Attorney Mary Conn represented an individual charged with Capital Murder in a dope rip off. The case was very convoluted, due to the fact that the victim’s mother had made a number of postings on social media, which compromised our Defendant’s identification by the witnesses. Each of the witnesses involved had lengthy criminal history and…

During the last quarter of 2023, we assisted attorney Paul Morgan in obtaining two Not Guilty Verdicts in Murder cases. Each case involved a shooting death, in which both the Defendant and Victim possessed weapons. In both cases, the information that we were able to obtain from witnesses led to the jury to believe that…

Attorney Katherine Scardino represented one of two brothers charged with Capital Murder in Montgomery County, along with two other co-defendants. The State of Texas alleged that the two brothers set the complainant up to purchase a phone and during the meeting at a public park he was shot to death during the robbery attempt. The…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a defendant charged with the robbery murder of an individual near an apartment complex in Southwest Houston. The State’s case was based on two witness statements. The first statement came from the defendant’s girlfriend, who advised that he had informed her that he had committed a robbery in that area at…

Attorneys Jerald Graber and Bob Loper represented an individual charged with three other individuals with Capital Murder. The victim had given information to the police regarding one of the co-defendants, who went over to the victim’s house and after knocking on the front door, shot the victim to death in the front hallway of the…

Attorney Robert “Bob” Loper represented an individual who was charged with the beating death of a fellow resident at an apart­ment complex, in which the victim’s iPhone was taken. The State had an 8 year old juvenile witness who claimed he observed the defendant strike the victim. The defendant claimed from the be­ginning that he…

Attorney Jimmy Phillips Jr. and Attorney Katherine Scardino represented one of two in­mates attempting to escape from a work project in a Huntsville prison unit where 80 inmates were working. During the escape the co-defendant was trying to leave the area in a stolen truck, coming in contact with a guard who fell from her…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a young defendant who was charged, with another defendant, with the shooting death of a rival gang member at a club in Houston, TX. Gradoni & Associates Investigates We were able to identify and interview two wit­nesses who stated that the defendant was with them at the club when the shots…

Security Guard Faces Death Penalty In June we will start jury selection on a security guard facing the Death Penalty, being charged with the murder of two prostitutes and the aggravated robbery of 6 other prostitutes, all from the Channelview area. Investigator Keith Kucifer has interviewed the State’s 6 prostitute witnesses, who did not report…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a Defendant who was charged with the stabbing death of an individual during an altercation. Our client regularly hung out at a makeshift bar and pool hall on the North side of Houston. One of the Defendant’s associates had taken the victim’s car and not returned it. The victim was getting…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a teenager charged with Capital Murder. The teenager was selling dope for a dealer and had been ripped off by a customer. When our Defendant informed the dope dealer about what happened she also gave him a description of the actor along with his purple colored vehicle. The dope dealer and…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a Defendant who was charged with Capital Murder for attempting to rob a dope dealer during a transaction, which resulted in the shooting death of the dope dealer’s associate. Our Defendant admittedly sold small quantities of weed from his apartment, using the State’s star witness as his source. The source had…

Attorney John P. “Casey” Keirnan represented a defendant charged along with 3 other defendants with Capital Murder. The State alleged that the head of a local dope ring wanted to have an individual who provided information to the police killed. This individual recruited and paid a facilitator to take care of the hit. The facilitator…

Attorney Katherine Scardino represented a young man who allowed an acquaintance to use his apartment to buy marijuana in Houston, TX. During the transaction, the acquaintance shot and killed one of the weed sellers in an attempt to rip them off. Our client was not present when this occurred, but the State of Texas alleged…

Attorney Robert Loper AND Attorney Gerald Bourque represented a defendant charged with the shooting death of a nightclub owner during a robbery attempt that went bad in the parking lot of a club in Port Arthur, TX. The State had an impressive list of witnesses which included two jailhouse snitches who were going to testify…

Attorney Katherine Scardino and Attorney James Rivera represented an individual charged with killing five of his family members in Bellville, Texas. The case received a great deal of publicity, due to the horrific crime scene. (See our previous coverage of the Bellville Family Murders.) Prior to the State of Texas seeking the Death Penalty, Investigator…

Houston, TX based Attorney Katherine Scardino represented an individual charged with the murder of a female during a robbery attempt. The Defendant had admitted to the robbery attempt but had maintained that his weapon went off accidentally. One of the Defendant’s associates told police that the Defendant had confessed the murder to him a few…

