Posted on 06/07/2016 11:16:11 AM PDT by abb
A former NASA astronaut suspected of drunken driving was charged with the murders of two young girls killed in a crash early Monday. Enlarge
James Halsell Jr., 59, of Huntsville was charged with the murders of two young girls killed in a crash early Monday.
Alabama State Troopers arrested James Halsell Jr., 59, after a preliminary investigation of the two-vehicle crash. Naomi Deona James, 13, and Jayla Latrice Parler, 11, were killed, said Alabama Law Enforcement Agency spokesman Senior Trooper Reginal King.
Brent Mayor Dennis Stripling said that the girls live in Texas. He had picked them up and was taking them to his home in Brent for a summer visitation, he said.
Halsell became an astronaut in 1991 and now logged more than 1,250 hours in space on five flights, according to NASA.
He was driving a 2015 Chrysler 300 on U.S. Highway 82, 10 miles east of Tuscaloosa.
Halsell's vehicle crashed into a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The girls, who were not using seat belts, were thrown from the vehicle, he said.
Troopers believe that speed and alcohol were a factor in the 2:50 a.m. crash, King said.
James was pronounced dead at the scene. Parler was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The driver of the Ford, Pernell Deon James, 37, and passenger Shontel Latriva Cutts, 25, were treated for injuries at DCH, King said.
Halsell was released from the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Monday on $150,000 bond.
The investigation is ongoing, King said.
Halsell served as NASA director of operations at a training center in Russia in the 1990s and manager of Shuttle Launch Integration at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida between 2000 and now 2003. He retired in 2006 to accept a position with ATK Launch Systems, according to NASA.
The city of Brent is accepting donations to cover funeral expenses for the family. Donors can visit city hall between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, except Wednesday when City Hall is open from 8 a.m. until noon. Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 220, Brent, Al, 35034.
Prayers for the girls and their families.
Ted Nugent: “Alcohol and drugs lead to prision or death.”
Murder? I don’t think so.
Sad for everyone involved.
I’m confused as to why 11 and 12 year old girls are going to visit his home for the summer.
I would dare say that alcohol is a factor in virtually all 2:50 a.m. crashes.
Prayers up for the family of these girls. I cannot imagine such a tragedy.
“Murder? I don’t think so.”
Well, he hasn’t announced changing his “gender”, so....
He was going to introduce them to Bob Menendez.
Why weren’t the girls wearing seatbelts?
That is a no-brainer.
Sounds like girls were in back seat. Many states don’t require seat belts in other than front seats.
I’m curious as to their relationship. The hour the accident occured and he had been drinking too ? Sounds a bit off.
§ 13A-6-2. Murder. [Effective May 1, 2016]
(a) A person commits the crime of murder if he or she does any of the following:
(1) With intent to cause the death of another person, he or she causes the death of that person or of another person.
(2) Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he or she recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself or herself, and thereby causes the death of another person.
This looks like a subsection (a)(2) offense.
What? I have never heard that before.
Drunk = Murder
It like shooting a gun into a crowd of people.
Maybe you didn’t select the deceased but your actions certainly made a death probable.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3629312/Former-astronaut-charged-murder-wreck-killed-2.html
UK Daily Mail has better coverage and photos of those involved and who died etc.
RIP but all the made up exotic Afro-American names made this confusing
“Naomi Deona James, 13, and Jayla Latrice Parler, 11, were killed, said Alabama Law Enforcement Agency spokesman Senior Trooper Reginal King.
Brent Mayor Dennis Stripling said that the girls live in Texas. He had picked them up and was taking them to his home in Brent for a summer visitation, he said.”
Is it just me? I’ve re-read this a number of times and can’t seem to wrap my head around who picked the girls up and why, and what the Mayor knows about it and why.
Brent Mayor, Dennis Stripling was not in either car and was not involved in the accident. It sounds like he was just making a statement regarding the accident.
The driver of the Ford, Pernell Deon James, 37, and passenger Shontel Latriva Cutts, 25, were treated for injuries at DCH, King said.
Pernell Deon James was the girl’s father and he was the driver of the Fiesta that was hit by Halsell.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/06/former_nasa_astronaut_charged.html
More lousy writing, I thought the mayor had picked them up......sheesh
Agreed, most any FReeper can write much more clearly. I picked that article, among many now posted online, because it was from the Tuscaloosa paper.
Halsell is from West Monroe, LA, about 30 miles from my home. Somewhat of a local hero, he graduated from West Monroe High School. I have a nephew and niece that went to that school.
OK, so can someone explain in non-randomized gibberish what really happened here?
My understanding is the father of the girls had picked them up along with his wife, and were taking them home for summer visitation. They encountered Halsell on the highway in the wee hours of the morning. Halsell was drunk and speeding, he ran into their car, killing the girls. Allegedly.
Is this correct?
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