He was an eyewitness to the 1999 slaying of Robert "Mudman" Simon, a Warlocks gang member convicted of killing a Franklin Township police officer. Mud tossed Yo-Yo to the ground as if he was a Raggedy Andy doll, and then applied a steel-toed boot to his groin. The second and final gunshot entered Gonzalez's skull behind his right ear, lodging itself within his brain. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. Founded in 1967, the Warlocks are self-described as a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club and are designated as a violent criminal organization by law enforcement. I stood near the top of the long grassy slope behind the local public elementary school. It proved unsuccessful and he ended up back in the slammer. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. Robert Simon | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan, who was chief of police in Franklin Township from 1976 to 1988, was a state parole board member before retiring in 1994. Simon took a .45 caliber handgun that belonged to his wingman. TRENTON, N.J. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jerseys death row has died in prison. He was not, for reasons readily apparent to anyone that ever met the man, or even saw a photograph of him. The property was owned by Marianne Mihalick, who lived with her daughter right across from Simon's trailer home at 3944 South Black Horse Pike. Simon was a motorcycle gang member who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. I turned around. I diduntil Yo-Yo tore it up and tossed the pieces on the ground. [7], Sgt. Lee Gonzalez during a traffic stop in May 1995. Bobby was a guy who was always looking for a party and always wanted everyone there to have a good time. Grateful Dead tunes held a steady rhythm as the county prosecutor, Sean Dalton, praised his assistant's quick wit and sharp mind - the skills that over nearly three decades helped Sand put away criminals such as cop killer Robert "Mudman" Simon. I got your back, no problem.. You could hear something break. [5][21], According to some reports, Simon had a reputation for taunting fellow inmates at New Jersey State Prison, and apparently selected a convict named Ambrose Harris who had been on death row for kidnapping and killing 22-year-old artist Kristin Huggins. Yo-Yo rolled around on the sidewalk, moaning and crying, his face bloody and already beginning to swell. Delivery truck drivers and out of towners constantly became lost. Mud killed a guy in the chow line at SCI Pittsburgh. One of the three got popped for a coffee and donuts bit and gave them that story to get him off the hook. But even superstars have the odd off day, suffer the career-ending injury. Ominously. But he might knock my teeth out. "I think Robert Simon would rather have died on the floor fighting than take his lethal injection," said John Call, his former lawyer. As claimed by Mihalick, they both had been unaware of Simon's homicidal history as he misled them to believing he was just a reformed drug dealer. He was acquitted. [1] However, he was ultimately beaten to death at New Jersey State Prison . People, even the worst people, are more complex than that. Mudman or as his friends referred to him Bobby or Uncle Booby, did not kill that girl. He was known to be a bit touched in the head, and not by an angel. The lethal injection chamber at the prison was never used, and the New Jersey Governor repealed the death penalty in December 2007. (Complaint at 78-79.) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ambrose Harris, 68, died Tuesday at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, the state Department of Corrections said. While on Death Row, Harris attacked and killed another Death Row inmate, Robert "Mudman" Simon, a beefy, scraggly long-haired and long-bearded 48-year-old outlaw biker, with several previous murder convictions. The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, artist and recent Temple University graduate was painting a community mural in Trenton in 1992. Professional buildings. I eyed the pay phone on the wall, but that didnt offer much of a lifeline in this situation. Not long before, Mud had burned down a store on the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk. Youre a fuckin pansy! Yo-Yo charged. A 19th Century mansion on a wooded tract owned by two wealthy eccentric spinster sisters. Heads rolled. It wasnt the wall. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. You want a partner? His release from the Pennsylvania corrections system _ straight to the Williamstown, N.J., enclave of his gang, the Warlocks _ has angered authorities in both states. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. He was suspected of involvement in several other murders. Ippolito Gonzalez of the Franklin . Gonzalez v. State of New Jersey, Civil Action No. 97-2512 (JBS Robert (Mudman) Simon, released from Graterford state prison in February after serving 20 years, is one of two men charged with the fatal shooting of Franklin Township, N.J., Officer Ippolito . If you messed with the people he cared about, you got hurt but on the most part, fighting wasnt something that came natural to him. to go to prison and therefore avoid illegal activities like burglary and murder. On May 6, 1995, defendant Robert "Mudman" Simon shot and killed Franklin Township Police Officer Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez during an otherwise routine traffic stop of a car in which Simon was a passenger. 