Accused killer Steven DeMocker and his ex-wife Carol Kennedy both struggled with finances after their divorce, which caused extreme friction between the two, a fraud examiner testified Friday at the Yavapai County Courthouse.
On the fourth day of the evidentiary hearing surrounding Kennedy's murder, Richard Echols said DeMocker and Kennedy argued extensively about money in a slew of e-mails during the months, weeks and days leading up to the victim's death on July 2, 2008.
Prosecuting attorneys accuse DeMocker, 55, of bludgeoning Kennedy to death with a golf club at what was their Williamson Valley home. The state is seeking the death penalty for DeMocker, a former financial advisor, based on five aggravating circumstances, including pecuniary gain.
On July 1, 2008, the day before Kennedy's death, e-mail correspondence between DeMocker and Kennedy indicates she complained about not receiving a second alimony payment of $6,000, money she was entitled to from her ex-husband and had planned to use to pay down debt.
She also could not afford to take over the mortgage on the couple's house, where she was living by herself after the split.
Essentially, prosecutors allege DeMocker killed Kennedy to avoid paying her $6,000 per month - $576,000 total - in alimony and to keep her from receiving a share of a 401K plan after the divorce.
Echols said Kennedy had a job but could not pay all of her bills. She was relying on DeMocker for help. However, Echols testified that DeMocker penned in a March 13, 2008, e-mail that he was unable to pay off his debts on five credit cards and he had borrowed $50,000 from his father.
Echols added that DeMocker's income shrunk by 30 percent in the first six months of 2008 when compared with the same timeframe the previous year. He estimated DeMocker owed creditors $160,000 in 2007.
To cover his shortfall, Echols said DeMocker tried to get money from the company he worked for, Phoenix-based UBS Financial Services Inc., and made a premature withdrawal of $89,000 from an IRA. Prosecutors say Kennedy also had two separate life insurance policies, including one for $250,000 that would go directly to DeMocker if Kennedy died.
The next time you're tempted to run up the credit cards to buy crap that you can't afford, think about where that got Steve and Carol.
Greenspan's Body Count stands at 112:
Carol Kennedy
Diane Ward
Edith Moreno
Diana Moreno
Scott Peters
Tom Blackmore
Kevin Daniel O'Connell
Julie Fay
Wallis Fay
Siu Fong Ng
Ernest Scherer Jr.
Charlene Abendroth
J.D. Wood
Cynthia Wood
Aubrey Wood
Dillon Wood
Betty J. Lipply
Dwight Deely
Linda Patrick
David Kellerman
Christopher Wood
Francie Billotti-Wood
Chandler Wood
Gavin Wood
Fiona Wood
Gil Weber
Gregory Graham
Randolph Graham
David Kelley
Ramona woman
Del Mar man
Wayne "Mike" Anderson
Jeffrey M. Pearson
Ervin Antonio Lupoe
Ana Lupoe
Brittney Lupoe
Jaszmin Lupoe
Jassely Lupoe
Benjamin Lupoe
Christian Lupoe
Steven L. Good
Adolf Merckle
Mike Upham
Randy Motts
Kristy Hunt
Joseph Nesheiwat
Tom Brisch
Alex Widmer
Brian Pugh
Marilyn Lewis
Sid Agrawal
Kirk Stephenson
Barry Fox
Dallas Dwayne Carter
David Hetzel
Sharron Hetzel
Cliff Kendall
Pamela Ross
Roland Gore
Mrs. Gore
Wanda Dunn
Karthik Rajaram
Subasri Rajaram
Krishna Rajaram
Ganesha Rajaram
Arjuna Rajaram
Indra Ramasesham
Joe X
Isabelle Jarka
Robert Wagner
Lt. Michael Howe
John Roberts
Palmer C. White
Dianne Pittman White
Ed Boesen
Edwin F. Rachleff
Carlene Balderrama
Troy VanderStelt
Scott M. Coles
Dawn E. Armstrong
Thomas Lizotte
Jonathon Calvin "40-Cal" Jacques
Salvador X
Lupe X
Jade X
Little Boy X
Little Girl X
Kashmir Billon
Bill McMurtry
Lisa McMurtry
James Hahn
Raymond Donaca
Deanna Donaca
[redacted]
[redacted]
Michel Veillette
Nadya Ferrari-Veillette
Marguerite Veillette
Vincent Veillette
Mia Veillette
Jacob Veillette
Maurice Pereira
Natasha Pereira
Mark Achilli
Raed Al-Farah
Andrew Kissel
Rufus Shaw Jr.
Lynn Flint Shaw
Mr. Pierce
Walter Buczynksi
Marci Buczynski
Jason Washington
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