Phillup Alan Partin sits in the courtroom Wednesday, listening to his attorneys Bjorn Brunvand, left, and William Bennett By Jamal Thalji, Times staff writer
Published Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:13 PM
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NEW PORT RICHEY — Robert Ramsdell remembers that day five years ago when he first saw his stepdaughter's killer in a Pasco courtroom.
A defiant Phillup Alan Partin showed off the tattoo across his shoulders, the one he got during his year on the run from law enforcement:
"Live free or die."
Words to live by, the stepfather said.
"He's not going to live forever," Mr. Ramsdell said Wednesday. "He may as well kill himself now."
That's because a jury decided on Wednesday that the state of Florida should take Partin's life for taking 16-year-old Joshan Ashbrook's life in 2002.
It took the jury of eight men and four women three hours on Tuesday to convict Partin of first-degree murder. It took them two hours on Wednesday to vote 9-3 in favor of the death penalty instead of life in prison.
Partin, 42, reacted as he has throughout his two-week trial: with a cold, blank stare and an air of hostile indifference.
In fact, the trial revealed that the only thing Partin seems to care about in this world is his 12-year-old daughter, Patrisha.
Is Partin both a cold killer and a caring father?
"How can he love his little girl," said the victim's mother, Tara Lynn Ramsdell, "and not care what he did to mine?"
The trial, or guilt phase, took seven days. Wednesday's penalty phase was brief by comparison.
The state's lone witness was a Miami-Dade police lieutenant who testified about Partin's first murder two decades ago, when he snapped the neck of a Miami man. The lieutenant said Partin hustled at gay bars then, which is how he met that victim.
In 1987, Partin was sentenced to 17 years in prison for second-degree murder. But he was released in 1995.
Joshan (pronounced Yo-shan) also had her neck broken, a medical examiner testified, separating her head from her spine. Her throat was also cut open.
No one testified on Partin's behalf. No family members have even come to court. Instead, the defense played snippets of videotaped depositions on his behalf.
They played just a few seconds of a tape of Partin's daughter, who testified for the state that she saw the victim alive with her father.
In the tape, defense attorney Bjorn Brunvand showed the girl a hand sign that she and her father used to share.
"Is that what the two of you used to say 'I love you' to each other?" the lawyer asked.
"Yes," the girl said.
• • •
The jury's vote for the death penalty is a recommendation. State law says the judge must give it "great weight."
In the end, it will be Circuit Judge William Webb's decision alone. Partin's lawyers will try to persuade the judge to override the jury's recommendation at a May 16 hearing.
Partin doesn't appear to like the judge. He's insulted Webb in jailhouse letters and on Wednesday directed profanities at him.
The judge will sentence Partin on June 20.
• • •
The Ramsdells have eight children, 17 grandchildren and one more on the way. Those children have questions their grandparents cannot answer.
"We have grandchildren who want to know why the bad guy killed Auntie Yo-Yo," Tara Ramsdell said, "and what do you say to them? He's not going to say anything to us. I want him to tell me why."
The state said the motive for Joshan's murder is a mystery that may never be solved.
The mother of Partin's daughter said she is conflicted about the death penalty. "How's his daughter going to feel," she said, "not being able to see her father again?"
Given Partin's feelings about being living free, the mother said, she wonders if a worse punishment would be to let him live out his days behind bars.
"Sometimes I think so," Mrs. Ramsdell said. "But I'm Joshan's mother. I say kill him."
Jamal Thalji can be reached at thalji@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6236.
Published Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:13 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW PORT RICHEY — Robert Ramsdell remembers that day five years ago when he first saw his stepdaughter's killer in a Pasco courtroom.
A defiant Phillup Alan Partin showed off the tattoo across his shoulders, the one he got during his year on the run from law enforcement:
"Live free or die."
Words to live by, the stepfather said.
"He's not going to live forever," Mr. Ramsdell said Wednesday. "He may as well kill himself now."
That's because a jury decided on Wednesday that the state of Florida should take Partin's life for taking 16-year-old Joshan Ashbrook's life in 2002.
It took the jury of eight men and four women three hours on Tuesday to convict Partin of first-degree murder. It took them two hours on Wednesday to vote 9-3 in favor of the death penalty instead of life in prison.
Partin, 42, reacted as he has throughout his two-week trial: with a cold, blank stare and an air of hostile indifference.
In fact, the trial revealed that the only thing Partin seems to care about in this world is his 12-year-old daughter, Patrisha.
Is Partin both a cold killer and a caring father?