2d 615 (E.D. ``He was a sociopath. He spat his gum out on the sidewalk. In 1995, Pennsylvania Motorcycle Gang member Robert 'Mudman' Simon killed a police officer at a traffic stop and was sentenced to death. If someone was getting roughed up, he stopped it. THE JERSEY STOMP - Trentonian You could have a couple of beers and a few laughs with him and escape unscathed. Murder Conviction Appeal Is Denied by High Court I grew up in a Philadelphia suburb that wasnt really a suburb but more an extension of the city, filled with city people and imbued with city attitudes. When they were left together briefly this morning at the New Jersey State Prison, prison officials said, Ambrose Harris beat to death Robert (Mudman) Simon after a bloody fistfight in a fenced . Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Simons parole was approved by a board member and a hearing examiner, Parole Board spokeswoman Darlene Zelazny said. Yo-Yo was a hulking whackjob with a blond crewcut and biceps like Mr. Universe after a full tray of steroids and a long day at the gym. Yo grabbed the book from my hand. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Simon stood accused of murdering his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg of Drexel Hill, and dumping her body in a water-filled coal mine pit near Hazleton, where it was . This case tragically arose on the night of May 6, 1995 when Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez, a Franklin Township, NJ police officer, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop by one Robert "Mudman" Simon, a longtime member of the "Warlocks" motorcycle gang and a recent parolee from the Pennsylvania prison system. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. After serving 12 1/2 years of a 10- to 20-year sentence for murder, he went free in February and settled in Williamstown with the New Jersey parole boards approval. Frank Hannon, another convicted murderer, testified earlier that he believed Simon bought his parole by paying off guards but said he had no first hand knowledge. BLUE ROUTE Author Ed McGinnis Publishes Third Novel, THE DREAM GARDEN, AND A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND, UNSOLICITED WRITING ADVICE & THE ILLUMINATED SUBJECT, THE FOREVER FAMILY AND THE GENESIS OF A TITLE, PERSEVERANCE, PERSISTENCE AND THE PWP 3850. new jersey pulled over warlocks members robert mudman simon and charles shovel staples on a traffic stop moments after the two had committed a commercial burglary. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jerseys death row has died in prison. Approximately 85 B & W ill., including interior photos of the 1835 prison. Robert Ronald Simon (1951-1999) - Find a Grave Memorial March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. Hogan said Warlocks activity in Franklin Township was a major issue during his tenure as police chief. All the broads loved him! The Mudman could be one seriously disgruntled customer. He didnt seem like much more of an asshole than most people when you were dealing with him. But things arent always written in simplistic black and white, in the harsh neon of a single dimension. Your email address will not be published. Like the other 1% gangs, the Warlocks murder, deal drugs, rob, and bat the crap about of people, among other activities. Mudman met Squirt Boy on death row. Div . Tattoos decorated both of Muds massive arms. Sometimes not. New Jerseys Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold hearings on the issue, and Gov. 464 Conchester Highway, Aston, PA 19014-3106. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. [15] Despite this, he was classified as merely a "low risk" on parole assessment documents. Hannon said it was his understanding it cost between $100 and $300 to have files removed. [7][3], On May 6, 1995, Robert Simon along with the vice president of the Warlocks' South Jersey chapter, Charles "Shovel" Staples, were both sitting in a car in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey when they were pulled over by 15-year Franklin Township police veteran Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez as part of a routine traffic stop. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. I guess they want to make sure they get the details right, wouldnt want any misinformation, or fake news, out there about your motorcycle gang. PDF IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT ISABEL GONZALEZ, Individually "His story is a very tragic story. Ambrose Harris, 47, sentenced to death for . There was Yo-Yo, pacing restlessly, smoking one of those Winstons allegedly purchased for his mother. They resembled small rose petals in the wind. Throughout his youth, Simon was a member of an Upper Darby street gang known as the Warlords. ``When I sentenced him, he looked up at me and muttered, `F you and turned his back on me., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. [25][26], On September 7, 1999, a reported fistfight broke out between Harris and Simon while the pair were in one of the prison recreational areas. The most highly publicized case heard in Lavelle's courtroom was the 1982 trial of Robert "Mudman" Simon, a founding member of the Philadelphia-based Warlocks motorcycle gang. July 27, 2008. So what? Mud said as he lighted a cigarette. Then theres the One Percenter Bikers, official FB page of the www.OnePercenterBikers.com, with over 20,000 followers. They are active throughout the Delaware Valley, including South Jersey and Wilmington, with Delco and Philly being their main stomping grounds. Certainly it's not the majority of motorcycle enthusiasts," he offered. Simon shot Gonzales twice, in the head and neck, killing him instantly. