaying. Berry cited a police video in which Letkemann was taped stating he understood his rights in denying Letkemann's bid to get the statement excluded.
The case still is in the discovery process, with the prosecution awaiting lab tests they promised to share with the defense when completed.
Berry has issued a gag order in the case and reminded attorneys of it this morning as they provided the spellings of their names for a reporter. The judge did not have a problem with the attorneys identifying themselves. ..more.. by Santiago Esparza at (313) 222-2127 or sesparza@detnews.com.