"How can he love his little girl," said the victim's mother, Tara Lynn Ramsdell, "and not care what he did to mine?"
The trial, or guilt phase, took seven days. Wednesday's penalty phase was brief by comparison.
The state's lone witness was a Miami-Dade police lieutenant who testified about Partin's first murder two decades ago, when he snapped the neck of a Miami man. The lieutenant said Partin hustled at gay bars then, which is how he met that victim.
In 1987, Partin was sentenced to 17 years in prison for second-degree murder. But he was released in 1995.
Joshan (pronounced Yo-shan) also had her neck broken, a medical examiner testified, separating her head from her spine. Her throat was also cut open.
No one testified on Partin's behalf. No family members have even come to court. Instead, the defense played snippets of videotaped depositions on his behalf.
They played just a few seconds of a tape of Partin's daughter, who testified for the state that she saw the victim alive with her father.
In the tape, defense attorney Bjorn Brunvand showed the girl a hand sign that she and her father used to share.
"Is that what the two of you used to say 'I love you' to each other?" the lawyer asked.
"Yes," the girl said.
• • •
The jury's vote for the death penalty is a recommendation. State law says the judge must give it "great weight."
In the end, it will be Circuit Judge William Webb's decision alone. Partin's lawyers will try to persuade the judge to override the jury's recommendation at a May 16 hearing.
Partin doesn't appear to like the judge. He's insulted Webb in jailhouse letters and on Wednesday directed profanities at him.
The judge will sentence Partin on June 20.
• • •
The Ramsdells have eight children, 17 grandchildren and one more on the way. Those children have questions their grandparents cannot answer.
"We have grandchildren who want to know why the bad guy killed Auntie Yo-Yo," Tara Ramsdell said, "and what do you say to them? He's not going to say anything to us. I want him to tell me why."
The state said the motive for Joshan's murder is a mystery that may never be solved.
The mother of Partin's daughter said she is conflicted about the death penalty. "How's his daughter going to feel," she said, "not being able to see her father again?"
Given Partin's feelings about being living free, the mother said, she wonders if a worse punishment would be to let him live out his days behind bars.
"Sometimes I think so," Mrs. Ramsdell said. "But I'm Joshan's mother. I say kill him."
Jamal Thalji can be reached at thalji@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6236.
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4 comments:
I am Joshan's sister, Jenny and I miss her very much. I do not feel death penalty is the answer, will it really make us all feel better...I really don't belive so. Think of it this way, we lost a beautiful, talented, amazing girl that had not yet been given a chance to prove to anyone what she is made of. She was our sister, friend, daughter...but the guilt lies on Mr. Partin, he is the guitly one here. Mr. Partin's daughter needs to be in our prayers as well though. Do we want to go to the horrible level of Mr. Partin and make a decision to kill another human being.Nothing can be done however to get Joshan back, so in respect of her...all we can do is know God is taking care of her and let God decided Mr. Partin's fate. Maybe sitting in jail thinking about what he has done will be more of a punishment to his conscience than anything. "I love you Joshan, I think of you always" ~Jenny
Does anyone really know the abuse Phillup Partin suffered while he was growing up? anon
Jenny and Family of Joshan, Please accept my condolences on the loss of your family member. What a sad thing to happen to you and that beautiful soul God had blessed your family with. I will add you to my prayers and just know that God has Joshan and she is watching over you always. As for Mr. Partin, well, he is obviously quite seriously mentally ill. Is the death penalty the right thing? I have not decided where I stand on that issue yet. If he is not meant to die that day, some intervention will prevent it. If he is meant to die, so be it, but have comfort in your heart while you know he will not have access to other young girls to hurt until that day comes. God Bless you and your family!!!
I am deeply sorrowed at the loss of joshan. i too share the pain of her family, friends and everyone that has been affected by the actions of phillup partain. i imagine partain was abused growing up but dont accept thatas an excuse for his actions. he is the product of generations of uneducated and abusive people on both his father and mothers side. his father and uncle were both horriably abused by both their father and mother for the first 15 years of their lives, the late 1940s to the early 1960s. They often went to their elementry school with black and blue and red welts on their necks, backs, arms and legs. They were beaten often and always with a heavy belt, a board, a clothes hanger or something. They were olny 6 and 7 yrs old. Their teachers saw their wounds but nothing was done about it. Partains grandfather was often beate in the name of God by his father. ignorance is the mother of all pain and misery. society has to take some blame still i m deeply sorry for the pain caused by my brothers son.
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