Attorney Wayne Hill represented a Defendant who was accused, along with a prostitute, of luring an off-duty police officer to a meeting where the police officer was eventually killed during a robbery attempt. Our investigation revealed that the key witness for the State was most likely lying about our Defendant’s participation in the murder. The…

Attorney Jerald Graber and Attorney Alan Tanner represented an individual who was charged with Capital Murder in connection with a robbery in which a male victim was killed. The State of Texas alleged that 2 female prostitutes lured the victim to the rear of an apartment complex, where he was shot and killed during a…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented Clyde Bradford, a Houston, Texas man that was charged with the shooting death of a male at the rear of the victim’s residence. The Witnesses Witnesses told police that the shooter walked back to his vehicle, sat in the driver’s seat, rolled down the front passenger window, raised a handgun pointing…

Attorney Katherine Scardino and Attorney Stephen Doggett tried a Death Penalty case in Ft. Bend County which lasted three months, ending in June. The Defendant, Cornelius Harper, was charged with the shooting death of his cousin and the stabbing death of his cousin’s fiancée, who was pregnant, a short time later at a second crime…

Houston, TX based Attorney James Stafford represented an individual charged, along with a co-Defendant, in the killing death of a victim while they were robbing his car. The State did not have any eyewitnesses to the murder, which we verified through our investigation. The charged Co-Defendant had accepted a plea bargain on his case. The…

Houston, TX based Attorney Gerald Bourque represented one of three Co-Defendants who were accused of busting in the door to the Defendant’s girlfriend’s apartment and subsequently stabbing to death one of the three armed good Samaritans who responded. Gradoni & Associates Investigate The Defendant was in jail for three years awaiting a disposition. Our canvass…

Attorney Thomas A. Martin represented an individual charged with Capital Murder. Tom asked Investigator Cindy Klein to prepare a Mitigation package that could be presented to the District Attorney in an effort to dissuade them from seeking the Death Penalty. The District Attorney’s Office was obviously moved by our efforts and did not seek the…

Attorney Robert Loper and Attorney Gerald Bourque represented a Death Row inmate whose case had been sent back for a retrial of the punishment phase. The inmate, convicted of capital murder, had been given the Death Penalty 30 years prior and had been on Death Row since his conviction. Gradoni & Associates Investigates As a…

Attorney Skip Cornelius and Attorney Kristen C. Asaad represented a Defendant charged, along with two other Co-Defendants, with murdering an individual during a dope rip-off. Our Defendant, from the beginning, admitted his participation in the dope deal, but denied being the shooter, as charged by the State. Gradoni & Associates Investigate Investigator Cindy Klein interviewed…

Attorney Skip Cornelius and Attorney Kristen C. Asaad represented Carl Goines, charged with the death of an individual in a home invasion and the death of an alleged accomplish who was allegedly shot by Goines during the home invasion, later dying at a local hospital in northeast Houston. The State contended that two individuals forced…

Conroe, TX based attorney Lydia Clay-Jackson represented an individual charged with the drive-by shooting of a criminal associate. The police originally charged the Defendant and his two brothers but eventually dismissed the charges on the two brothers. The State’s case was based on statements made by three of the Defendant’s family members, who stated that…

Attorney Katherine Scardino represented the individual charged with killing a Pasadena, TX Policeman the day after he was released from the Harris County Jail. The Officer responded to a domestic disturbance at the defendant’s mother’s house when he was shot on the porch. Katherine and Co-Counsel, Kelly Case reached an agreement with the State for…

CAPITAL MURDER: FAVORABLE OUTCOME Attorney Robert Loper and Attorney John P. “Casey” Keirnan represented two defendants who had been charged with two separate Capital Murders. The first case had been dismissed by the Judge at trial as noted in our previous newsletter. The second case came to trial recently. The case involved fighting gang factions…

Houston criminal-defense Attorney John M. Petruzzi represented an individual charged with Solicitation of Capital Murder. The State was originally seeking a life sentence. Gradoni & Associates Perform Investigation Efrain Gutierrez determined through his investigation that what actually happened was the defendant had heard other parties discussing a desire to kill the victim. The defendant, thinking…

Well known and respected Houston, TX based Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a defendant charged with the shooting death of an individual who was riding in a car stopped at a median. Gradoni Investigates Benito Segura interviewed all of the State’s witnesses and could find no one who could identify the defendant’s involvement or even place…