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert Mudman Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. I notice from pictures that deceased criminal Robert "mudman" Simon bears a strong family resembelance. With some petunias. They have also appeared throughout many classic horror-themed films and TV series. Meet Smitty: armed robber, jailhouse rocker and casualty of the war on There was a steel mill, a stone quarry, a beer distributorship that looked like an aircraft hangar, a sandwich shop built to resemble a space ship, a truck depot and a Knights of Columbus hall. Loved the look on the sociopath and real story of his death. Prison has seen famous, infamous enter its gates The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, artist and recent Temple University graduate was painting a community mural in Trenton in 1992. He had formerly been sentenced to death by the state of New Jersey on May 6, 1995 for his part in the fatal shooting of Franklin Township police sergeant Ippolito Gonzalez. On May 6, 1995 Police Sgt. People rarely got very far once Mudman Simon stepped into their path. In 1995, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole paroled Warlocks bike gang member Robert "Mudman" Simon, disregarding strong warnings from the judge who convicted him. Ambrose Harris, 68, died Tuesday at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, the state Department of Corrections said. Was he? Very noble and upright of them. He was always taken care of,' said Brown, who is now serving his life sentence for murder at Huntington state prison. The major difference being that when things soured, Simon would literally shoot you in the head rather than figuratively stab you in the back. Simon grabbed Yo by the collar. Harris was sentenced to death and sent to prison in 1994 for kidnapping, raping and killing 22-year-old Kristin Huggins. "I know I'll die in prison, so I've essentially been sentenced to death for planning a burglary and being there when an officer was killed," Staples wrote in a typed letter to the South Jersey Times. They went up the mountains to another chapters clubhouse to see one of the guys staying up there whom the girl was seeing. Publication date. The pest control contractor had come that morning to eradicate the roaches in their cages. Gonzalez was 40 years old at the time of his death. Simon, 43, and another Warlocks member are charged with killing Franklin Township police Sgt. The club is most prominent in and has significant territory in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Delaware County, South Jersey, and Wilmington, though they also have a heavy presence . Yeah, Mud said, with a thoughtful nod. Dalton said a Gloucester County law enforcement museum, to open at the Rowan College at Gloucester County library later this month, will feature a wall of honor and a plaque for Gonzalez. Get up and fight, flower girl!, I was rescued by the timely arrival of a neighbor, Mr. Carr, walking his poodle Trixie. Released Convicted Killer Warlock Charged With Officer's Murder - AP NEWS As Simon was let out of his cell so it could be fumigated, he tried to tackle Harris in a recreation cage, sources said. He didnt get very far. It wasnt the Iowa Writers Workshop, exactly. Hed only been out three months so I can see why he wouldnt want to go back to prison. I used Simon as the basis for the character of Ronnie Sludgeman Simmons in my novel The Blue Route. Hey, you. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez of Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey pulled over Warlocks members Robert "Mudman" Simon and Charles "Shovel" Staples on a traffic stop moments after the two had committed a commercial burglary. Staples was tried twice; a hung jury was the result of the first and felony murder the second. I gave it a few minutes, and then looked out the window. Shit, who aint? 'Mr. ", Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. [2], Robert Ronald Simon was born on September 4, 1951, in Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. [21], In a haste, Staples immediately drove himself and Simon away from the area but were soon pursued by nearby police officers who had heard the two gunshots on Sgt. Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania) - Wikiwand There were also outlaw bikers, drug dealers, meth freaks, gamblers, loansharks, burglars and mob guys, as well as businessmen, cops and politicians with some very creative ideas regarding money, law and ethics. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert Mudman Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. I heard someone clear his throat behind me. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jersey's death row has died in prison. Im gonna tell! In that neighborhood, one didnt necessarily want to cultivate a reputation as a guy that stood around on grassy knolls looking through books about flowers. When the authorities caught up with him about seven years later, he was living under an alias, apparently an upstanding citizen with a wife and several children in the Midwest. Simon shot Gonzalez twice, in the head and neck, and Gonzalez died instantly. Tell you the truth, I been considering a B&E myself. Simon shot Gonzalez twice, in the head and neck, and Gonzalez died instantly. A dozen years later, and 11 weeks to the day after his parole, Simon was back in jail _ this time on charges he shot and killed a New Jersey police officer during . Obituary of John P. Lavelle - boston Pennsylvania | OBITUARe.com In 1999, Harris stomped another death-row inmate in NJ State Prison - Robert "Mudman" Simon - to death. Simon, a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Warlocks motorcycle gang, was convicted in 1974 for the murder of his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg, a 19-year-old stenographer. They were at a party in Jim Thorpe when Simon ordered her to have sex with other gang members. Neither the judge in Simons murder case, John Lavelle, nor a trooper who knew him years ago expressed surprise. Mr. Simon pleaded guilty last October to capital murder in the shooting death of Sgt. She refused so he took . Lakewood mother pleads guilty to leaving 21-month old in hot car Its a shame that there arent more like him. One of the more infamous was the