Attorney Gary Polland represented one of five juveniles charged Capital Murder for entering a home and killing one of the homeowner’s sons during the Robbery attempt. Private Detective Klein Investigates The Murder Investigator Cindy Klein interviewed a number of the defendant’s teachers and relatives, determining that he was a pretty good student and athlete who…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented an individual who drove two individuals to a record shop where they killed the owner in the course of the Robbery. The defendant claimed all along that he had driven the pair over to the record shop, but he had no idea that they were going to commit a Robbery. Gradoni…

Houston, TX lawyer Laine Lindsey represented a defendant who was charged with killing two Hispanic males after what was believed to be a verbal altercation. Detective Benito Segura Investigates Benito Segura, and experienced private eye, interviewed the eyewitness to the shooting who said the two victims were armed and pointing guns. The State had three…

Houston Attorney Katherine Scardino & Attorney James Rivera represented Maron Thomas charged with killing five family members at their residence in Bellville. Thomas was originally deemed insane and sent to the State Hospital. After a few months of treatment in the form of medication, Thomas was sent back for Trial. The District Attorney’s Office is…

Attorney Gerald Bourque represented Arnoldo Torres, who was charged, along with two Co-Defendants, with a non-death Capital Murder case. The State alleged that Torres and two other males, who were illegally in the country from Mexico, went to one of Torres’ neighbors’ apartment in order to rob him. Allegedly, the three entered the apartment and…

Attorney Bob Loper and Attorney Casey Kiernan represented 2 males charged with a gang related shooting death. Gradoni Detectives Investigate the Murder Benito Segura conducted a number of interviews with Spanish speaking witnesses with knowledge of the Players and circumstances allowing us to pursue the self-defense issue. During the initial stages of the trial, the…

Attorney James Rytting and Attorney Phillip Hilder represented James Swearingen in a highly publicized Montgomery County Capital Murder. Forensic Test Casts Doubts on Murder Allegation Based on forensic tests not done at the time of trial, a valid question was raised about how long the victim had been dead before the body was found. The…

Attorney Robert Loper and Attorney Lori Gooch were in the midst of preparing for a capital trial that was going to start on February 8th. On Monday, February 4th, the Prosecutor informed the Defense that a jail house “snitch” had a conversation with the Defendant who made the comment in a hold-over cell, “All they got…

Attorney Gary Polland represented a juvenile who was charged with Capital Murder, along with his adult brother. Gradoni & Associates Investigate The State was trying to certify Gary’s client so he could stand trial as an adult. Gary did a masterful job utilizing the background information we had compiled on the Defendant’s lack of past…

Attorney Mack Arnold represented an unsavory character charged with murder. Gradoni & Associates Investigates Our Investigation revealed that the State’s case was based on some very unreliable witnesses, without any credibility. Mack did a great job getting this point across to the jury, who found the Defendant Not Guilty. Everybody on our staff gives their…

Attorneys Attorney Robert Loper & Attorney Jerald Graber represented a Defendant charged with killing a store owner during the course of the robbery. The store cameras clearly identified the Defendant on the tapes. Defendant Found Guilty The Defendant who was found guilty without much deliberation, also had an extraneous murder brought up in the punishment phase.…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a lady who was accused of stabbing her husband to death in Houston. Gradoni & Associates Investigates We were able to establish that the husband had a history of being violent toward the Defendant. The Defendant’s son, who witnessed the altercation, helped Skip lay the foundation for self defense. RESULT BASED ON…

Attorney Skip Cornelius represented a mother who was charged with starving her child to death. The initial situation was not very encouraging because the mother had CPS problems in the past, was living in a motel, had a history of prostitution and already had another child die while in her care. Gradoni & Associates Investigates During…

Attorney Katherine Scardino and Attorney Jimmy Phillips Jr. obtained a hung jury in a high profile capital murder case in the 184th Criminal District Court, charging the defendant and his cousin with capital murder in the shooting deaths of 2 employees at the Hollywood Video store. Gradoni Gets The Investigation Our investigators had interviewed a number of…

Houston, TX based attorney Skip Cornelius represented a defendant who was charged with causing a fire that resulted in his brother’s death. The defendant had previously been sent to prison for murder, having burned the victim to death. Gradoni Detectives Establish Reasonable Doubt Investigators interviewed a number of family members who were able to cast doubt…

Capital Mistrial Attorney Katherine Scardino and Attorney Jimmy Phillips Jr. were appointed to a high profile capital murder case in the 184th Criminal District Court in Harris County. Scardino’s client and his cousin were charged with Capital Murder in the September 4th shooting deaths of two employees at the Hollywood Video Store. Scardino’s client worked…