late Robert "Mudman" Simon who killed a Franklin Township police sergeant in Franklinville, NJ, in 1995. I had The Mudman and his cohorts, and their victims. Writers are, of necessity, selfish. He was then . You didnt know what hed do from one day to the next.. The gang member, Robert Simon, 45, who was also known as Mudman, showed no emotion as the verdict was pronounced. And he might be sipping his dinner through straws for a while. Retired Trenton Deputy Police Chief Joe Constance, who led the team of detectives on the Huggins case, told NJ Advance Media Wednesday that Harris was the most evil person Ive encountered in the 32 years I was on the job.. Simon murdered his girlfriend, a fellow inmate, and a police officer, only to be later killed by Ambrose Harris while at Trenton State Prison. And with the victim being a police officer, I won't be paroled the first time I come up.". More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, the fatal shooting of Franklin Township police Sgt. Inmate hopes for freedom were now nearly dashed . More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Lancaster resident found guilty of giving man serious brain injuries during bar fight. The governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were dragged into the finger-pointing, buck passing and heated debate that fueled outraged newspaper editorials and filled airtime on TV and radio. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez. A. Charles Peruto Jr., the lawyer who represented Simon before the board, said New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, should bear the responsibility for allowing him to settle so close to his buddy Staples. [21] Evidence collected from the car confirmed that the two gang members were, in fact, the ones who had robbed Environmental Heating building. [24] A firearms expert would later testify that the weapon found near Simon when during his apprehension was the same one used to kill Gonzalez. His mother smoked about as often as mine did, which was never. I was even luckier, I suppose, ultimately spending a great deal more time in close proximity to Simon than Yo did. It was something forced upon him from being through the system as he was. Harris was sentenced to death and sent to prison in 1994 for kidnapping, raping and killing 22-year-old Kristin Huggins. Simon and Staples were then taken into police custody. He was beaten to death in prison in 1999.Simon's accomplice in the botched burglary, Charles "Shovel" Staples, received a life sentence -- although he doesn't feel that way about it. Convicted Murderer Who Killed Artist, Fellow Inmate Dies in NJ Prison He stared at it, puzzled. Pa. 1999)", "MEDICAL RECORDS MAY IDENTIFY BURNED BODY POLICE", "Mihalick v. Simon, CIVIL ACTION NO. (Amended Complaint at 91-94.) Harris life was spared when New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007. If you Google the words Robert Mudman Simon or type them into the archives of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, links to hundreds of articles magically appear. And who can forget Robert "Mudman" Simon. The Warlocks menaced the state of Pennsylvania during the 1970s, and Simon was often described as an ill-tempered and especially dangerous member by those who knew and encountered him. Wikizero - Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania) He was beaten to death in prison in 1999. Very interesting. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) Ambrose Harris and Robert "Mudman" Simon lived in side-by-side cells at the capital sentence unit of New Jersey State Prison. 'I was told if I said anything, they would kill me,' he said. Former Franklin Township police Sgt. Beautifully maintained parks and athletic fields. As a teenager and in my early 20s, I wasnt any angel. "Harris apparently beat Simon down with his fists then kicked him until he was unconscious," said an investigator. While on death row, Harris punched, kicked and stomped to death a fellow death row inmate, Robert "Mudman" Simon, who had been convicted of killing Franklin Township police Sgt. He fell and hit his head on a metal table. Nice read, and I appreciated it! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "The department did everything it could to prevent this from happening.". Yo-Yo did catch up with me later. It just happened that I grew up three blocks from him; we moved in the same circles, such as they were. Simon shot Gonzalez twice, in the head and neck, and Gonzalez died instantly. Ambrose Harris. The victim, suspect and three witnesses were all convicted murderers. My dear friend Patti sent a letter in response to my post the other day about walking along Merion Rd when the Pagan MC drove by: in the 1970s, members of the Warlocks (NFM: the main rivals to the Pagan MC) were suspected in the deaths of a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman whose skeletal remains were found in the Tinicum marsh, now known as the John Heinz Wildlife Preserve. Previous page. Simon later said he shot Sergeant Gonzalez because he did . Robert Ronald "Mudman" Simon (September 4, 1954 - September 7, 1999), also known as Bobby Simon, was an American outlaw biker, convicted murderer and member of the Pennsylvania-based Warlocks Motorcycle Club.He had formerly been sentenced to death by the state of New Jersey on May 6, 1995, for his part in the fatal shooting of Franklin Township police sergeant Ippolito Gonzalez. Id forgotten about them. I been eyeballing you, pal, the raspy-voiced Mud said. [7] Simon was also suspected of murdering an inmate at State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh during his incarceration period. While on death row, Simon was stomped to death by Ambrose Harris. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down.
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